Brewing with friends

[JawZziff]

I know you've heard it more than once: "cool, you brew beer? when are you doing your next batch? can I come watch? I've always wanted to brew, can you show me what to do?"

me: "only if you're ok with watching me clean things"

"that's ok, can I help with anything?"

me: "no. you will only get in my way. here, hold this."

where do you draw the line with your non brewing friends? I'll always let them come over and watch but they are learning to stay out of my way. I recently had a friend who wants to get into it and I've had to tell him "you tell me what you think you need to do and I'll let you know if you're on the right track." he pretty much wanted me to spell it out for him step for step, even go to the store with him to pick up supplies. maybe I'll make the trip with him to the brew store but I told him that I'm going to sit there on brew day and get drunk while he does all the work. only way to learn imo.

 

[johngault007]

Yeah I'm with you. More often than not I have no issues with friends hanging out while I brew. But apart from helping lift some things, I don't let anyone interfere with my process. Even cleaning, which sounds menial at best, has to be done my way or I am not comfortable with it. I answer any and all questions, and if they pick up the hobby, great.

Years ago I tried a group brew on someone's equipment. I couldn't handle it, because I had no control over the process and felt awkward sitting back wanting to do it my way. I'm not saying that I have the best practices or methods, but I like my beer and the way I do it

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I was just thinking that once I was no longer a novice, I would provide brewing lessons for a nominal fee. I know they have one at the LHBS, but I would tailor the experience for the person to fit the goals and limitations of them. I would use their equipment spend a lot of time talking to the person and figuring out their needs and reasons for getting started and then help them to find their way of doing it. Probably a little unrealistic on my part, especially since I would have to know how to work every type and style of brewing equipment as well as the odd clients unrealistic expectations. Also, I am kind of an intra-vert, so I don't even get friends asking me to show them how to brew. If one did though, I would hook a brotha up.

 

[Waynep005]

I have no issue with letting friends help if they want . the process is not overly complicated so why not. It's not like letting another man use your grill.

 

[muels]

My friends come over once in awhile to hang out but they are at least a little helpful. One friend who was interested is now my brew partner. I still take care of the process and planning but he has a good idea what going on and definitely helps. We split everything 50/50 and make 11 gallon batches. When he isn't around I brew 5 gallon on my smaller rig.

 

[Brews-Lee]

Gotta have someone hold the lid for me while I check the refractometer...

 

[max384]

I don't mind having friends hang out or help with brewing. I'm used to doing all the work with brewing anyhow, so if I have an extra hand, it just makes it that much easier. When it comes to cleaning, if they don't do as good of a job as I would, I'll just take over and clean the parts they miss. It's still less work than doing it by myself.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I enjoy making brew days a social event. I forewarn potential "helpers" of the lack of excitement and likelihood that they'll be helping with the equivalent of "doing the dishes." I also make sure there's plenty of beer and food.

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

Always make sure your friends are thoroughly sanitized before you add them to the fermenter

 

[KPBrews]

I have a small group of friends that all brew together. There are a couple of us with actual experience (of varying levels, but still... And yes, we do most of the actual work), a few who want to learn, and ask good questions, and are there to lend a hand whenever asked, be it stirring or cleaning, and of course there are usually a couple that mostly hang out and chat (and drink) while we try to do our thing.

It all works out in the end, and a good time is had by all. This isn't a business, it's a hobby... We should be having fun with it! If they're my friends, chances are I'm going to enjoy spending a day socializing with them. Also, for formal group brews with my local brew club, it's a great chance to share ideas and learn from those who are more experienced, use equipment that's bigger and fancier than anything I'm likely to have of my own, and take home some wort to ferment at the end of the day.

 

[wyccad915]

Ive had a friend there for two of my brews. It was ok. Help is not really needed (at least for me). I have had the same friend help with one bottling day and I did appreciate the extra set of hands then.

 

[Murphys_Law]

I've had some family come over. The words outta their mouth were, "can we come over and help you brew?" but what they meant to say was, "can we come over and smoke your cigars and drink your beer while you brew?"

 

[Dixon9717]

When I have friends help brew it's mostly cleaning up and I do it all over again the next day just so I know how well it's done.

