In a rut, maybe?

[McKBrew]

On and off the last couple of weeks I've debated giving up the hobby. Not the beer drinking aspect of it, but the brewing part.

Why?

1) I have a hard time keeping four taps full with my brew schedule. On top of that, when I do have 4 taps, it takes a while to empty them as I don't have any real beer drinking buddies.

A possible solution, cut back on the number of taps I have and move to a smaller kegerator.

2) I enjoy craft and microbrews just as much as my own beer. I'd be completely happy drinking other beer. I would like to have a bigger selection of commercial beer on hand, and be able to invest in some of the spendier stuff.

3) I enjoy the comraderie here at HBT and if I decided to leave brewing, I'd like to still feel welcome here.

4) Sometimes I don't fully enjoy brewing. Seems like with the physical configuration of my house and my storage locations, I'm always scrambling around to find something I misplaced or that was misplaced by someone else. I really don't enjoy cleaning up after a big brewday. With a big household like mine, and the responsibilities of a family, it seems like brewdays are always subject to interruptions.

One thing that I did enjoy from brewing this weekend is that my 6 and 7 year old daughters hand cranked 11# of grain through my BC because they wanted too.

I know what I can do here. Better organization, brewing earlier in the day, etc... (But I like sleep)

My big dilemna is whether or not I will regret it if I decide to sell everything off. I honestly don't think the answer is a definite yes, because brewing has exposed me to beer culture, and I know that I'll still be drinking it, even if I'm not making it.

Just rambling here, and probably not making much sense. Don't expect any replies although I'm sure some of you will post "Can I have first dibs on your stuff?" (I'd do the same thing to you).

Either way, I intend on always being an active member of the community, and if I'm not making it, I'll spend more time updating the review database.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

 

[shek]

You need to get out of this rut, and back into the groove! j/k
I'm not that far removed from a n00b, but maybe consider only brewing occasionally but only making long lead styles that might be hard to find commercially (barleywins, imperial anythings, belgians, etc...). If you feel brewing is a chore mostly just to keep your kegs filled that sounds like a good time to walk away for a while.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

Well McKBrew, it would be sad to see you retire from the hobby, but what kind of gear do you have again

In all seriousness, here are some propositions that may or may not be helpful. Firstly, what size batches do you brew? If you're having trouble keeping taps full, brewing 10 gallon batches could be just the cure you need. Now this would mean that you'd need more kegs, or you could make a collection of 22oz bottles and make bottling the other 5 gallons a breeze. You mentioned little helpers, have them help wash bottles, and in exchange make a batch or two of soda for them? Or even designate a soda tap for them!

As far as not fully enjoying brewing goes, I can relate. My first 20 minutes is usually spent running around getting my second pot, my refractometer, the drill to grind my grains. Consolidation of materials could help. Or try doing no chill brewing to save that cooling step. Or try mashing at night, boiling the next day. Explore new options! When you're always doing the same old thing with the same old problems, things can get dull!

Swap out one of your ball lock fittings and start getting 1/6 log kegs of commercial beer. Do that instead of brewing a batch or two, and you'll have something on tap that you can enjoy. If you're bottling and kegging 10 gallon batches, those bottles will add up eventually and you'll have variety...

Anywho, just my $0.02. I know they are kind of all over the place...but they're food for thought!

 

[menschmaschine]

Why not just take 6 months or a year off? Call it a brewing hiatus. Nothing wrong with that. Hang on to your stuff and re-evaluate your brewing desire when you're ready.

Brew when you want to, not when you feel like you have to. If you don't feel like picking back up with brewing, then sell your stuff... and never show your face here again!

 

[Rick500]

I took 6 years off once years ago, then 6 months off recently. I got rid of everything the first time and wish I hadn't. Second time I kept everything and now I'm using it all more than ever.

Your results may vary, of course.

In any case, you're always welcome here.

 

[Zen_Brew]

On and off the last couple of weeks I've debated giving up the hobby. Not the beer drinking aspect of it, but the brewing part.
Why?

