What do you do with your beer?

[Blue_State]

Drink it. Ya, I know that. I personally brew about 10 gallons of beer a month. Nothing crazy. Right now I am working on a new recipe and it is good but not great.

My question is, what do you do with your extra beers? I give some away, but at some point I feel like I am making more beer than my demand, especially the stuff that needs work. So what do you guys do?

Thanks.

 

[Hello]

I keg most of mine and give beer away 32 and 64 oz at a time. Unfortunately for ones I'm not sure about, I sit on them much longer.

There is never a point where demand for free beer dwindles. My neighbors stopped implying (no one really ever asked) but I still offer to some. I have friends willing to drink up as well.

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

If you are brewing more than you can drink and give away, you need to stop brewing so much.

Brew smaller batches, brew less often, brew small beers that you can drink more of.

If none of those are appealing to you, and you still want to brew the same amount, so you can "dial it in", then just bottle 12 or so bottles, and dump the rest.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I think your options are pretty straight forward if you can't even share it fast enough. If it is the right style maybe you can age it. I've never done it and don't think I'll ever make one worthwhile, but you could enter it in a competition.

Make a style with nice spice notes that you can try cooking with?

 

[PPPunkineater]

I have a beer machine that can serve 16 different home brews from one refrigerator and through one spigot. Dial in the beer you want, push the correct button for glass size, it fills and stops all automagically. Started this project 15 years ago and ready to go commercial with it in three different sizes. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1424787704.760981.jpg

 

[unionrdr]

Seems like you'd have to use mini kegs to get that many in the fridge? If you got too much beer around, maybe cut those 10 gallon batches down to 5 gallons?

 

[Brew_G]

Drink it. Ya, I know that. I personally brew about 10 gallons of beer a month. Nothing crazy. Right now I am working on a new recipe and it is good but not great.

My question is, what do you do with your extra beers? I give some away, but at some point I feel like I am making more beer than my demand, especially the stuff that needs work. So what do you guys do?

Thanks.

Sounds like there's a simple answer to your problem in that you just need to brew a little less. Someone had a good idea on brewing smaller batches. If you have the itch to brew, then brew less at a time so you find yourself with a glut of beer on hand that you can't do anything with. It will also give you a chance to practice and develop and dial in recipes such that mistakes won't be a big concern. Much easier to plow through a small batch of not-so-great brew than getting rid of a larger one.

I brewed only on my fifth batch a few weeks ago, but I've probably given away about 25% of my beers so far (helped that I served some for my daughter's birthday party - kids loved it! ). I had to dump one because of an infection, but the rest I've drank on pretty much my own (wife helped a little). I've brewed 5-gallon batches on average of about every four weeks, which seems to be a good number for me. I'd actually like to brew more often - make smaller batches so I can try out new things and keep a pipeline going - but I just don't have the time.

 

[Jayhem]

I wish I had time to brew more beer than my demand! I drink on average 2.5 beers every day so my demand is already 77/month plus I give away a few bottles about once a week to friends and family. I need to brew at least 11 gallons/month to keep up with demand.

In the event I brewed too much I would age it and give it away as Christmas gifts!

 

[madk]

Personally I give away more beer than I drink. I really enjoy the process and sharing so it doesn't feel wasteful at all. If you are brewing too much, maybe think about going down to 3 gallon batches.

 

[TheCADJockey]

After putting some more thought into it... I usually make beer and then send all the extra to TheCADJockey. This might be a good option for you as well. He is hard-working and very appreciative of such gifts and usually gives really thoughtful feedback.

 

[Blue_State]

After putting some more thought into it... I usually make beer and then send all the extra to TheCADJockey. This might be a good option for you as well. He is hard-working and very appreciative of such gifts and usually gives really thoughtful feedback.

I will take you up on that.

 

[Blue_State]

Thanks for the thoughts. It is pretty much what I had come up with on my own...wasn't sure if anyone had a out of the box idea. Thanks again.

 

[azazel1024]

Brew smaller batches. Every once in awhile I'll brew a 4-5 gallon batch, but mostly I brew 2.5-3.5 gallon batches. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas I ended up brewing 4x4-4.5 gallon batches in a row and I ran out of bottles and had to take a hiatus from brewing for 6-7 weeks, even with everything I plied on unsuspecting relatives over the holidays.

I've gone back to mostly 2.5-3.5 gallon batches now with the occasional 4-4.5 gallon batch.

Personally I can go through around 3 gallons of beer a month (I average around 1 beer a day). If my wife helps out, which isn't often, she can use up maybe .5-1 gallon of beer a month on average (she mostly drinks wine, but occasionally, either we are out of wine or she is "in the mood for a beer") as she normally only has 1 or 2 a week.

