Ever felt like just not brewing?

[Murphys_Law]

I was all set to brew today but woke up and just didn't feel like doing it. I went to the store for my RO water but for some reason just the thought of getting my gear out, grinding the grains, etc seemed too laborious.

I now have Wed marked down as the designated brew day!

 

[jbunton]

Ya I've felt like that but once I get going I'm all in. I think it's because it's getting cold in my shop now.

 

[brewbama]

I felt that way before. I don't have to brew so I blew it off until I missed it. I thoroughly enjoyed the brew day once I did brew a few weeks later than planned.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

It happens, you need a day to your self sometimes, brewing takes pretty much all day and I rush soo many things around it that day it can be draining at the end, and sometimes its worse than work so your not alone Ive done it several times

 

[PADave]

I find that if I plan a brew day in advance I'm all in, looking forward to it. If it's a wake up and I was not planning on brewing, but say I should take advantage of the opportunity I find it hard. Usually I don't brew in that case because I like to have things prepped the day before.

 

[jcav]

Nothing wrong with waiting until your up for it. You'll enjoy it more and hopefully have a smoother brew day as well! I just brewed a Janet's Brown Ale yesterday and it was a great day! Good luck on Wednesday!

John

 

[treacheroustexan]

I had every intention brewing yesterday morning and just didn't feel like it. Brewed today and had a pretty off day but ended up okay. Been brewing a lot lately.. I think I just need to give it a rest for a few weeks.

 

[GHBWNY]

Umm... let me think.

Nope.

 

[brewcat]

Sometimes you just need a day off. Brewing is a time commitment. Sometimes I'd rather sleep in, watch a movie, do nothing, etc.

 

[jbunton]

I know for me it will get tough to be motivated to do soon when it gets -20 so I'm trying to ram that pipeline full well I have good weather on my side!

 

[Homercidal]

I certainly have. Once went months without really wanting to brew (of course, I still did. I didn't have months worth of beers sitting around!)

I had so much going on, it felt like I couldn't afford the time I'd spend doing all of the things I wanted to do for brewing.

After a while, I got caught up on some stuff, dropped a few homebrew-related projects, and simply set aside a half-day for brewing.

I find the best way to enjoy brewing is to plan it out ahead. Gather stuff you need. Measure and prepare water and grain. Then, when it's time to actually brew, you can focus on the process at hand, instead of jumping through hoops to correct problems caused by not being prepared.

Then last night I had an itch to brew, so I threw together a half-batch of Bourbon Barrel IIPA on the spur of the moment. I did a quick-boil BIAB batch with a 45 minute mash, and let it sit overnight outside to chill. How is it going to turn out? Probably not great. It was an experiment, but sometimes winging it can be fun.

Best advice is to relax and enjoy that time. Bust out some mood tunes, maybe have someone over to help brew. Do something different.

 

[McKnuckle]

I just came back after a six month hiatus of NO brewing, just trying to drink through the results of my over-zealous prior efforts! Now I brewed two weekends in a row, small batches only. The break made sense and the return feels exciting again. I have other hobbies in addition to the usual life responsibilities, so I survived just fine.

 

[BigMack]

I'm in the same boat as most. Definitely have had some days where I just had no desire at all to spend the time brewing, but those are normally few and far between.

I will say I have definitely started enjoying brewing even more now that I prep the night before. Now I wake up and already have the grain milled, water measured, and equipment out. I just have to walk downstairs and start heating the water to strike temp. That lets me grab a cup of coffee and have 15 or 20 minutes to fully wake up while the water is heating. Makes the brew day smooth as can be.

 

[Mismost]

Yes...and that is why I also make wine. I can get a lazy day and want it to stay that way. I don't really feel bad about it because like right now, there is four different kinds of wine, 23 gallons of wine, in various stages...some fermenting, some clearing, some just aging in the carboy. So, I am doing something constructive even as I lay on the couch eating Cheetos drinking a beer and watching football or the insides of my eyeballs. Sometimes you just need the down time.

 

[bobeer]

It happens to me from time to time too. Nothing wrong with doing your hobby when you feel like it. Which is why, even though I love brewing, I don't' think it would make a good day job for me. Although, I would like to own my own brewery one day. Maybe I'll just develop new recipes and leave the actual day-to-day brewing to someone else. Haha.

