When and why did you start brewing?

[LarryF]

I was between hobbies, I'd been a member of a rifle and pistol club for five years, the London Telecom Shooting Club. We had a 25m indoor range underneath Shoreditch Telephone Exchange but we got kicked out of there and continuing to shoot became untenable. So there I was stuck for a hobby and then home brewing occurred to me and I started checking it out online and soon found the Craigtube how to brew a Coopers kit and was hooked from when I watched the tasting video. The next thing I knew I was panic posting on here when my first brew was down to 14c in January last year.

 

[Godsdog]

1973 and never stopped,only had one go down the sink as a disaster in all those years

 

[ElChemist]

Got a starter kit when I started a new job and decided after 2 and a half years without a drink I should have a couple each week. First kit is in the keg and about to hit the cold for a couple of weeks. Bee planning a move to AG after a house move which will be coming in the summer.

Being a Biochemist, a chemistry teacher and a proper Grade A, Olympic standard Nerd, I've researched the **** off it, and even consulted my uncle, a Professor of chemical and bioprocess engineering (His response was "Stop being a **** Chris, people have been brewing beer for thousands of years, its really hard to f**k up, not even you could manage it") so I think a move to AG and many litres of weissbier are in my future...

 

[Chippy_Tea]

(His response was "Stop being a **** Chris, people have been brewing beer for thousands of years, its really hard to f**k up, not even you could manage it")

:lol:

..........

 

[monkier]

I'd been thinking about home brewing for a while but never bothering my **** to actually do it. Then this last Christmas my brother got me an All Grain Kit and that was it. I was bitten by the bug, and i was able to combine it with another hobby that i'd given up on...making youtube videos :)

Now i'm thinking about where i'm going to put a fermentation fridge and upgrading my equipment to do larger batches.

 

[Paulza]

I am 35 years young I started brewing about 2 month ago although it has always interested me, I think it's the thought of having a good beer and thinking I did that

 

[Kman]

I started last summer, was the other halves idea, I got a starter kit from my lhbs and I'm now totally obsessed. I ferment in the cupboard under the stairs (think Harry Potter size) and after my win from the giveaway I've squeezed a fermentation fridge in there. My 7th kit is going in that (festival Goldman stag). Hoping to go all grain once we get a bigger place but I've not had a bad brew yet.

 

[ptsupermix]

My dad used to brew in the 70s and as kids we used to go picking stuff like blackberries and bilberries and he made wine out of them. He also make continental lager from boots.
then back I the early nineties when I was in my early 20's I got a book from somewhere like the works called homemade wine and that started me off remembering what my dad used to make. From there I did country wine kits from boots and tried making country wines from scratch with various results, even wooded my now wife with a bottle of strawberry wine ☺.
Jump to about year 2000 and I started to have a go at beer kits from my lhbs and they were good but then I got two infected batches on the trot and that put me off for years as they were expensive.
then about 18 months ago I started to get into the crafty beer, joined some homebrew Facebook groups and just liked what others were doing so after a few muntons kits, had a go at a few extract brews that were awesome, then I chanced on some all grain kit going cheap second hand so got that and seven brews in, here I am, l am also having a go at turbo cider, graf, and wow which are all new to me :)

 

[pms67]

I started last summer, was the other halves idea, I got a starter kit from my lhbs and I'm now totally obsessed. I ferment in the cupboard under the stairs (think Harry Potter size) and after my win from the giveaway I've squeezed a fermentation fridge in there. My 7th kit is going in that (festival Goldman stag). Hoping to go all grain once we get a bigger place but I've not had a bad brew yet.

Golden Stag is a great kit,if you can,crash cool to around 4 degrees a day or two before you bottle and the hops drop right to the bottom,i often dont even need to transfer to a second fv to bottle now,enjoy

 

[dad_of_jon]

Sugar in brewing isn't as bad as you think. English Bitter's have a long history of using sugar (invert syrups), so do Belgian beers in the form of candi sugar

I think I'm officially addicted to candi sugar

it's been in more of my brews than not.

 

[MyQul]

I think I'm officially addicted to candi sugar

it's been in more of my brews than not.

Looking at the abv% of the beers in your sig it's no wonder - I see you have a light session beer of 6.04%abv in there just for a change though :lol:

 

[BrannBrew]

Started back June/July last year after my wife got me the basic equipment and a kit for my birthday, but I was interested in picking up the hobby before hand.

I'm not worried about the cost, I make beer because I can make stuff that suits my cravings. I still buy craft beers by the bottle or find one on tap when I'm out.

The cost now is no more than a round of golf to me.

It's a very enjoyable hobby that keeps on giving

 

[dad_of_jon]

Looking at the abv% of the beers in your sig it's no wonder - I see you have a light session beer of 6.04%abv in there just for a change though :lol:

:lol::lol::lol:

that's my news years resolution nothing over 7% - let's see how long that lasts.

actually my real new years resolution is 1680x1050. I bought myself a new screen in the January sales!

 

[MyQul]

:lol::lol::lol:

that's my news years resolution nothing over 7% - let's see how long that lasts.

actually my real new years resolution is 1680x1050. I bought myself a new screen in the January sales!

Is that your screens resolution or really the OG of your beers :lol:

 

[cheapbrew]

I don't know how he can even see after drinking that strong stuff he brews

 

[GlentoranMark]

Tried it when I was 1988, found the kits had a twang so stopped brewing ..... roll onto 2015.

Went to Prague and visited a pub called U-Fleku They brewed a dark lager, quite unlike anything else I've tasted. I came home and tried a few Bock beer kits, still found the twang.

Things moved fast around this time last year. I tried out Clibit's simple all grain guide and the beer didn't have the twang. At the same time, fellow forumite Niman was giving a boiler away and I got it. Mansemasher was also heading to England and got me a CO2 bottle so I moved quickly into 19L batches of kegged AG.

I have a recipe for the U Fleku beer but it's a lager and I've no temperature control. When I get a fridge then I'll be brewing it :)

 

[CraftyZA]

I've been brewing lambic with the local marula fruit for a while. Last year i started with ales simply because i cannot find my taste profile on the shelves

 

[chesters-mild]

My father woked for the Chesters Brewery in Manchester - 47 years service! (my grandfather worked there as well) so it sort of runs in the family. On and off I've made beer all my life - as simple as that - oh and dad did not drink anything stronger than tea all his life! didn't mind me having a pint or two though:grin:

 

[MyQul]

I've been brewing lambic with the local marula fruit for a while. Last year i started with ales simply because i cannot find my taste profile on the shelves

Had to google what marula fruit were. The third hit is an amusing youtube vid on animals getting ****** up on rotting/fermented marula fruit

 

[murphysmum]

Started properly last year, although had tried a couple of times with kit wines before. My Grandfather and Father had both made wines and ciders, so it was no surprise that I was going to follow suit! MurphysDad (hwmbdo!!!!!!!) fancied trying some fruit wines and beers too, so here I am!