[phillamb168]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/garden/home-brewing-need-a-beer-hit-the-basement.html?_r=2

[passlaku]

Thanks for sharing.  AHA, HBT, MB3 all got their names dropped in that article.  Good read.

[bluesman]

Great article. Nice to see our craft in the limelight. Thank Phil. 

[brewmichigan]

Nice to see some National recognition in a positive light. Cool story.

[tygo]

This pretty much sums up my setup:

For many people, home brewing summons visions of beat-up equipment that is stashed in a corner of a garage, dragged out only occasionally, powered by modest propane tanks normally attached to the barbecue and yielding just a few gallons. (Professional breweries measure output by the barrel — roughly 31 gallons each.)

Except for the part about being dragged out only occasionally.   

[tschmidlin]

"We cater to the higher end of the group, the advanced home brewers,” Mr. Sulier said.

Apparently you can be an advanced homebrewer just by buying a brewmagic system.  And by implication, you're not advanced without one.

[denny]

Maybe I won't read the article after all....sounds like I'd just get pissed off.

[tschmidlin]

Maybe I won't read the article after all....sounds like I'd just get pissed off.

That's just part of it.  It's pretty good overall, they get a few things wrong like you'd expect from a publication where the editor knows less about the subject than the non-expert author.  But the quote from sabco is annoying.  Here is the full context:

For these dedicated hobbyists who are willing to spend money, said Mr. Glass, beer equipment manufacturers, like Sabco, of Toledo, Ohio, and More Beer, of Concord, Calif., are now making high-end commercial-grade products for home use.

“It is still the exception, not the rule,” said Mr. Glass, who is emphatically not one of the high-end hobbyists. He brews about six times a year, and does so on a Frankenstein system, an affectionate term used by home brewers to describe a mishmash of equipment that is not pretty, but gets the job done.

But the president of Sabco, Bob Sulier, believes the number of high-end brewers is growing. In the past, the company’s Brew Magic system — their $6,000 flagship — was sold primarily to professional brewers, he said, but now many are being bought by home brewers or home-brew groups. In 2010, the company sold about one Brew Magic system a day, he added.

"We cater to the higher end of the group, the advanced home brewers,” Mr. Sulier said. “For many, this is the next logical step. They are willing to drop a dollar." 

There is the implication that Gary's system "gets the job done" in that it makes beer (but not very good beer), while a Sabco makes beer as good as pros.

[hopfenundmalz]

Other than the SABCO part, it was a pretty good read.   Homebrewing was covered in a positive way.

Others mentioned in the article were Randy Mosher and Chris Bowen (Mrbowenz on this forum IIRC).

[a10t2]

There is the implication that Gary's system "gets the job done" in that it makes beer (but not very good beer), while a Sabco makes beer as good as pros.

I didn't get that out of it at all. The article is primarily about home brewers with expensive commercial-grade systems. The drop-in about "Frankenstein" brewing was there to provide the counterpoint. It's a heavy-handed and irritatingly common journalistic practice.

I think the much bigger issue here is that Gary only brews six times a year.

[maxieboy]

Maybe I won't read the article after all....sounds like I'd just get pissed off.

"To learn how to brew your favorite commercial beer, like Guinness, Bass Ale and Chimay Red, pick up a copy of “Clone Brews: Homebrew Recipes for 150 Commercial Beers,” "

     

The article overall casts homebrewing in a positive light.

[bluesman]

Maybe I won't read the article after all....sounds like I'd just get pissed off.

That's just part of it.  It's pretty good overall, they get a few things wrong like you'd expect from a publication where the editor knows less about the subject than the non-expert author.  But the quote from sabco is annoying.  Here is the full context:

For these dedicated hobbyists who are willing to spend money, said Mr. Glass, beer equipment manufacturers, like Sabco, of Toledo, Ohio, and More Beer, of Concord, Calif., are now making high-end commercial-grade products for home use.

“It is still the exception, not the rule,” said Mr. Glass, who is emphatically not one of the high-end hobbyists. He brews about six times a year, and does so on a Frankenstein system, an affectionate term used by home brewers to describe a mishmash of equipment that is not pretty, but gets the job done.

But the president of Sabco, Bob Sulier, believes the number of high-end brewers is growing. In the past, the company’s Brew Magic system — their $6,000 flagship — was sold primarily to professional brewers, he said, but now many are being bought by home brewers or home-brew groups. In 2010, the company sold about one Brew Magic system a day, he added.

"We cater to the higher end of the group, the advanced home brewers,” Mr. Sulier said. “For many, this is the next logical step. They are willing to drop a dollar."  

There is the implication that Gary's system "gets the job done" in that it makes beer (but not very good beer), while a Sabco makes beer as good as pros.

I believe that "any equipment" is only as good as the operator at best. Therefore, by simply using a Sabco system does not by default make better beer or a better brewer. It's the skills, knowledge and experience of the brewer that makes better beer. Sure...optimal equipment will help the brewer through automation but it is only a tool.

[betkefest]

The author of the article could have talked to a few more home brewers with advanced DIY equipment to give a broader view of the hobby.
Also, I used to think home brewers who did primarily clones was missing the point of making their own beer.  But now I think it's a good way to practice.  By making a clone you can see if you did everything right.
I prefer to just brew a classic style for practice - but if you want to do it with Guinness go right ahead, and good luck getting the carbonation right!
Overall the article shows home brewers as good guys.  

[denny]

Well, I read it...I guess that according the article I'm still not an advanced homebrewer after 401 batches.

[johnholl]

I wish I had more space to talk with more homebrewers.  But, that's one of the limitations of print.

Clearly this article was not aimed at the experienced homebrewers - those with years of experience and a proven track record of producing award winning beers. No, this was aimed to the general reader, the people who don't know much or anything about homebrewing. I wanted to give these people a chance to learn about the process and options and hopefully inspire them to join your ranks and become as passionate and knowledgable as the people on these forums.

Also, there was really no implication (on my part) that a Frankenstein system is not as good as an expensive SABCO. As someone said earlier in this thread, it's the talent of the brewer that makes good beer. I believe that.

Happy brewing, everyone.

Cheers,

John Holl
beerbriefing.com