Self Restraint????

[beersk]

You get used to it and it becomes less tempting over time.

Like others I keep small glasses nearby, I use 4oz tasting glasses and will very rarely pull a full pint anymore. I also set a time constraint on myself when I'm home all day so that I don't allow myself any beer until after I'm done with projects for the day. It really is just a matter of self discipline, which is a good exercise anyway

It really is a matter of self restraint and discipline. Since I started kegging 10 years ago, my consumption did go up. I go in waves where I'll cut back, then I'll roar back and go through a period of drinking a lot. It's hard to find a happy medium especially if you have several really good beers on tap. I'll be hanging out with my girlfriend, cooking/grilling out, having a good time; thinking about only having 1 or 2 beers doesn't really cross my mind...I just want to keep going. It's like everyday is Friday right now.

So, yes, OP, it's really hard to restrain oneself when you have good beer on tap. I always said since I started kegging, the danger is going back for half pours/pints...they add up QUICK. And before you know it, you're kinda drunk. But I love this hobby. Best hobby on the planet.

 

[pvpeacock]

After gaining 15 lbs., I decided to add a tap dedicated to soda water and rededicated one of my 4 taps to kombucha. Now, I don't drink beer during the week and, instead, have a soda water (or 10) or a kombucha. It's just a matter of using my will power to move my hand a few inches to the left to grab a non-beer tap handle. I've lost 28 lbs. ever since (well diet and exercise helped, too).

 

[TurnipGreen]

It’s awesome isn’t it!
My first keg got drained in no time. I was a bit embarrassed how quickly I drank that and reverted to my strict rules around when to drink beer. Only on days that I run, weekends and holidays, if anyone asks me if I want a beer, with specific foods, or after mowing the lawn.
Surprisingly, that long list does not add up to every day for me. I also use 8 and 10 oz mugs. And I think that helps, I like beer. I’d drink 16 oz pours every bit as quick as an 8 oz. It catches up with me quick when we go out to the bar or a restaurant.

 

[BruceH]

I can't think of anything less than .5 liters as a serving of beer. Consumption went up during lockdown, it also goes up during the PNW dreary, rainy, winter.

Consumption goes down during nicer weather when I can get out and do things. Beer makes having to stay inside for days on end more tolerable. It also adds weight, increases bp, and sometimes affects how I feel the next day.

Kegging has made me less aware of how much I've had. Currently on a pre surgical dry period to be followed by a dry period. When I finally start up again I'll have a chalk board on the fridge with kegs in it for tracking purposes.

It's time to do a reset on beer consumption for me.

 

[Gozie Boy]

Brewing/kegging has generally had an opposite effect on me versus many here. A batch (10-12 gals) is a major piece of time and work (for me): procure ingredients; yeast starter; clean and sanitize (3 kettles, fermenter and all the many various ancillary parts); long brew day; more cleanup; weeks of fermenting/conditioning; transferring; keg cleaning; kegging, etc. When I finish, hopefully I have something really nice (and quite pricey per unit). So I consider drinking each pint to be a special event, something to be savored, not to see how fast I can kick a keg. If I want mass quantities of beer, I'll go to the fridge and pop a few (cheaper) cans. In the end, I probably average just over 1 pint a day, weighted towards the weekend.

 

[camonick]

 

[crazyjake19]

Contrary to what I would've thought, having beer on tap at home has seen me drinking less, not more. We have a 4-tap bar in the dining room with beer, hard cider, cold brew coffee, and seltzer water on tap. We drink a lot of seltzer and cold brew, and maybe the occasional beer or cider with dinner. I also haven't had much time to drink, by the time I get home from work I'll have a coffee or two to give me a boost to get some work done, then maybe have one beer before bed. On my days off during the week I might have a few beers if I'm mowing the lawn or working around the house.

Having beer on tap allows you to pour only what you want to drink. If I open a 12oz bottle or 16oz can, I'm drinking the whole thing. If I only want to pour 6oz from the tap, that's all I pour.

 

[madscientist451]

Yeah I drank more and gained some weight in the process. I love drinking beer, but I've had to cut back how much and also have switched to mostly brewing session beers 4% or less ABV. In 4 months I've lost 20 lbs and feel way better.

 

[Carolina_Matt]

I definitely drink more. If it's around, I'll drink it. Same with food. I can easily go a year without buying any sort of cookies, ice cream, etc. But if there's a plate of brownies or cookies in front of me, game over.

I started kegging when I made my first batch 2 1/2 years ago. I have 1 keg of seltzer and 5 kegs of beer, and I get tempted to try a little of each every day. It's definitely dangerous, depending on your personality. I've actually considered selling my keezer and buying one that fits 4 kegs - that way I can have 1 seltzer, 1 blonde ale, one IPA, and one random beer. That would probably make me drink less, not having the other two kegs in there.

The other problem is that I'll sometimes make a beer that I think is fantastic, so I'll be tempted to drink it every day. But other times I'll brew one that's mediocre, so I drink it every day just to get through the keg. And I like the process of brewing, so if I don't have room in the keezer I figure out which keg has the least amount of beer, and I plow through it.

I do work out consistently and I eat a pretty healthy diet, so I haven't gained weight since I started brewing - but the beer definitely prevents me from moving from 'good shape' to 'great shape'.

 

[bracconiere]

It's hard to find a happy medium

nah, when i see i've avg'd 2600-2700 for the last week or even month...it's party time! i'll start throwing in some 3800-4000 days, you know don't want to be underweight!

 

[jseyfert3]

I made my first batch of homemade alcohol, a 7.5% cider from store juice and sugar, and it wasn't great by any means, but it certainly wasn't bad.

We kicked the keg in 3 days...

To be fair, this was with a bunch of friends who were helping me build a fence that weekend, but it still went surprisingly quick, especially as that was not the only thing consumed that weekend. My kreezer is down for painting and collar addition so I can have proper taps instead of party taps, but I'm slightly worried as to our increased alcohol consumption when it's back up and running with real taps.

I've got another 7.5% cider in a keg ready to go, 5.5% and 8% cider batches going downstairs and a 5.5% pale wheat beer that should be ready to keg, so no immediate shortage of things to dispense when we get up and running again.

 

[bleme]

We kicked the keg in 3 days...

To be fair, this was with a bunch of friends who were helping me build a fence that weekend,

So how did the fence turn out?

 

[jseyfert3]

So how did the fence turn out?

Quite nice, surprisingly.

 

[pvpeacock]

 

[bleme]

That's kinda what I had in mind