Why do some people get stressed when brewing?

[garcia]

Seriously, I have never gotten stressed when brewing. I find brewing a time to have fun. I will drink whatever I brew, unless something major happens (which hasn't happened).

You didn't hit target gravity, big deal. It missed mash temp, boo who, you're still going to drink it:

Stop whining, and enjoy your brewing.

 

[dkevinb]

Excellent point. I think it has to do with how involved you get with the hobby. I'm also a guitar player. In the beginning if I could strum an open G chord and more or less keep time with the record it was a blast. Nowadays if I don't hit the right notes at the right time it's not as much fun. And brewing is such a long term process you can't just stop and say, "Take 2". But you're right. At the end of the day you'll still wind up with pretty darned good beer.

 

[Clintaurus]

I was super stressed when I started. It was mainly because I had no idea what I was doing and everyone always stresses the importance of sanitizing. I understand it because the first starter I ever made took me a good 2 &1/2 hours. But honestly now I don't stress about any of it. I brew an all grain batch and normally will be racking something, bottling a batch or PBW'ing bottles or fermenters while I'm brewing. But yeah, you're right there's no need to stress about the numbers I do try to hit my numbers but at the same time it's Homebrewing and it's a super fun hobby and I never have to buy beer.

 

[lotusworker]

People actually take measurements while brewing. I agree..I think of it as a hobby not a job. I already have to hit metrics in the day job which is why I brew. Don't get me wrong..you need a blueprint and something to shoot for...Never made a beer that didn't taste good

 

[Clintaurus]

Excellent point. I think it has to do with how involved you get with the hobby. I'm also a guitar player. In the beginning if I could strum an open G chord and more or less keep time with the record it was a blast. Nowadays if I don't hit the right notes at the right time it's not as much fun. And brewing is such a long term process you can't just stop and say, "Take 2". But you're right. At the end of the day you'll still wind up with pretty darned good beer.

I like that, maybe why I'm so anal with my recipes and numbers. I've been playing guitar for over 20 years now.

 

[MaxStout]

I had a couple bad batches (drain-pours) early on, which diminished my confidence a bit. I was apprehensive the first few brews after that. But having success with those got me to relax more. I learned how to control things, and brew good--if not spectacular--beer. Now I can concentrate on enjoying the process.

 

[Phunhog]

I consider any brew day that I don't cuss like a sailor a good one!! I only brew alone for a reason....I don't want any distractions. Yes..it is a fairly serious endeavor!! Anyone can make decent beer....but I am aiming for GREAT beer! And I don't think you can get there easily without stressing....at least a little.

 

[smccarter]

Seriously, I have never gotten stressed when brewing. I find brewing a time to have fun. I will drink whatever I brew, unless something major happens (which hasn't happened).

You didn't hit target gravity, big deal. It missed mash temp, boo who, you're still going to drink it:

Stop whining, and enjoy your brewing.

Because some people just take things too seriously.

I say, keep it simple, relax, and have fun. If it starts to feel like work, you might just as well clock in and go back to work. Me!?!.. I'll brew some beer and enjoy my day.

 

[Yesfan]

Because some people just take things too seriously.

I say, keep it simple, relax, and have fun. If it starts to feel like work, you might just as well clock in and go back to work. Me!?!.. I'll brew some beer and enjoy my day.

I think the newer brewers are the ones that are stressing. I can say this as I have been like that, but the last few months I've been trying to be more like Kyle from the movie Risky Business......

"Every now and then say 'WTF?'
'WTF' gives you freedom
Freedom brings opportunity
Opportunity makes your future...."


It's easy to say to 'relax and just enjoy the day'. I'm a bit of a perfectionist. If you post a recipe that has an OG of 1.072 and I hit 1.071, then I've "****ed" up. This was my way of thinking the first year and half of brewing. Now, since the past couple of months I don't give a ****. Sure, I want to still hit the right numbers, but if I don't....I really don't give a **** as long as the beer in the end is good.


So far, my last 4 batches have been great because of this (the OP's) way of thinking and my brew days have been my best days to relax. I saw my cousin have a melt down on his last brew day (and it was a ****ty brew day) but I assured him that in the end, it's going to be a pretty good tasting brew..........

Sometimes we should just say 'WTF?'...........

 

[skagit991]

I think the first book a new home brewer should read is "the joy of home brewing", Charie does a great job emphasizing the need to relax and have fun. I don't know how many times I have repeated the mantra, "don't worry, have a home brew"!

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[dkevinb]

I consider any brew day that I don't cuss like a sailor a good one!! I only brew alone for a reason....I don't want any distractions. Yes..it is a fairly serious endeavor!! Anyone can make decent beer....but I am aiming for GREAT beer! And I don't think you can get there easily without stressing....at least a little.

