Ever notice ones you go all grain, it consumes you?

[GreatWhiteSlark]

My name is Kevin and I have a brewing problem. I can't say no to Cornys, malted grain, or the opportunity to construct another piece of equipment.

Anyone got a 1/2 bbl keg they're willing to give up so I can make a new, larger Lauter Tun?

 

[devaspawn]

I can't imagine going to all the work of making homebrew then drinking it green.

When BMC is the vast majority of what you have drunk in terms of beer, you don't even realize that green homebrew could somehow be better if you just waited a little longer...

 

[IrregularPulse]

I am obsessed and have only one PM under my belt. I hope to be AG by this summer. It is indeed an infection. My SWMBO tunes me out when I talk about it, and it's really hard on her because she's preggo. Although she did drink an ounce of my first batch because she just couldn't take it!! It was too great.
I've got some Apfelwein that I'm "forgetting about" untill she is able to drink again. It will be 8-12 months old (the Apfelwein) when the time comes.

 

[ClutchDude]

I got my first hit from my roomate of all people. He was saying, "You know you could make beer much cheaper and better. I've done it. It's not bad at all. With your know how, you could make equipment we could use!"

2 weeks later, I'm doing my first wine and 8 weeks later my first AG/Homebrew with equipment that we made. I blame him for being an enabler.

 

[BrewDey]

I've found that with AG-I definitely enjoy the whole process much more. I try to brew with my buddy and it becomes much more of an 'event' (and an excuse to drink beer at 10am )

I also feel like I'm more committed now that I have all this AG equipment-so in a way I 'have to' brew to get the return on my investment. The fact that I need to brew on weekends (as opposed to extract batches during the week) has encouraged me to make starters a few days ahead of time, and this has really helped the quality as well.

Overall, it's a lot more rewarding-and cheaper. AG+harvested yeast=a cost effective brew.

 

[Willsellout]

For me, AG took all the fun out of brewing so now I'm back to doing PM brews. I'm having fun again and my beers are better than they ever were with AG.





Dan

 

[GreatWhiteSlark]

I got my first hit from my roomate of all people. He was saying, "You know you could make beer much cheaper and better. I've done it. It's not bad at all. With your know how, you could make equipment we could use!"

2 weeks later, I'm doing my first wine and 8 weeks later my first AG/Homebrew with equipment that we made. I blame him for being an enabler.

I'm a bastard like that.

 

[Jaeger48]

For me, AG took all the fun out of brewing so now I'm back to doing PM brews. I'm having fun again and my beers are better than they ever were with AG.

Dan

I'm still extract with steeping grains. I went to visit the family back in the hometown and my cousin's husband homebrews... it's the first time I've started a conversation with him for the 5 years they've been married and his face lit up when I mentioned AG.

I'm worried though about the space I have for AG- apartments aren't propane friendly and electric burners leave much to be desired. I haven't tasted the twang yet in my extract but I need to have it judged. I could do smaller batches with a quick push to bottling to avoid oxidation or just let them age in the primary longer.

 

[tranceamerica]

just bought 3 more carboys. now, I have 6. I think, that's more beer than I can brew, but.......I'm going to try......

..........................................the questions is though...is it more capacity than I can drink?

and...more critically....since I get my empties out of my neighbor's recycling bin...can he drink enough beer to keep me in empties?

 

[strangebrewer]

Someone asked me the other day just how many gallons of beer I had in my basement. I had to stop and think to answer that question.
Everytime I see something I ask myself, can I use that as a piece of equpiment in making my next batch?
My wife and coworkers are getting sick of me talking about it.
And I love every minuite of it!:cross:

 

[IndyPABrewGuy]

My issue is that beer in general has consumed my life. I love to homebrew. I'm still doing partial mashes in my kitchen, but jumping to AG during the summer. I brew 10 to 15 gallons a month. On top of that, I've also become a beer geek. I'm always rating beer and looking for new things to try.

This is the dilemma. One beverage, two obsessions, limited money to go towards them both.

Crazy, crazy hobby.

Cheers,

 

[Willsellout]

I'm still extract with steeping grains. I went to visit the family back in the hometown and my cousin's husband homebrews... it's the first time I've started a conversation with him for the 5 years they've been married and his face lit up when I mentioned AG.

