This is such an awful hobby

[Redpappy]

So here is my story. I started this hobby back in November. Thinking nothing of it . As I started brewing my first Mr. Beer brew I told myself that it was just something to do. I get the first brew fermenting, and the misses and I decide to go ahead and see about getting a home built. So I’m thinking, I will need to keep it simple and not invest into this hobby, because I don’t want to have to move more stuff than I need to in 8 to as months. Well, before I even tasted mr beer that I made, I didn’t care for the simplicity of mr beer, so I had to purchase a 5 gal starter kit. So I told myself, I will just need to deal with what I have until I move. Now in the meantime, I brewed the last receipe I had gotten with my Mr Beer kit as well as the kit that came with my starter kit ( an amber ale). 3 brews later, ( 6 weeks) I picked up a stout and an alt beer. Oh.. darn... I only have 1 fermenter...hmm so I had to get another fermenter. I got them brewed up, and silly o me did not pay much attention to them.hmm. The alt beer needs to sit 30 days in a second fermenter and the stout is 3 weeks.... dam it.. I need another bucket. So I had to get another bucket so that I can brew this week (original plan, which I’m sticking too, was to brew every 2 weeks). Right now I brew on my stove top, but come spring time, how nice would it be to brew out doors. So I had To buy a burner, which should be here by Friday . I busted my thermometer, so Dad(my helper) bought one, and I purchased one as well. I’m also looking into starting to do 1 gal BIAB, and possibly using a mash tun, which means more equipment.

Why did I say awful hobby, I really wasn’t planning/wanting to buy anything because of the move so here it is 3 months into a hobby and I have 3 fermenter, a burner on the way, a bucket for my sanitizer, a wort chiller, 2 thermometers, hydrometer, over 100 bottles, and other equipment, And the list keeps growing. What was I thinking? And it’s only been 3 months. But yet... I can’t wait for Friday, Brew day... awful I tell you, just plain awful.

Thanks for listening to my happy ramblings..

 

[ancientmariner52]

You've got the bug, all right. And the bug's got you. Welcome!

 

[MHBT]

I hear ya bro, When i shop for homebrew supplies i say to myself "ok you just need DME to make a starter" next thing you know i got 2 new buckets ,20lbs of 2 row, 2 packs of yeast,8 oz of hops, 17 hop bags..its insanity.

 

[thehaze]

Yeah... I can definitely relate. Been brewing since last year in January and started more seriously in August. Now I have 5 Speidel fermenters, a Grainfather Connect with the Grainfather Sparge Heater, a bucket only used for bottling, hundreds of bottles. I recently just got a pH meter 'cause I believe my beers suffered from a serious pH issue...

I don't think it ever stops, as you can always improve something and buy something new you need. And then things break down or become unusable, so you have to change them and next time you will want something better, bigger, bolder, etc.

 

[Pkrd]

Get out while you still can man. We're all in too deep, but there's hope for you.

 

[Miraculix]

Just one little tip from me, skip the secondary, just leave it in primary. I know a lot of recipes and kits still ask for secondary but it is a thing of the past.actually, it is very beneficial for the beer if it stays on the yeast for an extended amount of time after fermentation has finished, as the yeast has time to clean up fermentation byproducts and off flavors.

The good news is, free fermenter! More beer!

 

[PADave]

You fell down the hole......hang on, it's only begun.

 

[VTX1300]

It's the voices in my head talking, what should be my next beer, and the one after that, and the one after that..........then it starts on what my next equipment purchase should be. At least my wonderful wife understands the obsession!

 

[divrack]

the mrs was not best pleased when i vetoed going on holiday due to tight funds and then received a £550 ($7-800) shiny metal bucket in the mail a couple weeks later. "i cant afford not to have it" i said. my reasoning was flawless, however she refused to understand.

 

[grampamark]

I'm just chipping. I can quit any time.

 

[Inkleg]

You should check out the Coffee roasting and Who's smoking meat this weekend threads. They're awful too!

