I'm an addict!!

[pingi]

Every since I started homebrewing, I can drink no less than 6 to 10 12oz servings a day. My wife says I'm an alki, I say no its good to have a hobby. Keeps me out of trouble while I'm still able to get drunk. Am I indulging a little heavily or is it the norm?

 

[Brewme]

Just don't drink them during your AA meetings :cross:

 

[BigKahuna]

If you even think you've got a problem...it's definitely time to cut back! I know several guys here including me...that have fathers that are - were Alcoholics, and we'll vouch for the fact that there isn't a damn thing about it. It ruins families and lives....no 2 ways about it.

If you're having some fun and brewing, welcome to the club...Have some friends over...they'll be good for your bottle supply! But if it's really getting to be a problem, STOP NOW! it only gets worse!

 

[schweaty]

It sounds like you're indulging yourself a bit too much. If your wife doesn't like it I'd suggest to cut back drastically or else your marriage might suffer. While homebrewing is a wonderful hobby and drinking the beer you brew might be even better, being a good husband/father is above all of them. Maybe designate one or two nights a week where you drink heavily or talk it over with SWMBO.

 

[Anbrew]

+1 for the advice already given

I've found that with homebrewing I drink LESS and become more of a hoarder.

 

[FreakinA]

6-10 per day seems like a lot. My dad works from home(so no commute) and after he stops working he probably drinks 1-3 a day and I thought that was sorta alot. Im a college student, so I really only drink a few beers thursday, friday, and saturday nights.

 

[Terry08]

Take it from me a 20 year plus brewer. I love the stuff I have been in Dart teams both in England and Australia and what do darties do. Tht's it they drink beer. But! they do not over indulge, nobody can play darts drunk. They drive and have lives and other hobbies.

I love a beer as I said and the one reason I will never keg my beer is due to the fact that it is too available 24/7. So in the morning I put two 720ml bottles in the fridge and wait till after 5pm and have them during the everning.

Now that is a fair bit and should be enough for anyone. To give your body a chance to de-tox you should have at least 3 alcohol free days per week.

The reason is simple, Alcohol is a poison and that gives your liver a chance to cleanse itself. If you cannot bear to give it up for a day or two then chances are you are well on the way to becoming alcoholic.

30 years ago I stopped smoking for a simular reason I was becoming totally addicted to it. Was not easy but nothing good you achieve in life ever is.

I love beer, I love wine, I love scotch, I love footy. But I love my family more.

AhAh! Words of wisdom from a beer drinking homebrewing old fart.

 

[illnastyimpreza]

..Im a college student, so I really only drink a few beers thursday, friday, and saturday nights.

only a "few" huh ??

OP I've got the opposite problem, My girlfriend doesn't care if I drink, Cuz I usualy only have 1 or 2 while watching the sox game, or a movie or whatnot... I take nights off, and then make up for them a couple days later

BUT all this homebrew and Kegging is giving ME a KEG of my own !

 

[bernerbrau]

I've found that with homebrewing I drink LESS and become more of a hoarder.

True dat. It's so easy to go pick up a bottle of wine on the way home and polish it off between yourself and your spouse before bedtime. With homebrew, you know just how much work and money you put into it, and you want to make sure you always have some on hand before your next brew.

Me, I'm averaging one 22oz. or less a night. I'd drop down to 12oz. bottles and keep it to one a night, but I find it cheaper and less time consuming to use the larger bottles. Plus it makes a better gift for friends

 

[kman6234]

6 to 10 per day sounds like a lot to me. If your wife thinks it's excessive she might be right. I like to keep the majority of my beer drinking to the weekends. But the main thing is everything in moderation

 

[jklotz]

6-10 a day? Come on man, step up. Be a real man. You know what they say - "24 beers in a case, 24 hours in a day. Coincidence? I think Not!"

Seriously, if I drank 10 beers a day, I'd be big as a house. I'm trying to keep it no bigger than a shed....

 

[illnastyimpreza]

yeah, 6-10 on a good night is no problem....but every night??? now that just too much.

