Things SWMBO says on brewday:

[Onkel_Udo]

It sure is nice having help on brew days, and he even helped me make this:

That sure looks like Target hamper....

 

[SharonaZamboni]

Ha! It's a trash can

 

[GuldTuborg]

Mine just complains about the smell in the house from the mash. Odd, as I love that smell.

 

[Krazykripple]

not SWMBO but a friend who helped me brew yesterday asked "is that the hops?" pointing to a bucket of crushed grain

 

[brewmcq]

Not a brew day, but I was fiddling with some brewing equipment in the kitchen. She was also in the kitchen, working on canning some stuff. Every time she walked past me, she'd grab my butt... she finally said "I like having you in my kitchen... so I can fondle your @ss."

I'm finding myself a little sad that I'll be brewing in the basement... lol

 

[kombat]

And I don't. I also don't have a woman who wears my pants.

To answer the OP, here's how our convo goes:

Me: I'm brewing today
Her: Cool

other situations..

Her: I'm taking the dog to the park/running/going shopping/visiting friends today
Me: Cool

Not hard.

Sounds like you've got yourself a great roommate there. Does she pay her share of the rent on time, too?

 

[BarefootFriar]

Mine is mostly worried about me burning myself. My first brewday, she wasn't here and thus didn't say anything. My second brewday she was sick and spent the whole time on the couch, but every time I came through she would ask how it was going and if I was being careful. Last time she spent more time outside with me, and even helped me a bit. She asked a bunch of questions about the process. At first she was very skeptical about spreading the spent grains on the garden, but now she's a believer.

My only gripe is that she won't let me build any kind of pipeline. I have to be down to my last one before she'll let me brew again. But really it's not as big of a deal anymore because we're on a low carb diet, which means beer once a week, and thus a batch lasts much longer. I can have new before the other is gone.

 

[bbohanon]

Her: How much beer do you HAVE to make?
Me: As much as I can. Time is my enemy, not money.

Her: You have a problem.
Me: Yes I do. I don't have enough time to brew 2 batches today. That's my biggest problem.

Her: Do you need that much "stuff" to make beer?
Me: Do you need that many "shoes" to wear?

Her: Isn't just buying beer cheaper?
Me: Nope, but I do need to make a run to the store for more spring water for the next batch. Thanks for reminding me!

Her: Man that smells!
Me: Wonderful you mean? Why yes it does!

:fro:

 

[winvarin]

"I'm glad you brew outside now".

This. She complained about the brew stand when I got it. Now she likes that most of my cleanup is done outside with a hose.

 

[LovesIPA]

My only gripe is that she won't let me build any kind of pipeline. I have to be down to my last one before she'll let me brew again.

I don't understand this whole "let" thing.

Some of you guys need to grow a pair and not let her put them in her purse for you.

 

[Sammy86]

I don't understand this whole "let" thing.

Some of you guys need to grow a pair and not let her put them in her purse for you.

Coming from a guy whose single and doesn't understand

 

[DrunkleJon]

I don't understand this whole "let" thing.

Some of you guys need to grow a pair and not let her put them in her purse for you.

What is so confusing about it? In a relationship there is give and take. So in your relationships I take it you do not care about your signifigant others opinions? Let is kind of more a catchall word for preferring that it is done the other way. Its not all that they are telling you that you cant, but for whatever reasons woud prefer you dont so often. People have their reasons for things. Some worry about cleanliness, some about having that much alcohol in the house at a time (alcoholics in the family or in the past maybe?), some are more concerned with the financial reasons, some are not fans of the smell, and sometimes it is due to time constraints (want to spend time with you, need help looking after the children, or other tasks).

You are not really coming off as being very understanding of the needs/feelings of others. Maybe you are just 'lucky' and have someone who doesn't give a crap about what you do, but I would prefer someone who works with me and lets me know when they have an issue with anything.

Also, please do realize that this is thread that was created to show the 'funny', 'strange, etc things that SWMBO (also a lighthearted title) says. This is not a "Trash the wife" thread.

