Why do you brew?

[jonewer]

Like others have said, the alcohol content is neither here nor there. In fact, If I could brew a great beer with 2% ABV I would.... then I could drink a lot more of it!

 

[oldbloke]

Like others have said, the alcohol content is neither here nor there. In fact, If I could brew a great beer with 2% ABV I would.... then I could drink a lot more of it!

Anybody got the recipe for Mann's Original?

 

[Ukulele Kris]

I'm taking up brewing (going to start my first kit ever sometime this week, nervous!!) because I've caught the craft beer bug, from craft brewers, like Goose Island, Flying Dog and Brewdog, but I've been drinking real ale too, for quite a few years now.

I'd like to get into brewing, and eventually have my own brewpub, and the only way to really get into it seems to be home brew (I've volunteered my time and help to local breweries, for free, but heard nothing back, anyone would think they don't want any free labour!!), plus, I'm curious about it.

My friend is enjoying brewing his own beer, and I would like to try it, so we can compare beers!!

 

[Baldbrewer]

Friend at work got a kit for his birthday and my birthday was coming up , I didn't know what I wanted to have so I asked for a "st Peter ruby red kit"from SWMBO and kids,since June it has become a bit of an obsession!

Being a multi skilled engineer for an american soft drinks manufacturer it was the technical/fabricating side that I also enjoy. Making my mango chutney brewery controlled by pid & ssr's etc was all part of the fun.Can already envisage the shiny HERMS set up

Finally getting my AG#1 brewed yesterday was a fantasic feeling and having served my "St Pete's" beer on Saturday at our street BBQ the praise from neighbours was a great feeling!
I also love cooking so I guess AG is a natural extension of that?
very satisfying when you think "I made that and people like it!"
although I think SWMBO may be slightly regretting my choice of birthday present

Strange though no matter what hobbies I take up there's always the oppertunity for her to have a moan :wha:

 

[THE_Liam]

My dad used to do it when I was a kid, I always remember the cupboard being full of Geordie Lager and John Bull Lager cans. When I was doing my apprenticeship as a mechanic I worked as a barman to boost the crappy apprentice wage, and got really interested in the brewing process, got my cellarmans certificate and learned to look after cask ales...

Always fancied having a go myself, and with the price of it now I'm surprised more people aren't doing it :)

 

[Andyhull]

Strange though no matter what hobbies I take up there's always the oppertunity for her to have a moan :wha:

Ha Ha, same here.

I started brewing beer because i lost the taste for lagers and had started to enjoy real ales after tasteing Bombardier at one of our locals.
I have brewed wines from hedgerow surplus and had very good results so thought i'd give beer a go.
I'll never look back now, im sure i don't brew half as much as some of you guys but when i do i thoroughly enjoy doing it and enjoy the result.

Andy

 

[Springer]

Like others I started so that I could produce good beer, instead of the poor shelf stuff.
That worked, so i went on to making brewing gear, cos I enjoy making anything.
That worked, so I built a bigger set up to produce more beer easier.
That worked, so I started to drink more.
That worked...................... :hmm: :)
I am refitting the brewery at the moment and have run out of stock, but nipping down to the Shelves at say £3 a night works out expensive over the month. :shock: against 40p for quality beer. The expense is not the main thing.
So I am cutting down at the moment ........................."Come on S, get to the point S".........I have in mind to try a low alcohol brew, as others have mentioned, so have low can you go and does anyone have a tasty full bodied recipe.
S

 

[graysalchemy]

Hi springer I have just found this Idea here Hope that helps :thumb:

 

[bizbeery]

Reading through this thread. I see a lot of familiar reasons. SWMBO bought me a Coopers kit for christmas last year. I must have rumbled about how ***** most beer was from our crappy local Tesco (I live in Peckham, there is nothing in-between proper crap and high end craft beer) and how I used to brew at home when I was about 17-18. Anyway having just been made redundant, I thought, well, might as well crack it open.

