What kind of a Home Brewer are you?

[Scooby_Brew]

1. The Engineer likes to build spectacular brewing systems, RIMS, BRUTUS, all computerized, etc. Sometimes, the Engineer loves to build his brewing system more then brewing itself, and once the system is build, his love for Home Brewing kind of fades away... and the Engineer is stuck with a garage-full of useless junk.

2. The Chef is pre-occupied with recipes and ingredients. The Chef chooses an easy and inexpensive brewing set-up and sometimes he has troubles with building even the easiest brewing gadgets like a Wort Chiller or a Mush Tun. The Chef doesn't always understand the Brewing Science, and he doesn't really care as long as the beers turn out fantastic at the end.

3. The Scientist knows everything about the Brewing Science. The Scientist loves to propagate yeast cultures, he can talk for hours about molecular structure of Amylase Enzymes and the importance of magnesium sulfate in brewing water. Sometimes the Scientist has trouble with organizing the brew day smoothly and he doesn't always know what brewing procedures are safe to skip in order to pick-up the pace.

 

[funnycreature]

Voted for "The Chef" although I am a scientist by trade. The beauty of brewing is that I know enough to make the yeast do its job but it's the selection of ingredients (and temperatures, of course) that make good beer!

 

[RLinNH]

Chef

 

[DrunkenNightsPodcast]

I would think most brewers have to be a little of all of three, at least I am.

 

[theveganbrewer]

I am a 2/3 and not at all a 1.

 

[the_trout]

70% Chef
15% Engineer
15% Scientist

 

[amfukuda]

The engineer for sure I love building stuff and I love beer so building beer stuff is my idea of heaven

 

[firerat]

 

[GarageDweller]

4. The one you didn't account for

 

[unionrdr]

Well,I began being taught how to cook at age 7,50 years ago. Pop was country,she was city & didn't know how to make some country things,like biscuits. At age 15,I started learning to make wine. Going on 3 years making beer after race cars,hot rods,etc. I think I'm more of the re-engineering type with brewing stuff. It really is just like Roady said "everything works if ya let it". I like writing recipes more than just building or re-purposing things to brew beer with.
But having gotten straight A's in the Living Sciences & helping with the other students,part of me does seem to like the scienctific side of brewing in some perversely different way. Putting it all together,I march to the beat of a different drummer. Mainstream be damned.

 

[daksin]

Ah, I didn't read your descriptions. Judging by your write-ups, I'm more of a scientist.

 

[duboman]

I selected chef but really I am about 25% of each since I like to scientifically build beer, the remaining 25% I left for pure consumption

 

[jbaysurfer]

I would think most brewers have to be a little of all of three, at least I am.

I firmly believe myself to be a balance of all 3. The chef in that it's all about the final product to me. The scientist in that if you don't understand the science it affects your final product. And the engineer in that, I'm pretty handy and have done several DIY projects and spent more than my fair share on my brew set up.

I think process requires at least the tendencies of the chef and the engineer, but to establish a successful process, the scientist is integral.

So in short, I'm that wet blanket of reason that thinks you need an "mix and match the above" answer on your poll.

 

[shivalotus]

I think this poll needs an Alchemist option.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I am 125% chef, so I voted "scientist"





(No not really)

 

[Sheldon]

Tried to vote for none of the above, but that didn't work. Chef as the others are for sure not me

 

[brewsnthelou]

I am more so a chef than the others, but not a ' make it from scratch ' kinda chef... More like just give me the darn beer already nuke a TV dinner in the microwave kinda chef... lol

 

[Stauffbier]

I'm not a 1, but I can build things if I wanted to. I just choose to keep it simple. So I'll say I'm a 2 and 3 with modification to their definition.

 

[Braufessor]

Probably mainly scientist, but this phrase is nothing like me, and really sort of seems the opposite of "scientist" to me - Science tells me exactly what is safe to "skip," vs. what is not:

Sometimes the Scientist has trouble with organizing the brew day smoothly and he doesn't always know what brewing procedures are safe to skip in order to pick-up the pace.