 

[brewmcq]

I do see what LovesIPA saying, although I think he's being a little strong with his choice of wording. Regardless, this is a hobby, not unlike building model airplanes or golfing. Sadly, there seems to be more instances of complaining by SWMBOs than anything else. Where's the "give and take" there?

I quit brewing the first time because every time I brewed, all I heard were complaints, regardless of the fact that the kitchen was always twice as clean when I finished as it was when I started. I was brewing MAYBE once every two or three months. It's not like I took over the kitchen every single day and made a huge mess and just left it there. I was courteous and polite and gave gave gave. But that's just how I am. I tried to get her involved in the process and was brushed off completely. Eventually, I received the ultimatum, and I chose poorly.

These days, I'm fortunate to have a SWMBO who not only encourages my brewing passion, but jumps right in to help me. She loves brewday. We spend time together, we make great beer, and the quickie during mashing never hurts either. ;-) Instead of complaining, maybe more of these women could get a little more involved with the process, even if they don't like beer. I think that a lot of what we do is "mysterious" and "unknown", so of course there will be a lot of contempt towards it. But, at least with my SWMBO, I got her involved in the process from the get-go, and she has a better understanding of beer and a deeper appreciation for it.

YMMV, I guess.

I think most of us are fairly simple guys who have a few simple pleasures in life. If we're brewing, then at least we're home, not out chasing loose women or ignoring the family. Brewday just doesn't seem like such a big deal to me.

 

[BigDaddyBeard]

My SWMBO loves beer and what I make plus usually is the one who is there to keep me straight on my times. The reason she doesn't mind me brewing is that I choose to turn my brew days into nights. I have two little girls and I am the only source of income so I work a lot. So instead of interfering with my time with them I start my days around 8pm when the two little SWMBO's go to bed. I suck it up and do what I love on my time not taking it from my kids.

Back somewhat on topic... I got home from work yesterday and my 2 year old SWMBO gave me a hug and immediately asked me for a "hop tandy." I looked into the bowl where I keep them and they were mostly gone. I asked my wife who has been eating them all and apparently my daughter loves them. Makes me proud...

 

[chezhed]

Mine's a keeper...has been for 33 years. She might complain about things but has never complained about brewing....likes beer. She's a very gorgeous woman and I'm no hunk by any means so people constantly ask how did I get her to marry me...."I got her drunk." Why does she stay with me? "I keep her drunk, I homebrew."

Not really but it amuses them and they say, "really, she likes beer?" Loves it.....wouldn't be married to her if she didn't......and she probably wouldn't still be married to me if I didn't homebrew.......just kidding but I love the look I get from some people..

I brew on Sundays and Mexican holidays. The schedule is set weeks (or in the case of football season, months) in advance.

So on Tuesday I hear, "How many batches are you doing this weekend?"

On brewday, "How's it going?"
and as she sniffs the boiling wort..."Is this MY porter?"
or looks at the grain bill and says..."there's no roasted barley in there...where's my Porter?"
"screwed anything up yet?" this one is purely to irritate me just for the heck of it
"when are you gonna relax, stop worrying and have a home brew, cuz I'm thirsty?"

 

[winvarin]

I have no problem with anyone complaining (especially SWMBO) when they have a valid complaint. The few times my wife has had anything negative to say about my brewing, it has been the time consumption of a brew day. I am a methodical brewer and a bordering-on-OCD cleaner, so depending on mash length and boil time, I can chew up the bulk of a day brewing.

We rarely have conflict as I give her and our daughter advanced notice when I brew. Since I do occupy our garage and a fair bit of my time on brew day, I consider it common courtesy. In return, they do me the favor of not committing to any family activity that would interfere with my brewing.

Otherwise, they leave me to my Alchemy, offer help when I need it and bring a sandwich or order a pizza if I appear a bit peckish. It's how my family operates and it works for us.

