The longest you've gone exclusively drinking homebrew

[petep1980]

Growing more and more displeased almost every time I buy beer, I have decided to really give it a go for no longer buying beer. There are very few things that excite me now at the craft beer store, I've even found a way to dislike Hennepin.

I figure I'll make it 2 maybe 3 days before I crack.

What's the longest you guys have made it?

 

[BrewerinBR]

1 Week

 

[Revvy]

Never. I probably spend MORE on commercial micros of an expensive nature since I started homebrewing....it's called research.

Especially hanging out on here, you read about so many interesting beers that you just have to try. You want to brew a new style, so you have to try a bunch of different versions. You want to make a clone of something so you have to keep buying to try to nail it. You have a full pipeling, with 3-4 beers drinkable, but you just happen to be in the mood for a double chocolate bourbon jalapeno porter, so you drop 12 bucks for a bomber of it.

When you start brewing your beery horizons broaden so much, you really can't escape buying beer.

(Heck, I'm getting a feel for the bock style of beer, and looking at brewing one, in one weeks I bought 3 different sixers of it, one of them was 14.00 for the six- Bell's Celebrator Dopplebock.)

You can't escape it. You're gonna be buying gear AND beer.

 

[brrman]

I guess I have gone a couple months before. But that was when I had just way too much homebrew on hand. I do typically buy craft beer every month.

 

[TotemWolf]

At home, 2 to 4 months (or more) when I have the pipeline primed and going good, then I'll go get a couple of the make your 6 packs to try some different brands.

However I'll buy a beer when we eat-out if they offer anything good or a beer I haven't had before, so maybe 2 weeks or 3 weeks tops.

 

[Zamial]

I have made it 3 weeks...then the pipeline went dry...

I do understand the disappointment at the beer store. I still meander through and normally grab a fliptop import or two and press on but I buy those for the bottles more than the beer inside...

Soon I will be heading into a homebrew only lifestyle. Beer in the store is to pricey and only getting more expensive. I have tried almost everything I can source locally and the luster is gone.

HOWEVER

My favorite Pub has over 100 different beers in constant rotation and normally a bunch I have not had before. During Happy hour I can get them for just about the same price as in the store, so I think I will try to only buy beer there. Besides they save fliptop bottles for me for free. Thanks! This post has talked me into it! Screw the beer store!

 

[duckmanco]

I'm well into MONTHS of not picking up even a single, let alone a 6'er of craft beer. I got into kegging, filled 4 kegs in rapid succession (while still maintaining flavor) and due to how long it takes one drinker (me) to empty even one keg, my pipeline is now slow to empty and slow to fill. I have 4 on tap, so selection or choice is not even remotely an issue, so yeah, no craft for me. I love craft, but I really love drinking my own.

 

[petep1980]

Drinking while out does not count against this plan.

 

[wildwest450]

Imo, anyone who grows to dislike any beer but their own is making inferior beer. There's no way you can make a good solid homebrew, and still not appreciate another well made beer.

I call it, imusedtomyoffflavors syndrome.


_

 

[Gameface]

After my third batch of beer I decided I was never going to buy commercial beer for regular drinking again. I still get beer for "research" but that's a 6-pack or less and not for regular drinking. In a little more than a week it'll be my 1-year brewversary and I've pretty much held to the plan.

 

[passedpawn]

except for calibrators (i.e., a single berliner weisse this past wkend), I haven't bought more than a single in 2 years.

 

[TotemWolf]

Drinking while out does not count against this plan.

In that case last summer "I" didn't buy any beer for the house for about 5 months. A brewing buddy brought a 6er of Shiner Smokehause by one weekend and I drink one while brewing, but that was it at home.

(But that doesn't count the pub or the Beer Fest or eating out, because they were at home.)

 

[ceweldon]

A month in a half, until my pipeline ran dry. I just started brewing this past Jan so that's pretty good and a great learning experience of how to keep the pipeline going. I was in the beer store the other day and left without anything. I felt kinda depressed, I've never done that before but nothing was peeking my interest, I really wanted the homebrew I just finished off, and everything was so expensive I kept going "That's half to a quarter of a batch of homebrew".

 

[chapa]

i call it, imusedtomyoffflavors syndrome.

