Question for parents that brew

[kadozen]

How old were your children when and if they started helping you?

Got into a small argument with my mother in law as she seems to think that brewing has the same inherent dangers as making shine.
She's convinced that as one brews, that at some point in the process, your're releasing dangerous substances in the air.

So, just because I'm a rebel, I make it a point to have my 2 year old help
out as much as a 2 year old can. My daughter also loves pre-boil wort. She calls it grain juice.
How old is/was your youngest brew assistant?

FOR THE RECORD, MY DAUGHTER WILL NOT BE DRINKING HOMEBREW, I REPEAT, I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT GIVE MY DAUGHTER ALCOHOL.

 

[TorMag]

Mother in loves can be so stupid..... My daughter is 17 and she helps. She knows I would kill her if she got into the brew. That being said, I am sure when she is 21 she will enjoy some of the brew.

 

[Doed]

I started brewing 5 years ago, so my daughters were 13 and 15 already. They don't have a whole lot of interest in it. They will come out and watch/keep me company for a few minutes during the brew cycle, but that's about it. I may be able to get them to help me stir the mash or throw in hops once in a while...but that's not very often.

"Dangerous substances in the air" ?!?!? WTH is with that crazy thought? There would be a few dead homebrewers by now if that were the case.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. You wanna talk about dangerous substances in the air?!? The way my mother in-law cooks the DEQ and GreenPeace should be on high alert.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

My son is almost 5, and I let him start helping about a year ago. He knows to stay away from hot stuff, and don't touch anything that I've sanitized.

He likes to taste the OG samples. Lol! I let him taste the grains and hops too!

 

[Rivenin]

i have pictures of me holding my son when he was like 8 months old "holding" the hops and dumping them in the pot. Here is a picture of that day...

[/url]export-2030839039_zpswyo64oq6 by Noah Scott, on Flickr[/IMG]


Here he is even at a tasting i had at my house enjoying some water out of one of the tasting glasses

IMG_20151004_120543_zpspc3kt5ep by Noah Scott, on Flickr

As i have 2 kids (currently 2.5 and 8 months) my son is usually in a high chair having some snacks in the garage with me or helping me do something while i brew. I'm electric though so the worries aren't there as much as they would be with gas and propane,.... but still... Mother in laws want the best for their daughters, so they're always over protective.

 

[filthyastronaut]

I helped out with my sister's first and only batch back in the day when I was 10, and was given orange juice glasses of it on occasion. When my dad started brewing soon afterward I would help him out time to time through my teens, and my samples got bigger over time. My family takes a more European approach to drinking, and I would credit that for my appreciation of fine libations now that I'm in my twenties.

I plan to do the same for my children. I think it's healthy, something to bond over, and I would love to see them enter their 21st birthday equipped with respect for alcohol and a discerning palate.

 

[WI_Wino]

Our 3 year old helps stir the mash and dump hops in (BOOM!). After the boil though he is out the picture. Kids are full of germs and sneeze at the most opportune times.

 

[Malty_Dog]

The minute I started AG brewing my second-born barely a teen daughter immediately helped me mash in . No worries. And of course, no alcohol for the kids!

 

[Yooper]

I don't remember, but I'd guess my son was about 12. He was a nice big strong guy and he often would pour the grain or stir the mash for me. My daughter hated beer (still does), and wanted no part of it. He was a great help to me, until he grew up and moved away.

My oldest grandson was about 2, I think. He told his mom when he was about three, "I brew beer. But I drink milk until I'm older". He started pouring pints for me and guests when he was about 3 1/2. At 5 1/2, he can pour a perfect pint and can reach the taps easily now.

The younger one only likes to flip switches on the pumps, so he's no help at all yet!

 

[McKnuckle]

My 12 year old daughter served as assistant brewer for a whole brew day recently. She is a budding scientist, and wanted to have every bit of the process explained - which I was happy to do. She tasted the grain and the wort at all stages, and had a sip or two of the finished beer as well. She is very conservative/cautious about taking risks, so I have no concerns. The sensory experience is a big part of learning.

If my kids were little, I would be much more paranoid about the hot things, not to mention all the stuff to trip over. I'm sure I'd let them check things out, though. Brewing at that age is no different from watching mom bake brownies. It's not a "vice" - it's just something either cool or boring depending on their level of curiosity.

 

[Homercidal]

My kids loved to help when they were young. Now that they are older they find helping is too much work. They probably started when they were 9 or so.