 

[nDub]

I've recently been in a similar mindset so I bought an extract kit and brewed it up last Saturday. It was quick, easy, mindless and gave me the itch again so I brewed up 5 gallons of cider on Sunday! Now just need to find the time to brew again, which is becoming a problem in and of itself.

 

[Horseflesh]

In my various hobbies I find that often I get fed up with equipment limitations and time costs... but if I think I am in the hobby for the long haul, upgrading the gear pays off with more enjoyment and more accomplishments.

That's what moved me from bottles to kegs, and recently from Igloo cooler mash to an electric turnkey setup. I'm committed to brewing, but also eager to save time and effort. (The time saved also lets me spend energy on new efforts, like adding water chemistry customization to my brews.)

So... maybe it's time to buy some toys.

 

[Terek]

happens to me quite often. Since it takes all day, i try to do 3-4 things at the same time to kill the dead time you get on a brew day. It can easily become over whelming and end up being a long, arduous day. My last brew day consisted of brewing, smoking bacon, smoking fish, working on the pig pen, and training my llama for a pack frame. It was a long day, and seemed like more work than fun in the end. But if i dont do another task while brewing, i end up sitting in the brew room all day just drinking too much beer and smoking too many cigarettes

 

[dallasdb]

When I realized I "could" brew even with all the crap I had to get done but it'd be one thing I'd have to add to my list and time was already short. I wanted to brew to have beer, not for the enjoyment of brewing. So I just went and got a keg of fat tire instead. Not my top choice but had to find something most of the family would drink over Thanksgiving.

Apparently they liked it because it kicked in a day.

 

[Maylar]

That's why I make cider instead of beer... pitch yeast, stir, add airlock, come back in 2 months.

 

[JonM]

In the fall, I like to build up a huge pipeline, so I brew every weekend for a month. At the end of that, it starts to feel like work. But that's about the only time I come close to not enjoying it.

 

[pshankstar]

I had all the intentions of brewing this past weekend (long weekend none the less), but couldn't muster up the energy late at night after the family was in bed. Plus the weather here is starting to turn for the worst (winter in WNY) and I didn't feel like being outside. Man I must be getting old!!!

So I've been thinking about using my smaller aluminum 7.5 gallon pot and brew a 3 gallon batch (into fermenter) on my electric stove (flat top 3000W burner) that accommodates my kettle. But I'm not sure if my stove will handle a smaller BIAB boil about 4 gallons in size and if I will be standing around watching the wort come to a boil more than anything else.

So I am planning on brewing tonight. I still plan to do the smaller batch, but I will go out to the garage and brew tonight when the family is in bed and the temps are only in the mid-40's.

The worst part is, I did all the mineral calculations for my water and have the starter all ready to go last week in preparation for the brew day this weekend that never happened. Now I just need to get the grains measured out and crushed. I may even try to get the mash done this afternoon before dinner to save time. Now I'm motivated!

So long story not so short, is it happens to everyone I'm sure. Or a lot of people. So don't worry about it. When the mood hits you to brew, you will know it! Now, if only I knew my stove top would handle the smaller batches like this, then maybe I'll brew inside more often this winter. I guess I just need to try it. Hhhhmmmmm...

 

[Transamguy77]

I think we've all been there, over the last few years I've moved 3 times and each time I got closer to the setup I want and everything in one place. Having everything in one place and easily accessible will make brewing more enjoyable and less time consuming.

I also try to fit other stuff in and have found that brewing then gets in the way of "the other stuff" I started doing and then feels like a chore.

 

[Morrey]

Sometimes just a brief variation in a brew day can make you feel better. For example I have to shift my IC from source water to a closed loop ice bath back in the summer. For some reason I didn't like that step and I found an excuse not to brew or do something else. Maybe it was just too hot or something.

Now that the weather has cooled I skip the ice bath cooling step. The weather is cool and crisp. I CANT WAIT to brew again as soon as possible. Maybe you can rearrange a step in your brew day? Something to break the monotony?

 

[seatazzz]

I'm always up for a brew day, it's the cleanup afterwards that I dread. I finally forced myself to get it done every time after having to deal with a really stinky mash tun & crusty kettle when I was ready to brew again. I start early in the morning before the mister is up and about, so it's just me, some tunes, some good coffee, and the intoxicating scent of mashing then boiling malty/hoppy goodness. Sigh.

