greedy with you beer?

[likwidbliss]

Can I come over for free beer?

 

[permo]

Friends, family or anybody that comes over has a "free pass" to all the bottles or taps the want....seems I have more visitors now then before I brewed?!?

What I couldn't handle is when my brother in law started taking 6-12 bottles of my beer at a time to give to his coworkers, that I didn't even know....not cool and I had to squash that little party. Too bad, after they sampled my beer they offered to pay me $15 a twelve pack for it......I declined.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I haven't run into that problem with anybody I know, although I'm sure the day will come.

If anybody wanted some quantity of beer out of me, I'd tell them to bring me empty bottles and enough cash to cover the ingredients, and I will happily provide them their beer in 3-5 weeks.

 

[likwidbliss]

College women will prefer quantity to quality, I'll bet you....

We are talking about beer? right?

 

[Mikethepoolguy]

Well, you cant sell them beer, thats illegal. But it isnt illegal for you to accept gifts in return. Gifts of hops, empty kegs, and HBS giftcards are nice. Throw the hints out there. If they dont respond, cut them off.

 

[billc68]

My brother so far is the only one that has asked. I told him I didn't have enough of the one he liked, which is true.

Luckily for me, I have a cousin who loves the brews that I don't care for. I now am more careful in my choices and techniques (especially temperature control) so I am fully expecting people to start asking for brew.

 

[Clayton]

Yeah I love giving my beer to people; I have a large brew shop and a little bar with a 3, 1/2 barrel kegerator. my wife’s girl friends come over allot and love my beer, they will each have 4 or 5 sometimes more , but that all ways bring food or leave some money on my desk and shower me with complements, so it’s fun for me. but on the flip side I have some friends (30s and live with mom types) that will come over and clean me out, last weekend the two in question came over to fish at the lake and hang out, they offered me some money for the beer, to witch I declined because it was only going to be a few bucks and they don’t even have cars. on tap I had 3 corneys a cream ale , a nut brown , and a IIPA, the first two where nearly full and the iipa was totally full just taped it when they got there , it was a force carbed so I did not hook up the gas at tapping. We had a good time drunk fished BSed, but I crashed early around 12:00. the next day they tell me oh uh you are out of CO2 last night, to witch I reply oh well that happens, later that day I go out to the brew shed and those F-ers drank all the cream ale all the Nut brown, and sucked on the iipa until the presser in the keg would not give them any more beer. Between the two of them they drank over 8 gallons of beer! I mean wtf I am glad I did not have more kegs tapped.

I love it when I catch a buzz on my own beer, I have been brewing for 10+ years and it still catches me off guard and surprises me. I am sitting there drinking my beer and it ocurres to me that I am drunk, and it’s like wow its good, I made it and it get you drunk too!
And I love it when other people are drunk because of my brew, its fun to watch people enjoying the toyels of my labor.
but come one there are limits and etiquette
those boys are just f-ing gluttons and it really pissed me off.

 

[JNye]

tell them they need to help on brew day. always nice to have a hand and some company., plus they'll see how much effort actually went into the beer.

+1 to returning bottles too. if they don't return them the togo party is over.

 

[superjunior]

I've been making homemade dried Italian sausage for years, and lately homebrew. My wife has been in the habit of offering her freinds and co-workers my homemade goodies. "oh, so and so loves your beer and sausage, so I gave them a case". I put an end to that nonsense with a fresh new lock on my basement door. As far as MY freinds go, they all make their own too

 

[Trouble_Brewing]

Most of my friends are not heavy drinkers. I recently turned a couple of friends onto craft beer (they are major wine drinkers), and when they learned that I had started to brew they got pretty excited about it. They wanted to come over and watch/help brew. The next thing I knew they bought me 2 cases of new empty bottles, a bunch of used brew equipment they found at a garage sale, and even built me an immersion chiller!

Those are the kind of friends you keep!

 

[maxamuus]

I put an end to that nonsense with a fresh new lock on my basement door.

Careful she might put a lock on the basement door too.

 

[Encinoman]

This thread is so funny. I am only one 5 Gal. bottled brew in to the hobby, and I have flashes of many of these circumstances. Needless to say, my entire first batch is nearly gone (5 Bottles left) But it has been a worthy experience seeing as everyone has given me positive feedback so far and it is very encouraging. The Girlfriend isn't afraid to share either.

One friend has already donated his kegerator to me (working w/ a CO2 canister, but with a busted regulator) so hes definitely gonna be involved with the first draw off of that bad boy. But, that donation has me looking for regulators and a used crony keg every day since then. Oh well, so is life..

