Should I give away my beer?

[triskelion]

Just curious about others experiences with handing out your homebrew to acquaintances, work colleagues etc. I have always kept bottles for close friends, guests or gifts if I'm invited to a party. Some colleagues have been asking to try some for a while but I wouldn't say that they're not close enough that they would have me in their home. Do you think that I'm wrong to refuse them? I'm not sure if i'm being stingy or not. I'm also conscious of the presentation, I know that most people would turn their nose at a beer if they'd not decanted the sediment.

 

[agrazela]

I only give homebrew to other homebrewers or serious beer connoisseurs. Your average Joe 6-pack won't be able to give constructive feedback.

 

[ChugachBrewing]

I give it to everyone. They always appreciate it and the thought. It's a great conversation starter and might get someone else hooked on craft beer!

Sent from my PG86100 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Temptd2]

We've kind of learned not to give it away, or not much - maybe one or two bottles - to people who aren't aficionados of craft beers. AND we try to find out what kind of beer they normally drink before giving them ANY homebrew - if we don't have something that might be somewhat close to what they normally like, then we don't give them beer either, unless they're family and we can count on getting the bottles back at least!

 

[Hello]

I've given away at least half of what I've brewed.

 

[Luis]

Just curious about others experiences with handing out your homebrew to acquaintances, work colleagues etc. I have always kept bottles for close friends, guests or gifts if I'm invited to a party. Some colleagues have been asking to try some for a while but I wouldn't say that they're not close enough that they would have me in their home. Do you think that I'm wrong to refuse them? I'm not sure if i'm being stingy or not. I'm also conscious of the presentation, I know that most people would turn their nose at a beer if they'd not decanted the sediment.

Well, if you have some spare bottles that could be a nice option, to give them away, I mean. Just warn them that it is not like their average commercial beer.
Who knows, they could even pick up the hobby of making their own beer.

 

[opiate82]

I like giving away my beer. I am always careful to only give away top-notch examples however. It might be tempting to try to burn through a so-so batch by giving a bunch of it away but it only puts you as a brewer and homebrewing in general in a negative light.

I do have a few close friends who I trust to understand that sometimes a batch doesn't come out perfectly who I will invite over to help me kill the keg so I can free up some tap space.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

I don't give my beer to sponges anymore

 

[Zuljin]

I'll give it to anyone who wants to try it.

 

[Hammy71]

I give it away all the time. Hell, I just gave two 22oz bottles to the two guys that have been doing a bunch of hardscaping at my house this week. Course, I have a plethora of brew in the house, so it's easy. Back when I was just starting and didn't have enough for myself..... I was stingy as hell.

 

[Ridire]

I give away my blonde freely. I am pretty generous with my porters and stouts. I will not give something like an IPA to someone who drinks nothing but Bud Light. If I know the person enjoys IPA, I can tolerate feedback, even if brutally negative. If a "Budweiser is real beer for people who like beer to taste like beer" guy tells me my IPA is gross and tastes like I dumped perfume into it, I might throw a right hook.


Sent from here, because that's where I am.

 

[troy2000]

I have a select few I've been giving beer to from the start: a liquor store owner in gratitude for his wide selection of beers in a small town; a guy at work who likes craft beers; my nephew because he's family; my friend George just because he's George; a gal I went to high school with almost fifty years ago (who still keeps tabs on me as a potential boyfriend or husband if she runs short, I think...); and that's about it.

But as mentioned above, as I start having more for myself I'm becoming a little more generous.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

In general, I don't bottle. So if you show up at my house, you're welcome to as much beer as you'd like from the keezer. If you're not at my house, chances are low that you'll get any.

Some exceptions have been made when I bottle extra beyond what I need for a competition, of course.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

Do whatever you want. I think personally part of the joy of homebrewing is sharing. But i'm sure many disagree with me. In a given month, week, 2 months whatever there's only so much brew I can enjoy so why not share the wealth? I've developed a few good relationships through giving my brew away including a homebrew exchange with some coworkers. THat being said, there is a few ales I didn't share, not because I didn't want to but because I didn't get the chance to because it went like water.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Just curious about others experiences with handing out your homebrew to acquaintances, work colleagues etc. I have always kept bottles for close friends, guests or gifts if I'm invited to a party. Some colleagues have been asking to try some for a while but I wouldn't say that they're not close enough that they would have me in their home. Do you think that I'm wrong to refuse them? I'm not sure if i'm being stingy or not. I'm also conscious of the presentation, I know that most people would turn their nose at a beer if they'd not decanted the sediment.

I do a bit of both. I've given away wine & cider to my coworkers, not cheap since I bottle in 1 liter fliptops & there's about 35 people who work here, but that's just for Christmas. The rest of the year I only give out bottles to friends, relatives, fellow homebrewers & cute women.
Regards, GF.