I never thought it would happen so soon

[Dopeybrew]

It finally happened. I am happy with my brewing process. I thought I would go through the usual steps to brewing. You know extract kits to partial mash kits, to biab kits, then start designing my own beers, then to full on 3 vessel all grain. But here I am at biab kits and I am happy with no want need or desire to progress any farther. I might fine tune some recipes from time to time but I am comfortable where I stand brewing and I make some damn good beers(if I do say so myself). I just started kegging and enjoy the hell out of that. If I change anything about my brew set up I would add a bigger kegerator with many more taps so I never have to bottle again.

Anyone else fall happily short of where they thought this hobby would take them?

 

[WortUp]

It finally happened. I am happy with my brewing process. I thought I would go through the usual steps to brewing. You know extract kits to partial mash kits, to biab kits, then start designing my own beers, then to full on 3 vessel all grain. But here I am at biab kits and I am happy with no want need or desire to progress any farther. I might fine tune some recipes from time to time but I am comfortable where I stand brewing and I make some damn good beers(if I do say so myself). I just started kegging and enjoy the hell out of that. If I change anything about my brew set up I would add a bigger kegerator with many more taps so I never have to bottle again.

Anyone else fall happily short of where they thought this hobby would take them?

There are a millions more things you can try. Why not experiment and see if you can make it even better - I'm sure it's possible. What about entering competitions? What about trying a recipe you've never tried before. I dunno, like something that would make the cut at Dogfish Head. Like any other hobby, the possibilities are endless. How long have you been brewing for?

 

[MrE_the_Great]

I don't know that it's happily "short." It's where it "happily" lead you. If it's where you like being, then perfect it!

I'd love to be there. I'm just starting out really (6 brews in at the moment) but I can see this being very expensive over time with all the ideas I have. It sure would be cheaper to find that happy place and perfect it sooner. Kudos to you friend.

 

[Dopeybrew]

Ive been brewing for a year and a half. I do often try new recipe kits. I just don't see myself designing new recipes in my future. In terms of adding more to my brewing kit as it were. Ive already added a stainless mesh basket(instead of bags), a hop strainer, and a mill to control the crush of my grain. I already had a solid ferm chamber(maybe I might get a bigger one to be able to hold more brews at a time). The only thing that I can see myself adding is maybe make the move to electric from gas. But even that is kinda up in the air. I like where Im at at this moment.
By no means am I putting down those that go farther down the rabbit hole than I am, just wondering if there are people that like where they are at and dont intend to keep going just to keep going. However I will add that if there is some new tech that comes out that can make as good beer as I am now easier then I would look at it. Im not completely dumb.

I also get why some people go farther along than I am. But honestly I am just not that fussed about the extreme minutia of brewing. I do all the necessary things to make a good beer(water ph sanitizing records) I just don't really want to make brewing any more complicated that what I am doing now. Im sure if I did, eventually I would be making some killer beers, but really I can kill a day brewing and I dig what comes out at the end.

In terms of comps, not really that interested in them. If I want a comp I enter into a submission tourney(Bjj blue belt). Im not that fussed if anyone else likes my beers, I do and thats good enough for me. In terms of the weird, Ive tried a couple of the pepper beers and some other out of my comfort zone beers and none of them are for me. And after I do brew mostly so that I'll enjoy the results.

Oddly enough you mentioned Dogfish head brewing, they were the ones that got me into the idea of brewing beer. Mostly because, to me, their beer was so nasty that I thought that if this guy can make this crap and sell it surely I can make better.

 

[kh54s10]

My progression was 4 extract kits, 4 partial mash kits or recipes, built my 3 tier system, brewed one kit then started altering recipes, then designed some from scratch.

As far a process I did BIAB last and prefer to use my 3 tier system. To me it is much less of a hassle than messing with a hot, heavy, messy, sticky bag of wet grain.

I also started buying grains and hops in bulk, it has brought the price of a brew to close to 1/2 that of buying a kit.

 

[WortUp]

Oddly enough you mentioned Dogfish head brewing, they were the ones that got me into the idea of brewing beer. Mostly because, to me, their beer was so nasty that I thought that if this guy can make this crap and sell it surely I can make better.

Lol, well then you need to sell your beer. I think they make some good products. But hey, at the end of the day, if you're happy, then who gives a sh*t about anything else right?

 

[Yooper]

It's fine to be where you are.

I have a friend who brews, but he only does kits and he's totally happy with that. I think it's great, and I happily drink his beer.

He did recently tell me that he wanted to save money, so he was buying a grain mill and then going to buy sacks of grain, and asked ME to do his recipes because he has no interest at all in making up recipes. He just wants a brew sheet with instructions, and finished recipe. I think that's fine, and his beer tastes great, so it's a good solution for him.

 

[j1n]

If you're comfortable with your process and can produce good beer then who cares about learning every facet of brewing. your getting the end result you want and that should be good enough.

I'm kinda of at the same place you are. the only thing that im trying to learn more about is brewing sours. but for clean beers im very confident in my abilities.

 

[bu_gee]

It is YOUR hobby and you get to decide what makes you happy.

My first brew was a kit that was given to my brother's girlfriend and her sister as a joint birthday present. My brother and I brewed it because they were too squeamish to deliberately put living organisms into something they would consume later. Oh, and it was an IPA. I hate IPAs.

My growth as a home brewer has come from the fact that there is a lot of science and experimentation behind it all. I also like doing all the things people say are heresy that make no sense and seeing what the big dust up is about. That's what I get out of MY hobby.

 

[balrog]

It's fine to be where you are.

I have a friend who brews, but he only does kits and he's totally happy with that. I think it's great, and I happily drink his beer.

He did recently tell me that he wanted to save money, so he was buying a grain mill and then going to buy sacks of grain, and asked ME to do his recipes because he has no interest at all in making up recipes. He just wants a brew sheet with instructions, and finished recipe. I think that's fine, and his beer tastes great, so it's a good solution for him.

Wha-Wha-WHAT!??! But---half the fun is spending hours online trying to find recipes!

 

[Dopeybrew]

It is kind of weird, for me at least, as I am usually obsessive about my hobbies and go way over the edge in terms of trying to be as much like the pros as I can. Hell its like that with school too, Im getting my PhD in microbiology next semester and I don't intend to do anything more than teach high school.

But I am glad that I have found my own little happy place. I was just wondering if there were more like me. The kind of person who actually planned to go whole hog and found themselves happy shorter in than half hog.

 

[Watzee]

I had the same game plan as you. I started with kits, then went to extract. I now stick to AG BIAB. I either design my own, tweak others, or follow a strict recipe. I was planning on 3 tier, but I find BIAB to be the cats ass and have no further plans to go into 3 tier. I am however upgrading to a 10 gallon system shortly.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[bu_gee]

... Im getting my PhD in microbiology next semester ...

That has got to lead to backyard yeast-wrangling.

 

[brick_haus]

I wish I had a happy place. My first batch was a 10 gallon all grain IPA that I brewed on my own equipment. Never tried biab or extract. I learned to wash yeast, I have found my favorite water profile for
All of my recipes. Motorized grain mill, bulk grain taking over my garage. Two kegerators. A small freezer dedicated to only bulk hops. Cylindroconical fermenters in both of my fermentation chambers. Stout tanks now w/HERMS... It may never end!

 

[Dopeybrew]

That has got to lead to backyard yeast-wrangling.

Oddly enough I use primarily dry yeast. Its less equipment. I may eventually expand to liquid yeast and or farming my own. But its not something that I have plans for currently.