Brewing is my passion not theirs. I would welcome greater involvement from them, but I'm not upset if they just avoid the area when I am brewing, packaging etc. I think some of us who brew can forget how much time, effort, expense, inconvenience, and such that brewing can take up. I have no problem at all in tempering my passion with some give and take. It's how people learn to live together.

My wife likes the end product more than the process. She is always up for a beer or 2. And every now and then, she'll help package or in some other part of the process because for some reason she enjoys my company.

On the flip side, my wife is an avid gardener while I hate anything that resembles yard work. But from time to time, I'll go out and help her pull weeds or with some other mundane gardening chore. I don't do this because I've suddenly taken to gardening. I do it because I love her, and it means something to me that she's as passionate about something as I am about beer.

 

[Melana]

Does it count if I complain about not brewing enough?

 

[LovesIPA]

What is so confusing about it? In a relationship there is give and take. So in your relationships I take it you do not care about your signifigant others opinions? Let is kind of more a catchall word for preferring that it is done the other way. Its not all that they are telling you that you cant, but for whatever reasons woud prefer you dont so often.

I think you're reading what you want to see. I don't use the word "let" in a situation like this because I don't think that way. Guys who use the word "let" seem to have a different take on relationships than guys who don't.

My girlfriend and I are very happy and have a great relationship. Of course there is give and take, as there is in any successful relationship. However, there is a HUGE difference between "You can't brew on Saturday because we're going to my sister's for a BBQ" and "You can't brew on Saturday because you still have beer left from the last batch".

One falls within the bounds of "give and take" or compromise or whatever you want to call it. The other is outright controlling and no man with any self-respect whatsoever would ever put up with it.

Yeah I could have phrased what I posted a little more diplomatically, but if it offended you then it probably applies to you.

If "SWMBO" (tongue firmly planted in cheek now) ever tried to dictate when or how often I brewed, rest assured there would be a conversation about that. But she's never going to say that for two reasons. One, because she knows that she is first and foremost in my life and brewing (or any other hobby) is always going to come second. Two, we have a tremendous amount of mutual respect for each other. I don't attempt to control her and she doesn't attempt to control me.

 

[BarefootFriar]

I don't understand this whole "let" thing.

Some of you guys need to grow a pair and not let her put them in her purse for you.

Well, I have to compensate somehow. Wearing pink shirts and driving a small car wasn't cutting it.

 

[241]

We need some t-shirts made up with quotes on them from this thread.

My girlfriend always asks:
- "When are you going to be done?"
- "What are you doing now?"
- "What do you want to do for dinner?"

My answer is always the same: "I don't know"

 

[BarefootFriar]

My girlfriend and I are very happy and have a great relationship. Of course there is give and take, as there is in any successful relationship. However, there is a HUGE difference between "You can't brew on Saturday because we're going to my sister's for a BBQ" and "You can't brew on Saturday because you still have beer left from the last batch".

One falls within the bounds of "give and take" or compromise or whatever you want to call it. The other is outright controlling and no man with any self-respect whatsoever would ever put up with it.

I suppose a bit of clarification is in order.

I am an adult. I can do what I want. I have a job, and the money I make doing that job goes to pay for household bills, groceries, gas, and so forth. Nothing strange there.

I could spend household money on whatever I wish, but it wouldn't be long before I was sitting in the dark, hungry, and going nowhere because I was out of gas. Nothing strange here, either. This is life as we know it.

I also have a small, seasonal job on the side doing some yard work for a guy I know. That money is my money, to spend as I wish. My wife is a wonderful woman, very understanding and supportive. She lets me spend my yard money on whatever I want, but I assure you that beer and brewing is not my only hobby -- not by a long shot. The problem is that each of my hobbies requires a bit of money, and all together they can get quite pricey.

So when I say she won't "let" me brew more often than absolutely necessary, it's shorthand for "She would let me brew if we could afford it, but because the power bill was so high this month, and because I spent my yard income on this other hobby, and because I had to put a new battery in the car last week, she has suggested that perhaps now is not the best time."