The last five (maybe four ) beers will be going with me to the monthly local beer brewers meeting this Friday. Hopefully, they give me some helpful critiquing and I can sample some of their home brewed goodness.

 

[Old John]

Is it just me or is it irritating when people just expect you to give them your beer? I was asked for some beer by a friend a while back. This beer was for someone else as a birthday gift. NO PROBLEM, NOW this same friend informs me she needs some wine for another friend of hers! I had a buddy come up the other night and rather than ask, he says ' YOU'RE GONNA SEND SOME OF THAT BEER HOME WITH ME" ( he went home empty handed).. Am I the only one who gets a little stingy with their beer? As I posted elsewhere my major fun with the hobby is sharing beer with people and seeing them enjoy it, but for some reason it eats me when people just expect it.

Anyone who asks you to supply a Birthday Gift for him to give someone else is Rude! You know, like asking you to go to the Store and Buy them any other kind of Gift, to give.
I guess I'm more out-spoken than you are. There are simple Rules of Courtesy, that everyone ought to know. If you let people Impose on you they will keep doing it. I do not allow it.

 

[Justibone]

most of my friends are not heavy drinkers. I recently turned a couple of friends onto craft beer (they are major wine drinkers), and when they learned that i had started to brew they got pretty excited about it. They wanted to come over and watch/help brew. The next thing i knew they bought me 2 cases of new empty bottles, a bunch of used brew equipment they found at a garage sale, and even built me an immersion chiller!

Those are the kind of friends you keep!

+1,000,000

 

[gak27]

As for acquaintances, if they bring the empty bottle back I will give them more. If not, I don't give more. It's the least they can do for a free beer(s).

I have found that giving it away helps clear inventory. I don't drink it quick enough. I used to be very stingy with it but my beer stockpiled and I had no more room lol. Now I'm more free.

I do this w/ my friends/acquaintances who like my beer; I refer to it as my "return the empty, get a full one back" policy. Helps to cut down on bottle attrition and lets me brew more frequently. Sometimes they even get a choice if I have more than one brew on hand.:rockin:

 

[Photopilot]

I brew so much beer I cant keep up so i give a lot away but not just to anybody. Only to people who like beer. I find out what kink they like and give them a sample of what I think they might like to appreciate my beer.

People who i really like and who really like my beer will get a lot more beer but never enough to get drunk just to appreciate the different beers I have created. I avoid giving out beers to people who tell me heffes or BMC are their favorite or just want to get drunk, why waste my precious gift on them unless they are really cool people. Also when I go over to visit someone on a weekend or for dinner or for a party I bring myself some beers with some extras for the host. My wife gave some to a coworker on his birthday 2 months ago and when we were at a party at his house I found them still in the fridge. As a bud light swiller I think my barley wine may be wasted on him anyways.

Giving away single beers judiciously gets the right people to appreciate the effort and keeps the leaches from thinking you are a source of free beer for drunks. I also have received a bunch of home raised beef as a return gift to someone I have given numerous homebrews to, FTW.

 

[Tinga]

ihave decided to pay my web and design guy in beer. and he will accept too.

 

[goose1873]

I keg everything, so if they want beer, they have to come and get it...this reduced my "6 pack giveaways" to zero...If my friends want to come over for a couple cold ones....well thats why we brew...

I do have a few cases of 1L ez-caps for bringing beer places, but those only go to close friends and they return the bottles...

 

[rico567]

Time for some new friends.

If the people in question are really friends -and I don't mean acquaintances- then it is worthwhile to confront the issue and educate them as to what is going on. There is obviously a point at which people are taking advantage of ones' generosity, but the assumption here is that it's somehow being done out of malice. I propose that most of these cases are likely to be simple ignorance.

"Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence."

-Napoleon Bonaparte

 

[merddyn2002]

I give 20oz bottles away to friends occasionally, but if anyone wants any more than that they're expected to pay for a batch of ingredients. If they come over and help me brew so I can teach them how to do it they get the whole thing minus a few bottles for my trouble. If they want ME to brew it for them I keep 1/2 the batch.

I used to have a standing arrangement with neighbors for that. I put them on the honor system but my little jar never quite added up to what it was supposed to so now I have the arrangement above.

 

[umopepisdn]

That is why you bottle a handful of 12 ouncers and a bunch of 22s.

