Do people enjoy the actual brewing?

I ask because, having repeated the process some 120 times now, I’ve finally admitted to myself that I really don’t enjoy the actual brew day all that much. It’s more of a mild chore that comes between what I really enjoy about being a homebrewer- imagining/designing a beer I want to drink and drinking it (also, just knowing that I have 40 gallons of beer at my disposal is a very calming and reassuring thought). I think a lot of it has to do with the amount of time it takes, which is in short supply with a full time job and 3 little kids. So i end up having to get up super early on the weekends to do it, which sucks cause sleeping in is one of the greatest things in the world. Then I’m trying to brew while the wife is all up in my sanitized counter space trying to “feed the kids breakfast” and other such nonsense, blasting my sanitized equipment with all manner of cheetoo dust (or whatever it is she feeds them). And for some unknown reason, I hate the chilling part. No idea why. All i have to do is stand there with a spoon and keep the wort moving for ten minutes or so, but I always dread that part. Pitching the yeast is my favorite part, cause that means it’s over.

Contrast that with smoking a brisket- another favorite hobby- where I enjoy the process from start to finish. I’ll stare at the smoker for hours, just immensely enjoying watching the little blue wisps of smoke come out the top, watching the BBQ thermometer sitting pretty at 225*…very enjoyable.

Am I the odd man out here, is the actual brew day the rewarding part for most people?

I’ve brewed 490 batches and the process is 90% of the reason I do it.

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I enjoy the process of brewing. The ONLY part I do not enjoy is the clean up part. If only I could have a beer wench who would do all the cleanup and put all the gear away when I was done. But the rest of the process is fun as far as I am concerned. And I also tend to mix the brew day with BBQ and I bring my guitar out to the brew area and play during the times where there is nothing to do but wait.

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I think of brewing as more like a workout: not exactly enjoyable while doing it but plan to reap the rewards. In fact, I take a pre workout supplement prior to brewing and usually do work up a sweat. I predict we are not alone.

I think a lot of it is just lack of time…getting a brew day in becomes stressful with all the other weekend stuff going on. I do remember enjoying it much more when i had ample time to do it and could relax…now I’m always looking at the clock, trying to figure out when I’ll be done and can start pitching in around the house.

yeah - it sounds pretty stressful for you with your constraints.

I’m at around batch 215 or so - and frankly, if I did not enjoy the process and creative aspect i would just buy beer. But i enjoy working with my hands and tinkering around with recipes to get something just right. plus, its hard to match the freshness you have with your own versus store bought.

Shortest answer: there is nothing in the world like designing, brewing and drinking your own beer that you make, the way you want it.

Longer answer: I brew with a friend of mine on his 1/2 bbl system about 6-7 times a year, which with that amount of liquid and surface area (to clean), basically means I’m away from my wife and 14 month old for a minimum of 6 hours (some may say that’s a plus, but I really value and enjoy spending my free time with them).

However, with my 10G brewpot/BIAB and Blichmann burner, I can knock out a 5G batch start to finish in 3.5 hours, which basically means I can brew while doing other stuff (I will often time it where I dough in right before its time to put my daughter to bed so I can do that, then finish the brew once she’s asleep and be done in time to sit on the couch with my wife to DRINK a beer!).

The actual brewday consists mainly of cleaning and waiting on most homebrew systems. Like cooking, designing and executing a recipe is always awesome if you like doing it, but the majority of our systems are not set up for automation and/or ‘hands-off’ execution. It is this belief that makes me believe wholeheartedly that the Picobrew is an AWESOME invention. Homebrewers that turn their nose up at someone that doesn’t use a Coleman cooler to mash is equivalent to a BBQ enthusiast who uses an oil drum turning his nose up at a Big Green Egger (like me :cheers: ).

SO, I feel your pain. But I don’t plan on ever NOT brewing my own beer!

I wouldn’t say I look forward to it but its all part of the hobby. Sure the best part is analyzing and/or enjoying the finished product but part of the pride you take in the finished product is all part of the blood sweat and tears (ok haven’t cried while making beer yet, but there’s a first for everything) you put into it. I don’t think I would enjoy the triumphs of creating a great beer as much if it wasn’t for all the skill, knowledge, and hard work required.

