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Wife's reaction to new brewing hobby?

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My wife is actually the one who suggested we get a kegerator. I try to always have a beer that she likes on tap. You have to keep momma happy... and I don't minde keeping her happy with homebrew.
 
My wife is actually the one who suggested we get a kegerator. I try to always have a beer that she likes on tap. You have to keep momma happy... and I don't minde keeping her happy with homebrew.

When I told my wife I couldn't find a beer fridge that would fit down my cellar staircase she said "you could just put it in the kitchen." :rockin:

I still tear up when I think of that moment.

When I told her I was building another really really big fridge down in the basement to keep all 14 of my kegs cold she just smiled that way she does and shook her head like I was crazy. I can't disagree.

Basically she just takes my hobbiies in stride and fully expects me to go crazy with them for a while although she does introduce herself as my 'long-suffering' wife when I introduce her to friends.
 
BELIEVE ME THIS IS CHEAPER THAN MY LAST HOBBY....Romote controlled planes.

The last one I lost was $1300, and never found it.

Saw it go in and that was it.

This, a piece of cake.

I did already have a kegerator (BMC beers) so beer isn't foreign around here.

My wife loves the smell of the hopps and such.

The only thing that no one has brought up is the inevitable "So you are brewing, and now you don't have to buy any beer at the store?"

WRONG!!!!!
 
I was already brewing and working at a HBS when we met, so she knew what she was getting herself into. She can't complain now! :)
 
BELIEVE ME THIS IS CHEAPER THAN MY LAST HOBBY....Romote controlled planes.

The last one I lost was $1300, and never found it.

Saw it go in and that was it.

This, a piece of cake.

I did already have a kegerator (BMC beers) so beer isn't foreign around here.

My wife loves the smell of the hopps and such.

The only thing that no one has brought up is the inevitable "So you are brewing, and now you don't have to buy any beer at the store?"

WRONG!!!!!


I was once into the R/C cars. That progressed into the bigger faster (read much more expensive) world of R/C airplanes. It was fun...'till i decided that my nice airplane that I built would look much better as a large box of tooth picks. It was great!!! Now I have about $2K of stuff collecting dust in storage... Eh, it was fun while it lasted. :mug:

Now I spend the majority of my time obsessing about beer. My girlfriend is very supportive. She does her best to not be a facilitator though (which is good). Sometimes I need that voice of reason telling me me "no, you don't need that shiny new beer thing."

I can honestly say tough that I have never heard the "now you don't have to buy any beer at the store." She knows that's research... :ban:
 
My wife likes me to have hobbies -some more than others. Brewing beer is an at home hobby - riding my motorcycle is an away hobby. Guess which one she likes best? :ban:
 
I've only been dating my girlfriend for a little over 6 months. We recently moved in together and i've already heard

"So you are brewing, and now you don't have to buy any beer at the store?"

Lol. I haven't had the heart to tell her the truth just yet
 
Like LarryC said, if it keeps me home, she's usually alright with it. She's put up with the homemade bread, the fresh jelly and today's canned pears, so this is just another thing on the list.
I am going to drink beer anyway and after the gear is amortized over a few batches I can prove to her it saves money.
She likes beer but just nothing hoppy so I promised something she likes for batch number two.
 
You know you're in trouble when your girlfriend/wife calls the box you have in the closet or garage containing all your brewing supplies a "hobby box".... sigh....
 
My wife became much more amenable to the whole brewing thing when I started keeping soda water and root beer on tap.....
 
Another IT guy here (programmer). My girlfriend gives me a hard time about it too, but I think that's just because she doesn't like beer. I don't think she would care as much if I was making wine.

Wine is actually easier than beer, I've found (gasp!). Make her happy, grab another carboy, find a grape juice shop in little Italy in your region (for me, right around the corner), throw in a little EC-1118, wait 6 - 8 weeks, filter, bottle, and let her get ripped on wine while you get ripped on beer.

That's what I did.
 
I'm pretty new to brewing and my wife has been very accepting of it thus far.
Much more accepting than she is of me golfing or riding my motorcycle.
 
After 17 years, a new hobby doesn't surprise the wife. She just want to know what it is going to cost. Brewing is fun because my 11 year old daughter is interested and is involved in every step except drinking, says its nasty. Like my wife she doesn't like the smell. I don't get heckled, the wife just rolls her eyes.
 
My wife considers me a "Hobby Whore" because i like doing manly sheit: Brewing, Fishing, Hunting, Smoking, etc.

As for brewing, i found that making a "for her beer" tends to win them over ;)
 
My wife doesn't mind too much unless (like yesterday) I have a mess in the kitchen when she's trying to make dinner.

We both hate the smell that boiling wort leaves in the house, so I seep the grains in the house and then when it's time to boil, I move out to the turkey fryer in the garage. ;)
 
My wife's reaction? Bemused indifference. She gets a day to skedaddle to the big city once a month and visit with her mother (who gets to play with the kids) and I get a day alone to quietly contemplate brewing beer. Works out great for both of us.