I've been an engineer for 32 years now, EE, but mostly software for the last 20 or so. One of the guys I've worked with off and on at different places for much of that time once told a coworker, "No, that's a good sign. If he's swearing in 7 different languages it means we're making progress. It's when he gets really quiet we have to worry."

A gross exaggeration. I'm a son of a sailor, but I can only swear in 5 languages.

 

[tjmac5071]

I get less stressed everytime I brew. The more comfortable you get the easier it is to relax. I think part of the stress always was so much time goes into s brew and you don't get to drink it for six or more weeks typically so there is too much time after to worry about it. The first weekend in September I brewed a winter warmer that was to be given away to my brothers st Christmas and I spent a good bit of time worrying about it because I felt like I was putting myself out there to share a special brew. It turned out great and that built confidence. If I am brewing only for me I don't worry because I go into it with the attitude that I won't share if I am not proud of it and the funny thing is the less I worry the better my results are.

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[mb82]

I usually am stressed right as I start brewing. No stress before I start and it goes away by the time the mash water hits 100F. Normally it is, Boy I hope I picked up the right ingredients. Nothing I can do then but start.

 

[Darkness]

I personally get stressed because I run a twin 2 vessel RIMS system, doing 10 gal in each. When my boys are over we will do 40-60gal on a sat. Running the room gets busy some times. When you are dough'n in, transferring,chilling and trying to clean up it is a bit much. But Man Is it Fun!!

I also get really stressed when no one is opening another beer and my glass is empty. Come on who lets the glasses run out!!!

 

[Brewmenn]

I agree. Some people seem to get way to stressed about hitting some number or about some minor thing that went wrong.

I've only done a few batches so far but I've quickly learned to relax and enjoy the process. Hobbies aren't supposed to be stressful.

 

[RainyDay]

I think most homebrewers fall into two categories: Scientists or artists (I will concede that there is middle ground...). Im definitely the artist type. I have a good enough feel for it that I rarely run a recipe through a calculator, and if its over or under the "projected" OG or volume et al, im not worried. I dont really try to brew the same brew twice (with exception) so consistency isnt an issue for me (though I appreciate consistency and brewers who can and do achieve it). I dig what I create and can appreciate both sides, I just fall more to one than the other.

Now guitar though, im much less forgiving of myself and stricter on my excellence...


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[Hello]

Seriously, I have never gotten stressed when brewing. I find brewing a time to have fun. I will drink whatever I brew, unless something major happens (which hasn't happened).



You didn't hit target gravity, big deal. It missed mash temp, boo who, you're still going to drink it:



Stop whining, and enjoy your brewing.

The callousness you choose to exhibit about people's personal reactions to this hobby is silly. While not everyone will get wiggly over errors and such, some do and I assume that they just would like to see their efforts rewarded by a good product. I know I feel that way but never at any point do I whine, as you so cleverly put it. I discuss my errors, I exhibit dissatisfaction and a desire to improve and I move on. I also tend to avoid telling people who get worried to stop whining. The only part I can agree with is about the hobby not being stressful. No hobby should be but being concerned over errors is okay by me. Learning through the errors can only make us all better brewers.

So you're awesome and you never worry. That is super and I'm sure your beer is just as fine as mine is no matter what mistakes are made. Perhaps you can just understand people react differently and nothing more.

 

[Brewmenn]

I think most homebrewers fall into two categories: Scientists or artists (I will concede that there is middle ground...).

As an automotive designer my job involves being a little of each, and I can see that with brewing as well. I'll run every recipe though the software, even though they are recipes made up by the LHBS, but after the brewing is done all I care about is if I made some decent beer.

 

[Facinerous]

In my infant brewing times I had read quite a bit before I really did a batch. I remember the first two or three batch I did, where the brewing was super easy and mellow (extract) to me but the racking to carboy was where I would get stressed out. Over time and having more gallons of beer under my belt I have become less stressed about the whole thing.

For me it was all about learning the process, and my stress was induced from knowing the importance of certain parts of the procedure but fumbling through those parts. The fumbling was the stress for me.

I feel comfortable with a lot of the process now, and just let things ride as they go.

As I learn more and keep brewing the process has become more enjoyable to me, and that stress I put myself through in the beginning is a thing of the past.

I can't even imagine what the reverse of that would be. To me it wouldn't be much of a hobby though if it were to get to that point though. We can't be that serious about things who's importance only affects ourselves can we?

