Any hobby home brewers out there?

[Spartacus Maximus]

Thinking of starting home brewing as a new hobby. After reading a few websites on the subject, making a batch of meade or honey wine seems like an interesting experiment.

Who has done some homebrewing before?

[singularity6]

I've made mead once. It turned out pretty well! I've become friends with the master brewer at a local brewery. He doesn't do home brewing, anymore, but he did say he'll help me out with making some absinthe! And he took me up on a request and is brewing a Belgian-style strong ale, and aging it in Chardonnay casks!

I do plan to start brewing on my own once I get out of my apartment. I prefer Belgian abbey ales, so wouldn't it be appropriate to brew in a place of worship? Not being a religious person, this could pose a problem... but... what if I made a dojo/brewery once I get some property?! (Property is relatively cheap where I am. You can find 20 acres with an okay house on it for under $100k, if you know what you're doing.)

I'm also helping out at a local vineyard. The owner has spent some time explaining the ins-and-outs of his craft to me. I've helped with the harvest and some grounds-keeping so far, and will probably be helping him bottle next week. He tends to do most of the big "wine-making" shortly after the harvest. Last year's harvest came late, and I was too busy with the semester when he started all the fun stuff. Hopefully this year will be different, and I'll learn how to make wine from a pro!

[Bulltahr]

Seriously brewed beer at home back in the 80's when it was really popular, 50 litres every 5 days. Was fun to make and fun to drink........ Like wine, however, I have mellowed with age.................

[JR 137]

I've always wanted to brew my own beer, but two things have held me back...

1. I don't think I could watch the process and not start "sipping" from it too soon.

2. I'm quite sure I wouldn't do nearly as good a job as my regularly purchased stuff - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Porter, Old Slugger Pale Ale and Benchwarmer Porter (Cooperstown Brewery), and Anchor Steam and Porter.

Looking at my usual stuff, I guess I'm a pale ale and Porter drinker

[singularity6]

I've always wanted to brew my own beer, but two things have held me back...

1. I don't think I could watch the process and not start "sipping" from it too soon.

2. I'm quite sure I wouldn't do nearly as good a job as my regularly purchased stuff - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Porter, Old Slugger Pale Ale and Benchwarmer Porter (Cooperstown Brewery), and Anchor Steam and Porter.

Looking at my usual stuff, I guess I'm a pale ale and Porter drinker

As with anything else, practice makes perfect!

[Bulltahr]

IPA mmmmmmmm

Scott's of Oamaru 7.8%..........

(Right now)

[JR 137]

I've always wanted to brew my own beer, but two things have held me back...

1. I don't think I could watch the process and not start "sipping" from it too soon.

2. I'm quite sure I wouldn't do nearly as good a job as my regularly purchased stuff - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Porter, Old Slugger Pale Ale and Benchwarmer Porter (Cooperstown Brewery), and Anchor Steam and Porter.

Looking at my usual stuff, I guess I'm a pale ale and Porter drinker

As with anything else, practice makes perfect!

Absolutely.

But the beer would be gone before it was truly ready to be drank. I know that sounds like I have a problem with alcohol, but it's not; it's a problem with patience. It's the same thing when I'm cooking - I'm constantly checking what it needs. But the difference is the food doesn't take days to weeks to be ready.

I'll give it a try one day.

[sensei8]

Well...I don't drink, nor have I ever drank any alcohol beverage. I use to live right near a Budweiser Brewing Plant, and whenever I went by it, the smell of the hops was strongly bad; made me want to puke. I know...I'm a big dork!!

However, man oh man, I can home-brew one mean tea and/or kool-aid!!

Albeit, I've enjoyed the posts here, thus far, and I look forward to read more on this subject.

[singularity6]

Well...I don't drink, nor have I ever drank any alcohol beverage. I use to live right near a Budweiser Brewing Plant, and whenever I went by it, the smell of the hops was strongly bad; made me want to puke. I know...I'm a big dork!!

However, man oh man, I can home-brew one mean tea and/or kool-aid!!

Albeit, I've enjoyed the posts here, thus far, and I look forward to read more on this subject.

That would make me want to puke, too!

And not consuming alcohol does not make one a dork. It's a choice some of us make. Some drink for the feel. I personally drink for the taste (and I do not care much for the buzz, to be honest - I do not like the feeling of not being in complete control of my body, so I am very careful with quantity!)

[JR 137]

Well...I don't drink, nor have I ever drank any alcohol beverage. I use to live right near a Budweiser Brewing Plant, and whenever I went by it, the smell of the hops was strongly bad; made me want to puke. I know...I'm a big dork!!

However, man oh man, I can home-brew one mean tea and/or kool-aid!!

Albeit, I've enjoyed the posts here, thus far, and I look forward to read more on this subject.

There's plenty of things I didn't do that the "cool kids" did and some still do. If that makes me a dork, I guess we're in it together.