When is it ok to ask people to chip in for ingredients?
- Thread starter ajbram
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bja
Well-Known Member
I still don't get this. You keep saying money isn't the point. So then brew enough so there's plenty for everyone, or don't invite people to your house.
Firebat138
Well-Known Member
I would have to say that is incorrect... ur saying if one of my friends wants to buy me some hops, thats illegal... In either case I dont care if it is or not..lol... just saying... dont be so critical...
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Umm, No.
That is like saying if you gave someone potatoes, and they later distilled them into Vodka, then you are accessory to an illegal action. Read the fecking laws of YOUR state you can freely exchange your beers on your property.
I mean, hell, what you are insinuating is almost like saying if a friend is helping you with some labor chore and you offer him a beer then it could be construed as payment.
I understand your concernes but please, lets stick with facts and not opinions when making such a statement.
What's so hard to get? I got set up to brew in my new house just weeks before people came over. I'm sure you can appreciate as a university professor and active researcher, there wasn't enough time to brew hundreds of gallons of beer, so there wasn't enough in the pipeline to support what was consumed. I provided other alternatives (commercial beer, mead, wine, scotch, rum), and asked them to leave me some of my home brew. There was plenty of everything to go around, but even with all that, people still went into the brew room and helped themselves to things that were never offered. Ingredients are easily replaced, but good home brew doesn't happen in the blink of an eye. If people have it in their mind they are going to drink your beverages until there is nothing left, a short dip tube is a cool idea. Once the pipeline is up and running strong this isn't going to be an issue and I really don't care how much people consume so long as there is some for me. I'm sure if you invited me over for a few beers and I took with everything in your brew room while you were in the ****ter or something, you'd be a little pissed.
Bottom line - it wasn't offered but was still taken. I really don't want to put a padlock on the brew room door. I really don't want to have to point out explicitly to them that homebrews take some time and effort and they shouldn't just clean someone out. and I really don't want to have to babysit people when I'm busy trying to cook their xmas dinner (and thanksgiving dinner and easter dinner). The shortened dip tube lets everyone help themselves to what they want, keeps my brew room open for they enjoyment of those interested in how it all works, keeps me from having to babysit, and best of all, leaves me some of my own beer.
bja
Well-Known Member
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In my wife's defense, she pointed out where the beer was kept and said "help yourself."
In the fridge.... not the brew room...... There was plenty of everything that was offered. The beer in the brew room was never offered. Wife showed them where the beer was in the fridge and told them to help themselves to that, or the wine or the scotch... also showed them where the cans of coke were and the rum. But not the brew room. She doesn't even go in the basement.
In the fridge.... not the brew room...... There was plenty of everything that was offered. The beer in the brew room was never offered. Wife showed them where the beer was in the fridge and told them to help themselves to that, or the wine or the scotch... also showed them where the cans of coke were and the rum. But not the brew room. She doesn't even go in the basement.
I feel like this is an issue you need to take up with your wife. Let her understand that while you do like sharing, your house isn't UNICEF and you aren't a beer charity. While it should be common sense to people that clearing out someone's entire stockpile of any product is just plain rude, a lot of people don't understand the concept of common courtesy these days. I know I'd be rightfully pissed if some of my guests decided to take it upon themselves to decimate my entire homebrew (or any beer that was bought for myself for that matter) stockpile.
Next time you have relatives over, set aside how much homebrew you're willing to share, let your wife know what's fair game and what isn't, and it usually helps putting a note on the beer that's off limits saying so. That way if you do find any of your own personal beer gone, you have a solid defense to fall back on when making any accusations.
Things would be a lot easier if people respected other people's belongings, but that kind of action is just getting rarer and rarer these days.
ninja edit: So it seems they helped themselves to your brew room. Leaving a note on things saying it's off limits and not up for grabs would be the best thing to do IMHO in the future.
Next time you have relatives over, set aside how much homebrew you're willing to share, let your wife know what's fair game and what isn't, and it usually helps putting a note on the beer that's off limits saying so. That way if you do find any of your own personal beer gone, you have a solid defense to fall back on when making any accusations.
