For someone like me who loves hunting, fishing and now brewing. The process is a major part of enjoyment. Theres nothing like taking the time and effort to smoke the perfect salmon or make the best deer jerky. The end result tastes much better when you really thoroughly enjoy every step along the way. Just the other day the lady and I had smoked salmon with Mule deer stew and a good bottle of home-brew to go along with it. WAY better than just going to the store and buying smoked salmon and paying an arm and a leg for farmed deer meat (if you can even get it here) Something about creating things you love helps you enjoy everything about it. Not to mention the endless possibilities and recipes.
It is a yes and no answer. Been brewing long enough to know that after the brewing is the waiting. I don’t really like the waiting which reflects on the brewing.
The waiting is the worst part. I’m fairly new to brewing (only about 10) batches in and the waiting time is filled with learning time.
The waiting is the hardest part. That’s why I usually brew again before the last one is ready. It makes waiting easier. Plus you have a lot of beer first to process then to drink.
The brew day, depending on the day, can be a challenge. I try to brew on days that the wife isn’t around, because I feel rushed when she is. Either that or, as someone else mentioned, I am up early. I recall one Saturday I got up at 4:30am just so I could have most of it done and cleaned up by 10:00. I enjoy the prep…getting the yeast and grains ready, but the cleanup is a pain. The other part that I don’t like is the chilling process. I get so worried about getting the temp down fast enough, although I have become more and more accustomed to getting it down as far as I can (usually 80-85 degrees), transferring to my primary and letting it sit for a few more hours sealed up so it can drop to where I want to pitch.
Brewed alot of batches but I’m mostly interested in the fermentation aspect at this point in my brewing hobby career - that has changed throughout the past 12 years - I think you have to change your focus now and again to stay interested.
That being said if I could purchase 5 gallons of say 100% pils wort to make a belgian beer I would do it and spend my brew time on the ferm process - but extract doesn’t interest me either.
I’m in the process of building a brewery/ pub in my basement now. I sure hope I don’t loose the fever I’d have to remodel again:beer:
I’ve found that I enjoy brew days more when there is someone else around to enjoy it with. Like when my brother (who is responsible for getting me started in this adventure) is home and we can do a brew day. I don’t mind doing it by myself though, but time is often an issue. With adding partial mash into things and having to share kitchen space and all, it becomes a long process. I’ve put a bit of thought into it though, and now that I got an outdoor burner for Christmas (also from my brother), I think it’s time to get a bigger brew kettle and a chiller (still trying to decide between a counterflow or a plate chiller). With scaling up my brewing like that, I should be able to complete a 10 gallon batch in less time than it currently takes me to do a 5 gallon batch, which means that I can pick some of the brews that I’ve got where I want them and crank out a ready supply quickly when I need to refill my shelves with that precious substance.
But like has been said, the part I really loathe is the clean-up… especially because of back and hip problems, by the time I’m done brewing, I just want to go rest somewhere and have a brew.
This is very true, and to some extent is why I typically recommend new brewers to start with extract - it allows someone to brew good beer before having to tackle the complexities of crush, mash, sparge and water chemistry.
I’ve spent time focusing on pretty much every step of the process over the years I’ve been brewing, and going off into the weeds at times trying alternative ways (often historical methods) of handling things. It keeps things interesting.
I’ve gotten lazy on fermentation lately, and I think I need to focus on that one again.
I completely understand the OP here. I do enjoy the process (aside from cleanup), but to some extent that’s because I’m able to carve out a day here and there where I don’t have any other obligations or distractions.
For me it is a little like working out, in that it requires effort and I sometimes need to force myself to get motivated. I certainly don’t think there’s anything wrong with feeling that way either.
