Does Anyone Microbrew?

[TonyB0D]

well do you?

[Phishfan]

I had friends selling brew kits and really considered buying their stuff both times. The thing that kept me from getting into it is the fact that these guys hardly ever had a batch of their home brew made up and I know they really liked beer a lot. That made me believe that the process was not worth it.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

I've seen those kits, but don't really have the time to set one up.

[TonyB0D]

that's great tommy, thanks for your input.  you really contributed to my thread in a thoughtful & meaningful matter!

[JVides]

that's great tommy, thanks for your input.  you really contributed to my thread in a thoughtful & meaningful matter!

I like cookies...yeah...cookies

[TonyB0D]

awesome, how about you stuff your mouth with them so you cant hijack my thread....oh wait you're typing  :-(  maybe get your hand stuck in the cookie jar instead?

[MaineDolFan]

I barely make mac&cheese that pass health codes.  I'll stick to beer that is made by the professionals.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

awesome, how about you stuff your mouth with them so you cant hijack my thread....oh wait you're typing  :-(  maybe get your hand stuck in the cookie jar instead?

Next time try to take half as many, and you won't get your hand caught.

As for the beer..... I'd like to give it a try one of these days when work pressures ease.

[pintofguinness14]

I brewed beer for a while when I was living in Nigeria.  I had a pretty good experience with the kit I used, but I can't remember the name of the company for the life of me.  Brewing beer is time consuming and pretty messy.  I don't think it's worth doing for those of you who live in the U.S. and have access to decent beer at the grocery store.

[Dave Gray]

Is the point of it just a hobby, or is it to save money, or is it to actually create better beer than you could buy?

[Phishfan]

A little bit of hobby and taste from my experiences. I don't know anyone who did it to save money.

[Sunstroke]

Is the point of it just a hobby, or is it to save money, or is it to actually create better beer than you could buy?

When I was living in Maine, my stepdad had the home brewing setup, and he made some pretty decent brews. I don't know how much money you actually save though, once you factor in the equipment, the ingredients and the batches you throw away because they taste like liquid ass. I think it's more of a hobby for the hands-on type of beer drinker than an economical pursuit.

[Jim Gray]

There are so many great beers available, I guess I don't really see the point of trying to make my own.  My older brother was really into it for a while.  Most of his garage was dedicated to making and storing beer.  I guess he had 3 or 4 different styles at any one time.  The beers were interesting, but I wouldn't make a special trip to his house just for a beer.   I'm picky about the beer I drink, but not so picky I have to make my own.  I guess I don't have the right level of "passion".

As with most hobbies, you don't get involved to save money.  You do it for the satisfaction of creating something.  I'm a serious fly-tyer.  I've been tying for 20 years and have a close knit group of friends I tie with regularly.  I've spent a truckload of money on vices, tools, feathers, furs, etc.  I'm sure every fly I tie (and there have been thousands), has cost me 5X what I could have purchased it for.  Luckily, that's not why I tie.  I find fly fishing more rewarding when I use my own fly and a rod that I built myself. 

[TonyB0D]

as a seriuos hobby, because i'm a micro-brewery enthusiast.   since i'm an enginer AND an artist, i get an extreme sense of self-fulfillment when i do something myself - especially something that 99.999% of people cant do for themselves, such as brew a good beer!

and if i eventually start making some damn tasty beer, maybe i can make some cash off my buddies!!

ps, on a sidenote:  i went to the brooklyn brewery last sunday....$25 for 4 hours of all you can drink of the freshest, most delicious beer ever!  neeedless to say i coudlnt figure out what subway to take back to my apt....  

[bsfins]

I'd suggest finding and watching the making beer episode of Good Eats.(with Alton Brown ) He seemed to have a pretty good,cheap method of doing it.