We just celebrated out 9th anniversary and still love to spend a quiet evening together but the individual times are important too.
 
My wife is only worried about the cost.

I tend to get into a new hobby and hit it big, then forget about it. Case-in-point, I took photography classes in college. I got done with them, and dropped 400 bucks on various darkroom equipment to build my own. I built a darkroom in my apartment, then we moved. I built it again in my townhome. I spent hours designing things, (mobile, quick disconnecting sinks, activated charcoal air filters, etc.), but in the end, only actually developed ONE ROLL OF FILM.

The darkroom stuff is on Craigslist now for $175. And once I get that money, guess where it's going? Into my brewing stuff. I've already invested a good $500, (carboys, kegs, fridge, turkey fryer, IC, etc), and have plans to go all grain, plumb the garage, etc....

She's just worried that, like the photography, and this summers' earlier project, (a free boat that quickly became very expensive), my interest will peak and fizzle.

It hasn't yet though! 3 batches under my belt, 1 already in the keggerator, Centennial Blonde, (extract), planned next....

My only problem is she can't stand my first batch...(it's green, and I effed up the batch...didn't crush the grains before steeping, so it's missing a lot of flavor and color).....and I've got to convince her that the money WILL pay out, and I WILL make good beer...sooner or later....I just hope the Honey Weizen and/or Porters work out.
 
My wife suggested I start homebrewing (while we were dating)... I wasn't interested at the time. So she was thrilled 2 years later when I decided to start brewing. She loves my beer and actually likes the smell (at least in the garage)...
 
My wife is only worried about the cost.

I tend to get into a new hobby and hit it big, then forget about it. Case-in-point, I took photography classes in college. I got done with them, and dropped 400 bucks on various darkroom equipment to build my own. I built a darkroom in my apartment, then we moved. I built it again in my townhome. I spent hours designing things, (mobile, quick disconnecting sinks, activated charcoal air filters, etc.), but in the end, only actually developed ONE ROLL OF FILM.

The darkroom stuff is on Craigslist now for $175. And once I get that money, guess where it's going? Into my brewing stuff. I've already invested a good $500, (carboys, kegs, fridge, turkey fryer, IC, etc), and have plans to go all grain, plumb the garage, etc....

She's just worried that, like the photography, and this summers' earlier project, (a free boat that quickly became very expensive), my interest will peak and fizzle.

It hasn't yet though! 3 batches under my belt, 1 already in the keggerator, Centennial Blonde, (extract), planned next....

My only problem is she can't stand my first batch...(it's green, and I effed up the batch...didn't crush the grains before steeping, so it's missing a lot of flavor and color).....and I've got to convince her that the money WILL pay out, and I WILL make good beer...sooner or later....I just hope the Honey Weizen and/or Porters work out.

I am KIND-OF the same way! I am a Ham Operator and I still use the radios but it might only been on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. I still hang antennas and talk to mostly hams and whatnot. I started gardening and shes complaining that I don't go out to the garden anymore! (Everything is about spent).

She just doesn't want me to spend more money than she does on a hobby ;) hahaha. I have to evenly divide it up so she can do what she enjoys also (which is totally understandable).

I would like to MAYBE try and get her interested in making wine...hmmmm what a great idea. I can only get her to like super sweet and non alcoholic-tasting wines though so that may be a bit of a challenge.
 
My wife suggested I start homebrewing (while we were dating)... I wasn't interested at the time. So she was thrilled 2 years later when I decided to start brewing. She loves my beer and actually likes the smell (at least in the garage)...

I didn't actually think about brewing in the garage until you said that. It's a beautiful idea! I might be able to use the stove on the propane grill (or the gas stove inside..whichever). It's getting cooler out so the fermentation would be a lot cooler outside in the garage (i would think).

Even though temperatures go up and down if it stays in the "good range"; that's OK isn't it? I don't know how im going to pull that off but yeah. During the winter months I could always have one of those warming bands around it keeping it the right temp or something. I'll have to see when the time comes!
 
I have been happily married for 3 (going on 4) years now. I am 25 years old and I like to "make" things. I think part of this comes from me having an IT job and all of my work isn't on a tangible object, rather it's something virtual.

I'm a Ham Operator and I love working with electronics to "make" things. I also like to garden and grow things. Now I am wanting to start the brewing hobby to see if I'm successful at it and if I like it or not. The wife has heckled me about each and every hobby I take up.

Do any of you guys experience this or am I alone here? :D

Must be a guy thing. Women don't understand hobbies. I constantly start new ones, and they're not usually cheap. from Tournament Paintball and general Gun Whore to Motorcross to Brewing. I have also recently picked up disc Golf. Disc golf is at least cheap. $25 startup and no course fees.
 
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