What has homebrewing taught you

[Beerthoven]

Beer making has revived my sense of wonder and awe at the planet we live on. I'm amazed by the wonderous set of circumstances that brought together barley, yeast, hops, and water to make beer and that this beer has such as profound effect on the human mind. It's miraculous, really, and I am not a religeous man by any stretch of the imagination.

Beer making has made my house merrier, my friends come over more often, and I have a new thing to talk about with lots of new people. Its A Good Thing.

 

[Yooper]

Even three years ago, I never thought I'd be brewing decent all-grain beers. I've learned that I'm pretty self reliant and can figure things out, even things that are traditionally thought of as "guys stuff". I thought kegging would be harder than it is, since I'm not handy. I love being able to do whatever it is that I want to do with my brewing.

I get frustrated by my physical limitations, like lifting 7 gallons of hot wort is almost impossible for me. I do manage to lift and haul around all my carboys and rack them, but I hate feeling "weak". I'd love a brewing sculpture, but I don't have the mechanical ability. So, I accept that but get a little frustrated by it. I'm going to do a 10 gallon batch this summer, just to prove that I can.

I also learned that I can gain alot of weight in a short period of time just by increasing my beer consumption.

 

[c.n.budz]

I get frustrated by my physical limitations, like lifting 7 gallons of hot wort is almost impossible for me. I do manage to lift and haul around all my carboys and rack them, but I hate feeling "weak".

I think I found a solution for you Yoops

 

[RichBrewer]

I thought it would be fun to kinda see what everyone has learned from home brewing, besides the process of brewing itself. I know there are a lot of skills out there that people have put towards brewing whether it be a DIY project, a little geeky learning, or finding the best way to get SWMBO to to let you keep spending money on beer...

I've mainly have a better appreciation for beer and the process. With my appreciation I now enjoy better beer!

 

[Brewing Clamper]

I've learned that I love redheads

 

[EvilTOJ]

I've learned you better seal that effer up otherwise you're going to be leaking grain like a sieve!




I've learned patience, and how to appreciate the food and drink I consume better.

And I love redheads. Hell, my SWMBO dyed her hair red this weekend. Much appreciation was had by all

 

[tgrier]

I have learned a great deal.

Mainly .. how to taste a beer (homebrew or other) and be able to understand what I am tasting... the malt profile or the hops... and understanding how "styles" of beer are related.
and mainly what I LIKE and what I do not like.

 

[Sea]

Patience.

And that my dream of being a professional brewer might not be as personaly satisfying as I had thought. As much as I love to brew, I equally loath the cleaning/sanitation process.

 

[Austinhomebrew]

I have learned that if you ask 10 brewers, you get 15 answers.

 

[kenche]

I also learned that I can gain alot of weight in a short period of time just by increasing my beer consumption.

+1 on that!

I started my trusty diet 4 weeks ago, that has never failed me in the past. It essentially involves an increased excercise regimen, and good nutrional choices.

The only difference this time around is that I have 10 gallons of tasty homebrew in the kegerator.

Instead of losing the expected 4 lbs, I have gained 3 lbs.

 

[Chris_Dog]

I also learned that when you really need a keg, that one you think is going to blow any minute will be bottomless.

+1 No kidding, I have made that mistake more than once!


For me it has been the attention to details.

 

[niquejim]

I also learned that I can gain alot of weight in a short period of time just by increasing my beer consumption.

+1 on that!

I started my trusty diet 4 weeks ago, that has never failed me in the past. It essentially involves an increased excercise regimen, and good nutrional choices.

The only difference this time around is that I have 10 gallons of tasty homebrew in the kegerator.

Instead of losing the expected 4 lbs, I have gained 3 lbs.

I understand this one. Last week my daughter came out to the garage and saw me drinking a beer while riding the stationary bike, shook her head and walked away

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

When I read about the evils of drinking beer, I learned that it was time I stopped reading.

 

[Neomich]

In the short amount of time I've spent brewing, I've learned:

Patience
I know more about beer than before, but the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know.
The TRUE definition of beer. (Hops, Barley, Water and Yeast)
Not everyone is as interested in beer as I am. WTF?
Belgium is now at the top of my list of international destinations

 

[Desert Monkey]

Learned about the story of beer, learned it's a great passion to share with people of the same ilk, and picked up a pastime that won't end up with my leg in a cast (no more flying hockey pucks and skate metal bits stuck in my eye- yup, SHMBO agrees that's a good thing.)

When I read about the evils of drinking beer, I learned that it was time I stopped reading.

That's just funny right there, I don't care who you are -

 

[98EXL]

oh geeze....

I can actually build whatever it is I need for brewing, which is cool
I find it very relaxing and as if I ever needed an excuse to talk to friends of mine, I can bore them to death on beer topics....especially if we are drinking HB.
I also learned I love gardening and that I need 10 million bucks so I never have to work again, and can build things, work on my car, brew and garden

 

[PseudoChef]

I've learned to pony up the extra cash the first time (i.e. wort chiller, bigger kettle, bigger mashtun, etc.).