 

[Carllous]

I've only recently started brewing about 2 weeks ago, and after the first brew day I was hooked. Since then I have brewed 4 5-gallon batches. Granted, it's only extract kits, but it's very relaxing. There is something euphoric about sitting outside in awesome weather, with a big pot boiling, some beer in a pint, music playing in the background, and great company.

 

[zardozap]

I only get slightly stressed at the start of a brew. Mainly because I always forget something I need to have nearby. As long as I have my recipe binder on hand, and my kit (if so needed) I'm almost always good to go.

 

[Clintaurus]

I've only recently started brewing about 2 weeks ago, and after the first brew day I was hooked. Since then I have brewed 4 5-gallon batches. Granted, it's only extract kits, but it's very relaxing. There is something euphoric about sitting outside in awesome weather, with a big pot boiling, some beer in a pint, music playing in the background, and great company.

Right on! Do you live close to me?

 

[GarageDweller]

If you ain't stressin'
you ain't progressin...

 

[Temptd2]

How you react to most things in life is how you're likely to react to brewing! Me, I'm a very relaxed, laid-back, "don't worry" kind of gal. My brewing partner (aka husband) is very much NOT that way (nor is he a gal!) - he thinks things out to the nth degree and frets over every step. It's just how he processes things. Together we make a pretty fine brewing team though!

No right way or wrong way! Just gettin' it done is the most important part!

 

[Croyzen]

The most overrated saying in this hobby is "relax don't worry relax have a homebrew." I personally hate that saying, especially when used during the process of brewing and used as a response to someone's question. Question: Should I make a yeast starter? I didn't and pitched into 1.080 wort. This ok? Answer: RDWHAHB Question: I missed my OG by 20 points. Will this be a problem? Answer RDWHAHB. Statement: I don't sanitize my equipment and I'm fine. RDWHAHB! Statement: I did everything half-a$$ by I still made beer! RDWHAHB! Question: My beer tastes bad, it's been in the bottle for 2 months. It made me vomit when I opened it. Should I dump it? Answer: Yes! The massively annoying wrong answer... No! That's a waste. Just let it age longer if you don't need the bottles and RDWHAHB!

The quality of beer a homebrewer makes is based on two things, experience and knowledge. During the brew day it's the cumulative result of decisions the brewer makes during each step that will determine how well the beer will be. So yes, stress over the mash temp. Stress over the OG, etc. Stress over every single step until your experience combined with knowledge makes the brewing process stress free.

The time I "RDWHAHB" is when I pour a glass of a brew and can verify my hard work paid off. I certainly don't RDWHAHB when I mess up a step that cannot be undone. I take note of it and "stress" about it during the next brew day. If I was RDWHAHB'ing my beers, I'd be highly buzzed or drunk. I might leave during the mash and get to it later. Probably just sprinkle dry yeast on every batch... after all RDWHAHB. This hobby takes effort. It takes work. Mistakes are made. Lousy batches are produced. Batches are dumped. It's all part of the complete joy of homebrewing.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Seriously, I have never gotten stressed when brewing. I find brewing a time to have fun. I will drink whatever I brew, unless something major happens (which hasn't happened).

You didn't hit target gravity, big deal. It missed mash temp, boo who, you're still going to drink it:

Stop whining, and enjoy your brewing.

...says the guy that's never had a plate chiller clog on him.

 

[Clonefan94]

Early, early on, I was worried about all the work I was putting in, to possibly have a dumper. I would over-stress about sanitation, perfect temps, having everything ready to go when the chilling started, etc. I kind of think it's a good thing I did stress early on. I feel it's made me a much more streamlined brewer. My anal-retentive actions early on, have now just become habit. So I am able to move from step to step without any worry now. I think experience leads to relaxation. You realize you know what you are doing and you've seen enough to know that what you are doing will make beer. No use stressing about it.

Now, I've only been brewing for about a year an a half now, so I think I was finally able to relax after about 4 months. Another thing that helped was finally getting a good pipeline going. Don't get me wrong, I don't ever want to lose a beer, but early on, you wait so long for the beer to finally be ready, that to possibly have a dumper would be devastating. Now, I could easily absorb that by just putting a different beer on tap.

Now, brewing is my relaxing. I just make sure to do the good prep work, so that once the heating of the water starts, I spend most of my time kicked back in a char, smoking a cigar or a pipe and sipping on a homebrew.