I'm worried though about the space I have for AG- apartments aren't propane friendly and electric burners leave much to be desired. I haven't tasted the twang yet in my extract but I need to have it judged. I could do smaller batches with a quick push to bottling to avoid oxidation or just let them age in the primary longer.

I've found my PM beers are much much better than any of the AG brews I did. I always ended up with flavors I didn't like and beers that I didn't enjoy drinking. AG is also a lot more in depth and there are a lot of variables. For me it just wasn't enjoyable. I'm sure I was screwing things up somehow but I don't have the time, money, or space to brew beer I don't want to drink.

I do partial mash full boils and every one of them has come out incredibly good. I find it gives me the ease and simplicity I want while still getting excellent depth, flavor, and hoppy-ness. I have yet to taste any tang or off flavors in my PM brews. I did with my steeping/extract brews but not with PM.

Dan

 

[Jumbo82]

I just made my first AG batch last Saturday. I then ordered a couple of kegs and a kegerator conversion kit that night. I probably have around 15 extract batches under my belt since I started in late 2007 and am now at the point where I can't imagine going a weekend without brewing. HBT has definately been the driving force behind the escalation of my homebrewing obsession. I don't know any other homebrewers, so without this resource I don't know where I'd be. Thanks (?)

 

[abracadabra]

NO!

You can turn anything into an obsession. Exercise, eating, sex, drugs, alcohol, you name it.

One of the keys to having a happy life is to keep things in proper perspective.

Obessed people are very rarely happy people.

 

[jacksonbrown]

i blame HBT for fueling my obsession. I never would have went all-grain if i hadn't joined here.

While I haven't gone AG yet, the sentiment is the same. I can't stop thinking about when I do. I just purchased a turkey fryer and am looking at coolers so I can get started on my first AG batch either this weekend or the next. This is one of the only sites that hasn't been blocked by my work and I am praying they never do.

 

[enohcs]

yes...yes I do.
Ever notice once you enter and place in your first competition it inspires you to keep brewing better beer and place in even more competitions, which inspires you to improve your beers and enter even more competitions, and take home as much gold as beer you have entered, and brew even more, and enter more, and win more, and brew more.................

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

There is only one national HB contest in Canada that is linked to AHA. And it's a royal pain to ship beer to the US for competitions. To bad, I had a few I'd like to have entered.

Basically up here we buy an AHA membership solely for the magazine.

 

[PUD]

i called my girlfriend yesterday to tell her i got a no pull leash for the dog. "what's that?" she said. she thought it was something new for my homebrew.

it's been like christmas every week since i started brewing. the presents just keep popping up on the porch. i'll be doing my second ag this weekend. yes, another excuse to start early. i was pretty plowed by the end of my first ag, didn't bother cleaning all my equipment afterwards.

 

[98EXL]

I got a chubby yesterday when my copper arrived for my CFC and my rhizomes showed up...even SWMBO was excited for me (us)

My coworkers and friends have officially labeled me as nuts, and I'm just enjoying a hobby

 

[Gumbys_Brew]

my names gumby and i'm a home brewer.

i got into the hobby from watching my father brew his own beer when i was a kid. i finally decided to start doing it myself a couple months ago and love the hobby of home brewing. i've already made a 4912 conversion and currently in the process of making my AG set up.

and for the comment about being obsessed = unhappy
i'll use one of my favorite quotes
"obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED"- Arnold

 

[MashStirBrew]

"obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED"- Arnold

Amen Brother!!

 

[Jolly McStanson]

my names gumby and i'm a home brewer.


and for the comment about being obsessed = unhappy
i'll use one of my favorite quotes
"obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED"- Arnold

Your so right. I find that I need to keep a positive attitude sometimes in this hobby. I could say that my last 2 batches are good indicators that I should give up brewing and stick to boiling water. You cant screw up boiling water. However I'm calling my last 2 batches opportunities for learning.

Opportunity's allow you to get better at brewing. At this point the only thing I can do is get better. I cant get much worse. Of course this makes me more consumed with brewing.