 

[eddie]

Every since I started homebrewing, I can drink no less than 6 to 10 12oz servings a day. My wife says I'm an alki, I say no its good to have a hobby. Keeps me out of trouble while I'm still able to get drunk. Am I indulging a little heavily or is it the norm?

You say you "can drink no less than 6-10...a day." This sounds excessive to me. Also, the amount you're drinking is enough to raise concern in your wife and she has expressed this concern to you. I don't know you and am not an expert in addictions and whatnot but I think these alone are big red flags.

 

[pingi]

Perhaps I am drinking more than usual because hombrew is still somewhat new to me. Just tastes so darn good. Before homebrew, it was 2 SA a night, sometimes nothing at all. I guess the newness will wear off eventually, and I will go back to just a couple at a sitting.

 

[cbg96]

6-10 a day is beyond legally drunk each and every day of the week. I gotta tell ya, I think you need to really step back and evaluate and cut wayyyyy back. The fact that the SWMBO has raised a serious concern is a big red flag.

Go a week with none, then check out where you're at with it.

 

[netjunk1e]

Luckily I am still in college and you cant be an alcoholic in college, because it just what you do....

 

[BigKahuna]

I guess the newness will wear off eventually, and I will go back to just a couple at a sitting.

I'd make that a priority if I were you.

 

[blacklab]

Here's a way to think about things like this. Say it out loud. Does it sound like a good idea?

'I am going to drink 6-10 beers every night"

 

[illnastyimpreza]

Here's a way to think about things like this. Say it out loud. Does it sound like a good idea?

'I am going to drink 6-10 beers every night"

yeah the "every day" thing is what gets me.... makes you sound like a TOTAL LUSH :cross:

 

[Bigsnake]

Seems like a lot. I usually drink 1 to 4 a day and I thought that was a lot and want to cut back.

 

[illnastyimpreza]

if it makes you feel any better, I unfortunatly ran out of homebrew last week. Well last night, my budy came over. I drank 7....yes count them, 7 budlights *runs and hides* I now remember why I got into home brewing

 

[TexLaw]

Yeah, addict or not, having fun or not, 6-10 beer every night is unhealthy in every way I can think of. Hell, 6-10 beers each night over a weekend is not at all healthy, even though many of us will do it often.


TL

 

[Chupacabras]

I try to keep it to the weekends, the odd thursday if there's something on the go (like poker tonight. Woot!) That said, 6-10 daily is quite a bit. Limiting to 1 or 2 an evening is supposedly healthy for the heart, but drinking everyday is a sure sign of weight gain for me so I don't do that. Mostly Friday and Saturday, but when I do drink, I drink to excess unfortunately.

 

[shecky]

If you're asking if 6-10 a day is a problem, you've already got a problem. IMO, that's excessive.
I don't get through 6-10 a week most of the time.
Cut back or you're in some trouble.

 

[Kilgore_Trout]

It's hard to say whether it's a "problem" in the addiction sense over the web.

It's DEFINITELY not good for you though, try to give yourself a few beer free weekdays.

 

[shecky]

It's hard to say whether it's a "problem" in the addiction sense over the web.

I don't know about that. Sure seems like an addiction to me. 6-10 per day signifies an inability to get through the day without beer.
Not to be judgmental, but that sure sounds like an addiction.

 

[illnastyimpreza]

It's hard to say whether it's a "problem" in the addiction sense over the web.

It's DEFINITELY not good for you though, try to give yourself a few beer free weekdays.

yeah thats what I do. I try to do the every other day routine. Works great except on weekends

 

[Homercidal]

I usually pour an IPA from tap on weekdays, and sometimes a lighter beer too with dinner, and usually about the same on weekends maybe one or two more on a good day. I don't often go a day without, but certainly have and sometimes a few days in between.

I find I enjoy the beer even more when I haven't had it in a few days. Or I'll skip a day or two if I know I'm going to have a new or different beer.

6-10 in one sitting would have me on the floor and in front of the toilet later. I'm a lightweight.

