Homebrewing too popular???

[android]

the problem is some people are so jaded into thinking they're producing good beer and they surround themselves with people who also think it's good when, in fact, it isn't.

 

[Airborneguy]

I still don't understand how the popularity of homebrewing negatively impacts anyone. I could careless if every person I knew homebrewed. Hell, then I wouldn't have to share any of my beer! It would be great.

Really... I don't think any one of the "negative" posts here has really presented a single bad thing about homebrewing being popular.

 

[Dynachrome]

Yeah,

Put equal amounts of a variety of commercial beer out with the same amount of your home brew. If your guests finish off yours before they start into the commercial stuff it's a decent indicator. If they each have just on bottle of yours then swictch, that's a different indicator.

 

[JNye]

to the OP:
I treat it sort of the same way I treat religion . . . I do what I do, dont give a rats ass what others think and dont bring it up unless they ask. If they do ask and I reply and they tell me I'm wrong I just keep doing what I do and enjoy it and put them in the "F*ck off" bin. If I honestly want thier opinion I'll ask other wise who gives a sh!t about'em?

words to live by.

I don't see what the problem is. This hobby weeds out the hipsters, its a sh*t-ton of work making beer. Of course if they are talkin big around you and you know they did 1 Mr Beer or extract beer 5 years ago and still call themselves a homebrewer, then you sir are the problem. Its your job to call them out on it.

The thing about the pot roast though...+1...my BIL is always FBing about some stupid ass dinner or drink or whatever so everyone can see...whatever, I try to just leave it as..."its his thing"...but I find it extremely tiring and lame, much like I feel about FB in general. But anyways, yeah I have grilled a rack of babybacks before...BFD.

 

[bierhaus15]

I think people generally missed my original intention of this thread. I was not b*tching about more people homebrewing, as in people actually making beer. That's great. I love company. And more competition means better overall quality. Instead, I was trying to ask whether or not the sudden popularity of homebrewing stems from more people wanting to brew and drink good beer, or cuz it's the latest fad and it looks cool with ray bans. (And yeah, probably most of you don't care if homebrewing is a fad or not. Good for you...)

What I was getting at with the food references, is that just as someone can hyper elevate the humble pot roast into blog fodder, so is happening with beer. Just look at 'beeradvocate' - it's a perfect misnomer. It does nothing to advocate real 'beer' knowledge. It's just a place where any uneducated, apathetic beer snob can gather to inflate their ego and attempt to look cultured by association. Ever wonder why there isn't a "WineAdvocate?" Well, it's because we have already corrupted wine so far into something its not, its no longer accessible to the average Joe. If some dude from Kansas tries to say anything about wine he gets the foot up is ***. Same with cars, cigars, whiskey... Is beer headed this way? Probably not so long as there is BMC. But it is heading that way. Example. I was just in San Fran a few weeks ago. I bought a whole ton of Russian River stuff, not because I want to masturbate my ego with it, but to drink and enjoy something I cannot get on the east coast. Well, standing there in the checkout line I get some guy tell me that my personal beer choices are good, though he's had better and then another guy and girl join in about 12% stouts and how they doesn't like 3.8% English bitters and I shouldn't too, since they don't have "any" flavor. Oh, and apparently I don't know anything about beer. Hey, bud, ever been to Westvleteren? I have and I didn't think the beer was so freaking incredible!

 

[jtupper]

This may of been said as I only read two pages of post before I had to say something but here is the way I see it...

As a newbie myself, sorry if it offends, I didn't get into this hobby because I want people to think I'm a neat guy cause I brew. I did it for myself. Personal knowledge, curiosity, history, and the fact that after a hard day work I like to have a damn beer. If I can have one of my own the better. This is a hobby and hobbies are there for people to relax and have fun doing something they love, not to gain rank among peers. You have every right to speak your minds and have your opinions, but at the end of the day set back pour or pop a cold one and enjoy the hard work and time put in to something we all can enjoy in this life...That's the reason we brew, and that's the reason anyone who wants to should brew.

Work at something you love, and you'll never work a day in your life....I work at beer damnit!

