I can't handle that... home brew stuff

[Aleforge]

So here I was in the Men's room cleaning up to go home and a new worker came in and heard me talking about beer with another co worker. He chimes in, "I love beer and plan on heading home and popping a cold one".

I replied, "Oh really, awesome I love beer, what are you drinking?"

He dries his hands and spews "Bud Light, although I have really gotten hooked on that fancier Bud Select. And sometimes I don't mind tossing back a Coors. You ever had that Natural Light stuff, that's also pretty good?" (I **** you not he nailed all of those)

I ended up mentioning that I home brewed and he got a contorted look on his face and mentioned that he can't handle that "home brew stuff".

WTF! I have gotten this about a half dozen times in the last few months. It use to be "Heavy Stuff" now its "Home brew stuff" Like we all make alien horse **** that has its own style category!

/rant off

 

[eschatz]

That's for next year's BJCP guidelines.

ALIEN HORSE ****.

srsly. you should piss in a bottle of cream ale and give him his dream.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Compliment taken, He simply can't handle our awesomeness.

 

[arturo7]

More for the rest of us!

 

[Aleforge]

Also fairly surprised as how many people around here have "upgraded" from bud light to bud select.... Isn't bud select a slightly lower calorie version of bud light, meaning its even LESS filling?

 

[Tonedef131]

Also fairly surprised as how many people around here have "upgraded" from bud light to bud select.... Isn't bud select a slightly lower calorie version of bud light, meaning its even LESS filling?

I have heard that it is the very same but with 2-row instead of 6-row...but that's just what I heard.

I tell people that "I brew my own beer". When most people hear the word "homebrewer" they get a very bad image. I know that it isn't right, but I find they are more receptive when I start out that way.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Eh, I don't even flinch at those comments. Light beer drinkers aren't bad people, they just happen to have a very narrow perception of "beer." It's ok for them not to like "dark" beer like pale ale. If someone has an open enough mind to try a new style or give one of my beers a try, I'm always willing to pour a glass and discuss the style, history, and even the flaws. If, on the other hand, they scoff anything but American light lager, I leave them to it. I even keep some in the fridge for them.

I do enjoy hearing light beer drinkers argue the merits of one brand versus another as if it actually matters. I can't help but laugh out loud when someone says, "Coors Light?! That stuff's like horse piss!" ...all the while holding a Bud Light Lime (or similar) in his hand.

There are a multitude of bad homebrewers around, so it's no surprise that many people have negative opinions of the hobby. I've managed to convince a few people that good beer can indeed be brewed at home, but I'm only one brewer...

 

[elkdog]

I have friends who politely decline my beers because they seem to think they pose some safety hazard that commercial brews do not. I explain that I brew by the same process as the pros, but people are often just not willing to make the cognitive leap.

I think Yuri's on to something. If the only homebrew someone had was something their college buddies made trying to get drunk cheap and fast, then my all-grain, carefully designed and brewed, well-conditioned beer is outside their paradigm for homebrew.

As for light beer drinkers, I'm not trying to make beer like the beer they like, so I don't worry much about their opinion of my hobby or my brews.

 

[Aleforge]

Well ya the opinion of a light only beer drinker is worthless. When I hand out something for the light BMC guys to "try". I simply state that I know its good so don't feel bad being honest.

 

[willangus]

The first question I get when I mention I home brew is "is it any good?" then followed by an unconvinced look of disapproval. All the more decent beer for me I say.

 

[IrregularPulse]

have them try 2 HB's side by side but tell them one is commercial and one is HB and see which tastes better and why. After they tell you the "commercial does cause it's filtered, cblah blah, tell them they're both HB and to quit thinking the big guys have magix pixie dust they sprinkle in theirs. This aint his Grandpappies homeBRew

 

[Zul'jin]

When people find out I home brew, usually from me telling them but, word tends to 'get out', the first thing they say is, "Can I have some?"

 

[Homercidal]

Ha, I got my hair cut yesterday and the lady who cut it said her daughter was trying to get a homebrew hook up from a couple of college professors in Grand Rapids who brew. Apparently she wanted to learn how to brew. I thought awesum! I asked what kind of beers she drinks and she said that dark stuff. She said she also liked the dark stuff. So I asked which brands.