 

[mongoose33]

I think the hardest part is that you just can't really tell where it's all going to end.

Let me help you with that: $5000.

There. Just to prepare you.

 

[mongoose33]

You fell down the hole......hang on, it's only begun.

 

[soccerdad]

Your kids do not need a college fund and you do not need a retirement fund. With sufficient beer, you won't care about either.

 

[Dcpcooks]

You really need to take a step back and figure out the important things. Your moving soon and you need to decide if your going to dedicate space in the new house for an electric 3 vessel system with conical uni tanks and a dedicated tap room.

Brew on

 

[Miraculix]

You really need to take a step back and figure out the important things. Your moving soon and you need to decide if your going to dedicate space in the new house for an electric 3 vessel system with conical uni tanks and a dedicated tap room.

Brew on

This!!!

Focus!

 

[Murphys_Law]

Hi, my name is Joe and I'm a Home Brewaholic...

 

[gunhaus]

Ermergerd!!!!! Turrrable!!! Gooble Goo - ONE of us . . . .Gooble Goo One of us . . .

 

[JPBrewLI]

As far as hobbies go, i'm finding this pretty cheap to get into also scales quite well when you want to move up and still very affordable.
At least my wife is happy i stopped adding to my gun collection

 

[divrack]

As far as hobbies go, i'm finding this pretty cheap to get into also scales quite well when you want to move up and still very affordable.
At least my wife is happy i stopped adding to my gun collection

ahh guns and limitless alkyholl, a match made in heaven!

 

[brewing_clown]

Wait until the all grain bug bites.

 

[kh54s10]

Yep, And to think - the OP is just starting down the slippery slope.

 

[jcav]

Your toast! Welcome to the group brother!

John

 

[Redpappy]

You really need to take a step back and figure out the important things. Your moving soon and you need to decide if your going to dedicate space in the new house for an electric 3 vessel system with conical uni tanks and a dedicated tap room.

Brew on

The wife has given me the basement, she calling it my man cave. So, with her giving me the basement, I’m trying to figure out where the sink should be, researching on ventilation, I’m shooting to be close to the breaker box so when I need to run the wire it won’t be to far. I am starting off with a full fridge, just to store beer, hops, and possibly yeast.

Ohh, and to add to my list I just picked up a small 2 gal bucket to start doing 1 gal BIAB. To tinker with receipes/ and to do SMaSH.

Wait until the all grain bug bites.

I am hopping/trying to stay with extract till I move..

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

LOL... When I got divorced, I for the most part simply parted with most of the furniture in the house and let my ex have it.

Still needed a 17' U-haul to move on when the house sold, primarily for all the brew gear, grilling gear, multiple fridges, shelving units (full of brew gear), etc.

It wouldn't shock me if 75% of my assets (not counting clothes and car) were either brewing or cooking related.

 

[divrack]

LOL... When I got divorced, I for the most part simply parted with most of the furniture in the house and let my ex have it.

Still needed a 17' U-haul to move on when the house sold, primarily for all the brew gear, grilling gear, multiple fridges, shelving units (full of brew gear), etc.

It wouldn't shock me if 75% of my assets (not counting clothes and car) were either brewing or cooking related.

sounds like youve wasted 25percent of your money

 

[Vandulus]

LOL... When I got divorced, I for the most part simply parted with most of the furniture in the house and let my ex have it.

Still needed a 17' U-haul to move on when the house sold, primarily for all the brew gear, grilling gear, multiple fridges, shelving units (full of brew gear), etc.

It wouldn't shock me if 75% of my assets (not counting clothes and car) were either brewing or cooking related.

This sounds too familiar as I moved out of our house 3 weeks back due to serious, on-going issues with SWMBO. The 17 foot U-Haul was filled with bedroom, office furniture and the rest was brew gear. My brother and friend said they expected some homebrew in payment for helping me move. Just brewed up my first batch in the condo I'm renting on Sunday.

 

[Br3w4u]

Blasphemy! You must pray to the stainless steel kettle and ask for forgiveness for the evil you speak! Then do it again in two weeks......

