Why do people Quit brewing?

[paulywill]

Thank you for this “teenager old” thread!

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.

I’ve just staring this hobby (early 40s) and obviously a little more watchful on the health side if things.

I’m on my #5 batch this year. Now doing AG and kegging.

I’ve currently have a hazy IPA in my DIY keezer (props to youtuber Homebrew 4 Life) in my new fermzilla rounder and a hard seltzer almost to FG in the basement….and I cannot stop thinking about the next steps in the process and constantly scouring the wanted ads for those getting out of the hobby…. And all awhile wondering if one day it will be my turn putting my gear up for sale.

But I literally cannot stop thinking about the process/gear/recipes and events to share.

 

[BrewZer]

I wondered who would resurrect a 2007 thread on this.

But since I'm here, I've got to say that if I hadn't tried BIAB, I probably would have quit two years ago. Extract/adjunct just wasn't worth it to me with the prices of extract going up, and I've amortized my grain mill and bag with the batches I've made since then. I sure love paying $50 for enough grain to make 5 batches of beer!

 

[Beernik]

I’ve taken a couple long breaks and now I’m back to brewing about once a year. Reasons:
1. I don’t have the time I used to.
2. I don’t have the space I used to.
3. I drink about 1/8th of what I used to. Even then, I’m usually reaching for whiskey instead of beer.

 

[50calshooter]

It's been my experience people quit brewing for a few different reasons:
- They don't do it long enough to get good at it and get discouraged by their results
- They started doing it to save money on beer but we all know it really isn't that much cheaper then buying beer
- They are the type of person that starts a new hobby on a whim and never stick with any of them
- It was a "buddy thing". They liked doing it with their friend but something changed like some one relocated

 

[hilljack13]

Previously...I got tired of bottling. 5 gallons is no joke. Then there was the lack of a gas burner after a move. I was only doing extract on the stovetop. Then there was the long wait between batches. I found going to the store was quicker. It was a time when I was venturing into trying more craft brews and I got caught up doing that. Then there were move moves...two of them. Too much stuff to haul. Now about to retire (no more frequent moves) and kegging has found me. O' the joys!!!

 

[MaxStout]

The hallmarks of a worthwhile hobby:
1. It's easy to learn.
2. It's a challenge to get really good at it.

Too many people do #1, then lose patience before achieving #2.

 

[mashpaddled]

There are lots of reasons. Life gets in the way. People move on to other hobbies or quit drinking. Not everybody loves a hobby that involves a lot of cooking or cleaning--especially if they have limited free time.

I know a lot of people who homebrewed in the early to mid 2010s at the height of craft beer. Some got into brewing as another extension of enjoying craft beer. Many did it for a while and then got bored with it. Some people got into it because they liked craft beer but didn't like the price or it was tough to get good beer consistently. As craft beer became easy to acquire they gave up a hobby they never really enjoyed.

My homebrewing ebbs and flows. I have been at it for 14 years. I go through periods where I brew just two or three times a year. I used to brew two or three times a month. I have a LOT of beer at home and try to balance my brewing against how much of my own beer I'm drinking. I have homebrew from more than a decade ago so I need to drink faster than I brew. I've been saying that for about seven years now and still have that much beer.

 

[Dog House Brew]

What a resurrection! I can’t imagine stopping, ever. I was on the way to opening a brewery. So glad the stars didn’t align. I brew infrequently with large batches. I break them down and split with different yeasts. I see why people quit. #1 is the time required. Now it is so much easier with single vessel and biab brewing. #2 people just aren’t willing to put forth the effort. I’ve tried to get people into the hobby. Turns out their hobby was drinking my beer while they watched me bust my bum. I ditched the show and kept my guitar. I quit when they pry my dead hands off my paddle.

 

[pvtpublic]

I'm a recent case of homebrewer-gone-pro. I averaged a solid 20 5gal batches a year for many years up until I became a head brewer. I'm actually about to start my first HB batch in about half an hour (about 180 minutes metric time).

 

[whoaru99]

I brewed a batch not too long ago for the first time in quite a while.

Several reasons, but I think the two biggest are related. Started homebrew because I liked what I tasted beyond BMC and BMC was about the only thing on the shelves around where I live. So, I'll brew my own.

Then, the craft beer craze and microbreweries that cropped up all over. Went from none in any direction to one or more in any direction, and some even had/have decent enough beer the need to do it myself is depreciated.