 

[KMOX]

Call me an unabashed capitalist, but I want as many half-ass homebrewers out there as we can get, since the increased volume will (hopefully) drive down grain, hop, and yeast prices. AHS was just able to move to a bigger facility, and then thereby drop their prices a bit. Hell, I might even be able to afford a Boilermaker, some day.

But in terms of the beer snobbery...yes. They can kiss my a**. The best beer of my life was in Oxford, UK, at the Turf Tavern. It was their house brew - about 3.8%, and the most orgasmic flavor experience of my life.

Why? Because it was fresh.

 

[Ringmaster]

Plus they might make another Carboy factory in the country..

 

[renderit]

the problem is some people are so jaded into thinking they're producing good beer and they surround themselves with people who also think it's good when, in fact, it isn't.

First post. I have now fermented my 5th AHS kit (per the recommendations of this site) and I am ready to try some more personal alterations, maybe some all grain, etc. I am already an established expert on one subject.........

Bad beer is better than good water.

Nothing hip aboot it. I want to survive if everything goes South. I want to know how things are made. Grandpa could not just run to the store to buy everything he needed, if I know 1/10th of what he did by the time I'm done it will be 100X more than most of the morons oot there. With this internetted thingy at least some of us newbies can pick the braincells of the real experts and hopefully you can shut the "hipster know-it-alls" down before they screw us up. That is the good thing aboot the internettednet.

The bad thing is there are a lot of LOUD "experts" on every ilk of every subject on every forum I have ever been on, and I own one meeself. I hope they rot in the place where all beer is skunky.

I also hope eventually to be the Greatest Expert in the World©™☢☠ on brewing beers. So look oot! Here I come.....

 

[JoshuaWhite5522]

//RANT//

Maybe I'm just an unfriendly *******, but I sorta miss the days when I could tell a group of people I was a homebrewer and get nothing but a bunch of half disgusted stares. Now it seems like every fratboy and hipster either homebrews or claims to know enough about it to tout himself as an authority on the topic. When did homebrewing become soo trendy all of a sudden? It's not that I want homebrewing to be some type of selective club, I just don't want it to become some meaningless, blase activity that is associated solely with the likes of those ****** canoes who care to blog about their new ipad or Ray-Bans.

It's like food. It used to be fine to cook nice things and enjoy them in anonymity. Now some a**hole makes a pot roast and feels impelled to blog it all over the freaking interwebs and provide snide commentary on how special it is; as if the world never saw a pot roast before. Beer is not wine, it is not cigars, or fancy cars. It's worth as a product and hobby should not be determined by how unique it is, or how many ****** line up to buy a bottle of it, or how many ****** use it as a launching pad for their own pitiful egos.

Homebrewing doesn't need tv shows with cheerleader sam calagione telling everyone how cool beer is, or magazines telling you your beer sucks because it wasn't made by monks or touched by vestal virgins; or organic hops that will help save the whales, and other nonsense. I brew beer because I want to and enjoy doing it, not because I care about the latest fad or how cool it will make me look. I brew beer, I drink beer, and I think our hobby's future would be better off it's popularity rested in brewing beer rather than allowing some **** to live their life "vicariously" through it.

(and If I offended you... too freaking bad!)

//End Rant//

I hope you don’t have anything by blichmann or ever use any of white labs newest strains. The increase in popularity is what has spurred the development of these companies. If there is no market for a product the product will not reach anyone. Also if you brew for you and you alone, why do you care what other people are doing. I think your rant is little more than the same attention grabbing attempt you talk down on.

 

[hal2814]

I'm into this novel concept where I do what I like to do and you can do what you want to do. That's nice because there's no entrance exam or anything required and I don't have to spend all day judging whether or not someone is worthy or taking up hobbies I also happen to take up.

I don't care why or how people got into homebrewing as long as they are buying products. I started brewing in 2002 and just since then there has been a huge explosion in the types of brewing equipment and ingredients that are available. A big part of that is the increase in homebrewers. As far as bad advice goes, the worst homebrew advice I ever encountered came straight from the pages of Papazian's book* so I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to getting bad homebrew advice from others. You learn pretty quickly which sources to ignore.

* That bad advice was how to calculate strike temps in all grain for those playing along at home.