 

[Gumbys_Brew]

Your so right. I find that I need to keep a positive attitude sometimes in this hobby. I could say that my last 2 batches are good indicators that I should give up brewing and stick to boiling water. You cant screw up boiling water. However I'm calling my last 2 batches opportunities for learning.

Opportunity's allow you to get better at brewing. At this point the only thing I can do is get better. I cant get much worse. Of course this makes me more consumed with brewing.

prost my fellow brewer

 

[WBC]

36 years of brewing and I can't find a reason to quit. The secret is to not drink your beer too soon. Age your beer and it's much much better.

 

[Gumbys_Brew]

36 years of brewing and I can't find a reason to quit. The secret is to not drink your beer too soon. Age your beer and it's much much better.

found this out after my first brew. started drinking when beer was still green. and the last 12 were the best

 

[Tonedef131]

NO!

You can turn anything into an obsession. Exercise, eating, sex, drugs, alcohol, you name it.

One of the keys to having a happy life is to keep things in proper perspective.

Obessed people are very rarely happy people.

I disagree. Other than the drugs I think I am pretty obsessed with all of those things and I think they balance each other out quite nicely.

 

[abracadabra]

and for the comment about being obsessed = unhappy
i'll use one of my favorite quotes
"obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED"- Arnold

I said obessed people are rarely happy not that obsession equals unhappiness.

ded·i·cat·ed [ déddi kàytəd ]

Definition:

1. devoted: wholeheartedly devoted or committed to a goal, cause, or job

2. intended only for one purpose: designed to carry out only one task, or set aside for a specific purpose

consume

• verb 1 eat or drink. 2 use up. 3 (especially of a fire) completely destroy. 4 (of a feeling) absorb all of the attention and energy of.

Obsession
1. preoccupation: an idea or feeling that completely occupies the mind

Are you saying that: intent for only 1 purpose, the complete absortion of all attention and energy, is a healthy state of mind?


I disagree with your assertion Gumby. Saying obsession isn't "lazy" it's a polite way of saying :
Get a Life!

 

[farmbrewernw]

Come on guys I think most of us would consider being obsessed with making beer as more or less a statement to the fact that we think about the beer making process a lot and we enjoy doing it. Do I dream about making beer from time to time? Yes, but does it effect my social or working life? I would say no for the most part (apart from posting on this forum during working hours) . Don't get into a p@#sing match about the meaning of the words, it just doesn't matter. We're all starting to sound like a bunch of politicians!!

 

[EinGutesBier]

Now don't get me wrong, I love beer more than anyone. And even though it may not be the best (I hold my brews to a higher standard than store bought) at times, I do like the fruits of my labor.

Here the strange thing though. Ever since starting last August, going from extract brewing, doing a brief, ugly stint in PM brewing and going right into AG, I realized something weird.

In some ways, I enjoy the process as much as, or more than, the beer itself. From start to finish, throughout fermentation, it's as if I'm a father, watching his child grow up - the fermenter seems to be alive and to take on a personality of its own. There's really no other way to describe it.

I'm starting to freak myself out... :cross:

 

[abracadabra]

Come on guys I think most of us would consider being obsessed with making beer as more or less a statement to the fact that we think about the beer making process a lot and we enjoy doing it. Do I dream about making beer from time to time? Yes, but does it effect my social or working life? I would say no for the most part (apart from posting on this forum during working hours) . Don't get into a p@#sing match about the meaning of the words, it just doesn't matter. We're all starting to sound like a bunch of politicians!!

I don't have any problem with Gumby disagreeing with my assertion that being consumed with beer making or anything else is not a good thing, if that's how he feels.

It's his insinuation of laziness on my part that I find insulting. Especially coming from someone who obviously doesn't even know the meaning of the words consume, dedicated or obsessed. And someone who doesn't seem to have an original thought in his head so he has to quote someone else's saying.

Feel free to disagree with me all you like the free flow of ideas and opinions is what this forum is all about, but keep insulting comments to yourself or expect a public response! I am not going to send someone a PM informing them of how they should conduct themselves on a public format when they attempt to insult me in a pubic forum. I'm going to show them up for who they are on the same pubic forum.

Furthermore I would assert that the meaning of words do matter. Words are what we use to communicate with and if you don't know their meanings how can you possibly communicate effectively.