 

[jrgtr42]

I would like to say that there's no chance I'll quit brewing, but there may eventually come a time that |I realize I haven;t brewed in ages, and may as well clear out that area of my basement.
Or I get to the point that I get too old to handle the house, and have to downsize. In that case, i'd hope I'd be able to downsize the brewing - go to 1 gallon stovetop batches and so on.
UNless something happens the doctor says to give up drinking.
But like others, I haven;t brewed as much as I once did - due to time, work, other obligations, and so on. I hope as time moves I may be able to brew a bit more, though I don't have a ton of other people to drink it.

 

[A.Homebrewer]

I can see it happening to me. I have other interests (philately) that take priority. When I started brewing after a 40 year hiatus I used a PicoBrew Zymatic. No watching wort boil, but that got lost in a fire. I now have an Anvil 10.5 and I do see an end to brewing in a few years, at 77 it is not as easy as it once was.

 

[amber-ale]

Ease of getting raw supplies. I have a brew store in my neighbourhood, but if it ever closes and I need to travel 40 minutes to get to the next closest store (no parking and in a grotty part of town), have to pay large shipping costs or buy/store huge bags of raw grains I will have to slowdown or quit.

 

[JoeSpartaNJ]

I haven't stopped, but definitely have slowed down. Time has never been a factor as I can always find 5 hours somewhere on a weekend, even if I'm getting up at 3AM to start (wife a kids love the grain mill going off at 5AM. I am drinking less these days and working out more, just trying to better myself.

Some other factors. My 2 LHBS both closed. The only one "local" is Brew Hardware. There is nothing wrong with them, I just don't have time to drive an hour plus and back. They have a great online store, but with shipping, it just becomes too much. We still use them when our club brews a group beer as other members live much closer. More Beer is my normal go to, just because it is easier.

Another thing I noticed, the more I brewed, the more commercial beer I would buy. I think it was more to compare them. These days, if I am not drinking homebrew, its Yeungling and SNPA. Too much outdated beers to weed through in the stores.

 

[Tancred the Brewer]

I am coming up on almost two years since my last brewday. I love to brew but it is a time consuming hobby and I changed jobs about a month after my last brew, which led to me working a lot more hours. What little free time I have is devoted to family and keeping up with house chores. This stage of life I only have time for hobbies that can be picked up and put down in minutes, not 6-8 hour brewdays. I will get back to it someday when things settle a bit, but I see a lot of people my age who were very regular brewers who stop due to lack of time.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

When I first started brewing, just over 30 years ago, it was mostly because there were very few options for good beer. That is obviously not the case these days! There were some years in there, when raising a family, that I maybe brewed once or twice in a year.

I went for a stretch of about 2.5 years without brewing that I broke out of at the end of 2018. For me it was a combination of having easy access to a wide variety of quality craft beer, and my beers being fairly mediocre. My simple 3-vessel setup made for long brew days with lots of manual steps (like ladling the sparge water). I was in a rut, doing the same thing I had been doing for 10+ years, and getting the same results.

When I snapped out of my slump, I was determined I would focus on making better beers. I tried out batch sparging before "upgrading" to BIAB. I found the best way to make better beer is to actually try to make better beer. I tackled areas like fermentation temperature control, water chemistry and avoiding oxidation. Instead of just jumping from recipe to recipe, I worked on understanding ingredients/process and improving my own core set of recipes.

I have found that the investigative side of brewing is a big motivator for me (they type of stuff Brulosophy does). I do a lot of 5 gallon batches split with 2 years, and other trials. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with competitions these days, but they are a good motivator to improve. I try to funnel what I learn back into making beers that I enjoy drinking and I am very proud to share.

 

[FromZwolle]

I don't know if I'll ever really quit, but i do take long breaks from it. Life just gets in the way.

The biggest issue for me right now is not having a local shop. They've all closed down and shipping makes it a real kick in the pants to get stocked back up again.

 

[raymondoforster]

I've made some great home brew wine from concentrated fruit juice and Sultanas. I'll stop when winter sets in, but I'll be back to it next spring.

 

[capt82]

Quit now? Has anyone seen the price of store bought craft beer? I've already spent the money on all the brewing equipment I need, I grow my own hops, I reuse my dry yeast several times, and I buy 2-row in bulk. My average cost for a 6.5 gallon batch is only about $15. I can't see spending $100 for an equivalent store bought. Brewing started as a hobby but is now a part of my life. If I want beer, I got to make it. My house always has craft beer.

