When did you become a home brewer?

[idylldon]

1989. I was 34. Have been brewing since. At one point, I was a regular columnist for Brewing Techniques magazine.

After all these years, I'm about to turn pro. I'll be the brew master at a new brewpub opening this year in the little mountain town of Idyllwild in So Cal. It's a dream that's coming true!

Cheers,
--
Don

 

[Haxmax]

1998 in San Diego. Brewed about 13-15 batches then life got in the way. After a very long hiatus and a trip to Portland I dove back in hard late last year.

I love this hobby!

 

[Zepth]

My father brewed extract kits in the basement when I was still living there, probably mid to late 90s. Wanted to get into it for about 2 years before moving out on my own, but never got around to it, always something else taking up time and space.

Started brewing December of last year age 28, a double oatmeal stout kit. After 7 various extract batches decided it was time to start milling and getting grain sacks. BIAB method lasted about 7 or 8 batches before I gave up on that (and budget allowed), then got the false bottom tun. Now I'm up to batch 19 total, and not looking back. Just made a cider canned kit because I wanted to take the easy way out.

Still lots of exploration into styles ahead of me, thinking of getting a small AC for the brew room to make lagers possible over the course of the summer. Quickly gaining the reputation of being the guy who always shows up somewhere with a case of beer in hand. Hitting those OG numbers is occurring more and more frequently, and friends starting to come over and watch the brew day to learn for themselves.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

'99. I was 20. I worked with a guy in Vegas that was talking about needing to bottle. I inquired & he gave me a quick run down and invited me over for a brew & bottling session. we went to the LHBS & got me set up. I knew both my grandpas made their own beer & wine, but I never really thought of doing it myself until then.

 

[Domer]

Brewed my first batch in high school science class. Don't even remember what it was (don't really remember a lot about high school!) but I remember it tasted like crap. The cider I made after was amazing. Not sure how or if the teacher got permission, but it was all supposed to be the focus of yeast and their life cycle... Or something of the sort. I could really give a damn at the time. 10 years after that I ended up with a mr beer kit under the Xmas tree, then stumbled apron a free how to brew basics class at my lhbs.... See I did learn something in school besides blindfolded 1 handed j rolling!


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[corkybstewart]

1992, at the ripe old age of 35, we moved to a much bigger house and my wife bought me a kit from a local brewer(can't even call his place a LHBS). His method was simplicity: 1 can of extract, preferably pre-hopped, 1.5 pounds of corn sugar in a kettle. Bring to a boil, then immediately cool to 80F and pitch the yeast pack on top of the extract can directly into the wort. Ferment at room temp so it finishes fast. 3 batches of this swill and I knew there had to be a better way so I took to the "Book", The Joy of Homebrewing. Was all grain within 2 years, all this without internet forums or even meeting another homebrewer.
Been brewing steadily ever since, I think the longest I've gone without brewing was 4 months while we remodeled the house last year and all our stuff was piled in the garage on top of my brewery.

 

[corkybstewart]

1989. I was 34. Have been brewing since. At one point, I was a regular columnist for Brewing Techniques magazine.

After all these years, I'm about to turn pro. I'll be the brew master at a new brewpub opening this year in the little mountain town of Idyllwild in So Cal. It's a dream that's coming true!

Cheers,
--
Don

Best of luck to you. What made you finally decide to go pro after all these years?

 

[HopSong]

Let's see if I can remember back that far. I was at UCBerkeley. I was 21.. it was 1961.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it was good beer.. but it sure had a kick.. College students like 'kick'.

 

[madcowbrewing]

June 2002, I was 27 when I started and I has been a long journey. Creating a business plan to open up a small brewery soon.


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[scottyb710]

At 21. My dad's friend stopped drinking and sold me all his stuff to replace my Mr beer kit.

 

[Jwpj]

Two years ago for me.

I was 30, and told my wife that it would be cool to try making my own beer.

I'm the kind of person who starts a hobby, and then drops it after a few months. Knowing this, my wife got me a Mr. Beer kit for my birthday. I did a couple batches of Mr. Beer, and then started lurking here.

My third batch of Mr. Beer, I added some DME to the recipe to kind of "make it my own".

After the third batch, I went out and got the equipment to start doing 5 gallon extract batches. My next batch (which I'll probably start tomorrow) will be an APA and I'll be doing a Partial Mash for the first time.

So... two years ago (took a few months off), and now I'm hooked. As soon as I get my beer in the primary, I want to start another one!

 

[Majafoo]

When I was 18. I'm now 21, finishing a degree in cellular biology and isolating my own wild yeast strains. I've got a love for sour beer and the science in beer making and I've now made the move to modifying water chemistry.

 

[thegreatmaibockaddict]

1994

 

[idylldon]

Best of luck to you. What made you finally decide to go pro after all these years?

