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Author Topic: Why Do You Homebrew?  (Read 10039 times)

Offline denny

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #45 on: July 14, 2016, 10:46:33 am »
None of my hobbies - hunting, fishing, photography, homebrewing, etc. - save me any money, but they do bring me a lot of pleasure.

Exactly!
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline blair.streit

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #46 on: July 14, 2016, 01:08:18 pm »
None of my hobbies - hunting, fishing, photography, homebrewing, etc. - save me any money, but they do bring me a lot of pleasure.

Exactly!
Yeah, if markets work efficiently and there's sufficient demand then none of us should be able to save money by doing something ourselves that can be done more efficiently on a larger scale.

In my mind, the "maker culture" is fueled by the feeling that we can make things that have a higher value to us than similar products that we could purchase. Some of that value may be created by freshness, uniqueness or even just the intrinsic value of the work and care that we put into crafting the product.

That said, I grew up raising cattle and farming. While I love brewing my own beer, I'm perfectly content to drive to the supermarket for my beef and bread ;-)

Offline mainebrewer

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #47 on: July 14, 2016, 02:14:40 pm »
None of my hobbies - hunting, fishing, photography, homebrewing, etc. - save me any money, but they do bring me a lot of pleasure.

Exactly!
Yeah, if markets work efficiently and there's sufficient demand then none of us should be able to save money by doing something ourselves that can be done more efficiently on a larger scale.

In my mind, the "maker culture" is fueled by the feeling that we can make things that have a higher value to us than similar products that we could purchase. Some of that value may be created by freshness, uniqueness or even just the intrinsic value of the work and care that we put into crafting the product.

That said, I grew up raising cattle and farming. While I love brewing my own beer, I'm perfectly content to drive to the supermarket for my beef and bread ;-)

Me too! I'm a DIYer - do my own house repair/maintenance, veg garden, cut my own firewood, do basic maintenance on my motorized stuff, etc. - but zero interest in raising my own meat!
"It's not that people are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that just isn't true." Ronald Reagan

Offline Slowbrew

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #48 on: July 17, 2016, 08:20:20 am »
None of my hobbies - hunting, fishing, photography, homebrewing, etc. - save me any money, but they do bring me a lot of pleasure.

Exactly!
Yeah, if markets work efficiently and there's sufficient demand then none of us should be able to save money by doing something ourselves that can be done more efficiently on a larger scale.

In my mind, the "maker culture" is fueled by the feeling that we can make things that have a higher value to us than similar products that we could purchase. Some of that value may be created by freshness, uniqueness or even just the intrinsic value of the work and care that we put into crafting the product.

That said, I grew up raising cattle and farming. While I love brewing my own beer, I'm perfectly content to drive to the supermarket for my beef and bread ;-)

Me too! I'm a DIYer - do my own house repair/maintenance, veg garden, cut my own firewood, do basic maintenance on my motorized stuff, etc. - but zero interest in raising my own meat!

If I had the location and out buildings I'd raise 5 or 6 sheep.  It would be fun for the kids to see the lambing process and nothing tastes better than fresh lamb, marinated and cooked slow over coals.  If you can find lamb in super market you have to sign a mortgage to afford it.

I wouldn't do cattle or hogs.  Too much feed and too many disease problems to do on a small scale.
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?

Offline pete b

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #49 on: July 17, 2016, 10:39:12 am »
I'm not sure if this is true everywhere but around here local farms are really doing great raising meat and poultry. The factory raised stuff you get in the supermarket just doesn't compare. Not only are the animals raised properly but the meat is so flavorful that you realize that the pork, chicken etc found in the supermarket is completely flavorless.
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline denny

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #50 on: July 17, 2016, 11:44:45 am »
I'm not sure if this is true everywhere but around here local farms are really doing great raising meat and poultry. The factory raised stuff you get in the supermarket just doesn't compare. Not only are the animals raised properly but the meat is so flavorful that you realize that the pork, chicken etc found in the supermarket is completely flavorless.

Same around here.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline Phil_M

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #51 on: July 17, 2016, 12:55:55 pm »
My sister raised chickens for a while. Fresh eggs, and real chicken meat aren't difficult at all.

I have no interest in raising pigs, having grown up in the countryside where the pig farmer's "stink wagon" was the fertilizer of choice. That being said, once we have the space I'd love to buy a few local hogs to turn into sausages.
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.

Offline mainebrewer

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #52 on: July 17, 2016, 02:36:32 pm »
I'm not sure if this is true everywhere but around here local farms are really doing great raising meat and poultry. The factory raised stuff you get in the supermarket just doesn't compare. Not only are the animals raised properly but the meat is so flavorful that you realize that the pork, chicken etc found in the supermarket is completely flavorless.