Things would be a lot easier if people respected other people's belongings, but that kind of action is just getting rarer and rarer these days.
ninja edit: So it seems they helped themselves to your brew room. Leaving a note on things saying it's off limits and not up for grabs would be the best thing to do IMHO in the future.
bja
Well-Known Member
Well, that makes a big difference. In this case I would've called Vinnie over to break their knees.
After reading through most of the 10 pages of comments on this topic, I can understand your issue with what occured, but if the issue at hand is not at all about the money it costs to brew more beer, and is only your frustration with them clearing out your stock of home brews, then why ask the question about when is it ok to ask for money???
You said your wife pointed her family towards the brews, and said help your self. Im not saying I personally would have knocked down your entire stash of brews, but how can you really fault them for drinking the home brew stuff? If they had one and it was tastier than the other beer you had sitting there, why would they drink the other? They were told to help them selves! The fact you say they even went and rinsed out there empties would lead me to believe they aren't completly inconsiderate, they liked what they tasted, and continued to drink! Plus how were they to know this is ALL the home brew you had? If I have peoplel over for an event, I only put out whats available for consumption..( home brew or not) if I have an expensive bottle of whisky or something i put it away, so when I point my guests towards the booze shelf, and say feel free to drink I dont have to worry.
The real issue here is simply communicating with your relatives (and your wife) what is available to drink! Like many others have said, simply say those bottles are still conditioning to anything you dont want consumed.
You said your wife pointed her family towards the brews, and said help your self. Im not saying I personally would have knocked down your entire stash of brews, but how can you really fault them for drinking the home brew stuff? If they had one and it was tastier than the other beer you had sitting there, why would they drink the other? They were told to help them selves! The fact you say they even went and rinsed out there empties would lead me to believe they aren't completly inconsiderate, they liked what they tasted, and continued to drink! Plus how were they to know this is ALL the home brew you had? If I have peoplel over for an event, I only put out whats available for consumption..( home brew or not) if I have an expensive bottle of whisky or something i put it away, so when I point my guests towards the booze shelf, and say feel free to drink I dont have to worry.
The real issue here is simply communicating with your relatives (and your wife) what is available to drink! Like many others have said, simply say those bottles are still conditioning to anything you dont want consumed.
Or just lock whatever you don't want decimated in the brew room. I don't let folks have free run of my home. First floor kitchen/living room,dining room are fine. Bathroom between them. And stay the hell away from my computer. Stricktly verbotten! I let them know what they can have,bar set up on the island between the kitchen/dinette/living room.
lady_brewer
Well-Known Member
I think it boils down to the ILs not having any boundries... I can't see wanting them as guests in my home. We keep a bottle of rum on hand for FIL - he goes through it fast enough to be a monetary issue. But... he does so much handyman work around here that we get off cheap. So it is a fair trade-off.
If it is about time over money, then say that to them - oh gee I only had enough time to get a case ready for you to try this time around... wouldn't it be nice to have more hands on brew day? If it is money that is the issue (and you say it isn't, but also that you provided Blue b/c they slammed through a craft brew another time) then say that - I would love to have more beerready, but so far I can only fund the set-up for one batch at a time... if only I had another start-up kit...
But... overall it sounds like they are free-loaders... so start asking who is hosting next time, and keep your beer in a cooler hands-off to everybody else.
If it is about time over money, then say that to them - oh gee I only had enough time to get a case ready for you to try this time around... wouldn't it be nice to have more hands on brew day? If it is money that is the issue (and you say it isn't, but also that you provided Blue b/c they slammed through a craft brew another time) then say that - I would love to have more beerready, but so far I can only fund the set-up for one batch at a time... if only I had another start-up kit...
But... overall it sounds like they are free-loaders... so start asking who is hosting next time, and keep your beer in a cooler hands-off to everybody else.
Yeah,people are like that,who doesn't like free beer? But if they keep showing up & draining your stash,then they are indeed nothing but moochers looking for a free buzz. No matter it's your best stuff. You made it at home.so it must be free!? That seems to be the mindset with folks when in that situation. Or simply a bad habit...