 

[purplerat]

I'm a noob brewer but this isn't my first rodeo with a hobby I get highly invested in and I think many people discounting others being stressed over hobby are making the mistake of thinking stress = bad. There is such a thing as good stress and if you are vigorously involved in a hobby - especially if you are just starting and diving in head first - there should be some good stress involved. As long as you're careful not to let it turn into bad stress or stress that has an actual negative impact on your life or your love of the hobby then I don't see what's wrong with it and personally I find it makes it all the more rewarding when stuff starts to click for me.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

When I'm actually doing a brew day I tend to get a little frazzled cause I'm trying to be *perfect* at it, which is absurd because there is no such thing as perfect. My latest batch, basically a kitchen sink chocolate oatmeal vanilla milk stout/porter, turned out really awesome and is ultra tasty (SWMBO, "this is your best beer so far" high praise).

I actually enjoy the bottling days more, if only because its a very rigid process that I can get into a groove on and there is not a lot of waiting around. Start sanitizing bucket, start priming solution on the stove, dump bottle bucket into another bucket to start sanitizing bottles, submerged bottles in bucket, start siphon and transfer to bottling bucket, add priming sugar, start moving bottles to drying tree, fill, cap, fill, cap, fill, cap...

I love the super regimented process and I use a hammock chair to sit in while I bottle so I'm just floating and twisting the whole time, its a lot of fun.

Edit: I can drink on bottling days, thats part of it. If I drink on a brew day, I will definitely burn something down that shouldn't be on fire.

 

[elkshadow]

My last brew day featured a stovetop boil over then when I wanted to finish it outside on the TFB the wind was blowing and I had trouble keeping a good boil going. I had to spend about 90 minutes cleaning every square inch of one side of my kitchen. It was a stressful brew day.

Usually though I enjoy every bit and don't get worried or stressed at all. I only stress when something goes wrong in large way like this day I'm talking about.

 

[Brewmenn]

Maybe others just have a different definition of "stressed". I might get stressed over my job, or my finances, or my families health. Those things matter. Sure, I strive to make good beer, and to constantly improve. But if it doesn't turn out I'm only out a couple of hours of my time and maybe at most $50 in ingredients. Nothing I'll lose sleep over.

 

[gstrawn]

I am a graduate student and brewing on the stove top wasn't cutting it, plus the lady friend wasn't a fan of brewing indoors. I could only brew when going back to the parents for the weekend. These trips were already stressful trying to balance time between both my family and hers, as well as many other factors. All the while I felt I had to brew every time. I started to not enjoy it. Now we have moved the a house with a huge yard and shed. Now I make sure I have enough time to brew without stressing. It should be fun. And now I enjoy it so much more. Not to mention a better finished product.


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[garcia]

The most overrated saying in this hobby is "relax don't worry relax have a homebrew." I personally hate that saying, especially when used during the process of brewing and used as a response to someone's question. Question: Should I make a yeast starter? I didn't and pitched into 1.080 wort. This ok? Answer: RDWHAHB Question: I missed my OG by 20 points. Will this be a problem? Answer RDWHAHB. Statement: I don't sanitize my equipment and I'm fine. RDWHAHB! Statement: I did everything half-a$$ by I still made beer! RDWHAHB! Question: My beer tastes bad, it's been in the bottle for 2 months. It made me vomit when I opened it. Should I dump it? Answer: Yes! The massively annoying wrong answer... No! That's a waste. Just let it age longer if you don't need the bottles and RDWHAHB!

The quality of beer a homebrewer makes is based on two things, experience and knowledge. During the brew day it's the cumulative result of decisions the brewer makes during each step that will determine how well the beer will be. So yes, stress over the mash temp. Stress over the OG, etc. Stress over every single step until your experience combined with knowledge makes the brewing process stress free.

The time I "RDWHAHB" is when I pour a glass of a brew and can verify my hard work paid off. I certainly don't RDWHAHB when I mess up a step that cannot be undone. I take note of it and "stress" about it during the next brew day. If I was RDWHAHB'ing my beers, I'd be highly buzzed or drunk. I might leave during the mash and get to it later. Probably just sprinkle dry yeast on every batch... after all RDWHAHB. This hobby takes effort. It takes work. Mistakes are made. Lousy batches are produced. Batches are dumped. It's all part of the complete joy of homebrewing.

You really need to RDWHAHB.

 

[Yesfan]

You really need to RDWHAHB.

LOL!, you beat me to it. I was going to post the same thing.

 

[brewbama]

I think folks read sites like this one and others where times and temps are strictly enforced, conflicting info is given, and vendor instructions are shunned. A new brewer is confused, with all the conflict.

So... folks get stressed out when trying to brew per the accepted internet method of the day.


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[JordanKnudson]

I get stressed out on brew days for one of two primary reasons.