22 ouncers are for me, the 12 ouncers can be divided amongst the rift raft

 

[802VermontHomebrew]

after I bottled my first stout last week I gave my father in law one... he said WOW tastes just like guiness if not BETTER! I ended up giving him a case of 24, he was very happy! I am keeping a 12 pack for myself and giving my dad the other case. They appreciate the gift very much and no all the hard work and time I put into making such a great beer from home. Ha my father in law even washed my bottles for my and is holding onto them till next time I see him. I haven't run into a problem with people "expecting beer"... but he did mention after he tasted it "you can brew this for me ANYTIME" lol.

 

[Justibone]

after I bottled my first stout last week I gave my father in law one... he said WOW tastes just like guiness if not BETTER! I ended up giving him a case of 24, he was very happy! I am keeping a 12 pack for myself and giving my dad the other case. They appreciate the gift very much and no all the hard work and time I put into making such a great beer from home. Ha my father in law even washed my bottles for my and is holding onto them till next time I see him. I haven't run into a problem with people "expecting beer"... but he did mention after he tasted it "you can brew this for me ANYTIME" lol.

Hmm... maybe I ought to surprise my father-in-law to be. Start the whole marriage thing out on the right foot.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Hmm... maybe I ought to surprise my father-in-law to be. Start the whole marriage thing out on the right foot.

Get him to brew with you, and you'll have it made.

 

[TotemWolf]

I give out my beers all the time. About 1/4 to 1/3 is given away. In return I get beer from my fellow brewers. From non-brewers I get fresh fruits and veggies, venison, homemade jellies and such things. I think it's a fair trade. Plus they all save their bottles for me so I never have to buy any beer or wine bottles.
Of course I don't give out the beer to get stuff back. That's just what friends do.

 

[Airborneguy]

I am particularly greedy actually.

First, I don't waste good homebrew on people who I know won't fully appreciate it. I am not interested in the least in "converting" people. I could careless what they like or enjoy and don't have any aspirations about changing their tastes.

Second, I have learned that most people will take advantage of freebies whenever they can. I read this entire thread and am shocked at what some of you have dealt with.

Wife giving away your homebrew? No offense, but my wife wouldn't even think of that without asking me (and for the most part, already knows my answer). Friends asking for quantity? I mean, my friends definitely ask for a beer here and there, but I have never had anyone ask to leave my house with anything more than I offered. That says a lot about the person... as a person! Who the hell asks for anything in that manner?

Last weekend, we threw a large pig roast at my cousin's house. I do this every year and I buy the pig (he has the backyard). I was going to bring a keg this year, and brewed an apple wheat beer in anticipation. I changed my mind after brewing it because I knew that I was wasting a keg on people who would end up using it for the inevitable drinking games we end up playing.

Downer? Maybe, but I work too hard at this to waste it on anybody.

 

[AlterCow]

I have friends in other states that don't just want my beer, but they want to visit the lovely state of Colorado, either during camping or ski season, stay at my house, AND have as much free booze they can get their hands on. Ug...

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

I brewed yesterday.. five hours give or take from start to cleaned up. I guess that is why I get pissed over the "FREE BEER" attitude.... On the other end of the spectrum, I gave a six pack to a friend recently. we have a mutual friend that owns a bar and I sometimes will take a six or twelve of homebrew and put in his cooler and drink my own beer while I am there. Anyway I put a six pack of a porter back in the cooler for my buddy and he keeps thanking me over and over. I know he appreciated it. SO next time I bottle some dark beer he will get another six or twelve.

 

[aMillionDreams]

My friends are getting a little spoiled. Everytime they come over I cook them a homecooked meal and serve them homebrew. I'm not sure they appreciate how much work and not to mention money that takes. One of my buddies came over the other day and we went to pick up some brew because I was running low and he didn't even offer to buy it. I've supplied the beer the last 5 or 6 times we've drank and he can't buy me a four-pack of Taddy Porter? Not to mention this guy has a trustfund and I have to work for my money. Kinda pissed me off.

 

[winepiper]

Is it just me or is it irritating when people just expect you to give them your beer? I was asked for some beer by a friend a while back. This beer was for someone else as a birthday gift. NO PROBLEM, NOW this same friend informs me she needs some wine for another friend of hers! I had a buddy come up the other night and rather than ask, he says ' YOU'RE GONNA SEND SOME OF THAT BEER HOME WITH ME" ( he went home empty handed).. Am I the only one who gets a little stingy with their beer? As I posted elsewhere my major fun with the hobby is sharing beer with people and seeing them enjoy it, but for some reason it eats me when people just expect it.

Well, it's good to share of what you have but if you see that people are taking advantage of your generosity then that's not good. I would definitely have done the same thing.