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The upsides still wildly outweigh the downsides as I still love everything about homebrewing other than the 4.5 hours it takes me to brew a batch…so no plans on stopping anytime soon. Originally posted cause I’m brewing a IIPA tomorrow and was thinking of all the prep work I had to do tonight to get ready, then remembered the wife wanted to go running in the morning and the oldest has ballet class at 9…and I gotta keg that brown ale and rack the mead that’s sitting on an inch of lees…and for just a second thought ‘this would be so much easier if I didn’t have to brew tomorrow’.

But that was just a brief moment of self-pity. Gonna get up at 6am, hungover or not and get this shit done.

…and I do frown on green eggers (mostly cause I don’t have one)…it’s the weber smokey mountain or else you’re not a real BBQer!

I really like the taste of the beer I brew. I’m a penny pinching Dane. I’ll haul gravel and dirt all day with a wheelbarrow, instead of paying someone to bring equipment and get the job done in two hours. A few hours brewing beer is recompense for the hours of enjoyment drinking it.

My thoughts exactly.

I also don’t like making starters. It’s not hard or time consuming, and the clean-up is a breeze. I just find that part of the process a necessary evil.

I enjoy the whole process- from doing research, designing the recipe, brewing, the anticipation , and yes I’m one of the weird ones that even enjoys bottling. Drinking the results is just a bonus. Perfect combination of biology, chemistry, and cooking. :cheers:

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Good for you re: bottling. I enjoyed bottling for about a year.

I’m with Jim. I too enjoy bottling, and maybe it’s because I do it in a quiet, out of the way laundry room. I don’t feel rushed or ‘on the clock’. Phone off, no pressure.

I feel I would enjoy the whole process more, however, if I had a dedicated brew room where all my stuff could be handy. As it is, I’m in the kitchen, laundry, dining area, porch, and have kettles and equipment stored in a bunch of different places. So a lot of my time is taken up just getting everything in place. Brew room coming hopefully in the next couple of years. Semi retirement maybe 5 years after that. Then the beer boom will hit my house!

Ron

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[quote=“Frenchie”]I’m with Jim. I too enjoy bottling, and maybe it’s because I do it in a quiet, out of the way laundry room. I don’t feel rushed or ‘on the clock’. Phone off, no pressure.

I feel I would enjoy the whole process more, however, if I had a dedicated brew room where all my stuff could be handy. As it is, I’m in the kitchen, laundry, dining area, porch, and have kettles and equipment stored in a bunch of different places. So a lot of my time is taken up just getting everything in place. Brew room coming hopefully in the next couple of years. Semi retirement maybe 5 years after that. Then the beer boom will hit my house!

Ron[/quote]
I’m lucky. I boil in the kitchen, then take the cooled wort down to the utility/storage/canned produce/furniture finishing room. My work benches need to be shared with brewing and staining/varnishing. It’s either one or another, never both at the same time.

If I had to “squeeze it in” I probably wouldn’t enjoy it so much. When I started brewing I had to brew 5 gallons every other week to keep the pipe line moving. Now I brew 10 gallon batches once a month . I know in advance when brew day is coming so i can clear my schedule so I can take my time . I can honestly say I do enjoy it.

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At least a +2 on this! :lol:

I love everything about Brew Day right up until it’s time to haul the fermenter down to the basement and start the clean up. A couple of things that stand out are yeast starters and chilling. That’s because I get to use the stir-plate and immersion chiller I made myself. That’s probably why I like Brew Day. Because brewing beer is a DIY project!

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I just watched as my twin granddaughters [ 16 today, they are the youngest] get their drivers license, so you young guys, I feel for ya when it comes to time. I love brewing now more than anytime of my life[ retired now], from designing, studying, brew-day, and of course testing final prod. over and over. I even dream about it all. Every season has something special to look forward to.

For me brew day is the part I love most, in fact I give away lots of beer just so I can brew more. Clean up no prob, I used to own a couple bakeries, so a kettle, a cooler, a few odds and ends to clean up no worries.

Just love to wrangle yeast

Congrats Old Guy! My son just turned 2. I realize in a couple years I will be able to trust him enough to brew and be by his own. I am amazed at how much more difficult it is to get a brew in. Still no replacement for a kid (no one ever said it was). I could very easily say ’ yeah I made this’ or say ‘I’m not sure why he’s tipping his hat to Mickey.’ The later is MUCH MUCH MORE FASCINATING.