 

[illnastyimpreza]

...
6-10 in one sitting would have me on the floor and in front of the toilet later. I'm a lightweight.

well it depends just how "thick" your homebrew is

6-10 of the coopers real ale I've got I would be feelin good. BUT
I think if I polished off 6-10 of the apfelwein I just bottled, then I would be ALL DONE !

 

[mmb]

:echo: 6 to 10 a night, every night is a problem. :echo:

That's also 4 to 6 gallons a week just for you. Quite the impressive pipeline you have going on. Unfortunately, you'll have 12 weeks or so to sober up if you don't go illegal and brew over 200 G.

 

[Donasay]

6 to 10 is no problem, man I say go with it and go for it. And you should be proud of your alcoholism, you have attained heights in drinking that other men can only dream of. You are an alcoholic, say it loud say it plowed!

 

[Chriso]

*shrug* I drink 4-6 pints a night ... So we're about on par with each other. I don't think I have a problem. I can take a night off if I feel like it ... I just usually don't feel like it. I work hard all day, I feel I deserve to relax at night. It's never once gotten in the way of work in the morning. (That's what tequila is for, wrecking my morning.)

 

[ChefBrew]

You're going to do what you want to do, but all the positive advise on here is good, and sounds like it's coming from experience, mostly. Too bad we don't normally learn from other people's mistakes or wisdom. Normally we remember the wisdom after we've already screwed up. Enjoy life, but don't overkill... good luck!!!

 

[Malticulous]

I had to go to alcohol school once. They said your a alcoholic if it effects other areas of your life like family or work. I suppose there are also functional alcoholics.

I always want beer after work, not wine, not liquor. If I get home early It's hard to just drink the six I try to limit myself too.

 

[fat x nub]

Defiantly not something to brag about and toast a pint to. Alcoholism is a problem that should be taken seriuosly and could ruin your life. 6 to 10 beers a day...yeah u might have a problem

 

[HBHoss]

Brew brother! Listen to your mates, especially your soul mate! If she's hinted at it then it's a problem. I limit myself to 1 a night after, or with, dinner. My Dad went cold turkey and quit. It was before I was 21 so we weren't able to share a drink on my birthday. Moderate now so later you don't have to stop completely.

 

[jrakich87]

It totally depends on the person, if you can't just take a week off without feeling negative effects then yeah, cut down a bit. Taking a day off in between drinking nights (or dropping to 1 brew a night every other night if you must) isn't too tough. Keep in mind people, there are a lot of factors that go into figuring what a "serving" is for a person. I find that when I'm training and eating 6 decent-sized meals a day and drinking a lot of water, I'm a TANK and it takes a lot of booze to have an effect on me. At other times, I get buzzed off of only a couple beers. Things like body weight, body composition, age, how much alcohol dehydrogenase your body naturally produces, and a bunch of other criteria factor into the equation, so it's different for everyone.

 

[SenorWanderer]

uh, yeah, those sorts of drink counts every night of the week spells alcoholic, but, were you an alcoholic before this? it doesn't sound like you were. maybe you're just really excited about your new hobby. still, cut it out. even if you're not an alcoholic you're gonna gain 40lbs drinking homebrew like that.

 

[dontman]

So I've read this whole thread and I've learned that its either too much to drink on a daily basis or its okay or you should be concerned because you're asking the question or . . . For me, new again to homebrewing I have to admit that I have been indulging in 3-4 pints a day since my first batch was drinkable. Before that, over the past 10-15 years I have consumed maybe 1 -2 beers a year. For me the 3-4 beers I drink in an evening never really make it through my 240 lb frame to hit my brain very hard. Plus they tend to be spread out over the course of 4-6 hours. In fact I would be surprised if I ever hit .08 BAC. (I am sure this will be different if I maintain consumption levels with the apfelwein that I plan to brew tomorrow.)

I will say this. My 1 hour per day on my elliptical does seem to be a losing effort in my trying to shave pounds. It is for this reason alone that I am hoping I lose my "enthusiasm" for my newfound hobby.

 

[SchmidtyBeer]

I would not say that I am an addict to the beer, but surely an addict to homebrewing! Although I have been known to have a beer or two.....