[HobsonDrake]

Got some very unhappy news today. Doctor wants me to abstain from alcohol use. I KNOW! I haven't had any for the last month (OK, almost none) and he again confirmed the request.
I don't want to get into the whole medical reason here on line. So please don't ask.
I plan to continue brewing. The tasting part of it will need to be practiced as I have never spit out beer before. I am not sure I can. But I will see how it goes until the orders are changed.

Just curious, does anyone else taste but not drink?

[majorvices]

Sorry to hear that, man. I have had some problems with acid reflux in the past and have had to take some time off drinking coffee, and to a lesser extent beer. Abstaining from drinking beer was a little difficult, the coffee was pure torture.

[erockrph]

Have you thought of getting into Kombucha, Kefir or some other fermented beverage? That may be a way to scratch the itch without consuming alcohol (or at least minimal, Kombucha is usually in the sub-1% range). Or maybe some other kitchen-related hobby like cheese or breadmaking? When I can't brew, I still get the itch to create.

Is this permanent or temporary? If it's just short term, maybe brew some beers that need long aging like sours, barleywines, etc.

[dkfick]

I think swallowing the beer is a pretty big part of the tasting experience.  That said... It doesn't need to be very much.

[HobsonDrake]

Have you thought of getting into Kombucha, Kefir or some other fermented beverage? That may be a way to scratch the itch without consuming alcohol (or at least minimal, Kombucha is usually in the sub-1% range). Or maybe some other kitchen-related hobby like cheese or breadmaking? When I can't brew, I still get the itch to create.

Is this permanent or temporary? If it's just short term, maybe brew some beers that need long aging like sours, barleywines, etc.

I have not thought about Kombucha. Will have to look into it. Was thinking about doing a barleywine. Don't like sours so that is off the list.

More tests are being done. I hope it is only temporary. But until they can say for sure what is causing my issue Dr thinks it is best to not drink.

Thanks for the input.

[Alewyfe]

That sucks but you're not alone. Friends drink beer, neighbors appreciate beer, there's lot's to be given away. It's also useful for barter. The process is fun and many of my best friends are brewers so I continue to enjoy the hobby. I'm drinking less beer with lower abv and less hops. Seems to be making a difference. I take my turn as a designated driver too. Perfect excuse to go out with the group, but abstain.

[homoeccentricus]

Not asking about your condition, but if sugar is the problem, you might consider brewing saisons...

[duncan]

Some thoughts (though these may or may not be helpful since I don't know the exact situation):

• Brew low ABV beers. Some traditional Berliner Weisse recipes can be as low as 2-3%. If you can have low levels of alcohol in a small pour of beer, that's a decent compromise. Or water down some beers to get the ABV to a tolerable level, like the big guys do to make three-two beer (or whatever they call it in your area)
• As others have said, try fermenting kombucha. While it's fermented, it usually comes in under 1%ABV. There's lots of options for different flavor combinations.
• Soda. Drew Beechum did a spread in a Zymurgy from a year or two ago on making a bunch of soda. The recipes sound insanely delicious. If you're interested I can go back and find the exact issue.

Good luck!

[S. cerevisiae]

Not asking about your condition, but if sugar is the problem, you might consider brewing saisons...

If the problems is diabetes (or even pre-diabetes), switching to drinking saisons will not help.  Alcohol combined with certain oral diabetes drugs and/or insulin can cause one's blood sugar to swing wildly, possibly resulting in hypoglycemic events that could lead to one landing in a diabetic coma. 

[homoeccentricus]

Hmm, I know one diabetic home brewer who claims it's ok. Not sure how serious his condition is, or whether he takes any drugs for it...

[1vertical]

Then there is the gluten aspect.  If that is the malady, there are gluten free beers.
I as well have developed a physical problem that trends me toward light to no consumption.....
I am sure the Doc would prefer zero alcohol intake.....I rue the day.

[dls5492]

If the doctor's orders are to "abstain from alcohol". Then, that's what you need to do.

[S. cerevisiae]

Hmm, I know one diabetic home brewer who claims it's ok. Not sure how serious his condition is, or whether he takes any drugs for it...

Diabetics can drink; however, they have be more careful than non-diabetics.    Diabetics produce little to no insulin (type 1) or have defective insulin response (type 2).  Hypoglycemia can be mistaken for intoxication.  Alcohol drives one's blood sugar low.  Low blood sugar is what makes one sweat and gives one the shakes during a hangover. People who have a normal functioning pancreas and insulin response can recover from moderate to somewhat heavy drinking. In diabetics, blood sugar can swing between 300+ mg/l and less than 50 mg/l.   Normal healthy people maintain blood glucose levels between 80 mg/l and 110 mg/l.

[reverseapachemaster]

Tell your doctor nothing in beer can kill you.

[HobsonDrake]

OK. So I guess I was a little overly cautious about posting medical info on line. But we are all friend here.
This all is about me having two bouts of pancreatitis about 9 months apart. It was no fun. Down and out for 5 days. Think the flu without the projectile from both ends but three times the pain. After too many blood draws, CT scans and MRIs, all 4 Dr.s have no clue as to what is causing it.
GI Dr says no alcohol to see if it returns to rule out that as a problem. I tried to assure him that I am a light to moderate drinker (true) and the week before this last one I had only two drinks over a 6 day trip. But he was not swayed.
So that is my story. I have started sampling Kombucha and hope to have a starter culture in a few week.