I hear you unionrdr...People seem to equate monetary inexpensiveness with a lack of a sense that you have something invested in your product in these situations. As in "well he said it only cost him about $35 in ingredients to make this... he probably would rather have us drink this than the case of blue that cost him $42."
No... drink the commercial stuff, hell drink the commercial stuff and I will buy 3 more cases of it and you can drink those too. I can replace that without having to wait 3 weeks for it to be ready.
No... drink the commercial stuff, hell drink the commercial stuff and I will buy 3 more cases of it and you can drink those too. I can replace that without having to wait 3 weeks for it to be ready.
After reading thru most of the 11 pages of comments on this topic... I think the OP's next post will be... "When to ask an internet forum for advice?" cause I have the same level of frustration reading all this garbage as I imagine he feels with the original situation.
Lesson's learned:
Your inlaws are dip****s... we all deal with it, you learned too late.
I would NOT ask for money after the fact, nor do I ask for money.
Have small amounts on hand.
Create a Dip****-Diptube, aka In-law Diptube.
Don't ask an internet forum questions like this... it turns into an Op-Ed quality internet discussion.
Lesson's learned:
Your inlaws are dip****s... we all deal with it, you learned too late.
I would NOT ask for money after the fact, nor do I ask for money.
Have small amounts on hand.
Create a Dip****-Diptube, aka In-law Diptube.
Don't ask an internet forum questions like this... it turns into an Op-Ed quality internet discussion.
Your options are:
1. Inlaw dip tube (agree on the shear genius of this.
2. Purchase crap beer and put your homebrew off limits.
3. Remarry
On a similar note, we have a couple of friends that we routinely have over for drinks. We have known them for around 10 years. They have tried to pay me numerous times for the next batch. I of course decline because having people you care about enjoy your beer as much as you do is one of the reasons I enjoy brewing. So in response to my declining his generosity, he bought me a stout faucet, nitrogen tank, regulator, and all the required fittings/hoses to add a stout faucet to my setup. I am getting my revenge though. I plan to sneak in a kegerator I am building with random parts and put it on his back porch. I'll show that bastard!!!!
1. Inlaw dip tube (agree on the shear genius of this.
2. Purchase crap beer and put your homebrew off limits.
3. Remarry
On a similar note, we have a couple of friends that we routinely have over for drinks. We have known them for around 10 years. They have tried to pay me numerous times for the next batch. I of course decline because having people you care about enjoy your beer as much as you do is one of the reasons I enjoy brewing. So in response to my declining his generosity, he bought me a stout faucet, nitrogen tank, regulator, and all the required fittings/hoses to add a stout faucet to my setup. I am getting my revenge though. I plan to sneak in a kegerator I am building with random parts and put it on his back porch. I'll show that bastard!!!!
Sounds like the short answer is either
A) Lock the door to your brew room
B) Go to their place for holiday dinner
C) Understand they're going to guzzle your beer to excess, far beyond any normal range of social grace. =(
I find this funny. My GF brewed her first batch (and last batch...she didn't care for brewing) in October. We had a Xmas party in December and she had the forethought, without me saying anything, to only put out a case for public consumption so as to save some for herself. I don't see how other people here can't come up with the same solution. Only put out as much as you're ok with others drinking, problem solved.
Lastly, OP, you'll eventually have so much beer on hand that you will very much want all your inlaws over to help drink it all! I can't drink mine fast enough, I always need help disposing of it in humane ways.
Lastly, OP, you'll eventually have so much beer on hand that you will very much want all your inlaws over to help drink it all! I can't drink mine fast enough, I always need help disposing of it in humane ways.
Hmmm...I feel a road trip cumin on!
I don't know if people find this thread TLDR or what, but the OP addressed the first point already. It wasn't the beer that was provided for public consumption that they mowed through but that they took it upon themselves to mow through the stashed away stuff. If you offer it to them and they drink it all, that's your own problem, but if they take what wasn't offered then that's just plain f'ed up on their part.