Heineken....

Uh, is that dark? I ask.

Well, if you hold a glass up next to a glass of Bud... she replies.

So I ask if her daughter was looking to brew to save money. She said she thought so. Well, I left her the HBT web address anyway, after a brief discussion on how those beers are very technically almost identical to Bud in the grand scheme of beer. We'll see. I doubt her daughter will want to do it when she sees how much work it is.

 

[Aleforge]

Ya I was told Heineken is CRAZY dark before. I am sure many people dive into this thinking they can save tons of cash just mixing up their own. Trying to beat the 10 dollar 30 pack they buy...

 

[Joos]

I usually have craft beers in the fridge and every beer in my house is served in a glass.So i don't tell people wether i brewed them or not.I had a buddy over a while ago that I hadn't seen in a long time.He had bout 6 of my beers then offered me money because he figured they were expensive.When I told him that I make my own beer he said."oh... can I try one?".

 

[springer]

I had on neighbor say when I offered "I wont drink something that is homemade do you have regular beer?" Fast forward to the next month he has a BBQ he is cooking "his" venison sausages asked me if I wanted some ..... My response " Sorry but no thanks do you have any Hillshire sausages ?"

 

[Stef1966]

Wonder if it's a cultural thing but when i tell people i brew my own they usually want to try some and the responses are quite positive so far.

About 10% of the time i get not sign of interest when i mention the hobby and it's usually from people who don't drink any beer anyways.

Guess i'll consider myself lucky.

 

[DeathBrewer]

People are very open to homebrew out here. I rarely get anything but interest when I mention my homebrewing. Don't know many people that drink BMC, either. Well, I have a few friends, but they just like it cuz it's cheap. They love my beer when they get the chance to drink it.

 

[malkore]

My dad cannot drink wheat beers, being a Bud Light guy they are all "too heavy".

Which is funny to me since many of us treat a wheat beer like a light, crisp lawnmower beer you can drink a ton of.

Pretty sure he's never even sipped a Guinness or anything else with some body.

 

[Rick500]

A few years ago I gave a family member who shall remain nameless a few English pales I brewed, with the instructions that they should be gently poured into a glass, leaving the last quarter inch or so in the bottle to avoid stirring up any yeast sediment.

When I asked how they were, I got the reply "Nice. Good flavor. But the last couple swallows were kinda chewy." I guess I'll pour next time.

 

[user 22118]

I keep my beer on hand and try to pour it for people. It makes it so that they a) just get a glass of beer, no names and b) I make sure that it is poured correctly.

I find that if I call it home brew then people are kinda sketchy about it. If I ask them if they would like a beer, pour it, have them try it and ask for more, then I tell them that I made it they are more open to the idea. Hell, most people don't realize that I can put a cap on a bottle. Yes, I am a god and magically placed that cap on top of the bottle.

 

[Bedlam]

Wonder if it's a cultural thing but when i tell people i brew my own they usually want to try some and the responses are quite positive so far.

About 10% of the time i get not sign of interest when i mention the hobby and it's usually from people who don't drink any beer anyways.

Guess i'll consider myself lucky.

I was also wondering if it's a cultural thing? I generally get a positive response and either a request for a taste or questions based on genuine curiosity. I really don't get any "yuck" responses. Or maybe I just hang around a better class of people than the rest of you'uns.

More seriously, from a cultural perspective here in deep East Tennessee, I suspect it has to do with the joy people get from home crafts, coupled with the notion of sticking it to The Man in the form of no taxes. I'll just tell ya, Appalachian folk STILL do not like the guvmint sticking their noses anywhere.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Not all homebrewers make good beer. I'm sure plenty of people have been given some real crap in the name of homebrew. I did it myself just recently! In a fit of idiocy i gave a fellow homebrewer the worst, and youngest glass of wombat piss in the world! I'm just hoping that sixer I gave him turns out OK when it is ready. My excuse was that I was just over excited and felt forced to share my wares, however unready they were. I'm betting a lot of other homebrewers get carried away too, and foist something on the outside world that would be better left on the shelf for a few millenia.