 

[mattdee1]

I've got a friend always bugging me to involve him in my brew days, but it's getting to the point where I'm just going to tell him no, I like to go it alone. That way, he will be forced to buy his own setup, which there is absolutely no reason for him not to do--he has the money, space, time, and interest, not to mention me to help him get started (something I wish I had).

Then there was another pair of buddies I had over one time while brewing, and after I turned around to see my slightly inebriated friend dipping his finger into my just-cooled wort, I decided "no more".

 

[pshankstar]

Then there was another pair of buddies I had over one time while brewing, and after I turned around to see my slightly inebriated friend dipping his finger into my just-cooled wort, I decided "no more".

This is how I would feel if I saw this!!! Yes, I have young kids in the house... LOL

via Imgflip Meme Maker

 

[LandoLincoln]

I tend to get distracted a lot when friends are over during brew days. But brew days are more enjoyable when I'm not alone, so...eh. If I'm making a beer for a competition then I make sure I'm alone.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I've brewed with a lot of people in the last few years, but I hands-down enjoy it best when I'm alone. I usually pick a day when the wife is at work and out of my way.

I'm too concerned about the process to let other people try, so I usually just end up limiting them to measuring out water and hops, and then staying the f away once flameout occurs.

BUT the times I brewed with my dad and with my father in law, I stepped back and told them exactly what to do and let them do just about everything. All I did was advise. And you know what, it was more fun that way for all of us - especially because they felt like they actually made the beer, rather than just weighing stuff out and throwing in muslin bags.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

To add, I'm probably in the minority of posters here but I refuse to drink on brew/bottle day until everything is done.

BUT, when friends come over to brew I always get talked into drinking and the next thing you know we end up with a gallon of high gravity stout all over my kitchen floor because I mis-judged how quickly the wort would pass from one vessel into another through a funnel...

Floor, cabinets, and refrigerator were a sticky mess for a week.

 

[pshankstar]

I have a few friends who have asked about joining me for a brew day, but so far it hasn't worked out yet (we all have very young children). So it's hard to dedicate an afternoon or a good part of the day to brewing. I tend to brew later in the day after the kids are in bed myself.

When that time comes, I'll probably do what @HarborTownBrewing does. The only person whom I have brewed with is my father in-law. The nice this is, he is into home brewing too so I do not have to worry as apposed to one of my friends who doesn't have a clue.

I also agree with others... I think I would be afraid of people not cleaning equipment properly or to my standards.

 

[DoomRider]

I am an early morning brewer (7am start at latest), so most of my friends don't wanna get up that early to join me. Win Win! The last time I started a little later and had a buddy come over, the last thing he said was "Yeah, I think I am gonna stick to buying it off the shelf." He could not believe all the work that goes into it (and that was just brew day). He is now my biggest advocate!

My Dad "helped" me once, but he just mainly sat back, watched how it was done, and drank homebrew. Which was cool.

I would be open to showing more friends the process, if they are willing to get up and be at my house on time.

 

[Brewddah]

Many of my friends have been curious about the process and want to watch. I find that they usually get bored after a while. It's like they're expecting to be a really exciting event. I'm not sure what they're imagining. I do like having someone there to operate the mash paddle while I pour in the hot water. It's much less efficient when I'm alone.

 

[GHBWNY]

I know you've heard it more than once: "cool, you brew beer? when are you doing your next batch? can I come watch? I've always wanted to brew, can you show me what to do?"

me: "only if you're ok with watching me clean things"

"that's ok, can I help with anything?"

me: "no. you will only get in my way. here, hold this."

where do you draw the line with your non brewing friends? I'll always let them come over and watch but they are learning to stay out of my way. I recently had a friend who wants to get into it and I've had to tell him "you tell me what you think you need to do and I'll let you know if you're on the right track." he pretty much wanted me to spell it out for him step for step, even go to the store with him to pick up supplies. maybe I'll make the trip with him to the brew store but I told him that I'm going to sit there on brew day and get drunk while he does all the work. only way to learn imo.

