My "Never getting to brew" Rant

[HalfPint]

Here is me complaining.

I haven't gotten to brew a lot lately simply because I've been too busy. I have two bags of grain that I milled two months ago sitting in the closet. I have the hops measured out in the freezer and propane tanks filled, but I still can't find the time to brew. Even with the four day weekend that just passed (took Friday off), I had to drive to Austin to pick swmbo's cousin up to take her to the airport here in Houston. Now that it's Monday and the cousin is gone, I still can't brew because today is reserved for Swmbo.

I know that no one likes to hear a complainer, but some of you must be experiencing what I'm going through.

 

[Hopheader]

Life is life, that's why God (or Jacob) created brewing. Supposed to help reduce your stress.


However... you mentioned you've had two bags of grain milled for two months.............

Unfortunately, my spider sense about oxidization and off-flavours is going off here. Not an answer you wanted to hear--not that you were asking a question--but one you should be aware of when you DO brew. If you go ahead and brew and notice nothing out of the ordinary, neverrrrminnnnnnd...

Good luck to ya, brew brother!

 

[Dwain]

We all pm'd each other and it appears you ARE the ony one in this situation!

 

[remilard]

There is an airport in Austin. Please tell me you didn't take a day off of work so your wife's cousin could save $75 on airfare by flying out of Houston.

 

[HalfPint]

There is an airport in Austin. Please tell me you didn't take a day off of work so your wife's cousin could save $75 on airfare by flying out of Houston.

No, it was a day of mine that I already had off, so I didn't have to take vacation, but it was so she could save $180 on airfare. I know that I may get some off flavors, but I'm hoping that since it's an IPA with around a 100 IBU's, I'll have minimal off flavors.

 

[artyboy]

I had some crushed grain that sat for over 6 months before I finally got around to brewing it. It turned out fine.

 

[Whut]

I hear ya - life tends to get in the way of my being able to brew as well. I brewed yesterday for the first time since January 2 of this year. As for the grain, I agree with artyboy.

 

[HalfPint]

Yeah, I'm not stressing too much about the grain. Before I had the ability to mill grain, I would order about 5 batches already milled online to save on shipping. Sometimes I wouldn't get around to brewing the last batch for 3+ months and I've never noticed a difference in taste from the first batch to the fifth. Well from one guy who's busy to the next, if you don't brew 10 gallons at a time yet, get the equipment to do so. It makes the hobby much more doable for us homebrewer's who just simply don't have the time.

 

[ksbrain]

I guess I'm lucky that my wife allows me to make it a priority every two or three weeks to get my brew on.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I hear you HalfPint. My brew time is highly limited and comes last compared to everything else life requires from me. Hell I spend much more time on here than brewing simply because I can get on HBT with spare minutes but I need spare hours for brewing which just dosen't happen often. I have to plan around brewing which dosen't always fly around here and all the projects "WE" have.

I'll be trying my hand at my first 10 gallon batch the next time I get a chance to brew. Although, it's not that I blow through 5 gallon batches.

There my rant is over.... Thanks for the that.

 

[northernlad]

I had to drive to Austin to pick swmbo's cousin up to take her to the airport here in Houston.

Next time make sure she understands this was the day you reserved for her.

If a husband or wife cannot be afforded a modicum of time for their hobby over a holiday weekend, a conversation is in order.

 

[HalfPint]

I hear you HalfPint. My brew time is highly limited and comes last compared to everything else life requires from me. Hell I spend much more time on here than brewing simply because I can get on HBT with spare minutes but I need spare hours for brewing which just dosen't happen often. I have to plan around brewing which dosen't always fly around here and all the projects "WE" have.

I'll be trying my hand at my first 10 gallon batch the next time I get a chance to brew. Although, it's not that I blow through 5 gallon batches.

There my rant is over.... Thanks for the that.

I completely understand what you're saying about being able to hang out on the forum rather than brew. Yeah, I usually drink around 3-6 pints a week and most of it is on the weekend. Although I often brew 10 gallon batches, it's not becuase I drink it fast, it's simply for time purposes. I'll usually brew beers that I like a lot in 10 gallon batches. The beers I most commonly brew 10 gallons at a time are APA, Cream ALE, and IPA's simply because I don't ever really get tired of those styles.

 

[BuonAnno]

We just had our second son in April so right now we have two boys who are under two years which makes it really tough but the SWMBO is amazing about clearing up time for me.

Since the second week of April I have brewed a batch every weekend. Now some of these have been at 5 am due to parental duties but at least I'm getting them in.

I would suggest getting creative with your time and maybe spacing it out over a day or two. I usually make my wort the night before to cut down on brew day time.

Good luck!

 

[IrregularPulse]

We just had our second son in April so right now we have two boys who are under two years which makes it really tough but the SWMBO is amazing about clearing up time for me.

Since the second week of April I have brewed a batch every weekend. Now some of these have been at 5 am due to parental duties but at least I'm getting them in.

I would suggest getting creative with your time and maybe spacing it out over a day or two. I usually make my wort the night before to cut down on brew day time.

Good luck!