I'm still waiting for the beer to mature. I've made a couple of mistakes, but I have the bug something serious. I've just made my third kit up. And, I'm waiting for a couple more buckets to be delivered along with a white house honey ale extract recipe kit. When in my garage a moment ago, I realised by the end of next week, I'll have made 70 litres + of beer.

How in the hell am i going to drink all that? :drunk:

 

[zgoda]

I usually stock 80 litres for current consumption, 40 litres in prolonged maturation and 60 litres in various stages of fermentation. It goes like water, I don't know how and when.

 

[bobsbeer]

Interesting article GA. Although you may want to edit your link. The theory sounds good but the reality??? I might give it a go with a small batch and dry hop afterwards to put back the hop aroma.

 

[CiderJoe]

Many thanks for all the replies to my thread. It's interesting and fun to read.

 

[airymary]

Hi Joe - hope your last post wasn't to close the thread? I think forumites will stumble on it periodically, and want to add their bit; me f'rinstance!
I brewed prodigiously in the 80's from extract, and made some very drinkable beers too. A couple of years ago, I was made redundant and pensioned-off early. So more time than money. (Sound familiar, anyone?). Tend to go to the pub to socialise as much as have a drink odd evenings, and was hacked-off with lame supermarket beers at home on those nights in. I dabbled with kits a bit last year, at the end of which my son bought me a starter kit with a budget PB for my birthday. All down hill after that - I now have PBs adapted as kegs to accept cellar gas. The beer goes through a cooler to my beer engine. Just planning AG#16. :thumb:

I've also enjoyed the spirit of innovation that accompanies home brewing; adapting tea urns or stockpots etc as boilers, d-i-y cooling coils and filters, etc etc. Last, and definitely not least, I enjoy crafting beers that are as good as those I can get in the pub, as well as experimentation and 'trial and error' to produce different results - usually good, sometimes less so :hmm:

All-in-all, I plan to continue for the foreseeable future. Unlike a mash, there's no end point in prospect!
Cheers, :
Chris

 

[graysalchemy]

Interesting article GA. Although you may want to edit your link. The theory sounds good but the reality??? I might give it a go with a small batch and dry hop afterwards to put back the hop aroma.

Link fixed Bob

Had another thought on the subject. Mash the beer at a high temp and use a low attenuating yeast, but make sure you don't use any crystal malt in the grain bill as this can be cloyingly sweet, instead use carapils. Again this might be another case of GA talking complete and utter b*llocks but in theory you should end up with a beer with a lot of non fermentables and also low attenuation.

 

[TRXnMe]

I like good beer, have done since I was a kid and was first introduced to Teakston's Old Peculiar a couple of miles from the brewery while on holiday

Years later the cost of good beer was getting prohibitive and I enjoy a pint, but don't want to drink cheap crap

I then went on a brewery tour in York while on holiday, they sold home brew kits, the seed was planted, but memories of the less than brilliant stufff my parents brewed as when I was a kid put me off.

Late last year I was in The Range and spotted a starter kit for home brew, relatively cheap, but it was still home brew. Eventually I got on the internet and found this place, reading around the forum I realised home brew kits could be OK, but that real home brewing could be awesome.

I got some equipment, and a few kits and was happy, then turbo ciders bit me and I was on the slippery slope, my next 'fall' was fiery ginger beer, then the back to basics 2 challenge came along.

I think I know how those school kids feel, the ones who are given a little baggie by the dealer and end up selling their Mum and Dad for drug money.

I've now got a mash tun, there is a 50 litre boiler somewhere between Bergland's and me, my freezer is filling up with hops, I've promised the wife a washer dryer, so I can have the utility room where the dryer lives for a beer fridge.

All I wanted was cheap tasty beer and an interesting hobby damn you!!

Is there a Brewer's Anonymous society anywhere? I think I might need help

 

[zgoda]

Is there a Brewer's Anonymous society anywhere? I think I might need help

Was looking for this last year and didn't found one. Must be they don't consider our hobby dangerous for the society. Which tells much.