Doing it the hard way...

[bergy]

If there's one thing I learned from my high school calculus teacher it was "do it the hard way first and then be a wimp and use a calculator." So, after years of doing it the easy way (a trip to the local grocery store) I decided to bite the bullet and learn how to brew. And my, what a tasty bullet it was!

First off I'd like to say thanks to all the posters who've asked questions and the educated responses people have made on these forums; it has made my brewing journey much easier. It was with your help -- wether you knew it or not -- that I was able to easily put my second batch (a Brewer's Best Irish Stout) to bed in a nice cool spot today.

Secondly, I have found that I really enjoy the do-it-yourself aspect of this hobby. After my first batch temperature control reared its ugly head and I was forced to use a wet towel and a fan to keep the fermenter cool, though that didn't always work. Since then I built a Mother of Fermentation Chiller and my stout is sleeping nicely there.

Finally all the information available about brewing really appeals to the geek in me. As a software engineer I'm already imagining all of the code I'm going to write to keep track of brews, calculate optimal fermentation, etc. ad infinitum. (Yes, I know that there's already software to do that but please re-read the first line )

In the mean time I eagerly plan my next brews and how the world will be a much better place for it. Brew on, good friends!

 

[Stauffbier]

The first lessons I learned when I started brewing are;
1) It's not cheaper than just buying beer at the grocery store.
2) It's not easier than just buying beer at the grocery store.
3) It's not faster than just buying beer at the grocery store....
But... It's way more rewarding, and more tasty (even if just in MY mind)..
Every time I learn a new aspect of the hobby, it's like a right of passage!

Enjoy and welcome to your new obsession my friend!

 

[Haputanlas]

The first lessons I learned when I started brewing are;
1) It's not cheaper than just buying beer at the grocery store.

It definitely can and should be when you get into all grain.
I've been making big a$$ beers for under 50 cents/12Oz for a while now. My Hefs are less than 15 cents

2) It's not easier than just buying beer at the grocery store.

definitely not. Unless you brew batches larger than 20 gallons. It'll be a while before you'll need top go back to the grocery store on behalf of beer.

3) It's not faster than just buying beer at the grocery store....

Same as above

But... It's way more rewarding, and more tasty (even if just in MY mind)..
Every time I learn a new aspect of the hobby, it's like a right of passage!

Enjoy and welcome to your new obsession my friend!

Agreed. It's a common factor on here for the obsession to be related to the want for a better beer that fits your specific needs. The obsession is typically not due to cost of the beer, however this can become one of the great side effects.

 

[Stauffbier]

It definitely can and should be when you get into all grain.
I've been making big a$$ beers for under 50 cents/12Oz for a while now. My Hefs are less than 15 cents


.

I'm still a major noob, so AG is still something I don't even understand how to do yet. I'm reading up on it though, and I aspire to do it eventually. I've still managed to figure out how to do partial mash/extract batches cheaper than when I first started, though. Learning to wash yeast has been a nice money saver along with buying in bulk..