Why did you get into this hobby?

[thejudge]

Family tradition since prohibition.

As far back as I could find my great grandfather was brewing while still living in Germany and continued when he moved to the U.S. in the early forties. Don't have but a couple of his recipes but have a few of my grandfathers and uncles.

 

[cluckk]

I like to tinker and tweak things to see if I can improve them, or make them worse in a good way (soured beers for example). This gives me an artistic outlet.

 

[JDGator]

saw a video of Craigtube. looked pretty easy, lower cost then buying beer in Canada, and looked like a fun project. had no idea it was this additive nor did i know i would drink as much as i do now. Plus i continue to buy more brewing related items.

 

[TylerGuy]

beer is 44 dollars for 24. let the brewing begin! also i alwyas liked the dark beers but was alwyas made fun of by buddies who only drink bud light.(crap light) now i can have the bitterest darkest beers for a cheap price.

 

[wailingguitar]

I wanted to drink the beers described by Tolkien and James Herriot

 

[JohanMk1]

South Africa has a terrible choice of beer. There is only one local commercial beer that is not fizzy yellow beer, thats castle milk stout which is actually not bad.

We have a growing craft beer industry thats making a lot of nice flavour filled beers and their versions of fizzy yellow. Sadly these are very expensive and not very freely available.

Learning to brew allows me to make beers that I like at a price that's almost within budget.

 

[zaphro]

I was 16 and had nice beers when I was in England with my grandfather. Got back to California and couldn't get anything other then the cheapest stuff someone else would buy. So I took my dads brewing kit he used once, and started buying grains and making my own. Even the cheap juice bottle wines I made back then were better then whatever everyone else was buying.

Now that I am older the big has bit me again.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

As far back as I could find my great grandfather was brewing while still living in Germany and continued when he moved to the U.S. in the early forties. Don't have but a couple of his recipes but have a few of my grandfathers and uncles.

as far back as I've heard in my family is my great grandpa brewed quick beer & liquor during prohibition. I don't know much about him though. but my grandpa & granny made their own beer for decades.

 

[Paschendale]

I wanted to drink the beers described by Tolkien and James Herriot

Yeah, Herriot did mention some very tasty-sounding beers.
I always liked the bit when the guys are deciding where to go to celebrate the new baby and Tristan is cataloging the different pubs according to the flavor of their beer. Makes me want to do a crawl and try them all, lol.

 

[wailingguitar]

Yeah, Herriot did mention some very tasty-sounding beers.
I always liked the bit when the guys are deciding where to go to celebrate the new baby and Tristan is cataloging the different pubs according to the flavor of their beer. Makes me want to do a crawl and try them all, lol.

I remember that, that was great! Also, it was actually one of the characters in Herriot's books that made me realize beer could be made at home. He mentioned an old farmer that shared a his "nutty brown ale" that he had made himself. I thought, "hmm... if this guy did it in the 30s, I should be able to as well". I went to a bookstore and found Papazian's book and soaked it up like a sponge. That was 1989.

 

[Paschendale]

Haha! That's awesome! I also loved the bit about the old farmer that made wines out of anything and everything and they all kicked ass! Rhubarb, dandelion, turnip, you name it. Then poor old Jim, after royally tying one on had to call on the devout Methodists who knew he was tanked. Laughed? Haha!

 

[wailingguitar]

Haha! That's awesome! I also loved the bit about the old farmer that made wines out of anything and everything and they all kicked ass! Rhubarb, dandelion, turnip, you name it. Then poor old Jim, after royally tying one on had to call on the devout Methodists who knew he was tanked. Laughed? Haha!

OMG! I love that one! The farmer is staggering to the cupboard..."you mush.... you mush try thish one nexsht..." I am rolling just thing about it now!

 

[Paschendale]

OMG! I love that one! The farmer is staggering to the cupboard..."you mush.... you mush try thish one nexsht..." I am rolling just thing about it now!

And you need a hat, since "s'rainin' s'rainin like hell" and poor Jim gets a hat that shelters his whole body, lol

 

[wailingguitar]

Oh man, too freaking funny... I am going to have to find that episode and watch it

 

[Paschendale]

I think that one might have made it to the series but I definitely remember that one from the books. It really inspired me to try to pick up my grandfather's wine brewing, lol

 

[TangoHotel]

I received a kit for christmas and made a tasty IPA. Then I decided to try to make it better. And I did. Haven't stopped trying to improve since.

 

[teal]

I hated beer. All I had been exposed to was BMC. Didn't care for it one bit.

Was tangentially aware of homebrewing (had seen the magazines on the shelf). Picked up BYO and read an article and they mentioned being able to change and create flavor profiles and there were pictures of beer that weren't yellow or dark like Guinness.

Made some purchases and went into it. To date the lightest beer I've made is a Nut Brown. I also love the building and McGyvering that goes into much of it.