 

[Dynachrome]

What does it mean if you like to trade beers with tour fellow brewers? ...or is that a separate thread? ;-)

 

[Gibbnal]

So what is it with all the iPad envy around here? I don't read/write blogs, wear flannel or any of that. But my iPad and my single speed Karate Monkey are totally bad ass. Try scrolling through one of the long ass rants with a touch screen some time.

 

[anervusguy]

First of all, I need to apologize for only having been brewing my own beer for the past six months. I'm very new to the hobby. It's fun. I had not noticed that it was a fad though. I've mentioned to several people that I brew my own beer and they look at me and the first question out of their mouth is "Why?"

I'm a programmer (geek) and had been way before the whole tech bubble thing happened ten years ago. Technology became a fad and anyone with $5000 to spare took some programming classes at the local community college and got job that they were woefully under-qualified for. Bubble burst, they got sacked and the rest of us are still here. I believe that this new hobby will follow much the same track as other fads in history. It'll be hip to do it for a while until they realize how much work it involves. They'll get bored with it. Then, they'll go to the store and buy a six pack of some goofy named craft beer and move on.

I've had the privilege of talking to some of those 'three brew experts' and researched (mostly here on HBT) some of the garbage they've spewed and found them to be wanting. They'll go away. Just give it time. An in their wake, they'll leave more Local Home Brew stores and cheap equipment in their wake for the rest of us to take advantage of.

Making beer is easy. Making good beer is not!!

 

[motobrewer]

how is this thread still active? i really need to learn how to unsubscribe....

 

[mullenite]

how is this thread still active? i really need to learn how to unsubscribe....

Click User CP on the top of the page, then underneath this thread click "Unsubscribe" or click "Thread Tools" at the top right, below the header and click Unsubscribe from this thread.

 

[Babylon]

I really like beer blogs. The only one I read regularly is mad fermentationist, but he has a lot of information on there that I found really useful.

 

[Teromous]

I find that when I become interested in something, I notice it more around me. It seemed to me that the whole world was becoming interested in the same things at the same time, when in reality I was only paying attention more. Sure, there is a greater awareness about homebrewing...but I wouldn't really call it a fad. UFC, now that became a fad.

 

[arturo7]

Hey guys, just want to say goodbye.

Homebrewing was cool as long as I was the only one doing it.

Now it's trendy. I'm out.

 

[cl330b]

Yea, when I say I homebrew, people look at me like I have two heads, then ask how I get the alcohol in there.

+1, people ask me the same question. ($.02)

 

[Hatchbrew]

I always get told about someone or another that they know brews too.

 

[bengerman]

//RANT//

Maybe I'm just an unfriendly *******, but I sorta miss the days when I could tell a group of people I was a homebrewer and get nothing but a bunch of half disgusted stares. Now it seems like every fratboy and hipster either homebrews or claims to know enough about it to tout himself as an authority on the topic. When did homebrewing become soo trendy all of a sudden? It's not that I want homebrewing to be some type of selective club, I just don't want it to become some meaningless, blase activity that is associated solely with the likes of those ****** canoes who care to blog about their new ipad or Ray-Bans.

It's like food. It used to be fine to cook nice things and enjoy them in anonymity. Now some a**hole makes a pot roast and feels impelled to blog it all over the freaking interwebs and provide snide commentary on how special it is; as if the world never saw a pot roast before. Beer is not wine, it is not cigars, or fancy cars. It's worth as a product and hobby should not be determined by how unique it is, or how many ****** line up to buy a bottle of it, or how many ****** use it as a launching pad for their own pitiful egos.

Homebrewing doesn't need tv shows with cheerleader sam calagione telling everyone how cool beer is, or magazines telling you your beer sucks because it wasn't made by monks or touched by vestal virgins; or organic hops that will help save the whales, and other nonsense. I brew beer because I want to and enjoy doing it, not because I care about the latest fad or how cool it will make me look. I brew beer, I drink beer, and I think our hobby's future would be better off it's popularity rested in brewing beer rather than allowing some **** to live their life "vicariously" through it.

(and If I offended you... too freaking bad!)

