[majorvices]

My wife let me rob our savings account and open a brewery. And she was the one who encouraged me to do it - it was her suggestion, I had never even contemplated it. And she works full time and brings home the paycheck now while I work at the brewery and make $0. And she doesn't regret it at all and is almost as excited as me. I couldn't have found a better woman.

[corkybstewart]

My wife let me rob our savings account and open a brewery. And she was the one who encouraged me to do it - it was her suggestion, I had never even contemplated it. And she works full time and brings home the paycheck now while I work at the brewery and make $0. And she doesn't regret it at all and is almost as excited as me. I couldn't have found a better woman.

My wife has also encouraged me to quit my real job and open a brewpub, alas there isn't enough in the savings account to rob.  She's also encouraged me to plant a barley crop in our old horse pen so I'm not sure how well she thinks these things out.
But on an every day homebrewing note my wife is happy that because I keep so much beer on hand I haven't been to a bar in years and she doesn't have to worry about me driving drunk or chasing wild women.   I may be spending a lot of time and energy in my garage brewery, but I'm at home, not off wasting money or doing something stupid(like her old hobby flying).

[hopfenundmalz]

My wife has become my brewing partner.  She enjoys beer travel as much as I do (maybe more).  She is also active in out club, and is a member of the AHA.  The NHC has become a high point of the year for us.  Should I say that we are both looking forward to San Diego in 2011?

I am a lucky guy.

[bluesman]

My wife has supported my homebrewing hobby from the very beginning.  She enjoys most of the beer I brew.
In fact she has helped promote my 2010 NHC Silver medal win by contacting our local media sources.
She also likes wine so I make wine as well eventhough I'm not a big wine drinker.
When she makes plans, I try to schedule my homebrewing around her plans to keep her happy to.

I think there has to be at minimum an acceptance of our craft by the significant other.
Otherwise there will only be resistance.
While we're off homebrewing, I think it's the perfect opportunity for the wife to have some time
for her own interests as Weaz had mentioned.  

[bluesman]

My wife let me rob our savings account and open a brewery. And she was the one who encouraged me to do it - it was her suggestion, I had never even contemplated it. And she works full time and brings home the paycheck now while I work at the brewery and make $0. And she doesn't regret it at all and is almost as excited as me. I couldn't have found a better woman.

Amen to that! 

[Hokerer]

Mine has the perfect pedigree...  Father-in-law's life motto is "beer goes with everything"  ...and she's a chip off the old block.

[jeffy]

I met my wife at the '96 NHC in NOLA.  She totally gets it.

I only remember one girl being at that conference. Maybe that's why you met her.

The '96 NHC was also our 20th wedding anniversary and my first conference.  My lovely wife was totally disappointed that I actually wanted to go to the seminars and not be with her.  "Nobody goes to the seminars!"  We almost didn't make it to our next anniversary.

She does not drink beer except for the samples I shove at her to get her sensory analysis.
btw one of her pet peeves is that whenever anyone wants to give a female non-beer-drinker a beer that she will love, they hand her a fruit beer or something overly sweet.  Why is that?  My wife drinks single malt, gin and tonics, vodka and bubbly water, and chardonnay.  No real reason for her to like beer.  Besides all the more for me!

 

[MrNate]

I can offer some advice in this area.

1. Dont do it.

Yeah. Yeah, I know.

2. If you have to, make sure you have expended all other routes. (take some time and step back).

Spent the past year doing just that.

3. Think of the kids.

There's a motivation here related to just that. Not much more I can say on the matter publicly.

4. In thsee days you have no use for anger, get rid of it.

Gone.

5. And most important, for god sakes eat a peach.

Once the ring comes off, I just might.

[capozzoli]

So then ya gonna move back to PA? Maybe Jim Thorpe? Its nice and it is cheap.

[MrNate]

Not for another 15 years or so. Have to stay close to the girls, otherwise I'd probably head to south central PA.

[akr71]

Every 3 or 4 batches I ask what she would like me to brew and brew that and try to work her into the name (in a flattering way) whenever possible.

We bought our first kit together just after we got married, so she's on board.  She just doesn't like when every conversation revolves around beer. 

[bluesman]

Not for another 15 years or so. Have to stay close to the girls, otherwise I'd probably head to south central PA.

Been there...done that...it sucks.

Hang in there.  There is light at the end of the tunnel. 

[beersk]

I have no one...
Gets lonely and I'm having a difficult time meeting women.

[gordonstrong]

I'm not a psychologist, but it seems like some women get married with the idea that they're going to change their husband in some major way.  Later on, they either figure out that idea was wrong and deal with it, or they leave.  One of my friends who got divorced said women get married hoping to change a man and men get married hoping a woman never changes.

I hate to generalize, but in people I know that have problems, this too often seems true.  I guess I'm lucky that my wife has dealt with it.  I wish she was a beer geek too, but I don't want to change her any more than I want to be changed.  At least she likes and drinks good craft beer.

Jeff Rankert is indeed a lucky guy; I can vouch for that first hand.

[Slowbrew]

Not to analyze this too much, but if a relationship is breaking up over a hobby, it's not breaking up over a hobby it's finding an excuse.

My wife wasn't sure about the whole brewing thing but she supported me starting the hobby.  She was ready to kick me in the tush while I was it the "there's nothing more interesting than beer" phase.  I told it would pass and it did.  Now she has told I never get to quit brewing because I've made a beer snob.  

I've also cut way back on the amount of time I spend brewing and try not to talk it about it too much.  We have 4 kids that keep us running constantly (never thought I'd be so happy to have a 16 year old driver in the house).  The times that we have the most trouble as a couple are when we don't get any time to be a couple.  If haven't, make room in your schedule for her and find other topics that interest you both.  Beer is great but every house needs more than one topic to talk about.  It doesn't matter if it's golf or critter killing, almost nobody else cares about it.  8^)

Paul