What does your SWMBO think of your brewing hobby(lifestyle for some of you)

[Randar]

My wife likes the results and probably drinks more of the homebrew than I do. It is nice that her beer requests are things like a cream stout or a nicely hopped IPA and not something fruity or yellow and fizzy. However her eyes start to glaze over when I start talking about hops, IBU's, GU:BU ratio and yeast profiles.

Amen to that. I think my SWMBO is more of a hop-head than I am, and I love 'em!

 

[DrawTap88]

When I'm brewing, it's just about the only time that me and SWMBO actually sit down and talk. She's not really into helping out, but enjoys the sampling aspect. She does not like when I sample a little too much, but I can't blame her.

 

[tjp68]

I got into brewing a few months ago and other than casually mentioning it to my girlfriend I never really brought it up. She isnt a big beer drinker and doesnt really share my tastes on it. However, I had to run to my LHBS the other day to grab a few things and she went along. Next thing I know she is weighing and crushing grain for the Hefeweizen she wants to help me make! She had a bunch of questions and is looking forward to our brew day together. I'm so glad to have someone to sanitize and bottle with.

Like a lot of others in this thread, my SWMBO is very supportive of my obssession. She even pretends to enjoy the beer. Everytime she takes a sip, the look on her face (half repulsed, but determined to like it) reminds me why I thought she was so foxy to begin with.

I always have a brown, Scottish or some other lightly hopped session beer in the pipeline for her.

 

[Jud]

My wife went from drinking no beer to discovering several styles that she enjoys. Right now she is very fond of the Scottish Heavy that is on tap! She has even bought me a grain mill!!!!!!!!!

 

[mlyday]

My wife is totally supportive. She's not a beer drinker, but is happy when I'm happy. And Visa versa....

Same here.

 

[Chase22]

She bought me my kit for Christmas, being able to pick up on my less-than-subtle hints. Toleration is the word I'd use to describe her attitude. She doesn't drink herself, but understands that it's a hobby I really enjoy.

Her eyes do glaze over when I talk about the ins and outs of the process, though. And she reminds me that we are both students and can't afford to buy all the brewing equipment I want at once.

 

[JustDandy]

My fiance hates beer; doesn't like the smell of brewing, and told me to get the hell out of the house... And build a brew shed.

I think I'll marry her after all.

 

[Acoma]

So far shes been really supportive. She listens to all the brew talk and will help me if I ask her for something on brew day. Even bought me a kit and some goodies off my wish list. However, like many of yours, mine doesnt care for beer. I'll have her smell it and can get her to take a sip once in a long while but if it isnt a sweet or Lambic style beer she wont drink it. She does like dessert wines and margaritas once or twice a year but can only drink half a glass or so.

 

[SICCNESS]

Mine doesn't care either way, she is interested in making wine though

 

[TheSeether]

My wife egged me into the hobby over the course of a few years. When I finally bit the bullet she remained supportive and willfully ignorant of the costs of the operations. She can and will drink as much as me and we have right similar tastes. She has been known to sneak a few bottles behind my back and sheepishly hide when I find out weeks later. How she drinks that green garbage is beyond me. She talks as if she wants to help brew but she really never does and I think she is more afraid of taking on any liability for a potentially bad batch. Occasionally she makes the mistake of asking me questions like, "What does OG mean". I don't know how to give concise answers because my brain doesn't accept such answers. I have to understand the full gamut of variables and factors and reasons and so I try to relate far too much information when asked simple questions.

All in all the hobby and the SWMBO are copacetic with one another. If one had to go it would definitely be the hobby (not that she would ever require it). I only wish I could get her to value homebrew ingredients over new purses and shoes. I suppose my lax attitude towards those gets me the no questions asked when new equipment appears in the kitchen.

 

[android]

my wife is very cool about brewing. she doesn't drink as much beer as i do, but she definitely loves the beer when she does. always asks me if I need anything from the 'beer store' when she goes down to the big city. she rules!

 

[Bishop916]

She seems to be down with it.
The extra equipment kinda caught her off guard, coming from Mr. Beer which is basically kettle, lbk and bottles. Now when I brew I have equipment strewn all over the kitchen HAHA

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

She says I don't pay enough attenuation to her.

But I tell her it's not real, just apparent.

 

[SmokeShank]

My wife thinks its cool that we have beer on tap at home (although she doesn't drink beer).She loves to help me brew and I love that she has a food science background, its fun asking her questions about fermentation. Other than that I get the usual "you want to buy what? How much?" questions all the time

 

[MomsBrewing]

My husband and kids bought me a start up kit for my birthday. They are all quite supportive and play a big part in our brewing. I do the boiling, he does all of the heavy lifting, and my 7 year old does all of the bottling. It has become quite the family affair

 

[kingmatt]

my fiance was OK with my brewing at first but now i think she is starting to reach the end of her rope.

we are saving for our wedding so everytime a package arrives with more brewing supplies she gives me a bit of the stink eye...