 

[D.B.Moody]

Age is going to get me. I'm hoping keep going to 2025 so I can brew a quincentenary edition of my Edmond's and then a final batch of my best beer, an American brown ale.

 

[capt82]

I don't know if I'll ever really quit, but i do take long breaks from it. Life just gets in the way.

The biggest issue for me right now is not having a local shop. They've all closed down and shipping makes it a real kick in the pants to get stocked back up again.

When I moved to rural NW Montana, I lost access to a brew shop. I tried the online shops but grains were never crushed right, yeast attenuation was always very poor, and the cost to brew doubled. I now buy 2-row in bulk and crush my own. I also found two health food stores that carry some adjuncts and brewing yeasts. Not a big choice. Instead of buying for a specific recipe, I now see what I can get, then find or create a recipe. Worse case, I brew another ale using only 2-row, whatever hops are in the freezer, and 4rth generation Safale US-5.

 

[BeerNsteadofH2O]

This is an old thread.. but seeing it's got new life, what the heck..

Brewing,like many hobbies, takes time and commitment, each person has a level that they can comfortably operate at, for some, a new hobby can be exciting, but then they realize, that its hard WORK ,and the "shine" is lost, others just dont have the time, some may have health issues, I have 3 SERIOUS hobbies, I've been keeping aquariums for over 60 years, currently I'm "down" to 3, a 150 gallon reef tank, a 50 gallon sea horse tank and a 100 gallon fresh water tank, I'm also a fisherman, I've being doing it since I came out of the womb, I build my own plugs, rods and ice fishing gear,and do all my own boat maintenance and repairs, my latest hobby is brewing, , at 3 years in, im still a "noob", like my other hobbies, I plan on continuing until father time says enough,at 66 I've still got enough spunk left in me to stay in the game a little longer..it might be the least demanding of the 3

 

[MMP126]

I will touch on one that I have seen people mention, but really the only reason for me.

Health...

As a homebrewer and beer lover, I always had A LOT of beer floating around the house. My beer, macro beer, rare craft beer, other people's beer. Way more than anyone I know. With that, it is super easy to go grab a pour, or go grab a bottle.

I started to brew a lot in 2017, and just increased from there. 2018 and 2019 I brewed about 20 or so batches of beer each year. And, I am the only one in my house that will drink it. And, a lot of my friends are not super into beer, especially craft beer, so they didn't help very much. I ended up with a ton of beer for myself. So, I drank it...

I gained a few pounds from it for sure (I am probably +20lb in the past 4 years). And, more scarily, some early signs of alcoholism started to show up. So, at that point, I decided that I needed to slow down on it a lot. Call it a lack of self control on my part. Its too easy to just take a pour off the keezer any time you want. And it lead to other things...poor sleep, feeling like **** in the morning, poor gut health, increased inflammation, increased anxiety...not just the weight gain...

I went from 20 brews a year, to about 4 or 5. I still love it, and still 100% love beer. But for the sake of me, I had to slow down. And I can 1000% tell the difference in how I feel now vs, 6-8 months ago. Like night and day.

Will I ever stop or sell my stuff? Absolutely not. Just have to be more responsible...

 

[Oleson M.D.]

The answer is simple…anyone can make a 10 minute trip to your local retailer and buy kegs or cases or 12 packs of some of the best craft beer available.

Or, you can spend 10 to 12 hours brewing your own.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

That is the single largest reason why many of us have either totally quit, or greatly slowed down in home brewing.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I will touch on one that I have seen people mention, but really the only reason for me.

Health...

As a homebrewer and beer lover, I always had A LOT of beer floating around the house. My beer, macro beer, rare craft beer, other people's beer. Way more than anyone I know. With that, it is super easy to go grab a pour, or go grab a bottle.

I started to brew a lot in 2017, and just increased from there. 2018 and 2019 I brewed about 20 or so batches of beer each year. And, I am the only one in my house that will drink it. And, a lot of my friends are not super into beer, especially craft beer, so they didn't help very much. I ended up with a ton of beer for myself. So, I drank it...

I gained a few pounds from it for sure (I am probably +20lb in the past 4 years). And, more scarily, some early signs of alcoholism started to show up. So, at that point, I decided that I needed to slow down on it a lot. Call it a lack of self control on my part. Its too easy to just take a pour off the keezer any time you want. And it lead to other things...poor sleep, feeling like **** in the morning, poor gut health, increased inflammation, increased anxiety...not just the weight gain...