We are having our second in November. My son will be 2 years 3 months when #2 is born. I'm wondering how I will get brewing done. I'm really hoping to finish my electric setup I've been working on forever by then. Then I would able to brew I think. More steady control, no propane fires to worry about. Constant HLT temps in case timing is off a bit. I'll likely do mostly 10G batches at first just to keep stuff on tap even though i don't like 10G batches because of lack of variety.

 

[BuonAnno]

We are having our second in November. My son will be 2 years 3 months when #2 is born. I'm wondering how I will get brewing done.

Congrats!

I was really worried myself but I have a system in place. I measure out on Friday night after the boys are in bed, mash on Saturday morning after I wake up with the baby and on Sunday I brew.

I eliminated the gas as well but I just got two cheap 5 gallon stock pots and split the batches on the stove. I really can't wait till I can get back outside though. This stove top boiling is for the birds!

 

[HokieBrewer]

I waited 8+ months to get out of our apartment and into our house before I brewed again. Stressing SWMBO out while trashing our tiny apartment kitchen would probably kill any future brewing plans right there.

It paid off though, I scored an awesome all-grain system for cheap off Craigslist, waited for another month or so, and on Sunday had a great, stress-free brewing session. For me it's about balancing brew time with keeping SWMBO happy. Focusing on the latter ensures she'll give me time for the former.

 

[Marko73]

I also have 2 boys under 2 and do not brew nearly as much as I used too. As BuonAnno said though, my wife is very cool about making sure I can brew every once in a while, but even with that, I have only brewed once in 2010.

In a few years, I will have two brew assistants though!

 

[BuonAnno]

In a few years, I will have two brew assistants though!

I'm right with you!

My oldest is 21 months old and he loves hanging out in the garage while I measure my grains, clean cornies and transfer to secondaries. He gets a kick out of holding the siphon hose while there is liquid running through it. I can't wait until I feel comfortable enough to go back to gas and he can do stuff like add the hops and stir the grains!

 

[Marko73]

I'm right with you!

My oldest is 21 months old and he loves hanging out in the garage while I measure my grains, clean cornies and transfer to secondaries. He gets a kick out of holding the siphon hose while there is liquid running through it. I can't wait until I feel comfortable enough to go back to gas and he can do stuff like add the hops and stir the grains!

My oldest is 23 months and the youngest is 11 months. My older guy loves playing with the auto siphon. . .he is even getting pretty good at it.

My wife already calls the 23 month old, "Daddy's brewbuddy" so I think we will have our own brew club in a few years. May even have to play around with some soda making so they can enjoy some of the fruits of their labor.

It is just SO busy right now though. From 5am to 9pm, it is just all them. So brewing has definitely taken a back seat.

 

[throwbookatface]

I hear you guys. I am studying for the LSAT right now. I was hoping to get my first batch ready to celebrate afterwards, but studying and full-time work got in the way and now I'll barely be bottling by the time I take the test. Plus, I don't have enough time to get a simultaneous batch going, so instead I'm buying beer instead of saving money homebrewing.

 

[IrregularPulse]

My oldest is 23 months and the youngest is 11 months. My older guy loves playing with the auto siphon. . .he is even getting pretty good at it.

My wife already calls the 23 month old, "Daddy's brewbuddy" so I think we will have our own brew club in a few years. May even have to play around with some soda making so they can enjoy some of the fruits of their labor.

It is just SO busy right now though. From 5am to 9pm, it is just all them. So brewing has definitely taken a back seat.

Ditto on this. My guy loves anything involved with "outside" and "muh daddy".
He's 22 months. I let him taste the hydro samples (Pre-Fermentation and cooled) last week when I brewed two batches. Swmbo wasn't pleased, but I explained it's just sugar water. He STRONGLY said no when I asked if they were good. This past week he has finally picked up that my drinks are "Daddy's beee" and are not touchable.

 

[BuonAnno]

This past week he has finally picked up that my drinks are "Daddy's beee" and are not touchable.

My guy does the EXACT same thing! He points to me and says "Daddy beeeewr" and then points to the wife and says "Mommy beeewr". Then goes and gets his sippy cup and says, "No beeeewr. Muh apple juice."

It kills me every time!

 

[RegionalChaos]

Oh man, I hear ya guys. We've got 4 kicks at home, the youngest 2 and a half.. We both have full time jobs and other fun commitments. I find I get the most support when I can try and schedule my brew days at least a week in advance. I'll tell my wife "Hey, I'd like to brew another batch of beer here pretty soon, maybe some time in the next week or two?" Then we can look over our schedules and figure out what works.. Only problem is when I don't have the ingredients yet and she says, "well why not tonight?", but that doesn't happen all that much

Also, I just put the finishing touches on my keggle and cfc, so the next brew day will be a 10g batch. Can't wait.

 

[rhoadsrage]

I'm in the same boat. The only time I have to myself is when the wife and kid are sleeping, so I do as much prep before they go to bed and then 10:00pm -2:00a.m. is my time. Yeah work the next few days suck but coming hope to have my son show me that carboy bubbling away...priceless.

