Do you enjoy brewing more than drinking?

[roymullins]

uh... no.... no such thing as too much beer...

 

[dfc]

This question occurred to me the other day, and I thought I'd toss it out here for discussion.

Like I'm sure many of you do too, I spend a lot of time thinking about brewing beer. I just got into all-grain brewing last fall, and I have 15 batches under my belt. I have a long list of beers I want to make, and I even have a detailed spreadsheet to track fermenter, carboy, keg, and fridge space for each batch to ensure I have enough space.

The problem I'm having (if you can call it that) is that I'm excited to brew all these different styles of beer, but I'm not going through it fast enough to free up the kegs. I have 5 Corny kegs, and in 2 more weeks, they'll all be full (3 are already full and currently carbonating, 2 more batches are just finishing up clearing and will be kegged in the next 2 weeks).

Don't get me wrong, I love beer. But I also don't want to get hammered every night. I exercise a lot and it's important to me to stay in shape, so I don't want to drink excessively. Consequently, it's going to take me a while to get through that 25 gallons of beer. I'll be doing my best to share it with guests, but even still, the weather is going to start getting better soon, and I know I'm going to be itching to weigh out and mill some grains.

I'm not asking for a solution (that's easy: buy more kegs, give more beer away, drink more beer), I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this too. As much as I enjoy drinking beer, I also get excited about making it, and feel sad when I know the weekend is going to be perfect brewing weather, but there's no room in my pipeline. Anyone else experience this too?

Most definitely. I actually throw a beer tasting party a couple of times a year in order to clear out some space so I can brew more. I live with my wife and she doesn't drink. I brew on average about 75 gallons per year. I don't drink anywhere close to 75 gallons per year.

 

[brettg20]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't....

 

[dfc]

I brew much more than I drink, luckily being 20 means I have lots of friends who will gladly empty my bottles for me. Lots of brewing, lots of learning and soon lots of medals.

I was about to comment on openly posting that you're 20. Then I saw you're in Canada. No need to warn you!

 

[AVLbrewing]

Part of the brewing process is tasting and drinking the beer, and the satisfaction that gives me. With that being said I'd say I enjoy the brewing process as much, if not more than the drinking. I really like giving it away and seeing other people enjoy my beer too!

 

[EO74]

I love the brewing process more than the drinking process and its tough to keep up so i give a lot away, but i cant justify brewing smaller than 5 gal for some strange reason?

 

[AVLbrewing]

I love the brewing process more than the drinking process and its tough to keep up so i give a lot away, but i cant justify brewing smaller than 5 gal for some strange reason?

Ha! Me neither. Every now and then I'll go a little less than 5gal if it's something more "experimental" or something I'm not sure I'll like as much, but even that's hard and it's never less than around 3.5gal

 

[bscott1011]

My brewing just about keeps pace with consumption, I like 2.5 or 3 gallon batches as I get to brew more often and I usually have a decent variety to choose from.

 

[BigRedHopHead]

I'm about even. I enjoy both just as much. But have 5-6 neighbors who regularly drink together. That helps to clear up the kegs and keep the pipeline flowing. Without their help there is no way I could keeps beers on all 4 taps of my kegerator.

 

[beerinasippicup]

When reading some of the more technical forums on HBT I get the impression that for some, brewing is more of an outlet for engineering creativity than it is for the love of brewing. Maybe that's just me.

Well said! I found this thread after thinking I might be going crazy. I am actually starting to not like drinking. Perhaps its from working the night shift and never being able to make my schedule match with my fellow home brewers / friends. AKA, Im always drinking alone.

(Slightly )Not to get too droney here, but I stopped drinking 3 months ago because SWMBO stopped drinking (Trying for our first). I was supporting her and clarifying my own body at the same time. I have just been brewing 5 gallon batches and giving them to my friends (kegs). I started letting up a little bit, maybe 1-2 a week, I feel groggy and generally crappy soon after. Maybe its a tolerance thing.

Point being, I have evolved to where I love to brew more than ever, but find myself spitting my Hydrometer tasters out during racking and kegging (like I'm wine tasting or something)LOL. Am I crazy?

 

[Flipadelphia]

Well said! I found this thread after thinking I might be going crazy. I am actually starting to not like drinking. Perhaps its from working the night shift and never being able to make my schedule match with my fellow home brewers / friends. AKA, Im always drinking alone.

(Slightly )Not to get too droney here, but I stopped drinking 3 months ago because SWMBO stopped drinking (Trying for our first). I was supporting her and clarifying my own body at the same time. I have just been brewing 5 gallon batches and giving them to my friends (kegs). I started letting up a little bit, maybe 1-2 a week, I feel groggy and generally crappy soon after. Maybe its a tolerance thing.

Point being, I have evolved to where I love to brew more than ever, but find myself spitting my Hydrometer tasters out during racking and kegging (like I'm wine tasting or something)LOL. Am I crazy?

I'd quit the hobby if I didn't drink. That's way too much time and money invested for something that I don't even get to consume. Drinking kicks ass.

 

[jlg4398]

I have brewed two batches of beer. The first five gallon batch was a bit cloudier than I expected, but it tasted great.
I let it ferment eight days. It bubbled for the first three or four days then stopped. I bottled it then let it sit room temperature for ten days.
After two days in the fridge I open a bottle, had great carbonation and it tasted really good. it was just a little cloudy.