Got neighbors?

[sawbossFogg]

Having great neighbors is really something! And not just as an outlet for beer Neighbors have always influenced my life both urban and rural. I'm interested in stories…especially beer stories!

 

[jafo28]

A neighbor/brew story for ya. I'm brewing a batch of beer out in my garage with my brother and nephew. My two brew helpers haven't brewed before, so i'm kinda going through the steps with them. I'm about to add some irish moss, when my neighbor from across the street heard me tell the guys what we're about to add. He starts walking over ands says, "I heard irish moss, who's brewing beer"? It turns out he's a homebrewer too, something I never knew.

 

[sawbossFogg]

A neighbor/brew story for ya. I'm brewing a batch of beer out in my garage with my brother and nephew. My two brew helpers haven't brewed before, so i'm kinda going through the steps with them. I'm about to add some irish moss, when my neighbor from across the street heard me tell the guys what we're about to add. He starts walking over ands says, "I heard irish moss, who's brewing beer"? It turns out he's a homebrewer too, something I never knew.

That's what in talkin about! My old neighbor in Fort Collins was a great brew buddy and it all started w me seeing him brewing in the yard! Cheers!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[TimFarAway]

Here's a story... We moved into a new house, and were getting ready to hand out candy on Halloween. My wife and I dressed up and went out into the driveway with table & chairs & two big bowls of candy and a couple storebought craft brews. Not many kids, but about 10 neighbors came by, brought camp chairs and brews and we all hung out. One guy across the street brough a Jalapeno ale he'd brewed and an Irish Blond, and kept us all in homebrew. Great night, great people, and great beer. I kept talking about the beer, and my beautiful wife picked up on the hint and got me my first kit for Christmas. Batch #4 brews tonight.

 

[KurtB]

Some people that are on here that I know in real life may have already heard this story, but here is how I got into brewing...thanks to a neighbor.

I had toyed around with the thoughts of home brewing about 8-10 years ago. One of the guys in our office had started brewing and we talked about it, he shared some brews with us, etc. Well he left the company and moved out to Oregon, and the thoughts of me starting to home brew went with him.

A few yeas ago, I am out cutting my lawn. I live on a corner lot, and my one neighbor and I have adjoining back yards. As I'm cutting the grass, I see my neighbor, Mark, standing next to a turkey fryer. I don't think much of it other than "I wonder what he is doing. He lives alone, so I doubt he is frying a turkey."

A few more passes around the yard, and I get a whiff of the aroma coming off of the brew kettle and see him toss something into the pot. My thoughts immediately turn to "That f***er is making beer!"

I quickly stop the mower, walk right over, introduce myself (we had been neighbors for quite a few years at this point, but had never really met each other as we both keep to ourselves). I ask him what he was doing, and he explains that he is making beer and offers me some of his home brew.

About 10 minutes later, my wife walks out the back door to make sure everything was OK (remember I stopped mowing with the yard only about half finished). She sees me standing next to Mark, beer in hand, and asks me if everything is all right. I still remember my reply..."Everything's great! Mark makes his own beer."

My wife laughed, shook her head, and finished mowing the grass (she deserves to be sainted for how well she treats me) while Mark and I kept talking about beer.

For Father's day that year, my wife purchased me a starter kit from Midwest Supplies, and I started making my own beer.

 

[sawbossFogg]

Perfect! I had to leave my home in Fort Collins and all my brew buddies there which was hard. Now we're out in a much more remote small town and my brewing got more serious out of desire and plain necessity. After my first year here and still no brew buddies, a young couple moves to town and begins to build a thirty barrel brewhouse, yippee!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[agrazela]

My neighbor is head brewmaster at one of the moderately-well-known breweries here in San Diego. Unfortunately, he's not exactly the friendly type and we don't get along. It's really kind of a shame.

On the other hand, I recently found out a co-worker makes mead and other drinkable items (rhymes with "pistilled") at home, and we've got a pretty good trade going now. :cross:

 

[mhurst111]

i have 2 neighbors who are also home brewers (using neighbor loosely here - they are within 6 or 8 houses of mine, so i call it good). we are all sitting in my garage while i mash in , couple of burners / turkey fryers on the driveway, a third guy walking his dog past my house says "you guys making meth or brewing beer?" he took the dog home and came back with a growler of his English bitter which was quite tasty.

the great thing thing is when you have that 'oh F** - i forgot the yeast' or 'i need more bottles' moment, its never more than 1/2 block away.

And the non-brewers (SWMBO included) seem to tolerate us, so it's all good.

 

[Dan]

Great thread! Before I moved, my neighbors were more interested in drinking my beer than learning to brew. Hope at my next place ill garner some interest from the neighbors. My wife has been promising the inlaws Ill teach them to brew beer. Seems like they're interested. Mustard seed.

