Losing the will to brew

[Indyking]

I think you should spicy it up with some variety.

I have not been brewing long enough to get bored, but I do know if I keep brewing just a few set of styles over and over I will eventually get sick of it and abandon the hobby. I know many folks like to brew IPAs and APAs a lot because they love them, but I could never manage that kind of repetition. I have brewed just about 10-12 batches so far but have not repeated a style yet, so I feel like I'm just warming up. It also helps if you design your own recipes, which I do the most. I also borrow recipes from others, but I have never repeated the exactly same recipe because I always add my own touch to each one of them.

 

[FromZwolle]

brew up a batch or two of sour beers. They'll tie up a couple fermenters for a year or two. while they're going, just take a break from brewing. When the time comes to bottle, it will be like discovering the hobby all over again.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Brewing, like most, if not all hobbies, loses its luster after awhile. You start out, and think it is the coolest thing ever. You get a few batches under your belt, do a bunch of research, get your processes down, and pretty soon the mystery is gone, along with the novelty of it. At least that is how it went for me. I still brew, and still enjoy it, but I no longer LIVE for it. But there always seems to be something that renews my interest and keeps me brewing. First was going all-grain. Then a kegging set-up. Then I learned to re-use yeast and I built a brewstand. This year I am going to plant hops- that has me stoked again. Plus there is now a homebrew club near me, so I have met lots of new brew-minded people. And my new GF completely supports my hobby, and even likes some of my beer.

I guess all I am saying is I completely understand how brewing can lose its luster and its mystery, but at the same time new things keep popping up to keep me interested, too. I have been brewing since my oldest son was born. He is almost 15 now.

 

[android]

Brewing, like most, if not all hobbies, loses its luster after awhile. You start out, and think it is the coolest thing ever. You get a few batches under your belt, do a bunch of research, get your processes down, and pretty soon the mystery is gone, along with the novelty of it. At least that is how it went for me. I still brew, and still enjoy it, but I no longer LIVE for it. But there always seems to be something that renews my interest and keeps me brewing. First was going all-grain. Then a kegging set-up. Then I learned to re-use yeast and I built a brewstand. This year I am going to plant hops- that has me stoked again. Plus there is now a homebrew club near me, so I have met lots of new brew-minded people. And my new GF completely supports my hobby, and even likes some of my beer.

I guess all I am saying is I completely understand how brewing can lose its luster and its mystery, but at the same time new things keep popping up to keep me interested, too. I have been brewing since my oldest son was born. He is almost 15 now.

i haven't been brewing that long, but it's a very accurate description of how the process has gone for me as well.

 

[edgeofblade]

So, I've been brewing for over 4 years. Done almost 70 batches, most of them all-grain. The last several months I just haven't been able to muster any energy or enthusiasm for brewing at all. It took me 6 weeks to get around to kegging a wheat beer, for Pete's sake! I don't think I'm going to quit altogether, but I think I'll take this spring & summer off and pick it up again in the fall.

Sounds to me like you have the perfect state of mind for brewing high gravity, extended-aging beers...

 

[unionrdr]

And on that note,I was going to buy the Cooper's OS lager kit with brewing sugar my wife loves so much. But then I read the story about King Midas's tomb,filled with beer & the recipe! Just like Pharaoh Tutankhamen. They have a recipe for his beer too. So,...I thought I would instead buy her the ingredients for King Midas's beer as a present. I'm thinking of calling it "Midas's Gold",since it is said to be a dark gold color. How cool is that?

 

[wedge421]

yeah I too came down with the brewing blues. I just get annoyed with parts of my brewing process so I decided to make changes so that I didnt dread the chilling part of the day. It happens to us all

 

[Beerthoven]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. Brewing has lost its mystery, but you all have inspired me to try some new things.

My mash tun needs an overhaul and my grain crusher needs to be taken apart and cleaned, so doing those things will help me feel better. And I really like the idea of brewing of a big, high gravity beer or two for bottling and long term storage. That is something I've never done but have always wanted to do.

 

[Pappers_]

I'm all jacked up about a Beet Wheat I'm brewing this weekend, but I know I'm a little off . . .

 

[Chuginator]

I was doing all-grain back in 1995 - 2000, then got hit with a flavor problem I couldn't shake. Did another all-grain batch in 2007, had the same problem, then lost interest. At the beginning of this year I was re-inspired, started with small 1-gallon extract batches until I found the problem, and I did (thank you, Star San!). Now I can't wait to get back into it full-steam ahead.

Maybe you just need a break, but maybe also you need a friend or two to "help" - make it a brew day party. Something to liven things up?

 

[Acoma]

Good for you. Come back when you man up.

 

[Razorbrew]

I always try to split a batch with a friend. It's great help to have a partner in the process. Some times it's a teaching process other times it's just getting together with a good friend. But the other person always brings a motivation to the process that is contagious. And it seems like everyone wants to brew something different, so I have a huge variety of beers in the pipeline. Good luck.

 

[IrregularPulse]

It's that way with me now too. I dread having to move batches from bucket to keg and get stuff out and clean it and put it away. Plus I have one beer on tap that I don't even care to drink because I've brewed so much of that one recipe over the past 2 years I'm just sick of it. I did just put one batch on gas to carb and have another waiting to be racked to keg and am doing an extract batch tonight though. I'm stressing out over building a rig and it's really taking the fun out of it all for me. Can't wait till it's finished and I can get back to just making beer.

