My wife thinks i'm going crazy...

[beergolf]

I am lucky. My wife bought me the equipment to get started. She does not really drink but when she does she likes good beer. When we first met 20years ago she introduced me to Belgian brews when they where hard to find. She even went to Europe a few times and brought beer back in her luggage for me.

Now she always asks what I am brewing. Always asks to try a new brew. Gives good feedback on the flavor.

She actually likes the smell of brewing, so I get no problems there. I often brew early inthe morning so I can get finished early. If we want to do something together we still have the afternoons to do that.

 

[biochemedic]

I often brew early inthe morning so I can get finished early. If we want to do something together we still have the afternoons to do that.

+1...get organized, get water measured, equipment together, grain milled (if not done at the LHBS), burner set up, etc. the night before. I get up the next day at 6:00, fire up the burner, then the coffee pot. By the time I'm half through the first cup (of coffee, that is) I'm at strike temp.

Save for some minor lingering cleanup, I'm done and ready for the rest of the day by noon...

 

[Beernip]

She has as much of a chance of liking beer/wine making as you have of suddenly becoming obsessed with scrapbooking and knitting.

 

[anonymouslyyours]

Update:

I bought some Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, and a Chimay Trappist Ale..... she volunteered to try them both ( i didn't ask), and surprisingly asked me for a half glass of the bourbon barrel ale. So i think i may have made some progress..... I guess persistence can pay off.

Sorry for the doubters who think non drinkers can't be converted, because i feel like i just took the first step in climbing the Convert-a-non-beer-lover-mountain... ehem.


I'll keep ya posted.

 

[Atonk]

Very nice ... good luck to you!

 

[DoubleAught]

Update:

I bought some Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, and a Chimay Trappist Ale..... she volunteered to try them both ( i didn't ask), and surprisingly asked me for a half glass of the bourbon barrel ale. So i think i may have made some progress..... I guess persistence can pay off.

Sorry for the doubters who think non drinkers can't be converted, because i feel like i just took the first step in climbing the Convert-a-non-beer-lover-mountain... ehem.


I'll keep ya posted.

Theres a KBBA recipe on here too. Might be just what you need.

 

[ZIXXER]

My wife thinks it's a good hobby and loved the Kolsch that came out of the first batch. It was ok, so I figure it only gets better from here. She's a lite beer drinker so I'm staying with helles, kolsch and american lagers for now.

I can tell you to avoid all the details...it's like when she starts talking about kitchen designs (that what she does)...my brain literally shuts off...I'll I here is blah blah blah...so I suspect your wife and many like her (mine included), really don't want to know about beer brewing but will certainly enjoy the product at some point.

We hated wine when we met...several wineries and tastings later...and 10 years...we have about thirty bottles on hand at any given time...we're no experts but really enjoy wines now.

 

[OlatheSurferDude]

I was feeling "slightly" guilty of what I was spending until I realized what she was spending in scrap booking stuff. I bought her a Circut machine (she had bought my initial beer kit for Christmas a year ago) for her birthday last year. She has since purchased several cartridges for her machine. Even though she bought them on Ebay at a discount I'd say she's easily has $150 at least plus the cost of the machine. That's not to mention all the stuff associated with scrap booking including weekends away with the girls. She embraces my hobby and I her's.

I only wish I could get her to try my beer. She's a Coors light gal and that's fine. But it would be nice that maybe I could find a beer I could brew and she would drink. But if not, that's fine as well.

 

[bottlebomber]

I don't want my wife brewing... That's all I need is she's tied up the last empty fermenter with hibiscus cream ale or some crap

 

[BrewinHooligan]

I have tried to get my wife into the beers I brew and such. Anytime I try talking homebrew she just rolls her eyes. The way I look at it, there is more for me to drink this way and she has her things she enjoys that I have no interest in so fair is fair. Now I just hit up my homebrew buddies to talk beer and spare her because she just isn't having it. I will try to brew a style she likes soon, but I am far more concerned with making what I like and I will go get a 6 or 12 pack of the junk she likes from the store.

 

[Homercidal]

I've heard something similar from my wife. So I mostly just do my thing and not talk about it as much around her. She does support my hobby and I try to encourage her encouragement by cleaning up well after myself. If the kitchen is cleaned up she appreciates it.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

^+1 to this. One of my homebrew buddies taught me to make sure that you clean up better than you find the brewing area to keep SWMBO happy. Mine now associates me brewing with clean dishes and scrubbed counters and doesn't give me any grief when I brew.

 

[JonM]

People who golf have the same issue when talking to non-golf.

Now substitute the word golf with fish, run, hunt, play music, do triathlons, play video games, garden, etc., etc. I bet all hobbies are like that.

 

[passedpawn]

Mine now associates me brewing with clean dishes and scrubbed counters and doesn't give me any grief when I brew.

Pavlovian response by wife. Nice!

 

[Homercidal]

Pavlovian response by wife. Nice!

A nice massage after cleanup works nicely too.

 

[bruin_ale]

My wife isn't into brewing, she helped me brew my first few batches but sort of lost interest after that. She listens to me talk about brewing with the kind of glazed look and half hearted interest that only a loving partner can have.

I started going to homebrew club meetings so that at least once a month I can talk about brewing and beer with someone who is actually interested.