1) I have a hard time keeping four taps full with my brew schedule. On top of that, when I do have 4 taps, it takes a while to empty them as I don't have any real beer drinking buddies.

Move to the Seattle area. I'm sure there are a bunch of us who'd love to help you drink your beer (and share ours as well)

4) Sometimes I don't fully enjoy brewing. Seems like with the physical configuration of my house and my storage locations, I'm always scrambling around to find something I misplaced or that was misplaced by someone else. I really don't enjoy cleaning up after a big brewday. With a big household like mine, and the responsibilities of a family, it seems like brewdays are always subject to interruptions.

I completely hear you on this one. There is also a space issue for me. I've rapidly accumulated all mannerisms of machinery and gadgets and cooking implements, and the original closet I was storing in is strained for room. I often can't find things I've put elsewhere due to lack of room on a brewday. At this point a dedicated brewspace with storage and running water would be perfect.

I'm not sure the easy answer to this other than having the space to organize. I would +1 to the suggestion o taking periods of time off, but holding on to the equipment so you can brew if you decide you want to. Sort of like a trial separation.

I hope you brew on
Cheers

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

I've felt the same way, on and off...but I feel like there are so many styles I have yet to taste, not to mention perfect brewing. I suppose that my town has something to do with that, and I don't mean the proximity to Sierra Nevada. It's the lack of east coast and European beers here, there just isn't much. So, if I want some style that is not common, I either have to drive down to Sacramento and buy it or brew it myself.

Have you really exhausted all the beers you like to drink? You could always move on to meads and wine too, and save the long brew day. Whatever you choose, I support that...but if you stop brewing, I'll cut off all contact. Nothing personal, you'll just be outside the circle of trust....

 

[Dwain]

+1 on Rick500. Long story short I've been in and out of brewing for many years. The first time I got "out" of it, I got rid of most of my equipment. From then on, when I slowed down, I would store my stuff. My 2 sons are in college and they got me really fired up again. I built a brew stand, got all of my equipment cleaned up, and have 25 gal. in various stages. It does suck if you don't have anyone to brew/drink with. I would say if you can afford to, keep as much of your equipment as you can and take a break. Who knows, maybe when your Daughters grow up they might want to start. Let us know what you decide. Luck - Dwain

 

[uglygoat]

i took a year off last sept... i was burned on it and the time away did me good.

i've brewed two batches this past month for my brothers 30th birthday, the first all year, and am enjoying getting back into brewing, but i won't ever have taps flowing like in the past.

i've decided it's a hobby i have to limit myself to, sorta like the wow account...

 

[sethful]

Personally, I have a good group of guys that get together for brew days to cookout and drink... and we ususally take a 4 month hiatus during the cold months (I brew in the garage and it isn't insulated....) and that keeps me out of the rut, for the most part, that you're in.

+1 to getting a commerically brewed beer to fill up one of the taps.


Regardless of if you decide to get out, or just stow your equipment, stay active on the boards. I'm new to them, but certainly feel that there are plenty of good people here.

Anyways, good luck with everything and always keep in mind RDWHAHB.

 

[McKBrew]

I think I'm going to start with the break and go from there. I have a batch fermenting now, and some grain to use up. Maybe I'll throw together one more batch in the next couple of weeks and then hibernate for awhile.

The good thing for me is that I have decent beer stores in the area, so I'll still be able to enjoy beer.

 

[the_bird]

I've gotten in ruts before (although I hardly brew now because of working on the house, and am JONESING to get back over the kettle).

Don't force it. Take a break.

You could also try making something completely new to you, a style you haven't done, or make a sour beer or something.

You always brew by yourself? Are there people in the area to do a group-brew session?

 

[IrregularPulse]

Step back to Extract brewing. Saves a majority of cleanup. It is more expensive though, but would shorten your brew day dramatically as well. I'm doing an extract batch this week for the first time in a while and am excited about a 3-4 hour brew day.