 

[DrugCoder]

Wow! I'm surprised at how many of us are in the same situation. I have two kids under 2 also. My youngest was just born at the beginning of April. Brewing time does seem to get worked in but like many others, it has gotten moved to being a 3rd shift hobby...

 

[HalfPint]

Well I don't have any kids, but I can understand that you guys are busy. I know growing up in my sisters house with 2 kids under 5 years old is A LOT of work. It's nice to hear that although we all love the hobby, we must all find that balance in our lives. I've started brewing most of the time at around 5 Am, but I'm thinking that the boil the next day thing sounds quite good. I know one of the past posters said something about that, but how is it done? Do I just leave it in the keggle overnight and then start the boil in the morning?

Thanks,
j

 

[BuonAnno]

I know one of the past posters said something about that, but how is it done? Do I just leave it in the keggle overnight and then start the boil in the morning?

Yep. Its as simple as that. I mash and sparge into my brewpot, cover it and let it sit overnight. I figure that any sort of nasties would get boiled away the next day. I've also heard of people putting the wort in the fridge overnight but my wife has to deal with enough without me rearranging her fridge every time I brew.

I've done this on my last 4 or 5 batches and it really cuts down on my brewday time, especially when I measure out on Friday, mash on Saturday night and boil on Sunday morning.

 

[petep1980]

I work full time, I am taking 9 credit hours in 6 weeks now, and I have an 18 month old.

It's a joke. I'm looking at 3 batches the entire summer, and only 1 of them all grain. I spent like $200+ setting up for all grain, I get to do like 1 batch of it a year.

 

[HalfPint]

I work full time, I am taking 9 credit hours in 6 weeks now, and I have an 18 month old.

It's a joke. I'm looking at 3 batches the entire summer, and only 1 of them all grain. I spent like $200+ setting up for all grain, I get to do like 1 batch of it a year.

I feel your pain, or at least a bit of it. I work full time and am in my senior year at the University of Houston going full time, so I'm typically busy enough as it is without a swmbo or kids. I do have a swmbo, but not kids, so I imagine my life is a bit less hectic than this.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I've done the 2 night brew thing twice. It works out good. I think you may want to heat it up to 170-175 before storing though to stop any enzymatic processes.

 

[vnakkar]

because today is reserved for Swmbo.

Reserve some time for yourself. "I will be brewing on X day, so & so is coming over, feel free to make plans for yourself" Works fine for me.

 

[pd230soi]

Hi All,

I have two boys as well. Five years old and two. The five year old helps when he can, but I try and boil when he is asleep. He happens to hate the taste of beer. Now the two year old was trying to drag beer bottles out of the cooler at a party we had so I figured "Hey, the older one hates it so....." I figured I would put an end to the "muh beer, muh beer" business. Guess what - he took a lick at an IPA and claims to love it!?!?!? so the wife is mad (sort of) and my beer supply is in trouble...

Actually its great having kids. More work then I ever imagined, but once they could play together my life got so much better. And yes soon my own Brew Club!

Cheers!

 

[HalfPint]

Reserve some time for yourself. "I will be brewing on X day, so & so is coming over, feel free to make plans for yourself" Works fine for me.

It's not that she wont let me, it's that when we have free time (not often), she likes to spend it with me. I think that's completely understandable because I also want to spend it with her. The trouble that comes from here is that because of our current amount of time, or lack of, there isn't much room for brewing.

 

[JKoravos]

I know the feeling. A house, a wife, a young daughter, an increasingly demanding job, and brewing takes a backseat.

Last May when I started brewing again I was hoping to brew on a pace of about once every other week. I figured I could do at least 20-25 batches in the coming year. I managed 7.

Sucks, but that's life sometimes.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I had plans to brew tomorrow. Then the window motor on the car decided to break. S&*t on my plans again.....push it off another 3-7 days.

 

[JNye]

dude everyone's life is busy. what i do is stay up late. simple. my brew day usually doesn't even start till 7pm. when i bottle i usualy don't start till swmbo goes to bed. 9 usually. what's more important, sleep or fresh hand crafted beer?

 

[passedpawn]

Get up super early and do it.

 

[ksbrain]

My kids (6, 4, and 2) don't help out all that much, but my 2 YO likes beer, too. He'll dip his finger in and lick it off. I haven't found a kind that he doesn't like from Lambic to RIS to IIPA. Though I avoid letting him have more than one finger lick. I guess I haven't tried letting him taste a Bud Light...

 

[HalfPint]

My kids (6, 4, and 2) don't help out all that much, but my 2 YO likes beer, too. He'll dip his finger in and lick it off. I haven't found a kind that he doesn't like from Lambic to RIS to IIPA. Though I avoid letting him have more than one finger lick. I guess I haven't tried letting him taste a Bud Light...

Bud Light...LOL

Yeah, I'm sure the carbonation in your brews is good for scrubbing the nasties off of his fingers lol.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Get up super early and do it.

I usually have great intentions to do this. It has yet to happen since my first couple AG batches. The excitement isn't there anymore. I still love brewing, just back to loving sleep more

Yesterday at dinner my boy says, "I sip daddys beea". uh oh.