As far as I'm concerned, brewing is a project kids can help with just like cooking, washing the car, etc. There is very little inherent danger as long as you understand you are boiling a big pot of liquid and take precautions based on that.

I think brewing is a fun thing to do together. It gives you a chance to talk and work together.

 

[bigken462]

Protect the kids from the flame and hot stuff at all cost. Tell the MIL to chill and have a homebrew

It's what your kids see you do and how you handle situations in life that makes a difference in their lives. What you say, do and act when your doing it will be what they learn and take away from things they help you do. As for sharing the juice, I don't even do that with my lil nephew.

I don't even drink hardly on a brew day and most of the time we're both enjoying a Dr. Pepper together when he's here. He's almost 8 now and has never expressed interest in wanting to drink any of it. I think the muddy water looking stuff and green hops might be a turnoff. lol

Happy Brewing!

 

[pshankstar]

I have a 3 and a 6 year old daughters. The 3 year old (as of this past December) has no interest in helping me. My 6 year old (as of last month) has helped a little bit, stirring the mash or wort, dumping in the hops and small things like that. I brew outside or in my garage and have a table setup with my equipment and explain to her that she can ask anything she wants, but to not touch anything until I say it is ok. She has been "helping" since she was 5.

I too let her taste some of the grains if she wants or smell the hops. Lately she has been reluctant to want to help b/c she thinks the wort smells bad and hops too!!! I need to work on that but she has a sensitive nose like my wife, who feels the same way.

I say let your child help, but make sure you encourage them to learn from it but also respect it too at a very early age. As far as the mother in-law, try to keep the peace. Ask her if she would like to help you brew and hand her a dust mask to wear when you make the offer. LOL Try to talk to her about it and find out what she is so afraid of and educate her on it too. I find that most people are afraid of what they do not know and educating them on the subject (although it can be difficult at times) will pay off. Good luck!

 

[Chum]

My kids (6, 5, 2.5) help me out a lot on brew day. If I tried to brew when my kids weren't around I would hardly ever get to brew. Kids want to be around their parents and I think it's good for kids to see their parents doing something they enjoy. Hopefully we're just creating another generation of brewers and responsible drinkers.

 

[user 218154]

The biggest danger would be in bottles bursting from the carbonation stage if you prime using sugar. Otherwise no chemicals any worse than if she makes bread or pizza dough that rises, just more of the same. Your MIL doesn't watch Breaking Bad does she? LOL

 

[steveoatley]

I have been brewing since before my son was born.

He has helped me since he was 4 = he is now 8

He has always been around it... buckets fermenting in the house
glass carboys are a sight for a 4 yr old !

He has a lot more interest in what i am doing, now that he is older

It's Science !!!!

my 2 cents

S

 

[BeardedBrews]

I love when my daughter (9) occasionally asks to help on a brew day or bottling day. There is effectively zero difference between making bread and making beer (from a safety standpoint). Don't touch hot things, don't lick your fingers and stick them in the pot, don't spill that while you're pouring.

As far as I can tell, the things she learns brewing beer will be useful lessons just like any other project.

<edit> To the topic of kids trying home-brew, my daughter is always welcome to taste my beer. Thus far she hasn't found anything that she likes, which isn't surprising, but I don't want her to grow up thinking beer is somehow dangerous. Like everything in life, some people like it, and those people should enjoy it in moderation.

 

[kadozen]

Tell the MIL to chill and have a homebrew

"I'll just leave that to the professionals" - MiL
She then proceeded to drink a miller lite.

 

[Auger]

My daughter is 8 and recently expressed interest in helping me brew. I used to do it at night after she went to bed, but its so much easier on me (and more fun for both of us) when I do it during the day and she can help. She likes dumping in hops and setting the timer and helping me measure things, and brings down cards and board games while we're waiting around during the mash and boil. I started helping my dad brew when I was about her age, so its a lot of fun for me to get her involved.

 

[DemonsRun]

Divorced and my Daughters (12 & 14) live with me full time. Neither have helped out, Although they do ask lots of questions. My older Daughter just did a science fair project on Yeast growth in different kinds of sugar (A+).

I have also encountered crazy opinions on home brewing...
Unfortunately issues had arisen and the courts blocked the mother from visitation, she is trying to regain visitation. At some point she became aware that I brew, so in the Discovery questions I get this...

I have a great brew log so providing the info was not an issue, but I'm not willing to list everyone who ever came by during a brew. Some of the brews were at a local Brew Pub and I have no idea how many people were present in the restaurant.

I also have no Clue what they mean by "Circumstances Surrounding such production" I just answered Because I wanted to brew a (Stout, IPA, Saison...)