I/we also use it in cooking a lot. Depending on what I have in the bottle (I like to have a lot of varieties), it is great to use as a base for things like stews, crock pot dinners, battered things, cooking fish in it, pot pies, etc.

It isn't as cheap as water, but it is a lot cheaper than wine and I get a lot more varities a lot of times (nothing like using some stout/porter as the base for a nice shepard's pie or chicken pot pie).

Depending on what I am cooking in a month, I can use another half a gallon of beer a month cooking.

I also tend to give it away. I send my Dad home with a 6-pack everytime they visit and he brings me the empties. I don't see him as much as I'd like, but it is something. Sadly I swap beer with coworkers who also home brew, so I end up with their (excellent) beer instead of simply just giving mine away. I also ply it on my neighbors occasionally. My nieghbor helped plow out my driveway with her tractor over the weekend and I thrust a 6-pack on her in compensation.

If I had no kids or they were all grown up, I have NO idea what the heck I'd do (cook everything in beer? Beer on my cereal even?) as I LOVE to brew. Maybe it'll get old some day (I am only 20 months deep). I love to drink too, but if I am going to be self honest, I really don't think I can manage more than 10 beers a week and probably stay healthy (from a liver, addiction and waist line perspective).

As it stands, if I can I try to brew once a month, which gets back to the 2.5-3.5 gallon batches being close to perfect as it means I can generally brew every 4-5 weeks and slowly draw it down, throwing in the occasional 4-4.5 gallon batch and a couple of times a year I can "go crazy" and brew 2-4 times in a 1-2 week period (example, wife and kids are going away for spring break, but I have to stay home because I can't take off work. I have a minimum of 4 and possibly 5 brews planned for that week) and then take a 6-8 week break in brewing before I start up with small batches again.

that and for this summer I am planning on finally doing "light beers", like a 3.6% ABV Berliner wiess I am planning, a 5% Belgian Single and a 5.2% Dortmunder for that spring break brewathon. A 3.6 percenter I'd have no worries about knocking back a couple of those a night and 3-4 on a particularly hot and thirsty summer day. My more typical 6-7% ABV beers that I often brew are very much more just drink 1 a day, or occasionally 2 (3 if a really special occasion/party). So making 5-5.5 gallons of 3.6% ABV beer is a lot more doable than 5 gallons of a 6% beer as it'll take me a lot longer to drink the heavier beer (which means I get to brew sooner with the lighter beer, even though there is more volume than there is of what would be a lighter beer, which means I get to brew again sooner!!!)

One of the other things I want to start doing soon is stocking me cellar. I need to build up more bottles, but I want to start brewing RIS and Barley Wines soon and cellar aging them. Also sours. Since they take so stinking long to age properly, if I am brewing one of those every couple of months mixed in with my regular brewing (at least for awhile doing that) it shouldn't be a big deal. Sure it is extra beer, but it is going to take 6-12+ months before it is "ready" to drink and even when it is, I can keep drinking it for a year, or two or three (or more?). At some point I'd have to slow down, but if I put up a couple of different RIS, a couple of barley wines and a couple of sours in a year, I can cut it back to half that the next year and keep a good stock of the "special stuff".

 

[Mexibilly]

Feel free to package your extras and send them to me

 

[Auger]

I see you're in Hartford...if you need someone to drink all your beer up I'm local and willing.

 

[1977Brewer]

I did the math and in 2 more batches, I'm going to be out of bottles, room, and friends.

Gotta up my game, and my friend count, and my storage.

 

[azazel1024]

To add, I also brew dependent on the style I am brewing. I am just getting in to IPAs and double IPAs, but I am brewing VERY small batches for me. I have the stuff for a 2.5G IPA with the hops in the freezer waiting for when I have a spare weekend. When I do a double IPA I'll probably only brew a 1.5-2 gallon batch. I love hoppy beers, but I want it to taste fresh. If I brewed a 5 gallon batch, there is no way I have the fridge space to store it all once carbed or the ability to drink it all before it started losing it's hop potency. I want to be able to brew it, bottle it, carb it and then store it in my fridge and be able to drink through all of it in a month or so. Where as my typical beers (because I try to keep a variety on hand) generally last 3-5 months before I've drank through all of a batch (with exception where it is something more special where I'll keep a few bottles around for a long time, Like I still have a Coffee Oatmeal RIS 22oz bottle from when I brewed it 15 months ago. One of my first all grain beers I brewed and still tastes VERY good. Just had the 2nd to last bottle a few weeks ago to celebrate a promotion at work).

 

[photobru]

Bring it to home-brew club meetings!

 

[azazel1024]

I did the math and in 2 more batches, I'm going to be out of bottles, room, and friends.

Gotta up my game, and my friend count, and my storage.

