Will my brewing come to a screeching halt if I become a dad?

[dirt55]

We're expecting our 1st this christmas I have already had to say goodbye to my brew room for a nursery

 

[kinnasst]

We had our first 7 weeks ago, yesterday. This morning, I brewed my fourth batch since then. Since you won't be sleeping much, you might as well get up and do something. And after the baby arrives, the wife will be drinking again too!

 

[Heineken]

My guess is it will probably be tough for the first couple of years. Maybe be able to do a few here and there. Once they get a little more self sufficient, then you will be good to go. I have three kids and as much as I enjoy brewing, I wouldn't hesitate having another one (if I were about ten years younger). Once they reach a certain age, brewing becomes a good bonding activity.



My son helps me bottle and is a big help.

 

[jbambuti]

I have a very busy two-year-old who keeps me going most of the time I'm off work. I've just had to work brewing out with my wife, by giving her fair warning that I'd like to brew on a given day. I'm planning on brewing an RIS and some Apfelwein tomorrow, and she's planning to take the kid out of the house for three hours or so. He really wants to help when he's around, but there's not much he can do to help at this point, without jeopardizing sanitation.

Congrats on the expected arrival. Your life will change drastically, but then how you want to spend your time will change as well. You can carve out necessary time for yourself and your brewing with a little prior planning.

Good luck,

Jeff

 

[rico567]

What a wife you have!!!

My wife just brought up "I know we said a few years, but I want to change that and start trying now..." last night, and honestly my first thought was of my burgeoning homebrewing hobby!

<snip>

Your wife is correct; there will never be a "correct" time to have kids. Our biology dictates the best time to have kids, and that is generally as soon as we get married. I've known people who put it off and were suddenly looking at a clock that was ticking very loudly. Those people who defer it too long, and suddenly discover that children are no longer in the cards may end up with more of the world's material goods than I have, but I wouldn't trade my children (& three grandchildren now) for anything.

 

[shimbii]

Honestly, I think I'm getting more into homebrewing since I've had a kid. It's a hobby that keeps me at home. In fact, the one reason the wife wanted a kegerator was because we'd have less time to go out and be social... so why not just drink homebrew out of the kegerator at home? Yes, setting aside the time to brew can be a juggle sometimes but it can be worked out as long as you plan for it and have the SWMBO's approval.

 

[HVBrewtality]

My wife just told me that I'm not allowed to get drunk any more when we have a kid

 

[Drbobcat]

Many people have already said the most important thing...your family is your priority. If your wife senses that you are shirking your new family duties then she will be very resentful of your home brewing. I am the father of 17 month old twins. I used to golf and do many other things, but you have to prioritize your hobbies (as said before). Make sure you have all your family responsibilities done before you brew. That means have the lawns mowed, house cleaned, groceries bought, etc. I am lucky in that I can have a baby sitter for my brew days (usually about 4-5 hours). One of the big things that helped me was to become more efficient at brewing. Go over your brew plan the night before, be careful to hit all your temps the FIRST time, and have everything ready to go the day before you brew. Thats how I do it and I have been able to brew every now and then. Right now I actually have 2 brews fermenting (a first for me). I would recommend not giving up all your hobbie or else you will go crazy. You and your wife will need personal time to recharge. I hope all goes well and just remember that it can be done!

 

[dibby33]

Yes. ask some of the old timers about the number of posts that I used to make and now for instance, this is my fourth in a month.
Brewing wise I have not tried that hard to make some but I have not made any beer for about a year now. Have the gear clean (not sterile) and ready to go but what with building house and working and two little kids (2,5) actual drinking time takes over from brewing time. must learn to prioritise better (and spell!)