 

[myelo]

Have I ever felt like not brewing? Well there was that one time on my honeymoon ... but I squeezed in a 5 gallon BIAB batch anyway.

 

[jcav]

Have I ever felt like not brewing? Well there was that one time on my honeymoon ... but I squeezed in a 5 gallon BIAB batch anyway.

That's hilarious!

 

[Jaybird]

I have been there for sure! Not lately since I finished the brewery but years ago I would have those fleeting feelings. Then, I would mash in and all that would just fade away....

Cheers
Jay

 

[Jaybird]

Have I ever felt like not brewing? Well there was that one time on my honeymoon ... but I squeezed in a 5 gallon BIAB batch anyway.

Baaahhhhhaaaaaaaa! LOVE IT! You deserve a medal! Or maybe its the other half that should get the medal for allowing it! In any case that's AWESOME!

Cheers
Jay

 

[beernutz]

Sure. In 25 years of brewing I stopped completely for an over 6 year stretch once. I have more than made up for it since then brewing on average about 1.5 times a month in the 3 years since I resumed. Even now I don't always feel the urge to spend 5 hours brewing some days, so when that happens I just don't brew. The world continues to dysfunction whether I brew or not and there's always store bought as a backup.

 

[C-Rider]

Only when our local market sells "expired" CRAFT BEERS for like $15 a case.

 

[Teromous]

I feel like my attitude carries over into the flavor of the beer I make. If I'm rushed, in a bad mood, or simply don't feel like brewing then I just postpone it until I'm better suited to brew. What's worse than not feeling like brewing is having the perfect day and feeling like brewing but not having the ingredients.

 

[Murphys_Law]

The delay is over...just mashed in! Glad I waited, too. The day I was originally going to brew it turned out to be windy and very overcast. Today is 40 degrees but calm, sunny blue sky! I brew outside so this is a big deal to me!! May have to fire up a cigar and listen to some music while watching a brew kettle do absolutely nothing at all for the next hour.

 

[pshankstar]

The delay is over...just mashed in! Glad I waited, too. The day I was originally going to brew it turned out to be windy and very overcast. Today is 40 degrees but calm, sunny blue sky! I brew outside so this is a big deal to me!! May have to fire up a cigar and listen to some music while watching a brew kettle do absolutely nothing at all for the next hour.

Right on brother! No harm in waiting and enjoying it! I too understand about postponing a brew day for a nicer day since I brew outside too and winter is here in Western NY. Congrats and enjoy!

 

[apl_seed]

Never on a planned brewday but all the time on bottling days. Thank the beer gods for kegs and kegerators!!!

 

[Limbrizik]

Never on a planned brewday but all the time on bottling days. Thank the beer gods for kegs and kegerators!!!

That sums up exactly why my flanders red aged for 2.5 years in the carboy instead of only 1 year haha

 

[jcav]

The delay is over...just mashed in! Glad I waited, too. The day I was originally going to brew it turned out to be windy and very overcast. Today is 40 degrees but calm, sunny blue sky! I brew outside so this is a big deal to me!! May have to fire up a cigar and listen to some music while watching a brew kettle do absolutely nothing at all for the next hour.

That's great! Fire up a nice stick and enjoy your brew day and in a few weeks you'll be enjoying today's efforts!

John

 

[JonM]

The delay is over...just mashed in! Glad I waited, too. The day I was originally going to brew it turned out to be windy and very overcast. Today is 40 degrees but calm, sunny blue sky! I brew outside so this is a big deal to me!! May have to fire up a cigar and listen to some music while watching a brew kettle do absolutely nothing at all for the next hour.

"May" have to? [emoji12]

 

[Murphys_Law]

That's great! Fire up a nice stick and enjoy your brew day and in a few weeks you'll be enjoying today's efforts!

John

"May" have to? [emoji12]

Well, there is no may or may not...only do!

 

[indymedic]

Have a couple of kids and stay home with them on yours days off. You will be begging for a brew day. I love my girls and I love that I get to stay home with them but they cut into my brewing. They are 3 and 1 so they are not old enough to help out yet.