 

[thataintchicken]

The homebrewing thing IS a foreign concept to so many people.

There are possibly two generations of adults that are not canning, brew it or do it yourself people. Their goods are purchased. Their needs and wants are determined by brand recognition and status. They have never weeded a garden nor made sourdough bread.

Admittedly, many first-time homebrewers concoct swill unfit for the lowliest of mammals and foist them upon the curious.

The best thing to do is brew as well as you can. Enjoy the products of your labor. Improve your techniques. Share when you can.

My first homebrew years ago was nasty. I cursed that man that sold me that canned extract kit and the people that encouraged me to try. My second batch, was taken to a party and gone within minutes. Subsequent batches, although infrequent, were of sound quality and well received.

This week... I was pouring my beer for over 1000 people. My Hefeweizens were greatly appreciated, light and crisp among the multitude of heavy hoppy beers.

Practice. Practice. Practice.
and don't give up.

 

[r2eng]

Don't give it a second thought. Ignore it.

I have had people say "I have had others homebrew and it sucked. Your beer is actually good." And, I have also had some piss-poor "homebrew" that I would rank below BMC.

It's all relative!

 

[beerthirty]

I will serve no beer before its time. Thankfully this has just payed off. Last December I made a High Octane Amber that when tasted I thought was completely undrinkable. Bitter with a bite, hot to the throat, yucch. So I tossed it into the closet. Fast forward to yesterday. Looking in the fridge I realize the kegs are empty, the beer of the month collection is gone and all that is left a a couple of Buds for whiny visitors. Then I remember the amber in the closet. After 24 hours in the keezer I pull one today for a friend and I while watching NASCAR. After telling me how good it was I told him it was the same beer he deemed undrinkable during the Superbowl. After several more he called his wife for a ride home. Time may not be good to a person but its great to a beer.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I will serve no beer before its time. Thankfully this has just payed off. Last December I made a High Octane Amber that when tasted I thought was completely undrinkable. Bitter with a bite, hot to the throat, yucch. So I tossed it into the closet. Fast forward to yesterday. Looking in the fridge I realize the kegs are empty, the beer of the month collection is gone and all that is left a a couple of Buds for whiny visitors. Then I remember the amber in the closet. After 24 hours in the keezer I pull one today for a friend and I while watching NASCAR. After telling me how good it was I told him it was the same beer he deemed undrinkable during the Superbowl. After several more he called his wife for a ride home. Time may not be good to a person but its great to a beer.

I'm still holding out hope for this on my over oak SMaSH from several months back

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I will serve no beer before its time. .

Well, I won't be doing that again, either after that experience!

You level headed people just don't have any clue how easy it is to be you.

 

[beerthirty]

Let me rephrase that. I will serve no beer to others before its time.

 

[EvilTOJ]

People ask me for beer all the time. When I'm giving my brews out to people, I tell them "Now, it won't hurt my feelings if you don't like it. In fact, if you lie to me and say you like it but you don't, I'll be forcing more of it on you!"

 

[beerthirty]

People ask me for beer all the time. When I'm giving my brews out to people, I tell them "Now, it won't hurt my feelings if you don't like it. In fact, if you lie to me and say you like it but you don't, I'll be forcing more of it on you!"

I tell them that I don't care if they say it taste like ass, but I will ask you what ass taste like.

 

[DeathBrewer]

I've smelled ass. I'm pretty sure I know what it tastes like.

 

[Aleforge]

Well sometimes smells don't have the same taste, take swiss for example!

 

[DeathBrewer]

or vagina!

EDIT: lol, that's right...i can say that word now...

 

[philrose]

The first question I get when I mention I home brew is "is it any good?" then followed by an unconvinced look of disapproval. All the more decent beer for me I say.

Let the people who are too stupid to follow the basic process of an extract + steeped grain batch think that their miller chill is the epitome of 5000 years of brewing culture.

 

[philrose]

lets evolve!!!

Let the chips fall as they may!

(Spent too much time on the fight club thread)