 

[McKBrew]

I brew alone. There are some brewers and a club in my area, but honestly finding the time to get together with them is difficult.

I have two more brewers in my office as well. Maybe it's just a matter of working harder to get something going.

I appreciate the advice and suggestions. I'm going to give it some serious thought before I do anything too rash.

 

[njnear76]

Step back to Extract brewing. Saves a majority of cleanup. It is more expensive though, but would shorten your brew day dramatically as well. I'm doing an extract batch this week for the first time in a while and am excited about a 3-4 hour brew day.

That's actually not a bad idea. You can see how well your AG compares to extract + steeping grains.

 

[david_42]

Slumps are not unusual. I realize the guzzleboys out there won't understand the concept, but given the amount I drink, I can brew 2-3 batches in a short period and not brew for months. I also enjoy commercial beer and with 80+ breweries within 90 minutes, I can't see restricting myself to my own beer.

I'd keep your gear around, because you'll probably resume brewing and it's much cheaper to store gear than replace it.

 

[Edcculus]

I'm with the people who said to brew harder styles. If you have a great commercial selection and are in a rut, why brew the stuff you can go out and buy? Cut back to 2 taps. Brew some big beers, or maybe some lagers. The longer turnaround will force you to brew less.

 

[homebrewer_99]

For me it's getting more brews in the pipeline.

How about giving Andre in Tacoma (silvervan83) a PM. I'm sure he'll be willing to come up and lend a hand. He makes a mighty fine Hefe Weizen.

 

[McKBrew]

Step back to Extract brewing. Saves a majority of cleanup. It is more expensive though, but would shorten your brew day dramatically as well. I'm doing an extract batch this week for the first time in a while and am excited about a 3-4 hour brew day.

The more I think about it, this is an excellent idea. I could knock out two or possibly three (I have plenty of burners and pots) batches in a single brew day. Northern Brewer has some awesome kits in their catalogs and Brewmaster's Warehouse has some cool ones as well. There are a lot of styles I haven't brewed and extract might be the way to go.

I could build up the pipeline in a short time and then brew AG once in awhile to keep it full.

I think I was at the bottom of the slump a few days ago, and more than one person including my SWMBO, Mom, and Sister told me I'd probably regret it if I sold the items.

 

[Picobrew]

Everyone has said good things so far, I would agree with Extract brewing to save time, and brewing funky stuff that you can't buy. Maybe trying to blend styles, come up with new styles, or use strange and foreign ingredients that are hard to get. Radical Brewing has some good ideas but really it is just hinting at all the funkiness out there. What part of brewing do you enjoy the most? The recipe formulation? The cooking? The measuring? The labelmaking/naming? Maybe you can focus on that.

Maybe bottling would be a good idea too, especially if you are going to do esoteric styles or ones that require aging a bit.

Have you played your hand at many competitions? That might be fun too.

I have helped my organization dramatically by creating checklists and splitting up my equipment between: brew day, bottling day, kegging day, testing, ingredients. I also grind grains and get everything ready for the mash the night before so I can start it right when I wake up and then go get coffee / eat / etc while mashing. This has really sped things along for me - would be even easier to switch to extract, though.

Hope you get out of the rut!

 

[Homercidal]

I have taken time off, but not because I wanted to. I had to build a garage and remodel the house and stuff. I'm getting back into it, but it takes a bit of time. Lately my wife, who is very supportive, has mentioned that she wished I could get as excited about family stuff as I do for brewing stuff. I know she doesn't mean that she wants me to stop brewing, but it kind of stings a bit.

The plain fact is, I simply cannot brew every time I want. I have 4 beers planned and no time to brew them. I'll probably brew one or two batches over the next couple of months, but I have other stuff that needs to get done.

It's more fun to brew with other brewers and make a fun day out of it, but I am in the same boat. I used to have a friend over to brew with me, but he didn't seem to want to learn brewing as much as just chit chatting about religion, sex, politics, etc. which was more distracting then helpful.