 

[rlmiller10]

KurtB wins this thread with the best tag line

"Beer is like porn. You can buy it, but it's more fun to make your own. "

I live that

 

[Texconsinite]

Funny you should say that. I am that mustard seed.

A year and a half ago, I get a phone call out of the blue from the son of family friends, who i knew went to college in Milwaukee, but had met only once before. He asked if i had a room for rent at my house, and my roommate had JUST moved out, so the timing couldn't have been better for either if us.

He stops by to check out the house, seems like a cool guy, and when he sees the basement, he mentions that he brews beer, and would it be ok if he brewed in the basement. $h!t yeah I said, can I help? After brewing in a college apartment for years, my previously unused basement allowed him to go nuts. He soon built a 3 tap keezer and and all-grain setup, and I got to learn from someone who had been brewing for years. By the time he graduated and moved out 9 months later with all his gear. I had bought my own setup, recruited my own helpers, and was doing my own batches weekly.

I have since moved to Texas, and now trade recipes and samples with my former helpers, who continue to brew in Milwaukee on their own. All of us got started because i got a phone call at the perfect time. Life is crazy sometimes


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Dan]

Funny you should say that. I am that mustard seed.

A year and a half ago, I get a phone call out of the blue from the son of family friends, who i knew went to college in Milwaukee, but had met only once before. He asked if i had a room for rent at my house, and my roommate had JUST moved out, so the timing couldn't have been better for either if us.

He stops by to check out the house, seems like a cool guy, and when he sees the basement, he mentions that he brews beer, and would it be ok if he brewed in the basement. $h!t yeah I said, can I help? After brewing in a college apartment for years, my previously unused basement allowed him to go nuts. He soon built a 3 tap keezer and and all-grain setup, and I got to learn from someone who had been brewing for years. By the time he graduated and moved out 9 months later with all his gear. I had bought my own setup, recruited my own helpers, and was doing my own batches weekly.

I have since moved to Texas, and now trade recipes and samples with my former helpers, who continue to brew in Milwaukee on their own. All of us got started because i got a phone call at the perfect time. Life is crazy sometimes


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

That truly, epitomizes homebrewing sharing and love.

 

[Texconsinite]

So back in Milwaukee, when I mentioned to my next door neighbor that I started home brewing, he launched into a story about all the wine he's made, including dandelion, potato, and onion wine, and how good it was. Back then, as a new beer brewer, I was skeptical, but now that I've started making wines and ciders, a gallon experiment of potato wine looks more interesting all the time. home brewers are everywhere, especially in Brew City.



Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[sawbossFogg]

My neighbor is head brewmaster at one of the moderately-well-known breweries here in San Diego. Unfortunately, he's not exactly the friendly type and we don't get along. It's really kind of a shame.

On the other hand, I recently found out a co-worker makes mead and other drinkable items (rhymes with "pistilled") at home, and we've got a pretty good trade going now. :cross:

That's what I'm talkin' bout. So if yer in Suds County FYI I'm referring to June Lake Brewing San Diego style brew house (sans the ******** ) Come see us, neighbor!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[sawbossFogg]

Great thread! Before I moved, my neighbors were more interested in drinking my beer than learning to brew. Hope at my next place ill garner some interest from the neighbors. My wife has been promising the inlaws Ill teach them to brew beer. Seems like they're interested. Mustard seed.

Good luck with that, the prodigal joneser may someday produce.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[corkybstewart]

The husband (call him Bob)and 4 year old son moved in next door, a couple of months later Mom (call her Sue,gorgeous BTW)and 8 year old daughter joined them, but I had only seem glimpses of them. One day I took my shirt off so I could clean my brew kettle without getting my office shirt dirty on my lunch hour. The son yells "Hey Corky, why don't you have any clothes on?" Sue runs out of her garage and see's I'm dressed and says Damn, I missed it. She had noticed my hop vines, and told me Bob homebrewed also. For 6 years we were best friends and brewing buddies. Then while she was away with a sick relative Bob set the garage on fire. He hired "Bubba" a 22 year old to help him rebuild it before Sue got back. When she does come back, she and Bubba take a day off from remodeling and take the kids 4 wheeling in her pickup. Next thing she's working out, tanning etc, and she's working on Bubba's local stock car team as a "mechanic" Long story short, we have had no interaction with them since(their choice) except for us calling them to shut down the race car or mudbogger, it's after midnight and we need to sleep. But it's not just us they ditched, all of their friends pre-Bubba have been shunned and ignored.

 

[Zuljin]

Me and the guys across the street had started hanging out under a carport to drink beer in the evenings. One of them said he was going to brew. Had been doing it for years. Come over and see. That was several years ago. I've a lager in a second fridge right now.