Is the Homebrew hobby in decline?

[old dog new tricks]

Still think there is a stigma attached I mean kit beer is way better than it once was and replacing sugar with DME makes a difference.
Many still feel home brew is stills and massive contraptions.

With the upturn in stout the home brew world should be highlighting how easy a kit is and what the results can taste like

 

[Stu]

Stopped brewing in 2018 as I couldn’t drink a whole pressure barrel’s worth on my own, then decided to resume in 2022 to use up the old kits I had left.

That's the reason why I bottle. People think I'm nuts. The only other option is to go to 10L corny kegs.

 

[Bitter_Dave]

That's the reason why I bottle. People think I'm nuts. The only other option is to go to 10L corny kegs.

Yes, beer seems to last much longer bottled than in a pressure barrel, and it allows you to build up a variety of beers

 

[Dark Arts]

I don't think homebrew has been presented as anything but gimicky by tv etc and apart from seeing in in the likes of wilko etc there's not been a lot of exposure, so I'm suprised at the number of people that do do it, I tried it the first time round because a mate did some and his father brewed elderberry wine etc and ive only recently got back into it 25yrs on on a whim, possibly watch a beer review on YT and the guy happend to be a homebrewer as well so seen that video and it planted the seed???

 

[MashBag]

Over the pond homebrew perceived as "quality" & "handmade"

In the uk its "let's get pizzed cheap"

That doesn't help.

 

[Bitter_Dave]

Over the pond homebrew perceived as "quality" & "handmade"

In the uk its "let's get pizzed cheap"

That doesn't help.

In the US I think for a long time, for a lot of people, homebrewing was the only way to get hold of beer that was not **** American lager. Nowadays this is not true, and I've seen people in the US lamenting the decline of homebrewing there as a result.

 

[Brew_DD2]

In the US I think for a long time, for a lot of people, homebrewing was the only way to get hold of beer that was not **** American lager. Nowadays this is not true, and I've seen people in the US lamenting the decline of homebrewing there as a result.

They've had big drops in AHA memberships. I think the hobby is in decline. Hopefully numbers will stay healthy enough for our suppliers to survive and thrive. We are very lucky with the ready access we have to such good quality ingredients.

 

[AndrewJB]

Yes, beer seems to last much longer bottled than in a pressure barrel, and it allows you to build up a variety of beers

I’ve still got cider that I made in November 2022 in swing top bottles. They were still fine when I last had one a few months ago!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

They've had big drops in AHA memberships. I think the hobby is in decline.

We still have a steady stream of new members joining rarely a day goes by were at least one new members doesn't register i know they do not all post but there is still plenty of interest.

 

[Brew_DD2]

We still have a steady stream of new members joining rarely a day goes by were at least one new members doesn't register i know they do not all post but there is still plenty of interest.

Oh, I don't disagree with that, and things could be different over the pond, but the AHA has lost around 35% of their membership in recent years. Would be interesting to see traffic and participation figures for here over the years.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I dont have the figures but the stats at the bottom of the home page stay around the same number all day.

Total: 1,153 (members: 43, guests: 1,110)

I also imagine younger home brewers use social media sites for info rather than forums as they dont need to register etc.

 

[MashBag]

I also imagine younger home brewers use social media sites for info rather than forums as they dont need to register etc.

And fill there heads with utter cobblers for free

 

[WillFrites]

YES:
Thise are ntot my experiences @WillFrites . If you buy from Autobrasseur or Rolling-beers then you're going to be fleeced, nut have you looked at thehomebrewcompany.ie and braumarkt.com ? Their prices are both very reasonable Postage bumps it up a bit so make sure you make your order up to the maximum weight (around 30Kg).
I haven;t seen a lot of great beer in supermarkets, to be frank, but the beer from up by your neck of the woods is definitely the best.

Oh I agree I could get it cheaper....but I'd need to hit the 30kg mark (out of my range).
And I tend to use Brouwland as I have found a wider choice and fantastic customer service.

 

[MashBag]

Brouwland was a sad loss after brexit. I used to use them a lot.