 

[Double_D]

My buddy that brews with me has a 5 year old that helps here and there, mostly by holding stuff. I have a single tier so most everything out of his reach..

 

[kadozen]

Glad to see most everyone else makes (or attempts to) brewing a family affair. My mother in law is nice enough the rest of the time. She's very sweet, but at the same time she's square enough to make Huey Lewis second guess himself.
My Daughter is very closely supervised while in the kitchen, she's been helping us cook since birth. She's starting the terrible 2s though so she is having a somewhat hard time having anything to do with hearing "No" when we get post cool down and everything is nice and sanitized. At that point she goes into her high chair to play with play-doh or have a dance party with mommy.

I'm definitely planning on turning it into an educational experience when she's a bit older.

I also might have try my hand at wine making at some point since MiL is primarily a wine drinker. Bring over a bottle and surprise her with what a non-professional can do. Just gotta get that right first.

 

[dsniegocki]

Absolutely involved. At this age they seem to love measuring and grinding the best. There's math or something like that, right? Here's my 5 year old last week helping me with a SMASH pilsner. Enjoy it while it lasts, at some point they won't want anything to do with us...

 

[kadozen]

Divorced and my Daughters (12 & 14) live with me full time. Neither have helped out, Although they do ask lots of questions. My older Daughter just did a science fair project on Yeast growth in different kinds of sugar (A+).

I have also encountered crazy opinions on home brewing...
Unfortunately issues had arisen and the courts blocked the mother from visitation, she is trying to regain visitation. At some point she became aware that I brew, so in the Discovery questions I get this...

I have a great brew log so providing the info was not an issue, but I'm not willing to list everyone who ever came by during a brew. Some of the brews were at a local Brew Pub and I have no idea how many people were present in the restaurant.

I also have no Clue what they mean by "Circumstances Surrounding such production" I just answered Because I wanted to brew a (Stout, IPA, Saison...)

Wait. Are they trying to paint you bad because you are a homebrewer? Good luck by the way. Family Court looks like a nightmare, hope it all ends on a good note.

 

[dsniegocki]

Divorced and my Daughters (12 & 14) live with me full time. Neither have helped out, Although they do ask lots of questions. My older Daughter just did a science fair project on Yeast growth in different kinds of sugar (A+).

I have also encountered crazy opinions on home brewing...
Unfortunately issues had arisen and the courts blocked the mother from visitation, she is trying to regain visitation. At some point she became aware that I brew, so in the Discovery questions I get this...

I have a great brew log so providing the info was not an issue, but I'm not willing to list everyone who ever came by during a brew. Some of the brews were at a local Brew Pub and I have no idea how many people were present in the restaurant.

I also have no Clue what they mean by "Circumstances Surrounding such production" I just answered Because I wanted to brew a (Stout, IPA, Saison...)

Wow... so sorry to hear that this is something that you have to take into consideration, wish you the best and thank you for that perspective.

 

[boutanhourbrewing]

My 3 month old is a bit too young to help out for now. My three year old loves to help out. He knows to stay away from the burner, and enjoys the process (as much as his attention span can handle). His second favorite part is pouring in hops. Hands down his favorite part is during fermentation. Every morning (and evening when I get home from work), I hear "Daddy, lets check on the beer!" He loves watching the bubbles in the airlock.

+1 to a more "European" approach when it comes to introducing them to alcohol. Obviously they are too young right now, but as they get older, we will be the ones to introduce them to tastes and small glasses with the family during meal times. I want to be the one to teach them to drink responsibly. Not some dumb fellow 21 year old when they are away from home. I know how immature I was at 21, and how equally immature all my friends were too.

Tell your mother in law to RDWHAHB!

 

[pshankstar]

Absolutely involved. At this age they seem to love measuring and grinding the best. There's math or something like that, right? Here's my 5 year old last week helping me with a SMASH pilsner. Enjoy it while it lasts, at some point they won't want anything to do with us...

So true and I'm afraid when that time comes... I already see it in my older nieces (14 and 12). Although with their aunt and uncle (my wife and I) they seem to enjoy being with us more than my brother (their father).

Young children are like sponges! They have the natural desire to learn and experience things, so why not let them? As others have said, maybe they will have a better understanding and appreciation for it when they are older.

 

[DemonsRun]

Wait. Are they trying to paint you bad because you are a homebrewer? Good luck by the way. Family Court looks like a nightmare, hope it all ends on a good note.

