Croyzen
Well-Known Member
Yes I know I pretty much set that one up! Funny still. I would have posted the same thing.
Why do some people get stressed when brewing?
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Yes I know I pretty much set that one up! Funny still. I would have posted the same thing.
BadDeacon
Well-Known Member
My problem is time. I get stressed in a brew day if I start then realize that I am running short on time. When I first realized that I can wait to pitch the next day and cool down to pitching temp in the ferm chamber, that took a big load off.
That being said, I hate bottling days. SWMBO has a cider that has been needing to be bottled for a month, but I hate bottling. Here's to bulk conditioning......
That being said, I hate bottling days. SWMBO has a cider that has been needing to be bottled for a month, but I hate bottling. Here's to bulk conditioning......
I guess I just have it too easy. No SHMBO, no other people hanging around, no worries about wasting $50 on bad beer.
My only worry is the one previously mentioned about it getting too late. I usually brew on Sunday and a couple of those times I got a late start or something put me behind schedule and I ended up too late on a work night.
My only worry is the one previously mentioned about it getting too late. I usually brew on Sunday and a couple of those times I got a late start or something put me behind schedule and I ended up too late on a work night.
That makes three of us and good analogy! Just playing a simple riff used to be very satisfying but now I know Im capable of far better and expect a lot more from myself. When I play Little Wing and make even more than a couple slight mistakes it bothers the hell out of me.
I think many people start to evaluate their skill as a brewer by how well they execute a brewday and being able to do it consistently. Many of us are simply not satisfied with making good beer. We want excellence and that drives us to be better brewers.
Now I agree when it comes to brewing don't fret the small stuff like being 2pts off from the OG you were shooting for or mashing at 155f when you wanted 153f. But making bigger mistakes or too many little mistakes bothers me and stresses me out a bit. I also make sure to learn how to cut down those mistakes in the future so they don't happen.
troy2000
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It's all good. RDWHHB....
Of course, that's easy for me to way when it comes to brewing. But if I were building something and it wound up out of square, I'd be banging my head on the nearest wall....
Maybe the difference is I've been carpentering and woodworking my whole life, and just don't have much of an excuse when I screw up a project. Also, what I build hangs around to haunt me. Whereas no matter how good or bad my last batch of beer turns out, it's ephemeral; it's going to be gone in a while.
kombat
Well-Known Member
The only time I get stressed is at the end of the boil. I get anxious worrying whether I've sanitized everything enough, whether I've got all the connections made properly, making sure the pump is plugged in and ready to go, the ice water is cold enough, etc. A couple of times I've gotten to the chilling step and discovered I shouldn't have left my pump and/or garden hose in the garage overnight (both frozen) and had to scramble for a solution. I'm stressed a little from knockout to pitching, but other than that, it's pretty relaxing.
AsgardNorth
Well-Known Member
Brewing for me is stress relief. Generally I only boil when my son (5 years old) is at his mom's for the week. When he is there I am stressed because he doesn't want to be there. So I brew whenever I can to not think about anything else for those handful of hours.
I even find cleaning bottles relaxing. I think I need help. HA!
I even find cleaning bottles relaxing. I think I need help. HA!
AsgardNorth
Well-Known Member
Temptd2,
Yeah that makes me like that too. Hopefully someday.
I do brew the occasional 1-gallon brew when he is here, then afterwords use some of the leftover yeast to do some homemade root beer together.
It does help, looking up recipes, brewing, and the like makes the week go faster.
Yeah that makes me like that too. Hopefully someday.
I do brew the occasional 1-gallon brew when he is here, then afterwords use some of the leftover yeast to do some homemade root beer together.
It does help, looking up recipes, brewing, and the like makes the week go faster.
I'm a Chef and my line cooks really only get scared of me when I get quiet. That's when I'm really pissed about something, and it is all "Yes, Chef!"
I've actually had cooks tell me the worst they felt was when I did not yell at them, but when I calmly and cooly told them how bad they screwed up...
I'm the son of a sailor too, I can only swear in 3 languages, but I can make you feel like an imbecile without swearing...
Chef Jay
For me: sometimes caring leads to stress.
Most of the time caring leads to great beer as well.
I take the good with the bad. If I get stressed about something it's because I care about how it turns out. Life's too short to invest 7 hours in a batch of mediocre beer. I'd rather buy good beer and go surfing. But if I can make GREAT beer? I'll spend my time on that instead.
