I would think that White Labs or Wyeast would know the "state of the union" better than anyone. Liquid yeast business is a pinchpoint right now, and they are the only two real players.
Homebrewing popularity fading?
- Thread starter Phunhog
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Excellent point!
EarlyAmateurZymurgist
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As someone who shares the same geographical area as AJ, I can say without reservation that our area is one of the more mature areas of the country when it comes to amateur brewing. The Maryland/DC/Virginia Metro is both highly transient and highly technical. We experienced explosive growth in the hobby during the late eighties through the nineties with a drop off in enthusiasm at the turn of the century. If one surveys the authors who wrote articles for Brewing Techniques, one will find that our area is well represented. BYO's Mr. Wizard is originally from our area.
I believe that what we are seeing in our area is the natural progression from all-grain brewing and wine making to distillation. After all, whiskey is little more than distilled unhopped ale, and brandy is little more than distilled wine. While home distillation is definitely illegal, the number of people who are engaged in the hobby is approaching a critical mass where congress will be forced to address the restriction. The same thing happened with wine and beer. The hurdle with distilled spirits is that they are huge revenue source for the government. Another problem with the legalization of home distillation it is that distillation is significantly more dangerous than brewing or wine making. Still explosions are common enough that I sure as heck would not want an unregulated still operating next door to my house if I lived in a high density suburban or urban area.
I believe that what we are seeing in our area is the natural progression from all-grain brewing and wine making to distillation. After all, whiskey is little more than distilled unhopped ale, and brandy is little more than distilled wine. While home distillation is definitely illegal, the number of people who are engaged in the hobby is approaching a critical mass where congress will be forced to address the restriction. The same thing happened with wine and beer. The hurdle with distilled spirits is that they are huge revenue source for the government. Another problem with the legalization of home distillation it is that distillation is significantly more dangerous than brewing or wine making. Still explosions are common enough that I sure as heck would not want an unregulated still operating next door to my house if I lived in a high density suburban or urban area.
Found this thread, interesting that even back in 2013 folks saw the fall coming. And here it is as illustrated by Google Trends:
https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2004-10-16 2023-11-16&geo=US&q=Home brewing&hl=en
From its peak, search has dropped ~85%
Cheers!
https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2004-10-16 2023-11-16&geo=US&q=Home brewing&hl=en
From its peak, search has dropped ~85%
Cheers!
Wow, holy revival of an old thread Batman. LOL. I am just teasing. I would guess as the younger generation, with their I want it now and don't want to work for it, mentality takes more of the market share and us old guys, well me for one, fade away in the sunset the numbers are going to swing. I just got into this a couple of years ago and love it. I enjoy doing stuff on my own, DIY type stuff, even when it doesn't work out all that well. I also don't mind the extra cost involved, so that is a plus. To me, a good day is spending the better part of it making a batch of beer, drinking homemade beer, cleaning up after, and continuing to drink my beer until it is time to either fall asleep or pass out. LOL. Usually the latter before the first. Either way, I think the younger generation just isn't into doing it themselves and would rather buy it and spend the time on the stupid computer. Oh wait, that's where I am now. Never mind that part. LOL.
I eschew thread proliferation 
The plot I linked above has an overlaying cyclic nature that centers on Christmas - probably Mister Beer sales or equivalent bucket-based home brewing starter kits. In any case the general home brewing interest decline from peak clearly started in 2012.
Then there's this curve comparison of craft vs home brew as shown earlier in this thread. Roughly the beginning of 2010, craft beer interest started building quickly, leaving home brewing in the comparative dust. It isn't clear that there is a relationship between the two, however...
https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=craft beer,Homebrewing
Cheers!
The plot I linked above has an overlaying cyclic nature that centers on Christmas - probably Mister Beer sales or equivalent bucket-based home brewing starter kits. In any case the general home brewing interest decline from peak clearly started in 2012.
Then there's this curve comparison of craft vs home brew as shown earlier in this thread. Roughly the beginning of 2010, craft beer interest started building quickly, leaving home brewing in the comparative dust. It isn't clear that there is a relationship between the two, however...
https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=craft beer,Homebrewing
Cheers!
