Well, this is gonna be interesting.

[mr_coffee]

I've been a lurker here for quite a while, mostly read but have rarely posted.

I started homebrewing in December, have about a half dozen beers and a batch of mead under my belt. I really enjoy everything about it - the process, the smells, the fact that I can have whatever style of beer I want in large amounts at reasonable cost....

...

...having 50-something bottles of good beer on hand at a time is not good for me. Saturday got bad, like it's fortunate nobody is hurt, dead or in jail bad; Sunday I admitted to my friends and loved ones that I have a problem, and after 25 years I'm quitting. I've poured out the bulk of my alcohol with the exception of a few things which I will give to friends. I'm giving away all of my glassware, and a friend is buying my entire homebrew setup today.

Does anybody here brew but not drink? Or brew NA beers? Do they come out remotely satisfying?

The reason I ask is, for me a lot of it is about routine. I enjoy a beer with dinner, the alcohol is just a by-product. I enjoy a beer while watching TV, or with a snack like some good cheese, or... For now, I am making a clean break, getting away from it all. But if it's feasible, perhaps somewhere down the road I might be in a better position to enjoy good homebrewed NA beers.

So....Day Three.

-m

 

[TasunkaWitko]

First, congratulations on taking what is surely a difficult step; I wish you well with your challenge.

I don't have any problems, but I do brew a gallon at a time; this might be an option, as it is pretty tough to get in trouble with 10 (at most) beers in the pipeline.

Another advantage is that brewing a gallon at a time allows you to take some liberties and "risks" that you wouldn't consider taking with a 5-gallon bathch - trying different styles, ingredients and methods.

Something to consider....

 

[mr_coffee]

Thanks for the kind words, TasunkaWitko.

Ah...I just found BierMuncher's thread. I'm not even in a psychological position to play with that sort of fire right now, but down the road, perhaps there is hope.

-m

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Thanks for the kind words, TasunkaWitko.

I'm not even in a psychological position to play with that sort of fire right now, but down the road, perhaps there is hope.

I can somewhat relate to what you say here. I have one son who has a problem, and even one beer almost always leads to more trouble than he needs or wants.

For myself, I tend to look at brewing as developing a craft; I have a pretty fair background in cooking, and it is interesting for me to try and even experiment with ingredients and little tweaks here and there. I find it amazing and exciting that you can take a beer and with some careful experimentation give it such varied and interesting characteristics.

Another aspect that motivates me is the history and traditions of beer; my German ancestors emigrated from The Alsace region to Ukraine, where they brewed their own beer, and continued that tradition when they came to the USA (western North Dakota) - you can still find the descendants of the hops that they planted in the Killdeer Mountains there. The ones who stayed behind in Alsace eventually opened a brewry that became rather successful. To think about all of that history and tradition sparks my interest and desire to learn as much as I can.

 

[fuzzy2133]

Op this is the dark side of the hobby, some people see it and like you admit it. Others just exercise control of how much they have each day. With your user name have you ever thought about roasting coffee or making your own soda?

It takes a very strong person to admit to a fault and take a course of action.

 

[Homercidal]

I think it's wonderful that you are taking positive steps to better yourself. I think it takes a strong person to recognize a problem like this and deal with it.

Remember, there is NO requirement to drink alcohol and live a happy life. I large percentage of people just don't drink any alcohol, and another large percent drink very occasionally.

What I would suggest, without doing any research, is to find a different hobby to fill the hobby void (if you have CHAS, Compulsive Hobby Acquisition Syndrome, like I do) and find a replacement drink, like Iced Tea or whatever you like to drink to fill the physical desire.

 

[Yooper]

I've been a lurker here for quite a while, mostly read but have rarely posted.

I started homebrewing in December, have about a half dozen beers and a batch of mead under my belt. I really enjoy everything about it - the process, the smells, the fact that I can have whatever style of beer I want in large amounts at reasonable cost....

...

...having 50-something bottles of good beer on hand at a time is not good for me. Saturday got bad, like it's fortunate nobody is hurt, dead or in jail bad; Sunday I admitted to my friends and loved ones that I have a problem, and after 25 years I'm quitting. I've poured out the bulk of my alcohol with the exception of a few things which I will give to friends. I'm giving away all of my glassware, and a friend is buying my entire homebrew setup today.

Does anybody here brew but not drink? Or brew NA beers? Do they come out remotely satisfying?

The reason I ask is, for me a lot of it is about routine. I enjoy a beer with dinner, the alcohol is just a by-product. I enjoy a beer while watching TV, or with a snack like some good cheese, or... For now, I am making a clean break, getting away from it all. But if it's feasible, perhaps somewhere down the road I might be in a better position to enjoy good homebrewed NA beers.

So....Day Three.

-m

I knew one guy (long gone now) who made wine long after he quit drinking. But he was an anomaly.

I would steer clear of any type of routine that included alcohol. I used to smoke years ago, and to quit smoking I had to change my routine as I used to sit and watch the news with a coffee and a cigarette. I seriously had to quit watching the news for a while, as I craved my routine (and the cig).

I'd find a new hobby that doesn't involve brewing or alcohol in any way. If you really want to "brew" something, maybe make some soda but I wouldn't even recommend that as it's too close to the old routine and it'd be very easy to slide back into trouble.