 

[brettwasbtd]

my fiance was OK with my brewing at first but now i think she is starting to reach the end of her rope.

we are saving for our wedding so everytime a package arrives with more brewing supplies she gives me a bit of the stink eye...

Gotta start sending those packages to a friends place :rockin:

 

[Homebrewtastic]

She says I don't pay enough attenuation to her.

But I tell her it's not real, just apparent.

i lolled

 

[pokerfreak2]

Wife is simi supportive, but I realized I had stepped over the line when we were eating out with some friends. Of course I was having a craft brew, they were looking at my black beer and saying stuff like that looks like motor oil.
Long story short, they asked about what hops were and I happened to have a near empty bag of hops in my poket. I guess I shouldn't have gotten it out and passed it around.... It didn't go over well with her. So now I don't bring up my addiction in public in front of the SWMBO.

 

[greenfrog5]

My girlfriend and I share good taste in beer, have brewed 4 beers and Apfelwein together, and her help/involvement has gradually declined to 'assistant when needed'. Always eager to help with '2-person jobs', she is also happy to do her own thing until needed. Holding/carrying things, stirring while I dump, bottling/cleaning, etc. She loves cooking, canning, gardening, but she has less interest in actually brewing than I expected. Always willing to help 'free up' bottles though.

Aaron

 

[mikeysab]

my wife doesn't drink, doesn't do drugs, doesn't go out with her friends, doesn't do ANYTHING except sit home and B and M about anything and everything that exists in the world. On the other hand, I drink, do drugs, go out, brew beer, party and enjoy life.....all AFTER i spend time with my kids and make sure they're well taken care of. So my wife does not SUPPORT my brewing habit, even though she was the one that first suggested I brew my own beer. I think she thought I'd never buy beer again, but when i had to actually BREW the beer I drank, she realized the mistake she made.

 

[JNye]

When I told her I was going to start brewing beer she just rolled her eyes and said, "NO thats stupid, you don't need to that". Of course I ignored her and proceeded with extreme recklessness and brewed about once a week for awhile. Its become apart of my routine that she has no choice but to tolerate it. She's a good girl, and tolerant of me, and patient, just kinda stupid for thinking I could be stopped from making beer, I mean its BEER!

 

[cms]

My wife is growing tired of it. She was probably hoping that it would be more of a money-saver. Now that I'm itching to try all-grain, it's going to start getting more difficult.

 

[logan3825]

You can save money if you can ever quit buying equipment and expensive beer samples of new styles.

 

[bruin_ale]

You can save money if you can ever quit buying equipment and expensive beer samples of new styles.

Haha, for sure.. I moved to all-grain with the idea that it would allow me to produce the cheapest beer (bulk grain is way cheaper than extract). Well, sure.. I can make a batch of beer for super cheap - but I keep buying new gadgets (grain mill, pump, quick disconnects, plate chiller, etc.)

And then there's the fact that I didn't stop buying beer, I just stopped buying common beers like pale ales cuz it's easy to brew something similar for cheaper - but now I'm buying more expensive 22oz craft beers. Oh well, my wife accepts that it's a hobby - hobbies are expensive, my other hobby is motorcycle trackdays which is easily more expensive than brewing at ~$200 a day.

 

[MDRex]

The only complaint my wife has is the amount of "stuff" that has built up in the house. I just need someplace better to keep my equipment and empty bottles. That problem will be resolved when we move out of the city, into a house that actually has some storage space.

I guess I should add that she isn't a beer drinker. She will try stuff when we are drinking with friends, but she really isn't into it at all. She has no problems with my addiction tho, so that's been great.

 

[zman]

I guess I am in the very lucky group SWMBO Is an artist and very creative person and loves that I have a hobby that i am so passionate/obsessed about. She loves good beer ( Especially Belgian's), love the smell of the mash, the boil and the hops. She likes to help out from time to time but she has her own hobbies. She will go to the LHBS by her job if I need something and can't get to the store myself. She puts up with me taking over the kitchen 2x a month to brew and bottle batches. She is ok with me keeping washed yeast in the refrigerator and hops and my frozen yeast bank in the freezer. She gets me beer and brewing related gifts for xmas and birthdays. She is always excited to go to the GABF with me and has no issues with my HBC meetings and related events. Her only request is to get home before midnight when I have club meetings

 

[Toecutter]

My wife enjoys the beer. she has hobbies too. but every time a package comes in the mail my kids say, Ohh, more beer stuff. Hopefull with the arrival of my 40 plate chiller in a couple of days that should keep me busy, since I'm well bulk stocked on Grain and Hops

Ohh but theres that looming project to motorize my Monster Mill

 

[stat]

SWMBO got me a year's subscription to byo for valentines. She hates beer but I make her sip each new one I sample and give me a real opinion, not just the typical bitter/cat piss/etc etc. One day I even got her to say an Ipa was good, I think theres hope for her yet.

 

[user 30639]

My wife is very supportive, she bought me a kegerator last year, and she'll always try my beer. Ever few batches I ask her what kind of beer she wants, to keep her interested. The only thing she doesn't like about it is the smell of hops while boiling.