What'd be good is if everyone rdwhahb and stopped judging others approach to the hobby. What works for you may or may not work for the next guy/gal.
Brew your own beer! Stop getting hung up in how others do it!
Most of the time caring leads to great beer as well.
I take the good with the bad. If I get stressed about something it's because I care about how it turns out. Life's too short to invest 7 hours in a batch of mediocre beer. I'd rather buy good beer and go surfing. But if I can make GREAT beer? I'll spend my time on that instead.
What'd be good is if everyone rdwhahb and stopped judging others approach to the hobby. What works for you may or may not work for the next guy/gal.
Brew your own beer! Stop getting hung up in how others do it!
I agree, but not stressing does not mean not caring.
mozart4898
Well-Known Member
I'm also a chef and I wonder sometimes why I would want to spend most of a day off essentially making a large pot of soup Kidding though, really I'll cook at home to relax even if I've already done it all day so it's not that surprising.
I think because I'm constantly working with food, I don't really get all that stressed brewing. I definitely plan out recipes for beers and stick to them (...mostly) but I also just have a pretty good trust in my process. Even sanitizing, which is a big scary point for a lot of people, isn't really for me. I did read Papazian when I first got into brewing a number of years ago and therefore not only had RDWHAHB kinda drilled into my head, but also didn't realize until recently that very few people use bleach any more as a sanitizer. Therefore I unleash a bleach bomb on all my equipment every time I brew...and I worry very very little about infections.
Some people thrive in a structured, regimented environment and therefore would naturally work better with a little stress. My job itself by nature is like that. I prefer just to let brewdays roll by as they will. Different strokes for different folks.
Kidding though, really I'll cook at home to relax even if I've already done it all day so it's not that surprising.I think because I'm constantly working with food, I don't really get all that stressed brewing. I definitely plan out recipes for beers and stick to them (...mostly) but I also just have a pretty good trust in my process. Even sanitizing, which is a big scary point for a lot of people, isn't really for me. I did read Papazian when I first got into brewing a number of years ago and therefore not only had RDWHAHB kinda drilled into my head, but also didn't realize until recently that very few people use bleach any more as a sanitizer. Therefore I unleash a bleach bomb on all my equipment every time I brew...and I worry very very little about infections.
Some people thrive in a structured, regimented environment and therefore would naturally work better with a little stress. My job itself by nature is like that. I prefer just to let brewdays roll by as they will. Different strokes for different folks.
Actually I think I enjoy brewing because it is different from what I do at work. Then again, I kinda do get why people stress about brewing, especially if they are making beer they want to share with friends and families. I know my girlfriend and parents really freak out when they cook for me. They are hyper critical of what they are doing because they think I'll be disappointed in their efforts. Really? You are cooking for me cause you know I just spent 12-15 hours in a hot kitchen and you want to let me relax on the couch with a beer and make me a sandwich? I'm not going to nitpick anything!
I can see people thinking that... "My friends and family think I make the best beer ever, and I have to keep that up!" or "My buddies drink budmilcoors and I want to get them to drink good beer, if this batch sucks, I'll never hear the end of it..."
Is home brewing any different than any other hobby? (Insert hobbyist here) stress over perfection in their (hobby)...
Chef Jay
I can see people thinking that... "My friends and family think I make the best beer ever, and I have to keep that up!" or "My buddies drink budmilcoors and I want to get them to drink good beer, if this batch sucks, I'll never hear the end of it..."
Is home brewing any different than any other hobby? (Insert hobbyist here) stress over perfection in their (hobby)...
Chef Jay
I also agree, which is exactly why I emphasized that everyone should brew their own brew.
What's your brewing ace? What do you like to brew most? Do you have a signature style? Maybe that's a good starting point?
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Epimetheus
Well-Known Member
IMO, it is OK to get stressed. One should not stress out about being stressed. I am always a little stressed. It would look odd to do yoga relaxation just before adding the hops. After the boil is a more appropriate time.
They do? I thought it was a rumor circulated by the International Brotherhood for OCD.
People actually take measurements while brewing.
They do? I thought it was a rumor circulated by the International Brotherhood for OCD.
petey_c
Senior Member
Then I thought about something Teromous wrote, "...and you have to spend the rest of the day moving things around with a damaged appendage?" Ouch.