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
If you change your term to "homebrew", the result is a peak in 2009 and then a slow drop that stabilizes at basically flat from 2004. But "homebrewing" is a steady drop since 2004. However, "how to brew" is a steady rise since 2004. I think there's a lot of noise in the data.
fluketamer
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"homebrewing popularity fading?" - no. at least not in my house. lol.
interesting trend. for me its hard cause when i started brewing in the 80's it was so fringe. so few shops and suppliers. then when the internet made it easier and linked me up with so many homebrewers i assumed it was exploding compared to what i knew and saw locally. i only heard it was fading from reading whats on the these boards. for me personally the interest is not fading if anything with the advent of newer brewing technologies its just the opposite.
i feel at least for me that some of the things i do now (like temp control for example) makes it easier to make better beer so the interest never ends for me. as long as i am able to make delicious beer with not that much effort i will continue to brew.
i agree theres a lot going on in that graph.
thanks for posting
interesting trend. for me its hard cause when i started brewing in the 80's it was so fringe. so few shops and suppliers. then when the internet made it easier and linked me up with so many homebrewers i assumed it was exploding compared to what i knew and saw locally. i only heard it was fading from reading whats on the these boards. for me personally the interest is not fading if anything with the advent of newer brewing technologies its just the opposite.
i feel at least for me that some of the things i do now (like temp control for example) makes it easier to make better beer so the interest never ends for me. as long as i am able to make delicious beer with not that much effort i will continue to brew.
i agree theres a lot going on in that graph.
thanks for posting
Nice catch, @day_trippr. Interesting to see that someone saw the writing on the wall 10 years ago. It's not just a pandemic or post-pandemic slump, though the popularity no doubt took an additional hit in recent years.
I suppose the salad days of home brewing were circa 2010. I started brewing in 2012 and remember stopping in to MW for my first set of gear and an extract kit. They were having some sort of promotional event, and the place was packed. They had maybe a dozen employees on hand, including 2 seated at a table where customers could ask questions. They even had a stack of employment applications and were seeking new retail workers.
Amazing what difference a decade brings.
I suppose the salad days of home brewing were circa 2010. I started brewing in 2012 and remember stopping in to MW for my first set of gear and an extract kit. They were having some sort of promotional event, and the place was packed. They had maybe a dozen employees on hand, including 2 seated at a table where customers could ask questions. They even had a stack of employment applications and were seeking new retail workers.
Amazing what difference a decade brings.
BrewnWKopperKat
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Ten years later, the hobby is still declining...
I think it is a great discussion. I would love to know the relative ages of the homebrewers. I still think the younger generation has no interest in the DIY and wants immediate results. Just me though, and I work with a lot of younger folks that are very different than us older folks. LOLI eschew thread proliferation
The plot I linked above has an overlaying cyclic nature that centers on Christmas - probably Mister Beer sales or equivalent bucket-based home brewing starter kits. In any case the general home brewing interest decline from peak clearly started in 2012.
Then there's this curve comparison of craft vs home brew as shown earlier in this thread. Roughly the beginning of 2010, craft beer interest started building quickly, leaving home brewing in the comparative dust. It isn't clear that there is a relationship between the two, however...
https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=craft beer,Homebrewing
Cheers!
BrewnWKopperKat
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BrewnWKopperKat
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and from 2017:
I am surprised about the age distribution in 2023. I expected the older brackets - say 50 plus - would dominate...
Cheers!
Cheers!
BrewnWKopperKat
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| 2017 | 2023 |
| 
|
If you were to call 50+ a single bracket, it would be the largest.
I created this graph from new membership info on this site. The spike at the end (2022) was due to a merge of HBT Brazil members, so ignore that. Anyway, I think it confirms a significant decrease in interest (if you think that new membership at HBT is any sort of indicator). I did some averaging to get rid of the christmas spikes.
That odd dip around 2018 was (I think) due to a purge of members who hadn't posted in a long time.
That odd dip around 2018 was (I think) due to a purge of members who hadn't posted in a long time.
The peak in 2011 correlates with the other data...
I think it lends credence to the spike in 2009-2011-ish followed by a return to 2004-2006 levels.
I wonder what you'd see if you charted AHA membership over the same period.
I wonder what you'd see if you charted AHA membership over the same period.
