Letting your kids help?

[Brewbabe30]

Does anyone here let their kids help out with their brews? My son is very interested in the biology of the whole thing.

 

[verboten]

My son used to help me brew when he was younger. He even helped out at a couple of different breweries because he knew what part of the process was happening. He thought it was super cool at the time.

 

[OpenSights]

My kid “helps” but his attention span isn’t long enough for the entire brew day.

 

[grampamark]

My kids are 39 and 43. Attention span may be a problem for them, as well...

 

[bracconiere]

i'm not sure, no kids for me....but my mom bought me a homebrew kit at 18, which is why the dope cooks only kept me down for a couple months...freedom is hard to suppress...

 

[Jag75]

Yes my daughter has helped multiple times. Shes more into drinking it then helping though lol

 

[bobeer]

I have two kids, 3 and 5, and they love to help measure the grain out, mill, and mash in. After all that they're pretty much over it.

 

[McKnuckle]

When one of my daughters was about 10 years old, I had her help out on a brew day. She was (and is) interested in science, so it intrigued her. Plus the whole bonding with daddy thing as well.

Now, two of my three kids are teenagers, and it's hard to separate the intellectual aspects of brewing beer from concerns about them developing a cavalier attitude about alcohol. So I keep my brewing activities more discreet now.

 

[bracconiere]

cavalier attitude about alcohol

that's what forced me to learn about vitamins and other nutrients....USDA has a great db on it and RDA's RDI's and stuff.....

 

[bleme]

Back when I was bottling, my oldest (who was probably 8-10 at the time) used to help bottle. Sometimes when I am making a soda, she gets drafted for keg shaking. That's about the extent of their interest though.

 

[verboten]

concerns about them developing a cavalier attitude about alcohol. So I keep my brewing activities more discreet now.

If anything my son (20) appreciates good beer that he can't afford, so he doesn't drink much. [emoji23]

 

[archthered]

My kids have never asked to help but they have asked about the process and I always explain what is going on and why I'm doing what I'm doing when they ask. I would totally let your kids help. I might even let them try a little when it's done. I often let my kids have a sip of beer or other alcohol, I think it takes away some of the "forbidden fruit" aspect and gets them used to seeing people responsibly with it. We also talk about why it's bad for them to have more than just a sip or so. As some context my kids are 15, 10, and 7 and usually do not like beer or other alcohol, though that's not always the case.

 

[jjw5015]

My 4 year old loves to help with milling and measuring grain. I let her stir the water before there is any heat on. Once the Hellfire is going, I don't really let her around anymore.

 

[Brewbabe30]

Awesome guys! Last night we had a whole lesson about the biology of yeast and was fascinated. Later we were watching the bread episode of Good Eats and the yeast puppets were so perfect lol

 

[gnef]

My kids are 8 and 4. I have an attitude of encouraging their curiosity and desire to learn, and to do my best not to push them too far.

With brewing, if they want to help with grain or the like, I give them something that they are capable of - for my 4 year old, that may just be carrying the specialty grain containers to the scale and pouring some in. For the 8 year old, it could be more of the bulk grain and stirring the mash after I've started it.

They both like wort since it is sweet too.

They will sometimes come down to the garage and just sit with me while I wait for things. My 4 year old also like to throw as much stuff as he can into my bucket of starsan, and also likes to go through my kegging toolbox which is on the floor in the basement room.

I let them do as much as they can and are interested in doing, and then they can go back upstairs if they want, or we can hang out. I ask the 8 year old if she wants to understand more, and if she has specific questions, we go through those details, but then if she gets bored, I just let her move on.

I do the same with woodworking. I started her on the lathe when she was 5, but she wasn't all that interested, and didn't get back on the lathe for over a year, and since then we have done a scattering of turning projects. I let her set the pace though, as I want it to be something that she wants to do, and not something that I force on her just because I think it is great.

 

[Lefou]

My kids aren't interested in the process. Their time is eaten up with other things and beer or mead making is more or less my own little hobby. The oldest is a foodie, making sourdough, odd pickled vegetable combos, cold brewed coffee, and other such stuff in his spare time. He has a disdain for alcohol and doesn't drink but has a bachelors degree background in health and food science. If he brewed up anything it would be used for seasoning.

On the other hand, one of the women I used to work with has a Portuguese husband who is a winemaker and gets his two older boys involved in crushing and bottling his wines. They enjoy it as a traditional hobby.

 

[Jako]

I started brewing when my daughter was 8 months old. she is now 3 and loves to help me brew. I use it as an opportunity to teach. she knows i like beer she will ask me if its good or even ask to smell it, she knows not to touch my glass or drink beer. since she loves to help its hours we spend together talking and working on something together.

Right now i cant brew so she likes to remind me that the brewery is not finished and its the construction workers fault.... Thank you for the reminder.... But she knows its important to me so its important to her.

My LHBS has watched her grow up so its lots of fun for them as well. she enjoys going, might be the lollipops.

 

[Saunassa]

My son is 20 and helps a bit. More important things to do Pops. When he is home he helps me get setup and lift the full kettle up onto the stool so I can drain into the fermenter and assist carrying the full fermenter to the basement. He added yeast and airlock too on the last batch.
For his efforts he can grab a beer from the fridge when he wants. He likes telling his buds that he helped make the beer and I love having him help.