[J965]

Hi there, I'm pretty new to brewing and was wondering what got you interested in brewing in the first place?

[J965]

Personally I got into it through my friends and colleagues but I’m interested to hear from others on their experiences starting to homebrew

[James K]

I first got into homebrewing over 10 years ago. I had disposable income and was 21. I drank everything in the store and just wanted to try my own. I did not know the difference between extract or all grain then. I would read about mashing and scratch my head because I was just boiling cans of malt.

Over the years I just sought out craft beer and things that were different. I got back into brewing after a long hiatus because It seemed like a fun hobby and something that was practical. More somafter I learned more. But I am still learning.

I brew for a club and also to experiment. It is hard for me to find commercial beers where I am like, yeah, I want that. With most my home brews I feel like I pretty pretty decent beer. Most my friends agree and encourage me to make things they like. Belgian golden strong is on the list. My friend said duuvel. I said. I’ll figure it out.

[BrewBama]

I like to make stuff myself. I get a sense of satisfaction when someone says “Dayum, that’s good”. I used to fish, hunt, play golf etc but those hobbies keep me away from home. My wife has a medical condition so I’ve found hobbies that are on premises. This includes cooking, pizza making, bread baking, charcuterie, brewing, gardening, etc.


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[majorvices]

Because you can make any style of beer you want any time of the season you want and you can make it as good as nearly anything you can buy (once you master the craft).

Also there is that satisfaction after a long brew day of having the wort in the tank similarly to that feeling after you have a freshly cut lawn only better.

Also the nurturing aspect of tending the fermentation, preparing the beer for drinking.

And then there also the drinking.

[ethinson]

Four years ago my sister-in-law bought me a Mr Beer kit.  She didn't know at the time that I was looking into homebrewing, she just knew my wife and I "liked beer and maybe we could make our own".  I still brew small scale extract batches but moved on quickly from Mr Beer and started buying my own hops, yeast and specialty grains and formulating my own recipes instead of using a "kit".

The reason I got hooked on it and kept going, I have a food science background, so homebrewing to me is just a big experiment and one I can do at home.  On one hand the biology piece of the yeast and fermentation is really fascinating and on the other hand I love experimenting with different flavors.  Recipe formulation is my favorite part.  I find a style I want to make and then within that style shoot for a certain flavor profile.  "If I add this grain... if I add this hop..." find out at the end whether that worked or not, if so, leave it, if not, back to the drawing board.

I parlayed the food science degree and a couple years homebrew experience into a job at a brewery lab here in town so now it's my hobby and my profession. 

[erockrph]

I've always loved beer, and brewing my own has increased my knowledge and appreciation tremendously. What got me to finally pick up the hobby (I had been "planning on" starting homebrewing for years), was when parenthood hit and I was looking for a hobby that was based at home.

[dls5492]

I brewed my first beer in 1988 because all there was available was Bud, Miller, etc. I wanted more variety. I still do it because I enjoy the hobby and interacting with other Club members. I also enjoy the festivals we do.

[riceral]

Similar to ethinson, my wife got me into homebrewing. I was interested in learning and my wife bought me a starter kit for my birthday. And it grew from there--- extract to all-grain; kits to developing my own recipes (which I'm still learning); experimenting and exploring new styles. Well, new for me at least.

In addition to being able to make something that gives me pleasure and I can share with others, I can make and drink something that I can't get around here (Gainesville, Fl). I had been reading about altbiers and wanted to try one. No one in the area sold alts so the only thing left to do was to make one. Same thing with Kentucky Common and Grodzisckie.   

[denny]

I like to make stuff myself. I get a sense of satisfaction when someone says “Dayum, that’s good”. I used to fish, hunt, play golf etc but those hobbies keep me away from home. My wife has a medical condition so I’ve found hobbies that are on premises. This includes cooking, pizza making, bread baking, charcuterie, brewing, gardening, etc.


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Pretty much the same for me.  I started cookings as a hobby over 50 years ago.  I like to know how to do things, so brewing was a logical progression.

[chumley]

In 1990, my bride (married for 4 months then) bought me a starter kit, to discourage me from starting up my old college hobby of growing weed in the basement.   Progressed to all grain around 1994, kegging in 2000, 10 gallon batches in 2012.  Sill married after brewing hundreds of batches.

[klickitat jim]

Something fun to do that doubles as a valuable skill post-ZA

[rodwha]

My wife bought me a starter kit and Cooper’s kit for my birthday figuring I needed a new hobby as I had become a stay at home dad. That kit sat for almost a year. She asked when I was going to brew it and I had to admit I was skeptical that good beer could be brewed at home, which I was right. That first batch became racing fuel as I thought temp control was as simple as setting the thermostat to 72*.

She almost bought me a Mr Beer kit the store had on clearance. Figured the fermentor was worth the price. It didn’t turn out either, but in hindsight may have mellowed with age. And so we found two recipes online and she helped me with them. The brown ale is still one of my best brews (97 brews later).

Immediately I began working with online calculators and formulating my own recipes, which is a huge part of my enjoyment. Having people try them and give me feedback is another. Modifying recipes until they are near perfect is exciting for me too. And making things I can’t just get is a good example of what makes homebrewing so awesome. And brew day is always fun. I often walk outside a moment just to take in the smell anew!

[Ale Farmer]

I'll echo what several have said: I like to make my own things (I garden, too), I have to spend a lot of time at home to help with the family, I like being able to brew styles that are difficult to buy commercially--or at least fresh, I like to experiment with different flavors--including what is growing in my own yard (such as spruce and oak), and I like developing my own recipes to create my own original take on a style. And I'll also add that I like brewing to the seasons--there's something almost primal about that, it seems.

[Brewmeisters]

My buddy and I got into brewing because we love drinking beer, but we also wanted something to do as well.
If you think about it, have you seen an ingredient label on the beer you drink the most?
We wanted to know what goes in our beer, see what tastes good, find out what we like, and have some minor shenanigans.

We call it, "man cooking". It's fun, and definitely a constant learning experience.


Have fun, is the big thing. Enjoy the brew and then enjoy a brew.
If you're not having fun making beer, you're doing something wrong.


Prost!