I guess the alternative is to do like Gumby & reduce your comments to insults if you are unable to articulate an intelligent response.

 

[BierMuncher]

I don't have any problem with Gumby disagreeing with my assertion that being consumed with beer making or anything else is not a good thing, if that's how he feels.

It's his insinuation of laziness on my part that I find insulting. Especially coming from someone who obviously doesn't even know the meaning of the words consume, dedicated or obsessed. And someone who doesn't seem to have an original thought in his head so he has to quote someone else's saying.

Feel free to disagree with me all you like that's what this forum is all about but keep insult ling comments to yourself or expect a public response! I am not going to send someone a PM informing them of how they should conduct themselves on a public format when they attempt to insult me in a pubic forum.

Furthermore I would assert that the meaning of words do matter. Words are what we use to communicate with and if you don't know their meanings how can you possibly communicate effectively.

I guess the alternative is to do like Gumby & reduce your comments to insults if you are unable to articulate a proper response.

Honestly abracadabra, I've read the preceding posts several times and don't see anybody but you picking a fight here. Just because someone says "I disagree", or pulls a well known quote out of the air, that doesn't imply a personal attack on you.

Where (specifically) is anyone insulting you? On the other hand, the bolded excerpts above sound an awfully lot like disparaging remarks against fellow HBT'rs.

 

[Evan!]

I had stayed away from this thread. WTH is going on in here? Are you serious?

LIGHTEN THE HELL UP!!!

 

[abracadabra]

Honestly abracadabra, I've read the preceding posts several times and don't see anybody but you picking a fight here. Just because someone says "I disagree", or pulls a well known quote out of the air, that doesn't imply a personal attack on you.

Where (specifically) is anyone insulting you? On the other hand, the bolded excerpts above sound an awfully lot like disparaging remarks against fellow HBT'rs.

Which preceding post are you talking about?

I'm talking about the Gumby1220 post that insinuated laziness on my part. the bottom of page 6

As far as Farmbrewerw post I'm merely explaining my earlier post to him and indicating that I disagree with his assertion that the meaning of words don't matter. Perhaps I didn't do a good job of separating the 2.

Are you and EVAN! moderators now? Or are ya'll merely taking this opporunity to jump on someone ya'll don't like because I frequently disagree with the both of you?

 

[Evan!]

Which preceding post are you talking about?

I'm talking about the Gumby1220 post that insinuated laziness on my part. the bottom of page 6

As far as Farmbrewerw post I'm merely explaining my earlier post to him and indicating that I disagreeing with his assertion that the meaning of words don't matter. Perhaps I didn't do a good job of separating the 2.

Are you and EVAN! moderators now?

Hehehe, you are awesome! :rockin:

[YOUTUBE]TMFsSpgK7r8[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]J2t-NzpBU9M[/YOUTUBE]

big whoop, wannafightaboutit!?

 

[Big10Seaner]

So did all of you figure out the winner of the pi$$ing contest yet?

 

[Evan!]

So did all of you figure out the winner of the pi$$ing contest yet?

Still hard to tell. Abracadabra is going for the gold, but Gumby still needs to retort. Stay tuned.

 

[Big10Seaner]

Lol
Sorry, it just really cracks me up when people get all upset in discussion forums. Yes, I plan on staying tuned in.

 

[8string]

I think we're all a little obsessive. Aside from brewing, I have a strange obsession with watching my houseplants grow and birdwatching, and recycling and composting. Is it obsessive to be consumed by thoughts and actions that undoubtedly will produce a positive outcome? It is when the actions are not manifested that they become an obsession. Now if I were trapped somewhere with no brewing equipment or ingredients and was still obsessed with brewing that might be problematic. Oh no I am obsessed with this thread! Better find some balance. Only You can control your obsessions and or dedication.

Oh and I do remeber having dreams about sparging or something when I was starting AG.

 

[olllllo]

With deference to the OP and the original thread intentions and posters, I have determined that this thread has little AG value and is rapidly losing beer value as well.

I have move it to General Chit Chat.

Reserving the right to restore some of this back to a better home and breaking off a "Semantics" thread.

 

[the_bird]

Wait, why are people getting pissed off in this thread again?

WTF is there to argue about? WE'RE ALL OBSESSED WITH BREWING HERE!