I think the best thing to do would be to brew more challenging styles less often. Or spread the brew day out over 3 days. Lots more prep means lots less stress during the brewing. Or just don't brew, but maybe read some brewing books or mags or whatever. That way you are not out of touch, but you don't have the hassle of brewing and cleaning up.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Relax for a while and maybe make your brewing relax project to have a good commercial beer on tap, and design a well organized brew space. It looks like you have a big suburban home behind your lovely olllllo so find a space to dedicate to brewing. Erect some organized shelves, have a place for everything and put everything in its place. Get it nice and clean with an easy work flow pattern.

Then, in a couple months when you feel like you want to brew again, it will be 100% more fun with easy access to everything and no headaches.

 

[flyangler18]

A couple of suggestions:

• Experimental and/or historic recipes. Dig into Radical Brewing and play with unusual ingredients/processes.
• Play around with different yeast strains for a standard recipe. I geek out on yeast, or so I've been told.
• Take a novice under your wing and teach them what you know. Always help reignite the spark
• If you're feeling a bit worn out, allow yourself the break you need. You'll come back fresh.

Good luck!

 

[farmbrewernw]

Ever since I moved up to Washington I haven't really been doing much brewing (well except for the pro brewing I'm doing now) and I'm kind of in the same mindset. I think the summer tends to make me not want to brew as much, but fall is coming and that is usually the time of year that I go all in. Lately I've been thinking about trying more radical styles as I'm tiring of making standard ale styles, especially since I can get very good commercial versions, I think my skill set will greatly improve because of it as well. My wife is always going to want a good pale ale on tap but the other taps I could mess with.

 

[jezter6]

I hear ya dude. I'm in a beer rut myself.

That's why I started on mead. I can make it in under an hour and just let it sit for months on end.

 

[the_bird]

The weather has a lot to do with this as well, I think. Seems that every summer, a fair number of people slow down - but that they ratchet things back up come fall, when it's a little more pleasant to stand around a propane burner. Fall and spring are beermaking seasons, winter's tough but summer's even worse.

I do kinda like the idea of extract brewing again; I've been needing to fix my chiller but haven't been able to spend any time doing so, if I could just do ice baths for a batch or two that would alleviate that problem.

 

[pnj]

May have been mentioned, but maybe give that "no chill" method a try.

You can do your mash/boil one day then a week or so later, pitch the yeast. It looks like it would save a bunch of time, something you seem to be short on.

Or, just stop for a bit. Sometimes breaks are good. But during the break make some notes on how you can increase your use of time. Having all the stuff you need next to you when you need it, etc...

 

[caspio]

Another vote for organization. I got some big rubbermade totes and gathered up all my misc brewing stuff. One for brewing, one for kegging, and one for construction. I just bring the tote out to the brewing area with me and when I go "Oh S@#t I forgot to add whirlflock" I know it's right there in the box instead of having to run to the garage and dig around.

Another possible suggestion - I have 3-4 friends who love beer and love my homebrew. Most are pretty interested in the process, but don't have the time or $$ to invest in their own equipment. I do 10 gallon batches, and I'll split with one of my friends. They pay for half of the materials and do all the grunt work and cleaning. I like it because I hate having to clean up, and also because it lets me have more variety going instead of having 10 gallons of barleywine that'll take forever to drink on my own.

Final suggestion - build a brewstand. Mine has the pump, burners, propane, water filter, chiller, etc all on board. Instead of spending 30+ mins hauling everything out, it literally takes 4 mins to roll it out with the kettles already sitting on it and everything. Just hook up the water, open the valve to the filter, and fire up the HLT.

 

[McKBrew]

Well guys and gals, I haven't brewed in a long time. Don't really consider brewing to be a hobby anymore. I do have a few things left in case I decide to make a batch, but I am content to drink some good commercial beer and stuff made by my homebrewing pals.

I still hang out here and occasionally check in as this community has given a lot to me, and I've forged some friendships (real and online).

Y'all take care and I hope every batch is a good one.