Sadly for some they look at it as a battle and any tactic they can try is fair game. I am not sure how the Judge will view Homebrewing, I am assuming this is generic text aimed at bootleggers which is still common in parts of Virginia.

I am only interested in what's best for the kids, I will never paint their mother in a bad light no matter how much we disagree, and all I tell my kids about the current situation is she is getting help, and hope one day things will change.


Now back to the great shots of Parents and kids enjoying Time and Science together.

 

[thrillhouse]

Sadly for some they look at it as a battle and any tactic they can try is fair game. I am not sure how the Judge will view Homebrewing, I am assuming this is generic text aimed at bootleggers which is still common in parts of Virginia.

I am only interested in what's best for the kids, I will never paint their mother in a bad light no matter how much we disagree, and all I tell my kids about the current situation is she is getting help, and hope one day things will change.


Now back to the great shots of Parents and kids enjoying Time and Science together.

FWIW, I'm a lawyer in MD/VA and do a little bit of family law. I've always wondered about how a court would view this for a homebrewing client who lets the kids occasionally sample homebrew (not me personally). Given that Maryland (and I believe VA) have laws that permit parents to let their children consume alcohol under their supervision at home, I'd be curious how a preemption argument would work -- that is, the legislature expressly permits this, so how could a Court make a finding that conflicts with the law? Anyway, sorry to derail, and best of luck to you.

 

[soccerdad]

My grandson started assisting with beer and wine making when he was 4 or 5. He didn't start drinking until e was 8 or 9 (just kidding - he doesn't drink).

He also feeds pigs, shells pecans, helps tend the garden, bakes, makes chocolate, brews coffee, and makes a decent latte.

 

[bobeer]

My daughter has been helping me brew since she was about 6 months old. She likes to stir the mash, toss the hops in, etc. She's almost 2 now and knows the concept of hot stuff and is already starting to lose interest in the process. I don't see the issue with having the kids help if they're interested in it. As long as you're being a good parent and not putting them in harms way there isn't a problem. It's no different than grilling out, cooking in the kitchen, or being around a camp fire. All perfectly acceptable family activities.

 

[kadozen]

As long as you're being a good parent and not putting them in harms way there isn't a problem.

No matter how sweet they are, don't steep the baby. Got it.

 

[oceanic_brew]

You guys are making me wanna have kids hahha
My dog licks up the floor when wort spills, stares at me blankly, and then goes back to sleep on his pillow when he gets bored of watching Hahahha

Easy to deal with. Wanna have kids someday to help me brew. Me and the miss are almost 30 and no aspirations to have any.

 

[chickypad]

Yeah my "baby girl" is really good at spill clean up too. Glad I mostly keg though, she's a nightmare on bottling days - pit bull in a china shop. Can't beat her as far as loyal brew buddy though.

 

[kadozen]

Between you 2 and Wil Wheaton, I'm nagging the crap out of my wife about how we need to get a dog.

 

[jrgtr42]

Mine's a week short of 10 months, so he hasn't helped yet - he's just starting to get mobile, and as yet no concept of safe and not. As he gets older I will involve him when possible.
I have a photo hanging on the fridge of myself at maybe 2 years old having a sip of my dad's beer (Molson Brador, FTR) and I can see myself doing the same with my little guy, at least as he get a bit older. I do want to instill him a respect for alcohol - I saw as I was growing up the ones who were absolutely, expressly forbidden, the ones who went over the top in college, I don't want that to happen.
I certainly won't be pulling him a pint at 8 years old, but once we get into high school, maybe.

 

[bobeer]

You guys are making me wanna have kids hahha
My dog licks up the floor when wort spills, stares at me blankly, and then goes back to sleep on his pillow when he gets bored of watching Hahahha

Easy to deal with. Wanna have kids someday to help me brew. Me and the miss are almost 30 and no aspirations to have any.

We didn't have our first until we were 31. Now, my wife is 34 and we're having our 2nd and probably last. You guys still have time if you really want them. Lots of work but they're worth it!!

 

[Natdavis777]

I never skipped a beat when my son was born. He is 2.5 now, and hangs with me when I brew. I mostly brew during the week now (Brewing as we speak!) on my days off so I can have family time on the weekend.


For whatever reason, the new HBT rotates all of my pics now...

 

[wilcode190]

This is my 4 and 6 year old helping me plant hops. They love weighing out the hops and resealing them. They like the smell of the hops and the malt and enjoy the taste of the wort prehops. I always enjoy having them help add or stir ingredients. I love teaching them that you can make things from scratch and be creative.

View attachment 1458146336297.jpg