If I were as adamant about not having anyone else involved in my process, I would simply tell my 'friend',

"Look, I really don't want you hanging around on my brew day, so if you want to learn to brew, you'd be better off finding someone who is sincerely interested in teaching you and helping you, and will be patient with you; someone who will answer your questions and give you advice. You know, like the guy who taught me."

 

[BeardedBrews]

Unless the person already brews themselves and they know what they're getting into, I never invite someone over just for a brew day.

Cookout / Brew Day
Watch the Game / Brew Day
Book Club / Brew Day
Kids Play Date / Brew Day

There are probably only two or three times in a well planned 5-gallon brew day where you could ever really use a second set of hands. The rest of the time even the brewer is just sitting there watching and updating the log book. That's thrilling if it's your brew, boring for anyone else.


If someone wants to come over and "learn to brew" I offer to let them brew their first batch on my gear. They can grab any $40 kit on Northern Brewer, I will get everything set up, and they can ferment in my carboy and my chamber. I can even text them pictures of their airlock bubbling if they want

 

[KPBrews]

There are probably only two or three times in a well planned 5-gallon brew day where you could ever really use a second set of hands. The rest of the time even the brewer is just sitting there watching and updating the log book. That's thrilling if it's your brew, boring for anyone else.

This is true, but a second pair of hands is quite helpful at those times. It's not that you CAN'T do it alone, but it's a lot easier with help.

Someone can fill a bucket with hot water and add 1/2 oz of StarSan. That's not rocket science, there's no special "standard" to which it must be done, and yet it's helpful for someone to do. Someone to stir the wort while you pour in DME/LME (or they pour, you stir). Someone to fill buckets of water for wort cool-down (unless you're just connecting a hose and have a handy drain... we in SoCal have a drought to worry about so it's a tighter process). Someone to fetch this or that. ("We're getting ready to add 1/2 lb of lactose, so grab the bag from over there, and and the scale from over there, so I can weight it out.") Someone to monitor the temp of this or that, and log it. Or for that matter, logging brew notes in general.

Point is, there are tons of little things that a second pair of hands can help with where they really can't screw anything up for you, and can be genuinely helpful. Just make it clear for them to steer clear until asked, and not to touch anything. If your friends can't be trusted to follow those simple instructions, then no, they shouldn't be allowed over on brew day... and consider upgrading your friends to a better model.

 

[brewerdoc]

I wish I had friends who brew

 

[JawZziff]

If I were as adamant about not having anyone else involved in my process, I would simply tell my 'friend',

"Look, I really don't want you hanging around on my brew day, so if you want to learn to brew, you'd be better off finding someone who is sincerely interested in teaching you and helping you, and will be patient with you; someone who will answer your questions and give you advice. You know, like the guy who taught me."

I get that. and I'm learning to communicate better to my friends but I can be a typical "polite" Canadian I guess. Like I said though, I don't mind showing a friend the process and try to give them fair warning that it can be really boring to watch. like others, I'm a little protective of my process. But I didn't have anyone teach me. No buddy to trouble shoot with. I learned by books, Google searches, lots of reading, and making many mistakes. I still make mistakes! and I guess that's how I want my friend to learn. to just dive in. come to me with questions but ultimately is your process you need to figure out.

 

[m00ps]

If I didnt have friends come over while I brew, my supply would stockpile too much. They are eager to help with whatever they actually can and try to pick up some knowledge. They all leave with a 6pack or two and I encourage them to share with others. Its a good feeling as a homebrewer to get a text that says "Hey man, you gonna be home tonight brewing? I have 3 friends from out of town that are really excited to come over and see how you made this stuff"

 

[KPBrews]

I wish I had friends who brew

Make some!

(Or move somewhere where there are more HBT folks!)

 

[JawZziff]

for any friend who wants to learn I'm finding the best approach is to set them up for success. "Google how to brew by John Palmer. read. pick up a kit from this store and choose your yeast, any yeast will do." and not even an extract kit. one of those dump in a bucket, add yeast and wait kinda kits.

 

[brewcat]

I like brewing alone. It is my time. Wake up early and have some time to think before the sun comes up.