_

lmao :d

 

[TravisT]

I drink more craft beers than i ever used to. Now i do things like buy a chocolate stout and a double chocolate stout and taste the difference between them(i dont like chocolate stouts i just found out). I also have been looking at craft beer web sites and trying to find what hops they use for there IPA/APA, try that beer, then decide what hops i like more that others.

I also have gained about 10-12lb since i stated brewing, combined with a receding hair line, i'm looking GOOD!!!

 

[petep1980]

Imo, anyone who grows to dislike any beer but their own is making inferior beer. There's no way you can make a good solid homebrew, and still not appreciate another well made beer.

I call it, imusedtomyoffflavors syndrome.


_

You have probably replied to maybe 10 of my threads in the last two years in which I asked a question. You have yet to answer the question, rather you come in with your usual pompous response.

Thank you again for your complete lack of input.

 

[wildwest450]

You have probably replied to maybe 10 of my threads in the last two years in which I asked a question. You have yet to answer the question, rather you come in with your usual pompous response.

Thank you again for your complete lack of input.

You need to recheck your facts, I answered the last 6 out of 7. Btw, you ask a LOT of questions.

There are very few things that excite me now at the craft beer store, I've even found a way to dislike Hennepin.

With statements like this, what did you expect? It's the very definition of pompous.


_

 

[bovineblitz]

I get excited for seasonals. Like right now, I can't wait for Southern Tier Hop Sun to be in stores around me. I was happy when Troegs Nugget Nectars came around in February and I pick up their Java Head every so often cuz I just love it. Whenever Pretty Things makes a new beer I have to try it. I pick up Edmund Fitz Porter whenever I can cuz I don't get it around here. I like to pick out my favorite of the pumpkin beers every year (Schlafly and Cambridge Brewing Company won this past year, before that it was DFH and CBC). Sometimes I'm tired of the 3-4 beers I have to pick from that I homebrewed and go out and pick up a bottle just to have something different.

Also it's fun when draft lists change with the seasons. Spring is all about IIPAs, RIS, and bigger maltier beers. Then you transition into summer with IPAs and wheats. Then fall gets into malty lager and porter season, and winter goes heavy on the malt and roast.

 

[bonsai4tim]

Jan-May 2011---no store bought beer at home, 3(maybe) drafts at dinner out during that time. For the first 6 months, I bought beer occasionally just to increase the number of bottles. I hardly every buy bottled beer now.

Last time I bought bottled was around may 19th, when I found a new beer store in Apex NC http://thebeerdispensary.com/

Early June guests for our "rib rodeo" brought some local micro brewery to the house (Lonerider Brewery http://www.loneriderbeer.com/ and aviator (http://www.aviatorbrew.com/shop/start)




tim

 

[FlemingsFinest]

Let's focus on the important part here.....YOU DISLIKE HENNEPIN!?!?!

 

[petep1980]

Let's focus on the important part here.....YOU DISLIKE HENNEPIN!?!?!

I brewed a batch of some kind of Belgian I screwed up completely I think fermenting too warm with sugar. It had a dreadful burn. About two weeks after I decided I hated mine I had Hennepin. That is all I could taste.

 

[nefarious_1_]

Imo, anyone who grows to dislike any beer but their own is making inferior beer. There's no way you can make a good solid homebrew, and still not appreciate another well made beer.

I call it, imusedtomyoffflavors syndrome.


_

I like this.


BTW, about a month.

 

[geneb]

A few days.. My wife and I buy two growlers a week from Wolf Hills Brewery locally. I rarely buy anything in the grocery store unless they have something interesting that I have never tried before. (For example, did you know that Newcastle makes a summer ale? I had to try that. Disappointing, but I was still excited.)

 

[redcoat_or_rebel]

You have probably replied to maybe 10 of my threads in the last two years in which I asked a question. You have yet to answer the question, rather you come in with your usual pompous response.

Thank you again for your complete lack of input.

i'm just glad he responds so i can see those girls kissin without having to go look at his profile

 

[Mustangfreak]

If I stopped buying beer I'd still have enough to last me month or two. I buy craft beer a LOT and I hoard bombers of iipas and barley wines.

 

[EAC]

I have gone for more then a year on just homebrew, except for drinking out.

 

[RosewaterFoundation]

Never. I probably spend MORE on commercial micros of an expensive nature since I started homebrewing....it's called research.