I'm an adult, and I could spend whatever I wanted, when I wanted. Except that if I let the power go out or the fridge go empty or the gas tank go empty, it's going to hurt a lot worse than not getting to brew this weekend.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Years ago my ex SWIMBO used to say we have a lawn that needs mowing, BUT we have plenty of beer...now the girlfriend who has become an IPA lover, is more likely to say, "the lawn looks fine, go ahead and brew, you enjoy it and you work too hard".

Sometimes things work for the better

 

[Ben58]

"The lawn looks fine, go ahead and brew, you enjoy it and you work too hard".
Wilserbrewer, if you don't mind, I'm using this as my signature, as my SWMBO basically says this to me all the time. Love my wife!

 

[unionrdr]

I suppose a bit of clarification is in order.

I am an adult. I can do what I want. I have a job, and the money I make doing that job goes to pay for household bills, groceries, gas, and so forth. Nothing strange there.

I could spend household money on whatever I wish, but it wouldn't be long before I was sitting in the dark, hungry, and going nowhere because I was out of gas. Nothing strange here, either. This is life as we know it.

I also have a small, seasonal job on the side doing some yard work for a guy I know. That money is my money, to spend as I wish. My wife is a wonderful woman, very understanding and supportive. She lets me spend my yard money on whatever I want, but I assure you that beer and brewing is not my only hobby -- not by a long shot. The problem is that each of my hobbies requires a bit of money, and all together they can get quite pricey.

So when I say she won't "let" me brew more often than absolutely necessary, it's shorthand for "She would let me brew if we could afford it, but because the power bill was so high this month, and because I spent my yard income on this other hobby, and because I had to put a new battery in the car last week, she has suggested that perhaps now is not the best time."

I'm an adult, and I could spend whatever I wanted, when I wanted. Except that if I let the power go out or the fridge go empty or the gas tank go empty, it's going to hurt a lot worse than not getting to brew this weekend.

This does follow common sense though. Now you got a lil taste of what it's like to be retired.

Years ago my ex SWIMBO used to say we have a lawn that needs mowing, BUT we have plenty of beer...now the girlfriend who has become an IPA lover, is more likely to say, "the lawn looks fine, go ahead and brew, you enjoy it and you work too hard".
**Wife usually says these things to let you know she needs her ashes hauled. Think about it...she doesn't want you too tired.
Sometimes things work for the better

 

[brewmcq]

"The lawn looks fine, go ahead and brew,

"No, baby.. you've been planning this brewday for a month. I'll mow the lawn so you can brew!"

 

[Melana]

"No, baby.. you've been planning this brewday for a month. I'll mow the lawn so you can brew!"

Nice!

 

[WesleyS]

"No, baby.. you've been planning this brewday for a month. I'll mow the lawn so you can brew!"

Although mine would never say that and I get some of the common complaints on brew day, she does take care of the grass. I've mowed our yard probably only 3 or 4 times in the 6 years we've been at our current place.
Maybe that's why she complains when I brew.....

 

[wilserbrewer]

"The lawn looks fine, go ahead and brew, you enjoy it and you work too hard".
Wilserbrewer, if you don't mind, I'm using this as my signature, as my SWMBO basically says this to me all the time. Love my wife!

Use away...cheers!
Sounds like you found a good one, hold on tight!

 

[mrphillips]

Her - "Listen, this next 5-Gallons is ALL MINE! You drank ALL of the last stuff."

Me - "Not ALL of it. I saved you some."

Her - "Yeah, a six-pack."

Me - "That's what I said; I saved you SOME."

Her - "Don't pretend like you didn't drink all the beer!"


God help me, I drank all the next batch, too

 

[geek_chaser]

"Let's brew this one,"
"Let's add this flavor to the next one"
"I can't wait to see how it turns out".

He is even my sanitizer since some of the stuff is too heavy for my wittle arms.