Same here as well. We buy bulk pork and beef from local farmers. It is definitely better, especially, the pork.
"It's not that people are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that just isn't true." Ronald Reagan

Offline Indy574

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #53 on: July 17, 2016, 03:03:35 pm »
It's like being a kid again...instead of dirt, grass, water and whatever else you throw in a bucket to make that secret potion. It's grain, hops, water and whatever else you want to throw in....and you get to drink this one.

Offline blair.streit

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #54 on: July 18, 2016, 06:14:26 am »
I'm not sure if this is true everywhere but around here local farms are really doing great raising meat and poultry. The factory raised stuff you get in the supermarket just doesn't compare. Not only are the animals raised properly but the meat is so flavorful that you realize that the pork, chicken etc found in the supermarket is completely flavorless.
Growing up in hot, sandy North Texas I noticed that our grass-fed ground beef had WAY more flavor and WAY less fat than what I could buy at the supermarket when I went to college. We raised grass fed beef back before it was a thing. Wheat is the only grain we grew and that was too expensive to feed to cows ;)

Steaks, on the other hand, I could find better flavor and marbling elsewhere, but I had to learn where to look. I think our cattle were too lean for great steaks.

Offline pete b

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #55 on: July 18, 2016, 09:38:04 am »
I'm not sure if this is true everywhere but around here local farms are really doing great raising meat and poultry. The factory raised stuff you get in the supermarket just doesn't compare. Not only are the animals raised properly but the meat is so flavorful that you realize that the pork, chicken etc found in the supermarket is completely flavorless.
Growing up in hot, sandy North Texas I noticed that our grass-fed ground beef had WAY more flavor and WAY less fat than what I could buy at the supermarket when I went to college. We raised grass fed beef back before it was a thing. Wheat is the only grain we grew and that was too expensive to feed to cows ;)

Steaks, on the other hand, I could find better flavor and marbling elsewhere, but I had to learn where to look. I think our cattle were too lean for great steaks.
A guy near me is breeding an old type of cattle that was used for beef before factory farming. The cattle they use now was bred to be fattened up on corn etc. and bulk up fast. These don't provide great steaks when pasture raised but apparently some older types do so there's a bit of a movement reestablish these breeds.
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline Phil_M

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #56 on: July 18, 2016, 09:51:39 am »
Someday I might try raising meat. My sister raised chickens, they're easy enough. Cattle may not be so bad. Pigs? As much as I love real pork, I don't know that I want that stink anywhere near my home...

That being said, real pork is even more unlike factory pork than grass fed beef is to factory beef. My uncle raised a hog several years ago, just let it forage around in the woods, then finished it on corn per some old family method. Really different taste, not really gamey, but definitely had a much more "porkey" flavor that you'd expect.
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.

Offline Werks21

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #57 on: July 19, 2016, 07:54:41 pm »
I am not sure exactly why I brew. I have thought about it and I can list things I enjoy, however that is not the same as the reason why I brew. So until I figure it out I have accepted that I brew because I am compelled to brew for reasons unknown.
Jonathan W.
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Offline toby

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #58 on: July 19, 2016, 09:32:33 pm »
I had a psych prof in college that used to ask the question "Why are my wife and I still married?"  That's the same reason I brew.  It has nothing to do with love or commitment or any other romantic notions.  I brew because I choose to.

Offline jzking

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Re: Why Do You Homebrew?
« Reply #59 on: July 20, 2016, 11:07:24 am »
A few reasons:

1.  Because I f*u*k*n* love the smell of mashing grains in the air and fresh hops right out of the Mylar. 

2.  It gives me an excuse to drink beer and do something seemingly productive at the same time.

3.  I enjoy making, creating, and innovating equipment used to make beer which provides an opportunity to  combine pure geek (engineering) with something quite cool (beer).

4.  My garage looks like it belongs to a mad scientist, filled with metal canisters, conical vessels, pots with gauges, beakers, flasks, stainless steel tables, etc.  It's fun to freak people out by showing them, especially if they have no idea how technical making beer can get.

5.  I always have something to say if asked "what's one interesting fact about yourself".

6.  Kumquat Kolsch?  Oyster Stout?  Imperial Indian Stout Ale?  Those cannot be readily bought at most bottle shops but you sure as hell can brew them yourself (and they are wayyyy more delicious than they sound.

7.  It sure as f**k beats stamp collecting.