How about something else that uses the creative process? Soapmaking? Cheesemaking? Those kinds of things would be creative, fun to do, fun to use, and fun to gift. I don't make cheese much anymore, but I did it weekly for years.

 

[Caboose]

I think you'll find a lot of support and encouragement from this group. I can't even begin to image the strength needed to tackle something like this. I have been fortunate enough to not have to worry about such a thing. Honestly, I don't like being drunk, I think I have been twice in my life time. But I do enjoy some drinks with friends. That being said, one of my greatest and best friends does have the struggle. He grew up in a home where his dad consumed a fifth of whisky a day, for about 20 years. He is know dealing with the health issues caused by that. My friend is a great man, he grew up drinking heavily because that was what he was used to. He thought that was normal until he met our group of friends and was reintroduced to a different kind social drinking (he had previously stopped while in school) and he found out that he could enjoy a drink or two without having to go any further.

I mentioned the above information for this, after I started brewing, he showed interest in it. He started by making some wine, and has since made a few batches of beer. I know it is hard for him, so I check on him a lot to make sure he is okay. His wife is the best thing for him, she knows who he is, she knows what he deals with (she knew it all before the got married) and she is able to keep him on a good path.

I hope you find a creative process to put your heart into. I think coffee bean roasting and cheese making would be really interesting, and I plan on checking it out in the near future. I also hope that one day you are able to find a balance that allows you to enjoy brewing and also enjoying the benefits of it.

And no matter what, if you need help from anyone on HBT all you have to do is ask!

 

[gfinockio]

My suggestion would be to move over to something non-alcoholic, but still retains some of the original "magic" of brewing - cheese-making, kombucha, kefir, etc. Or go in a completely different direction - wood-working, programming, etc.

But kudos for admitting your problem, and moving forward. I admire you for doing it.

 

[cernst151]

3 Cheers to you for recognizing a problem in your life and making positive steps to fix the issue. That takes a lot of strength. If you have difficulty in keeping to your new resolution don't hesitate to seek out help. I've known people with drinking and drug problems and sometimes having a therapist or even a support group can help. Certainly seeking help is no sign of weakness.

I agree with the previous poster. Given your screen name here maybe coffee roasting would be a good new hobby to pick up. Like homebrewing the basics are pretty straightforward but you could spend a lifetime perfecting it. I have to imagine brewing coffee from beans that are still hot from the roasting is probably akin to that super fresh hoppy IPA.

As for brewing your own non-alcoholic beer I'm not aware of any way of doing it. I think the manufacturers have some method of removing the alcohol from beer but I'm really not sure how it's even done. That said, if you still want to enjoy beer without the alcohol (assuming that doesn't make refraining from alcohol even harder than it already is) my sister in law likes Kaliber non-alcoholic beer when pregnant or breastfeeding.

 

[cernst151]

One final note. I've definitely had people imply, or outright say, that I must have a drinking problem because I brew. Especially since I brew beer, wine and cider I must be a raging alcoholic. I've always thought that people with drinking problems are probably underrepresented in the homebrewing community because my assumption was that people with a drinking problem probably wouldn't want to wait several weeks for their beer. I think it would be an interesting thing to study.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

3

As for brewing your own non-alcoholic beer I'm not aware of any way of doing it. I think the manufacturers have some method of removing the alcohol from beer but I'm really not sure how it's even done. .

Me thinks, that some semblance of distillation is involved.

 

[Caboose]

One final note. I've definitely had people imply, or outright say, that I must have a drinking problem because I brew. Especially since I brew beer, wine and cider I must be a raging alcoholic. I've always thought that people with drinking problems are probably underrepresented in the homebrewing community because my assumption was that people with a drinking problem probably wouldn't want to wait several weeks for their beer. I think it would be an interesting thing to study.

I've been there as well. It can be frustrating, but once they see my passion for the entire process they realize its not the case. But then they realize that I'm probably a little crazy...oh well.

 

[hunter_le five]

Me thinks, that some semblance of distillation is involved.

Heating to drive off alcohol, sure, but not distillation, as there is no method of collecting/condensing the vapor involved.

 

[gfinockio]

One final note. I've definitely had people imply, or outright say, that I must have a drinking problem because I brew. Especially since I brew beer, wine and cider I must be a raging alcoholic. I've always thought that people with drinking problems are probably underrepresented in the homebrewing community because my assumption was that people with a drinking problem probably wouldn't want to wait several weeks for their beer. I think it would be an interesting thing to study.

I would just accuse the grain-to-glass folks of that. :cross:

 

[rekoob]

Bravo Sir for your willingness to take that first hard step.

I started roasting coffee about a year ago and I can tell you the DIY aspect of that along with the roasting is something you can fill some time with. I have to agree with a few others that I would stay away from anything brewing for some time to adjust. Penty of things to do besides brew.

 

[ericbw]

+1 on cheese. There are similarities like recipes, process, smells, etc. and even equipment if that gets you excited. And you get to eat the results!

 

[mr_coffee]

Wow, thanks for all the supportive comments, y'all. I'm on day 7 now, and doing good.

I manage to keep pretty busy with various interests, so there's that.

I probably won't be back much, but wanted to say thanks.

-m

 

[soccerdad]

Be well mr coffee - - appreciate your candor and the support you are receiving. I like the coffee roasting idea as a substitute .. but there are all kinds of great hobbies .. baking, fishing, bicycling, and of course, SOCCER!