The first is if I'm trying out new equipment or new techniques. This can also be a lot of fun, but the stressful part is having to monitor and react when things don't work at all like you expected. For example, I once built a mash tun from a large rectangular cooler and leak tested it with water a few days in advance. Then, on brew day, while my grain was sitting in there with the hot water, I noticed that it had somehow sprung a leak after all and was drooling sticky wort all over the floor. If that doesn't stress you out, it's not that you're so cool and chill. It's that you just don't give a sh*t.

The second reason is that there are often other people around when I brew. The girlfriend assists in the brewing, but is often not very helpful as she gets distracted and starts her own projects as soon as there's a second of down time -- and this is usually in the immediate vicinity of where we're brewing. Our roommate comes out, hovers around, sticks his nose in everything, and then usually decides that (if we're brewing in the kitchen rather than outside) this is the perfect time for him to make dinner. Sometimes a friend or two who are interested in brewing, but who don't brew themselves, will come for brew day to be helpers. Invariably, they wander off and play on their phones as soon as there's a second of inactive time, and I can't wrangle them back to work for the rest of the brew. All in all, I love having my friends and family around when I brew. But sometimes, the level of unfocused (or at least, unrelated to brewing) activity that they bring into the brewing area can cause stress.

I don't worry about it if my numbers aren't perfect. Those things can vary and I know that it will just be a slightly different beer than planned -- no big deal. But there can be other sources of stress on brew day that are pretty real for me, and RDWHAHB doesn't cover all of them. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy myself, overall. It just means that sometimes things stress you out. And it seems counter to the whole "it's no big deal" mentality to make a big deal out of that...

 

[illinoisbrassman]

I have a buddy who has to put in seemingly hours of research before he tries something new or purchases a new brewery item. It was a major ordeal with spreadsheets, just for him to buy a mill. Im the opposite, I figure at the end of the day, they are all going give similar results, and just pull the trigger.

 

[Teromous]

I think there's a lot of things that can really cause a person to get stressed on a brewday, and I would be out of my mind to judge them for it. The biggest one would be injury. If you burn or cut yourself, that's a very easy way to ruin the brewday. You can try to laugh it off or stay calm, but if it's at the beginning of your session and you have to spend the rest of the day moving things around with a damaged appendage? That's rough. Another one would have to be money. Not everyone can afford to brew every weekend or shrug off a bad batch. I also think it is understandable for people to want to perfect their beer and improve. The path to perfection can often be stressful. You have to remember that not everybody enters this hobby with the same mindset or goals. Some people are after the perfect brewing experience and some people are after the perfect beer. Not everyone is blessed enough to enjoy both, and not everyone is lucky or skilled enough to have a choice.

I really enjoy brewing, and it is very cathartic. I've always enjoyed brewing more than the drinking, but I've always hated the cleaning The whole experience is abundant with memorable stories and riddled with sensory milestones. There's the dry puff of flour that gets in your nose and on your tongue when you dough-in. That sweet smell of mash when you stir. Tasting the sweet malty nectar as you begin running it off. Watching the kettle boil and remembering how it looks like the wake off the back of a boat. Opening a bag of hops and smelling that funky, earthy, spicy, piney, or citrusy wonderfulness. Tossing the hops in and watching them disappear under the folds of boiling wort and hot break and foaming up a layer of green. Hearing that loud propane POP at knockout.

Sometimes it's the little things like opening a mash tun in the dead of winter and watching the steam shoot out like a volcano. Seeing the blue flames of your propane burner in the early morning, listening to the world wake up while everyone is still asleep. Feeling the side of the kettle to see how warm it is, even though you have a built-in thermometer, just because.

What I've learned along the way is that you have to do what you can to make things easier during your brewday. The easier things are, the more you will enjoy the experience. If you get thrown a curve-ball or two it's much easier to handle than an avalanche of problems. You'll learn what steps you need to take to make things go smoother, what you should buy or make to improve the flow of the day, and things will start to get better. There will always be problems, but you do your best to make less of them. Sometimes it means changing your setup, whether that is going more advanced or getting back to the basics.

 

[akillys]

Seriously, I have never gotten stressed when brewing. I find brewing a time to have fun. I will drink whatever I brew, unless something major happens (which hasn't happened).

You didn't hit target gravity, big deal. It missed mash temp, boo who, you're still going to drink it:

Stop whining, and enjoy your brewing.

I agree, as I stated in another post, all of my beers have sucked; But, I still keep brewing and drinking what I brew because it is fun. When it stops becoming fun and starts becoming stressful that's when I will quit.

 

[soccerdad]

Really gotta get my eyes checked. ... I thought you asked why some people get DRESSED while brewing. For the life of me I couldn't think of a good answer.