Where the heck is the Covid-19 crowd? Did they only Tick'Tock their hoochin?
Hey... I'm part of the COVID-19 crowd and I joined HBT.
Alan Reginato
Well-Known Member
Anyone has data about small yeast packages selling? I think it's the most reliable indicator.
My wife is an avid quilter. It looks the same for that hobby, too. Like homebrew stores, quilt stores have been closing up everywhere.
BrewnWKopperKat
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What's interesting about the astronomy forum(s) that I follow is that they don't focus much on the state of the hobby.
Instead, they focus on how to help people get the best out of the hobby: "Urban skys and binos? Here's an approach to get you started.".
So far, those forum(s) seem to be an interesting counter-example to this article (link). But time will tell.
Instead, they focus on how to help people get the best out of the hobby: "Urban skys and binos? Here's an approach to get you started.".
So far, those forum(s) seem to be an interesting counter-example to this article (link). But time will tell.
Well, it’s been a roller coaster ride for me; perhaps others as well. I did my first batches way back when I was in my thirties. But a move, new job, growing kids, and the gear was put away….until I ran into another homebrewer and the interest was rekindled. The cycle repeated as I got involved in other things.
A few years ago, I met a couple guys who brewed and took me beyond the extract kits to all-grain brewing. As other hobbies were put aside, my homebrew activity increased. Now, as I ease into retirement, I have more time for the hobby.
This forum has been a great resource. I have learned many things here that has taken my brewing way beyond what I call my “hamburger helper” days; where I just opened up a kit, added a few basic ingredients, heated, and stirred. This is way more interesting.
There’s a lot of things at play here, so isolating a cause-effect and formulating a fix is likely impossible. As mentioned, the younger generation is different; WAY different. Different age groups seek different things from their hobbies; group interaction, simple diversion, occupied solitude, self-satisfaction, etc. This hobby has enough flexibility to cover a wide variety of participation from those who brew extract kits alone, to guys who brew together, to those who brew for competition.
The downside to folks losing interest is that it effects all of us; without interest, the local supply stores close, and hardware options diminish. Let’s spread the word and keep it going!
A few years ago, I met a couple guys who brewed and took me beyond the extract kits to all-grain brewing. As other hobbies were put aside, my homebrew activity increased. Now, as I ease into retirement, I have more time for the hobby.
This forum has been a great resource. I have learned many things here that has taken my brewing way beyond what I call my “hamburger helper” days; where I just opened up a kit, added a few basic ingredients, heated, and stirred. This is way more interesting.
There’s a lot of things at play here, so isolating a cause-effect and formulating a fix is likely impossible. As mentioned, the younger generation is different; WAY different. Different age groups seek different things from their hobbies; group interaction, simple diversion, occupied solitude, self-satisfaction, etc. This hobby has enough flexibility to cover a wide variety of participation from those who brew extract kits alone, to guys who brew together, to those who brew for competition.
The downside to folks losing interest is that it effects all of us; without interest, the local supply stores close, and hardware options diminish. Let’s spread the word and keep it going!
BrewnWKopperKat
ʘ‿ʘ
Some astronomy forum(s) seem to have avoided many of the problems.
- Conversations stay focused on the positive aspects ("here's how to enjoy astronomy in urban skies with 10x binos"; "deep sky observations in urban areas? Here's some relatively inexpensive equipment and process for time lapse astro-photography)".
- There is no expectation that one will "take it to the next level" (20x binos, telescopes, move to a rural area, fly to the dark side of the moon , etc).
- There are numerous discussions where people are using both telescopes and binos.
- And numerous discussions where people have switched from telescopes to binos.
A few years ago there was a sub-plot on some episodes of Chicago Fire, where three of the show's characters were developing home brew and trying to set up a brewery.
I thought, "Cool, home brewing made prime time!"
Then I thought, "Uh-oh, home brewing made prime time. That means it's way past its Zeitgeist."
I thought, "Cool, home brewing made prime time!"
Then I thought, "Uh-oh, home brewing made prime time. That means it's way past its Zeitgeist."
Then there's this.
If club membership is any indicator, our local club has more regular members now than we did 10 years ago and is stronger than ever.
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