Thanks!

The reason? I've always wanted to but family obligations got in the way. Now my daughter is grown, my house is paid for, and my wife is retired. Also, I have an investor so I don't have to capitalize the business at all. That's probably the main reason.

Cheers,
--
Don

 

[oldmangrimm]

February 2112 when I quit smoking.


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[campbelldm1]

November 2012. Was 27 at that point. My pop brewed a while back and after a few years off started back up and talked me into joining him. Little over a year later and I am now brewing all grain.


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[dbcbrews]

Started brewing in the very early 90s at age 27. Brewed for about a decade and then kids and houses got in the way. Picked it up again 2 years ago and going crazy with all grain brewing since. Great hobby.


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[xxmetalhead89xx]

Last year when I got home from Afghanistan, I was 24, had been planning doin it for about 3 years, never had the money with 2 kids in diapers, so I used all that extra money I made over seas to buy the stuff to get goin. SWMBO loves it, and is already talking of the things she plans to buy me for it while I'm in Kuwait this year!!!

 

[histo320]

I first started brewing in 2008. My inspiration came from living in Asheville NC and being around a budding craft brewery industry. I went on a couple of brewery tours and started talking to the Brewmasters. After going on a tour at Highland Brewing Co. I decided that I could do probably do it so I went to a the LHBS and bought a kit and did a simple extract IPA and after that I was hooked.

Fortunately for me but unfortunately for my brewing I had to move back to Illinois for a teaching job and took a 2 year hiatus due to lack of room (1 bedroom 400 square foot apartment) and time (coached football, basketball, and track).

I started up again December 31, 2012 and have made 10 all grain batches since then and each batch gets better and better. I have been rotating with kits and my own recipes every other time. I am starting to learn the finer points of brewing such as water quality.

 

[Scubadude918]

March/April 2013. Age 22 and never going back


____________________________
Primary: Cider
Primary: Empty

 

[pdietert]

14 Months ago. It would have been sooner, but my wife insisted on making me wait for Christmas so she could get me a Mr. Beer kit. (Women.) I used the Mr. Beer kit twice, and then went and bought a 5 gallon kit. Then another brew bucket, then a carboy, then a wine kit. I've got over 20+ batches under my belt, and just did my first all grain batch.

Funny, my wife got me a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas after I started brewing again. I told her some of the things would be useful, but it is still sitting on a shelf in the garage. I did cut off the bottom of one of the PET bottles to use as a funnel once, so technically I did not lie.:cross:

 

[Texconsinite]

I started in 2012 when i was 26, purely by chance. Had a family friend, who was an engineering student in town (MSOE), call me about renting a room in my house. He caem by to chekc out the house, went down to the basement, which beyond decorating and putting couches and workbench in, I really didnt use, and he asked if he could have a few friends over once a week and brew beer down there.
I had never met anyone who did that, and being a lover of beer, I was not only onboard, but eager to help, especially after trying some of the beer he had made.

He had been brewing since 16. He made batches at his friend's house, and would bring the fermenters back home and hide them up above the drop-down ceiling in his room, so his parents didn't even know he was brewing. Small wonder he became an engineering student.

Anyways, after watching and helping him for a few months, I was hooked and started buying my own equipment from the NB down the street, so I was brewing with my own group by the time he moved out after the school year ended. Moved to TX, still going strong, though my current apartment setup is much more cramped than the basement brew cave up north

 

[Carusoat]

3 years ago... I was 19. In my dorm room I suddenly thought " I bet if I left this cider out it would turn to alcohol and I wouldn't have to buy any." Did some research and found out home brewing is a thing. First couple batches were cider in pretzel containers in my dorm room.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I'm curious at what age all of you became home brewers.
I'm actually 19 and I just started this year after I watched all the episodes of Brew Masters on netflix. Such an entertaining show, which I'm sure many of you have seen. Started watching videos on YouTube and my parents got me a kit for Christmas. I brewed the caribou slobber that came with it and had so much fun that I decided I really wanted to switch to all grain. It's been so awesome... Such an art and a really great experience.

Just wanted to know when you started out, and what your experiences were like!

I became a homebrewer the day I brewed a beer at home.

 

[evsol]

Started in 2000 at the age of 30 with a Mr. Beer Christmas gift from my MIL...Did a lot of extract for a while, went to partial mash and then all-grain (BIAB) for the past 5 years or so. Things haven't been the same since.

 

[QoB]

1998

 

[Nightshade]

Technically I am still not a homebrewer, I got tossed straight into brewing as a job and am still trying to put together a home setup.

It's kind of nice because I have the process dialed in and a stack of recipes I have both made and plan to make at home. I am limited in how big a recipe I can make at work so a lot of my home recipes are big burly recipes of varying styles and some session type stuff as well.