I went from 20 brews a year, to about 4 or 5. I still love it, and still 100% love beer. But for the sake of me, I had to slow down. And I can 1000% tell the difference in how I feel now vs, 6-8 months ago. Like night and day.

Will I ever stop or sell my stuff? Absolutely not. Just have to be more responsible...

You paint a nice picture that many of us can relate to, especially the poor sleep and feeling like scrap the next day. After a day or two that goes away and I can jump back in again.

I'm in the same camp; brewing 4-6 batches a year. I'm good with that in this point in my life. Not that long ago I brewed a lot more, and lots of drinking/grilling events. Since the plague all that has change and actually for the good. I focus more on the brews I really love and maybe brew something new once a year.

Folks might not be quitting the hobby as much as just changing their brewing habits.

 

[capt82]

Will I ever stop or sell my stuff? Absolutely not. Just have to be more responsible...

My wife bought me my first 1 gallon kit as a birthday gift. It got me interested. I could see over time as I bought bigger equipment the concern she had about where I was going with it. My father was an alcoholic. I made a promise to her it would not go there. I know it would end home brewing if it became a problem. I have always kept it under control to keep the wifes concern to a minimal. Besides, is it just me or does beers using wheat grains give everyone else a bad hangover?

 

[capt82]

The answer is simple…anyone can make a 10 minute trip to your local retailer and buy kegs or cases or 12 packs of some of the best craft beer available.

Or, you can spend 10 to 12 hours brewing your own.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

That is the single largest reason why many of us have either totally quit, or greatly slowed down in home brewing.

OR

you can work longer, more hours to pay for for the expensive craft beer at your local retailer
or you can work less and have the time to brew your own.

I'm no rocket scientist, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn last night.

 

[rawlus]

I’ve brewed off and on for a long time taking extended breaks.

a few things are relevant to my own situation.

• I am a person who needs to always be facing new challenges, learning new things. the end product is not enough. there have been times where other hobbies have posed more of a challenge for me and thus more stimulus and sense of accomplishment than brewing was doing at that time.
• I live in a relatively small space, smaller than most people i know and full brewing and kegging equipment takes up a decent amount of space so there have been times where i needed that space for other things besides brewing.
• There have been moments in my brewing where my enthusiasm for brewing created too much supply to consume in a reasonable amount of time, which then reduces brewing frequency and can result in either aged beer or a drinking problem or both.
• My wife works in a commercial brewery and i’ve also worked in commercial brewing in my past so for a time i was focused on challenges with taproom and marketing and brand positioning and assisting her with some of the commercial side of brewing and taproom operations and that was a fun substitute for home brewing only for my own enjoyment.
• Work/Life balance is always shifting one end of the spectrum to the other.. and as a couple there’s other experiences besides brewing that occupy our time and energy…. travel mostly. Work can be more intense at times which can make brewing stressful instead of relaxing and so that’s also a reason for temporary abandonment.

I’ve recently returned back to brewing, but with only one beer on tap at a time, in a tiny 15” wide kegerator and the joy has returned. i don’t have the abundance of supply that could become a problem, i can still find a lot of satisfaction creating recipes, experimenting with new products, gadgets, ingredients and yeasts and for now it’s delivering the fun hobby feel once again. Tech and automation and IoT stuff has really grown since i began and I enjoy the convergence of tech and brewing a lot.

Ppl fall in and out of their hobbies from time to time, it’s normal. I have a dozen or so hobbies impossible to master all at once, so i rotate through them until such a time i’m retired and can really do whatever i want whenever i want.

 

[grampska]

If I ever quit, it would probably because of carbonation. Kegging, bottling, whatever. It's a pain in the ass.

 

[redrocker652002]

I have to admit I read the first page then skipped to the comment area. LOL. I can see people who decide they don't want to do this anymore for a couple of reasons, but for me it would be time. When my kids were younger I was running from place to place and six hours on a Saturday was impossible. Now, they are older and time isn't as much of a factor.

The other thing for me is space. Between the bottles, the equipment, the supplies and all that, it takes up a lot of space I used to not have. Even now, it is a struggle to keep stuff stored. Once I can get a bit more space, it will become much easier.

Cost is not a factor, as I don't look at how much each beer costs and whether I am saving money by doing it myself. If I counted my time, I would for sure be losing money on this. I do it for fun and in a goofy way it is relaxing. For the better part of a Saturday or Sunday, I am going to do my thing, have a few beers and enjoy the time focusing on the process. It is like golf to me. I suck at golf, but it gets me outta the house for 5 or 6 hours and I can enjoy the outside with some friends.