[Maxqol]

Hey folks, I wanna say first off thanks for all the great posts on here. I've gotten tons of answers and inspiration over my short tenure of homebrewing.

Question time:

How do you all go about sharing your brew? Or maybe how did you start?

I've been brewing for a few years, but have only occasionally shared extras with others. I mostly drink my own. I am the sole beer drinker in the house.

I just recently gave two friends each an assorted six pack to take home, which is the first time I've done that. I explained about leaving the sediment behind when pouring.

I wish I didn't have to go through that whole explanation because I get the feeling that people find it gross, as if I'm making sub par beer with floaties in it.

Before this gets jumped on by the kegging crowd... Kegs sound appealing but I enjoy the small footprint I have. I also already have a fermentation chamber stuffed into our limited space. I don't think I can convince my spouse to let me put a kegerator in just for my consumption.

[Kevin]

You should have no problems telling people about leaving sediment behind. It's just part of the mystique. Tell them it's the same with commercial beers that are unpasteurized. I keg all my batches and use a Tapcooler counter pressure filler to fill bottles when I want to share. After they taste one they never refuse another because it may have sediment in it.

[jeffy]

What has happened to me on occasion is that the people receiving my beer drink it right out of the bottle.  That's enough to drive me crazy, but it is normal behavior for a lot of people.

[Big_Eight]

Or you can tell them this is how beer was meant to be drank unfiltered, natural, pure. Then proceed to pour them a beer or yourself and show them how to pour to leave the yeast at the bottom and tell them not to sweat it and that it's good for your internals. Lol

[KellerBrauer]

I have been proud to share my beer with friends and relatives.  I take the time to pour their beers for them if they are visiting.  Or, if I hand out a six pack, I print out a “Stat Sheet” and put it with the bottles.  The stat sheet includes the particulars for the beer — IBU, SRM, ABV, Style, Name, Description, etc.  Also on my stat sheet are instructions for how to pour a craft beer that has been bottle conditioned including a stiff recommendation to pour down the side of the rinsed glass and leave the yeast in the bottle.

Bottom line is anyone who enjoys a craft beer knows and understands bottle conditioning.  If they don’t understand bottle conditioning, they are not craft beer drinkers.

[Ron756]

There are several old school  Australian beers the come with directions. You roll the bottle on the counter to mix in the sediment, then pop the cap and drink in a reasonable period of time (Less than 10-15 minutes). Not sure it that is still the trend. It has been more than a few years since I was last in Australia.
I have done two things with sharing beer. I had a few brewer friends and we would swap bottles in the pentagon. Have to be careful though since you aren’t technically supposed to bring it in the building.
I have also given beers to friends with surveys to collect feedback on flavor.
I make labels for my beer to list ingredients and all the brewing need data like hops used, IBU, gravity and %ABV.
I include optimal drinking temperature and glass type as well.
It was generally just a fun way to get rid of beer when I made much more than we would drink at home.


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[fredthecat]

Hey folks, I wanna say first off thanks for all the great posts on here. I've gotten tons of answers and inspiration over my short tenure of homebrewing.

Question time:

How do you all go about sharing your brew? Or maybe how did you start?

I've been brewing for a few years, but have only occasionally shared extras with others. I mostly drink my own. I am the sole beer drinker in the house.

I just recently gave two friends each an assorted six pack to take home, which is the first time I've done that. I explained about leaving the sediment behind when pouring.

I wish I didn't have to go through that whole explanation because I get the feeling that people find it gross, as if I'm making sub par beer with floaties in it.

Before this gets jumped on by the kegging crowd... Kegs sound appealing but I enjoy the small footprint I have. I also already have a fermentation chamber stuffed into our limited space. I don't think I can convince my spouse to let me put a kegerator in just for my consumption.

when i first moved back here i gave out a few bottles of stuff that i thought turned out well. i've since sort of stopped, since i dont really get anything out of it tbh.

i know, i hate giving out instructions since overall it just makes me seem like some hypersensitive weirdo to the guys here who DO drink "craft" (whatever that means in 2022) and basically drink it in the same way the average jo-blo has always drunk cans of lager. i didnt receive any meaningful feedback and its a hassle for me to go collect the bottles as well. im planning on switching to at least one keg instead of bottling in the near future.

Bottom line is anyone who enjoys a craft beer knows and understands bottle conditioning.  If they don’t understand bottle conditioning, they are not craft beer drinkers.

im sure this varies from region to region and between class, etc. but where i live anyone who is white collar at all wont shutup about "im a craft beer lover" but they know barely anything more than an old school budmillercoors drinker other than the gobbedygook thrown out by the modern craft breweries. its simply another sign of status for them here. the craft beer is a joke, instead of the boring and often poorly made cream ale/session lager/canadian style pale ale (aka 2row+15IBU) which is the only stuff they drink, i would just drink labatt 50 and save my money.

there is a massive trend here of craft breweries pushing 3.2-4.0% ABV piss yellow ultra bland and ultra bubbly "session beer" here on tap for standard price and theyre not doing it for the love of peoples health, theyre doing it because it costs them way less to make and its utterly inoffensive to every single person's tastes. had an example of this at a work party in december.

point being, from my perspective, people are the same as always, they dont get it and i shouldnt waste my time trying to enlighten them.

i know it is very different in say california, parts of the NW states, american midwest, etc. but its bad here, really bad.

[ynotbrusum]

I have found that most beer drinkers are set on a brand and won’t try something different, unless you take the time to explain to them the things to look for in all malt beers.  Then make a light adjunct lager that can be tried side by side to an all malt lager. (I use my Lichtbier for this all malt lager style). Usually that comparison makes the light bulb go on for them, but you have to always support them with what my wife always reminds me of - just because you know qualities, doesn’t mean that they can appreciate or like the nuances that you perceive.  Let them like what they like and just take each opportunity to open them up to new experiences.  Also, by the way - don’t cut down their favorite beer, be content with their willingness to try your beer.

It took me years to become this tolerant.  But it is much easier to convince them to try to appreciate homebrew if you take their perspective as the starting point.  Now when I attend a party, the first thing they ask for is my beer.

Cheers and here’s to another year of growth on both sides of the homebrew aisle.

[KellerBrauer]

+1 to this. ^^^^^

Very well said!

[Big Harry Deehl]

Hey Max.  Good on you for sharing.  Most all of my best friends are my beer aficionado buddies.  We get together over a homebrew(or at a local brewery) at least once a week.  Find your tribe and share your brews!