I have a double edged sword for me. I can't bring myself to buy bottles, so I buy beer that I know I can easily strip the labels from (plus, beer I like!). The problem there is, it gives me more bottles to use for MY beer, but it also means more beer I have to drink before I can brew/bottle again.

sigh.

Life is hard.

That is also the downside of me "giving away" beer when it isn't someone physically present in my house that I am plying with beer. I never get my bottles back unless it is from my Dad. That means if I give away a six pack, that is less beer that I need to "worry" about drinking, but it is fewer bottles to fill with beer later.

Part of why I've been on a buying spree of not-my-beers the last few months. Or at least a buying spree for me. Probably bought half a dozen six packs over the last 3 months, just to give me more bottles.

I think by my count I have 144-160 12oz bottles, 42 22oz bottles, a pair of 24oz swing top growlers and a pair of 32oz swing top growlers (not all is filled, the 24oz, one 32oz and around 20-22oz and 20-12oz bottles are sitting empty right now). My christmas list includes a box of 16oz swing top bottles to "up my game". I am not huge on swing tops, just because they are more of a pain to clean and sanitize (currently I just rinse my bottles after emptying them, then I pour a little water in, cover with aluminum foil and toss in my oven at 350F for an hour the night before bottling). They are soooooo pretty though and more bottles is more bottles.

 

[bragona71]

what I get out of this thread is either you need to start drinking more or find friends that do!!! lol

Pm me Im always willing to take your extras

 

[GHBWNY]

Old Bill was a brewer from Dauphin,
People shunned him for brewing too often;
But he could not be swayed, for he went to his grave
With a tap mounted inside his coffin!


Which is NOT to say you can take it with you when you go.

 

[Blue_State]

I see you're in Hartford...if you need someone to drink all your beer up I'm local and willing.

Actually, I live across the street from the Mill on the River...I can hook you up this week actually.

 

[Blue_State]

Bring it to home-brew club meetings!

I am pretty green. Where do I find these meetings?

 

[photobru]

I am pretty green. Where do I find these meetings?

I would check here:

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/community/clubs/find-a-homebrew-club/

After a quick search it looks like there are 2 in Hartford, plus I'll bet there are some in the surrounding areas.

Also ask at your LHBS, they should know.

 

[Auger]

Actually, I live across the street from the Mill on the River...I can hook you up this week actually.

Oh wow you're really close then....I live right near the fire dept on Ellington Rd. I have a few beers kegged right now, if you want to do a swap.

 

[Auger]

Also regarding the clubs...there are one or two that meet periodically at Brew and Wine Hobby in East Hartford, and there are a few others around. I haven't been active in any of them, and the research I did was pretty spotty as far as actual club activity.

 

[Blue_State]

Also regarding the clubs...there are one or two that meet periodically at Brew and Wine Hobby in East Hartford, and there are a few others around. I haven't been active in any of them, and the research I did was pretty spotty as far as actual club activity.

Brew and Wine Hobby was amazing. I don't feel like the service is there anymore. It is far better than Beer and Wine Makers Warehouse. That is where I use to get my supplies.

I keep wanting to see their all grain brew day (brew and wine hobby).

 

[adiochiro3]

Besides drinking it, I cook and bake more with beer now then I ever did...

 

[WayFrae]

If you are brewing more than you can drink and give away, you need to stop brewing so much.

Brew smaller batches, brew less often, brew small beers that you can drink more of.

If none of those are appealing to you, and you still want to brew the same amount, so you can "dial it in", then just bottle 12 or so bottles, and dump the rest.

Blasphemy!! The beer gods are ashamed of you.

To OP:

Just keep brewing as often as you like. When you get way too much beer just throw a party. That should deplete your stash very quickly.

 

[Zepth]

I drink the majority of it. Likely over 70%. I also give away and share every opportunity that arises. Gaming night and pizza at a friends place? I'll bring 2x6ers or a couple growlers or something and that's my contribution to the event. Suppose you could define that as more of a trade.

Going to the parents house I always have beer in hand and return with empties. Friends visiting at my place know that beer is on the house. Most are good about putting a donation into a well placed can. Homebrew can be inexpensive, but it isn't free.

Got into kegging about 7 months ago, just 2 to start. It is just too easy to keg a batch instead of bottling it. Pulling a growler off to send away is simple. Then I built the e-kettle. As far as "keeping production low" it was a miserable failure. Made it possible for me to double my output in a day while still knocking 3 hours off of it. I can't justify making 5g batches of sub 1.060 beer.

Always cooked with beer. Now it's second nature to do without even thinking about it. My favourite beer to cook with has actually been a batch that turned out with a heap of yeasty off flavours. Perhaps it was actually good, perhaps it was just a way to put the beer to some use and made me feel good about not having to dump it. Either way, that batch is now gone.