I am the polar opposite of #1 though - I am not a "builder", don' like to do it, holds no appeal for me. I am a bit of a chef though - although I rarely "create" a new recipe. For me, I like to start with something that is tried and true and already in the ballpark, and then change variables to make it better/more like what I want.

 

[MaxStout]

75% Engineer
25% Scientist

As for recipes, I just find ones I like online and follow them. Not much of a creative chef at this point. Maybe when I get more brews under my belt.

 

[Frige]

Well if Fred Sanford was a engineer then I guess that would be me. I built my brewery out of the scrap pile mostly, but it does make good beer......

 

[Weezy]

this isn't fair. I like all three.

 

[Yooper]

I had trouble with this, as I'm about equally all three.

I'm drawn to the science of brewing, and have my predicted mash pH and pH meter at the ready on brewday. But I'm also creative and love making recipes, and I have really cool geeky equipment (like an all-electric HERMS indoor brewery).

I'm methodical, anal, and take great pride in making great recipes that make excellent beer. I'm also very relaxed when brewing, and don't mind being spontaneous in subbing ingredients or techniques.

 

[theciderkid]

70% Chef
15% Engineer
15% Scientist

I am also this ratio

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

70% Chef
15% Engineer
15% Scientist

I'm similar. I'm an engineer in real life and my idea of fun is watching science channel programs and learning about physics.

That said,I brew like the chef, and the degree to which I incorporate engineer and scientist into the brew process is only as much as it takes to brew fantastic beer. Of course, that's quite a bit of both, so I'm happy all around ;-)

 

[andvari7]

I voted chef, because I see my brewing as a logical outgrowth of my cooking. I do take interest in the science of my brewing, as I do with my cooking, but it comes secondary to taste, as it should.

As for engineering, I tend to improvise my materials (I did, however, buy a wort chiller, because I didn't have the time to dedicate to bending copper pipe), as my father would have me do. I don't like the idea of unitaskers in my kitchen, and I'll be damned if I don't follow that same logic in the brewery.

So, I guess I'm a mix of all three, with heavy chef pretensions.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I just try to brew great beer & get better along the way.

 

[cheezydemon3]

This poll was AMBITIOUS. I like that though, and really, it does a fair job.

Like most things, it is more complicated than it seems.

 

[Glynn]

i choose chef because i really am a retired chef by trade

 

[bscott1011]

Mostly chef with a bit of engineer thrown in

 

[Whippy]

...definitely the chef here as well! I like the poll

 

[AnOldUR]

45% American 2-Row
45% Maris Otter
10% Adjuncts

 

[wilserbrewer]

Neither of the three listed really....have to say more like "hillbilly". I don't really brew from set recipes but from experience on basic equipment. It's very easy and produces nice beer in the style I like...mostly APA's and IPA's.

But, I am a licensed engineer by trade, a chef or at least a decent cook by necessity, and a scientist by nature, so perhaps that allows me to pull off the hillbilly brewer attitude.

Water calculator....bah, I mash in a "reasonable" volume, and sparge to fill the kettle, and boil to finished volume. An ounce of hops is a scant handful, I've checked on a triple beam scale...i'm darn close fwiw.

 

[nianticcardplayer]

Chef for the most part but I have made my mash tun and boil kettle when I went all grain....so a bit of an engineer, but moving to all grain was also an experiment as well so scientist.....

 

[TANSTAAFB]

I am probably 1/3 of each. I love building gadgets though I don't have the knowledge or desire to go full auto. I built my current Frankenstand! I love the science, am always reading about some cool aspect of the hobby, harvest and wash yeast, and am really digging exploring brettanomyces fermentation. And the cook in me enjoys the process of brewing and recipe development.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

BTW, I am definitely a "Chef". For me Home Brewing is just an extension of cooking, which I enjoy a lot.