//End Rant//

you do realize that this is the most hipster rant ever? "why does everyone else want to do what i want to do?"

(how many hipsters does it take to screw in a lightbulb? it's some obscure number you've probably never heard of.)

 

[DUNDASJ]

I only have one friend here that does it and a cousin in Arizona. Who cares if it gains popularity. Yea it takes away the cool factor but don't we want people to start appreciating beer. Nothing makes me sadder when I take people out to my favorite brew pubs and all they do is bitch and would rather drink a bud light.

 

[jgln]

Must have missed this before,anyhow....I thought for sure this was coming from someone much, much older than 25.

 

[Desrever]

I recently discovered REAL BEER about a year ago, Until then I didn't like the stuff you could buy at the store...Miller Bud etc... for the past year I have been going to a few Brew fests and really enjoying what I was tasting about a month ago I woke up on a Sunday morning after a fest and decided I wanted to give it a try so I went to the store and got a Mr. Beer and made that shady little kit a few days later I went to the LHBS and picked up a BB kit I'm hoping what I'm making is going to be at least drinkable I have been using every spare second I have to read these threads here and books and watching videos about it, I need a mentor but I'm the only person I know that home brews in my area. I don't want to give up maybe in a few years i'll be good at it! I never looked at it as a fad.

 

[jgln]

I recently discovered REAL BEER about a year ago, Until then I didn't like the stuff you could buy at the store...Miller Bud etc... for the past year I have been going to a few Brew fests and really enjoying what I was tasting about a month ago I woke up on a Sunday morning after a fest and decided I wanted to give it a try so I went to the store and got a Mr. Beer and made that shady little kit a few days later I went to the LHBS and picked up a BB kit I'm hoping what I'm making is going to be at least drinkable I have been using every spare second I have to read these threads here and books and watching videos about it, I need a mentor but I'm the only person I know that home brews in my area. I don't want to give up maybe in a few years i'll be good at it! I never looked at it as a fad.

Ok go away, you are ruining this hobby for me... just kidding.

 

[vicratlhead51]

I recently discovered REAL BEER about a year ago, Until then I didn't like the stuff you could buy at the store...Miller Bud etc... for the past year I have been going to a few Brew fests and really enjoying what I was tasting about a month ago I woke up on a Sunday morning after a fest and decided I wanted to give it a try so I went to the store and got a Mr. Beer and made that shady little kit a few days later I went to the LHBS and picked up a BB kit I'm hoping what I'm making is going to be at least drinkable I have been using every spare second I have to read these threads here and books and watching videos about it, I need a mentor but I'm the only person I know that home brews in my area. I don't want to give up maybe in a few years i'll be good at it! I never looked at it as a fad.

Sounds like the same way I got into beer. I was never a fan of the regular BMC stuff. I used to buy ice beers a lot until I got brave and started buying some of the stuff with what at the time were wierd names and labels then I really got into drinking beer and pretty much stopped drinking liquor all together. Then I got obsessed with this hobby and reading and watching everything I could about it. The nice thing is brewing taught me all about the styles and I can go buy a beer I've never had before and at least have an idea of what I'm in for. I do wish I knew more people locally who brew though. There's a couple guys at work who've expressed interest, hopefully I can get em going

 

[Hang Glider]

And...now a link from Bankrate.com - Save Money - Brew your own beer!

 

[Revvy]

I recently discovered REAL BEER ...

I hate to burst your bubble but Bmc, INCLUDING the light lager, is just as "real" as any other beer. Just because it's not your cup of tea, it obviously is to millions of other folks....

Beer is beer folks, why the hell do some supposed beer "snobs" have to make it an "us vs them?" You're all bitching about "hipsters" and you're doing exactly what hipster do, coming off all elite, and sticking your nose in the air.

There's plenty of beer for everybody. Why can't you just say you like what you like, without infantile comments like "it's not 'real' beer?" And let others like what they like?

 

[drummerguysteve]

I had a brief discussion about this at a bjcp class. One of the goals of the bjcp is to promote "real beer", which seems to suggest the promotion of craft beer. It's a pretty tongue-in-cheek goal for an organization that wrote a style guideline for American Lite Lager.