 

[Desert_Sky]

Im guessing you havent figured out how well home grown and home brewed go together, because then you get to fund two hobbies at once.....

Lifes a ***** aint it?

 

[Saboral]

I had a terminal case, brewed one extract brew, one all grain in new equipment, and then built a Brutus 10. Don’t worry you haven’t even come close to just how awful this hobby can get.... but being that you’re building a house.... a brew room wouldn’t be hard to add....

 

[schatzke]

And you haven't even built a kegerator....yet
Welcome to the obsession!

 

[Redpappy]

I bought my SB 10 gal Kettle. Designed for EBIAB. I will be doing my first 5 gal batch AG Friday. Can’t wait. Plus I have a 5.1 Q foot freezer headed my way. Which I am thinking of turning into a Ferm chamber for now, but may turn into a keezer later on down the road.

 

[GoeHaarden]

I bought my SB 10 gal Kettle. Designed for EBIAB. I will be doing my first 5 gal batch AG Friday. Can’t wait. Plus I have a 5.1 Q foot freezer headed my way. Which I am thinking of turning into a Ferm chamber for now, but may turn into a keezer later on down the road.

LOL....it never ends. It's so easy to catch the bug. IMO, ferm chamber is one of those "essentials" to making consistently good beers. Good luck on the AG, it's a lot of fun! What brew is on deck?

 

[Redpappy]

I will doing my Boston ale clone ( house beer). So of course I will be saving a few of my my extract brews to compare with.

 

[Inkleg]

IMO, ferm chamber is one of those "essentials" to making consistently good beers. Good luck on the AG, it's a lot of fun! What brew is on deck?

^^This^^ One of my biggest turn arounds came from controlling fermentation temperatures.

I started with MrBeer too and well....lets just say it might have gotten out of control.
You'll enjoy EBIAB and you will produce great beers.
I recommend some kind of brewing software if you don't already have something. I started with BeerSmith and after brewing two beers and keeping good notes I got my equipment profile down and hit my numbers every time now.
Be aware that this will also branch you out into brewing beer styles you hadn't even tried before starting this hobby. But hey, it sure beats the heck out of stamp collecting!

 

[Redpappy]

I started playing with BrewSmith a little over a week ago. I figure it will take a few brews to get it dialed in, but so far I have checked my boil off rate .. the rest I took a guess at, but will change them after I brew.
As far as styles, well, I’m trying all. The only brew that I have brewed more than once is my Boston ale. I am even Going to brew things I did not care for... IPAs.

 

[ismellweird]

What was I thinking? And it’s only been 3 months.

Hi Redpappy, first of all I want to say welcome to the hobby and please don't give us so soon. I started brewing late last year with some equipment I inherited from a relative. Literally in week 1 I had some of the worst brewing experience imaginable. People told me to quit, idiot, all the worst names and at 3 months I was starting to turn things around and now I am just 6 months in but never happier and the future is very bright. I have developed so many original recipes and techniques, I never considered myself a brewer but now I am ahead of many people even on this bulletin board. It's true. Maybe you will be too. Hang in there and don't give up and don't listen to any responses on here especially the ones who are likely to call you names and try to drive you out. It's jealousy! Good luck my friend. Someday I will visit your brewery.

is_mell_weird

 

[Jayjay1976]

I BIAB indoors on a DIY electric setup, and went from a single carboy to keeping 4 constantly full in my first 3 months of brewing, just to expand my pipeline capacity. Now whenever I bottle a batch and one of the fermenters sits empty for more than a few days I get the itch to brew. I've worked up recipes in brewer's friend to keep me busy for the next 12 months and now I'm getting the hang of brewing seasonally.

 

[DeeEnvy]

I have to agree. This IS a horrible hobby.
Just wait until you get into kegging. It becomes REALLY addicting. LOL

 

[MaxStout]

This IS a horrible hobby. And I do horrible things. I brew. And I drink. Then I brew. And I drink again...

I'm a horrible person. I think I'll have another beer.