 

[blizz81]

I never brew alone. My brewing buddy has pretty much been there for every brew in our 8+ years, maybe minus one or two and / or being late / leaving early for some. My lady is generally there for them all now too, and though she loves craft beer and brewing and has a pretty good understanding of the process by now, she hasn't taken the helm for a brewday (we do rotate batches between the three of us, so she'll tell me what she wants & pay for the ingredients). She volunteers to do a good portion of the cleanup at the end of every brewday.


We have a couple other beery regulars and stragglers here and there, pretty common for them to bring beer (commercial or homebrew) to share during the day. Stragglers, I'll give a start time (usually noon-ish) and find they generally show up at about 3-4pm when things are winding down. The three of us generally explain process details to anyone that's interested and asks questions.

 

[Firewalker11]

I am brewing with my brew buddy this weekend at his house. He does 3 tier and I do BIAB so it's always something new to learn!

 

[johngault007]

Ok, so all of my solo talk went down the tubes today...lol. A buddy of mine that hooked me up with custom woodwork for my malt mill likes beer, and as an exchange of services I offered homebrew in exchange for his woodworking skills on various projects I want to do for my brewing. He asked if he could come over and "see how it's done" this weekend.

So, I guess I don't mind people coming over and asking questions and me explaining the process, that's cool. But I guess it's the inherent feeling that I need to entertain/host anyone that comes over, when in fact I'm setting up the next process or cleaning as I go, because it's therapeutic.

The only real exception is my Dad, he stays out of the way and we just B/S about anything and everything. Plus, he's family, so there isn't that expectation to play host with him.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

The host thing is tough, for sure. Probably the worst part. When it's someone who I have over a lot it's not a problem but other people I feel like I have to make food, keep them busy, etc.

If it's a good friend we are both just happy snacking in chips and watching hockey in our downtime

 

[fd4413]

My brother and I brew together... it's our thing. We bought all of our stuff together etc and it's great. Now, our sisters boyfriend asked to come over the other night to watch us brew. First and last time haha. He always seemed to have "a better" or "a faster" way to do things. There came a point where it was so distracting to our process that we had to sit him down and plug him full of beer.

 

[markstache]

I have people over while I'm brewing about 1 in 3 times. Mostly, it's just people who hang out and shoot the breeze. In this case, I appreciate the company.

I've been showing a few people how to brew on my last few days. For this, I basically keep up a constant flow of chatter. "Now, I'm milling the grain. We need to break up the pieces but not too much. Now, I'm adding the grain to water, please stir while I do this" etc. I'm a teacher, so this is basically par for the course for me. I'm trying to find more things to engage my students/fellow-brewers ("active learning"). Now that I think about it, I've had one guy over twice now. I think it is time for him take the lead on a brew day, while I play patient observer.

 

[johngault007]

I'm trying to find more things to engage my students/fellow-brewers ("active learning"). Now that I think about it, I've had one guy over twice now. I think it is time for him take the lead on a brew day, while I play patient observer.

Wish I had a teacher like you in school!!!! Nothing like getting students interested in learning than to show them how to make beer.

 

[brewerdoc]

Make some!

(Or move somewhere where there are more HBT folks!)

I need to join a home brew club and if that doesn't work then for sure move.

 

[blizz81]

On the most recent brewday this prior weekend, one of my brewing friends put our decanted starter jug on the "clean these dishes" counter. Our other brewing friend doing cleanup cleaned the jug straight out.


There went our yeast...


I should brew alone!!

 

[oceanic_brew]

I have two setups for brew day.

One is outside on the deck with all my equipment sat up and looking technical and lab-like. The other is for when I brew with people or my brew partner (girlfriend) on these days I heat mash and sparge on the kitchen stove and do my boils just outside the door on the deck where I monitor it through a window and usually use ferm-cap.

My brews on the back deck are meticulously precise and I take lots of readings and all that, my brews in the kitchen are very laid back and I can chat and have a beer.

I also no-chill into a keg so I'm doing my whirl-pool, transfer, and overnight cool all outside away from anyone who happens to be around and I barely need to monitor it like I did when using my counter flow.


I do miss the days of doing complete brews on the back deck and pitching the yeast that day and if I ever were to teach someone to brew I would set all the gear up in a more logical fashion on the back deck.