Especially hanging out on here, you read about so many interesting beers that you just have to try. You want to brew a new style, so you have to try a bunch of different versions. You want to make a clone of something so you have to keep buying to try to nail it. You have a full pipeling, with 3-4 beers drinkable, but you just happen to be in the mood for a double chocolate bourbon jalapeno porter, so you drop 12 bucks for a bomber of it.

When you start brewing your beery horizons broaden so much, you really can't escape buying beer.

(Heck, I'm getting a feel for the bock style of beer, and looking at brewing one, in one weeks I bought 3 different sixers of it, one of them was 14.00 for the six- Bell's Celebrator Dopplebock.)

You can't escape it. You're gonna be buying gear AND beer.

This! Also, I like to buy several commercial examples of the styles I have in the pipeline and compare once my brew is ready.

 

[mlyday]

I second what Revvy said. After starting to homebrew my beer horizon expanded. There are so many types out there and before brewing them you need to do research. But I used to throw a 6 pack of something every time I went to the grocery store (they have a good selection of craft brews). But I rarely ever do that any more. Usually when I want to try a new style or when we need to take some with us. I keg almost everything now, so I rarely have bottles around.

 

[Stoutman82]

Less then a week for sure

 

[GreggZ]

I say I have gone a day or two tops. Even though I have four taps that are always full of home brew, thats just not enough variety to keep me happy. No matter how good any beer is (including homebrew) I have a tendency to get bored with it.

 

[Beezy]

I just got started. I don't think I have gone more than 4/5 days. I like all kinds of beer. If I happen to drive near the store I gotta go in for a six. I like all kinds of beer. I don't even want to drink just mine.

 

[chapa]

+1 on research drinking I'm "researching" bocks and belgians myself to figure out what I want to brew. On the belgian side, I think Westmalle Tripel is going to be my cherry poppin belgian

I've probably gone a week or two drinking just homebrew, but I gotta have variety!

 

[Qhrumphf]

My trip to the store yesterday is the first time I've brought home commercial brew in about 5 months. And it was still for research purposes. No qualms with drinking commercial brew, just have a good supply of multiple styles of my own homebrew, and can almost always get something tasty while I'm out. Plus my wife gets irked when I spend money on beer (unless we're out somewhere) when I have plenty at home. Only able to justify it this time for the research aspect.

 

[Hammy71]

I haven't been to a liqour store in probably 3 months or so. So, at home hardly ever. Now, if I'm out at a restaurant/bar......

 

[D_Struct]

I've gone around 2 months or so, but it's not by choice.

It takes close to a two hour drive to get just about anything decent.

I have to stock up when I make it to Houston, and it doesn't always last until I can get back.

 

[davefleck]

Longest I've gone is 4 days on homebrew. Then I had to add back water and solid foods.

 

[bonsai4tim]

Longest I've gone is 4 days on homebrew. Then I had to add back water and solid foods.

the original liquid diet.

t

 

[ghpeel]

Meah, I go a few days to a week or two at a time. My problem isn't often the flavor of micro brews that lets me down (although sometimes it is), its the price.

We've got a couple of awesome beer places in my town, but I'm just not going to be happy paying $5-6 for a Pale Ale when i know I've got a couple of brewing friends who can make Pale Ales that are seriously twice as good as the commercial ones. And Hefe is one of my favorite styles, but I'll be damned if I'm paying import beer prices for a Hefe that is a few weeks older than it's prime. My last Scotch Ale was, to me, better than any Scotch Ales not made by Belhaven.

I'll buy Belhaven, Orval, Sammuel Smith and a few other brands, but for the most part I prefer my homebrew. Had a Cream Ale tonight from Swamphead Brewery at a restaurant. It was OK, but had a "meah" kind of aftertaste. Give me a clean homebrew anyday.

 

[Beezy]

I hope I can get some trading buddies as I move forward. I have no problem drinking a ton of homebrew I just need variety. I drink pretty much only draft when I go out. I like to have whats available to me rather than search things out. I am a big supporter of the local smalls. That's the way it should be. And people talk about rare brews well I revel in the beers that don't leave the pittsburgh area. East End doesn't even bottle much so good luck.

 

[lestershy]

I work with beer at my job, so I'm always looking at then new arrivals as they come in. It's really hard not to pick up fresh Sierra Nevada harvest ale (northern or southern) or Avery's Maharaja or whatever else, but I've fought it for 3-4 days at the longest.