 

[Homercidal]

It's that way with me now too. I dread having to move batches from bucket to keg and get stuff out and clean it and put it away. Plus I have one beer on tap that I don't even care to drink because I've brewed so much of that one recipe over the past 2 years I'm just sick of it. I did just put one batch on gas to carb and have another waiting to be racked to keg and am doing an extract batch tonight though. I'm stressing out over building a rig and it's really taking the fun out of it all for me. Can't wait till it's finished and I can get back to just making beer.

Just stop making beer and focus on the brew rig! I'm with you. I like doing all that stuff, but it's hard not to feel guilty about some other things in life that I should be doing. Brewing can take more time than most people will admit, when you factor it ALL in.

I have a mead that probably should have been racked a while back. I just can't make time to transfer it. The airlock is probably dry now that I think about it.

Got plans to go electric this summer. Still have a bit of research to do and I'd like to see a couple more system in action before I decide. Can't decide between RIMS or HERMS and actual layout. Want to build a pump. Want to brew about 6 different beers. Plus the regular stuff like cars need minor repairs and stuff for the house and kids schedule and ....

 

[Mustangfreak]

I take breaks from the hobby too, called deployments lol.

 

[Boodlemania]

I brew in surges, when the ground water and basement temperatures are right. This ends up being spring and fall. I'll brew several batches in a row (succeeding weekends) until I have enough to carry me through till the next brew season.

Right now I'm redoing my mash tun with an all-stainless manifold, which is a break in and of itself. (My old 10G Igloo tun cracked, so using that as an excuse to redo the manifold.)

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Good for you. Come back when you man up.

That is just not nice.

 

[PleasantValleyHops]

I havent been brewing long enough at all to be tired of it. Just look ar it in different ways such as how much cheaper it is than buying beer. Than do something different. Do random batches. Ive made my last 5 recipes from scratch and when they turn out amazing it just makes me want to brew something else to see if that can be amazing too. Thats what keeps me going. Im getting bummed out bc i know house projects are going to be taking up a lot of timw soon amd then im back to midweek brew sessions witch arent as much fun or relaxing. Well now that ive rambled on for a bit im thirsty. Time to get a beer!

 

[skyzo]

I brewed for about a year and a half, made 15 batches or so, then all of the sudden lost interest. Now a year after that, I've got brewing fever. Ready to start all-grain this time!

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

I brewed for 10 years, at some point, at SWMBO's behest, I moved my equipment from the garage to the shed and brewing became a PITA. I eventually stopped brewing and sold all of my equipment, and hadn't brewed for another seven years. Last year I had several people telling me they were thinking about brewing, which got me excited to start up again. Now I'm more into it than I ever was.

 

[Indyking]

I eventually stopped brewing and sold all of my equipment.

I bet you made the buyer very happy!

I got most of my current AG toys from an ex-brewer who lost interest in brewing. I was just lucky to claim his stuff on craigslist first. It was a very good deal. After the deal was done, I was puzzled by the reasons why someone would sell such nice things at a generous price, so I asked him, why? He just said, I no longer have as much time as in the past and don't quite enjoy it anymore. It happens.

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

I bet you made the buyer very happy!

I got most of my current AG toys from an ex-brewer who lost interest in brewing. I was just lucky to claim his stuff on craigslist first. It was a very good deal. After the deal was done, I was puzzled by the reasons why someone would sell such nice things at a generous price, so I asked him, why? He just said, I no longer have as much time as in the past and don't quite enjoy it anymore. It happens.

Ya, he got a great deal! The sad thing is that I got a lot of that stuff cheap or free (I'm really regretting that I gave him all my cornies), and now its costing me a lot more to get the same stuff. The moral of the story is: Don't sell your brewing stuff, just because you're not brewing right now!

 

[Indyking]

Ya, he got a great deal! The sad thing is that I got a lot of that stuff cheap or free (I'm really regretting that I gave him all my cornies), and now its costing me a lot more to get the same stuff. The moral of the story is: Don't sell your brewing stuff, just because you're not brewing right now!

Excellent point! That's exactly what I tell myself everyday... it's so tempting to get any money for stuff not being used.

I was just interested in some, but not all things the guy was selling. But he wanted to get rid of everything, so he asked what I was willing to pay if I take everything... it turned out that a lot of stuff I thought I would never use are my favorite brewing gadgets now... even SWMBO approved the deal, and that was a miracle

 

[GodsStepBrother]

Grow Hops if you haven't already! So much fun and nothing will motivate you more to brew than using your own hops. I will dig up some rhizomes from my second year plants for you!

(If you have the room to that is).

 

[Chuginator]

Wow, dude - to offer to dig up hops for that guy - you're truly a brewing brother.

Contrast that to the "man up" comment - you win!

I also agree about not selling your equipment - I'm damn glad I didn't sell my brew stand, carboys, etc. and instead walked around it for many many years, because now I'm seriously looking forward to using it all again.

Hope it turns out!

 

[Pick]

I was out of it, for several years, when I first moved down here to Florida, from Ohio.

Very glad I did not sell my homebrewing stuff!!!

 

[Beerthoven]

I'm back. Took a bit of a break this summer, but fall has me wanting to brew again. Will be doing a light brown ale tomorrow.

 

[2brew1cup]

GO MAKE WINE YOU BIG BABY!!

underground and under the influence

 

[Beerthoven]

GO MAKE WINE YOU BIG BABY!!

Actually, I do have 6 gals of Liebfraumilch clearing. Needs to be bottled soon. Decided not to make cider this year, and did a batch of wine instead.

 

[Phunhog]

You know if I was only brewing for myself it would be so easy to quit. BUT.....I have two big parties a year featuring homebrew and I just couldn't let my friends down!! Honestly I have found brewing for others helps to keep me engaged in all aspects of homebrewing.