How many brewers also cook?

[Staestc]

I keep running across a lot of posts where people say they got into brewing and that they also cook. I cook all the time, and the more complicated or challenging the recipe the more I seem to enjoy it. So I am curious how prevalent that is among home brewers. (Apologies in advance if this has been done before, but I could not find it via searches)

So brewers, do you also cook?

 

[Hello]

I do. I love to eat and it shows.

 

[Zepth]

Started off as being almost exclusively a baker. Making desserts for the family, various treats for parties. Got me familiar with the kitchen and a decent understanding of how things work without risking food poisoning. Those skills and the basic understanding of recipes has served me well thus far into my bachelor lifestyle. With nobody else here I have few choices. Cook for myself (and guests if any are over), or buy take out every night. The latter is both expensive and less healthy. Turns out I had no option.

With that said, I enjoy cooking and baking. I recall one day I thought I'd surprise the hell out of the parents when they got back from the weekend trailer. Sweet teriaki meat on a stick, rice, stir fry, the whole 9 yards. Then they got home 3 hours later than expected to a cold dinner. Wrecked my day. As soon as they walked into the house they knew they missed out. Plenty of leftovers, just not the same.

Currently I'm going to test the waters of a so-called raw diet. Cooking not required. Maybe not go 100%, but try a couple meals to see how it goes. Should save some time and effort in the kitchen. Perhaps washing dishes too. Easing into it with a wonderful blue steak as I type this. I've got a salmon fillet curing at the moment too. Wish me well.

 

[pghxdguy]

I cook inside and out, but mostly meat, sauces, and creative things to do with the leftovers... like pulled pork maple egg muffins for breakfast. We are a family of meat eaters even my 18 month old loves rare steak and smoked ribs.

 

[stru]

I can take almost anything in the refrigerator and turn it into a great meal.

 

[ChefRex]

Take a closer look
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f56/homemade-bread-thread-457601/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f56/what-did-i-cook-weekend-435844
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f56/home-made-pizza-thread-405838/

And plenty more

 

[teberle]

I enjoy cooking, but I am often limited by what my family is willing to eat. I prefer intense and unique dishes, but the family is either less adventurous or have ingredient limitations. Time is also a factor these days. I voted for the most broad answer but in reality it isn't "all the time" anymore.

 

[pvault98]

I do! And I have the burns to prove it. Just sauteed some brussel sprouts in duck fat last night then threw them in the oven to finish them off. 30 seconds after taking the sautee pan out of the oven and placing it on the stove top I instinctively grabbed the handle of the 425 degree pan and sear the $*!t out of my hand. It is now nicely blistered, but damn those b-sprouts were tasty. Pretty sure 1 out of 3 times I throw a sautee pan in the oven I inevitably grab the handle...usually it is 5-10 mins after taking out of the oven at least so no damage.

 

[smccarter]

cook, brew, eat, drink.... Life is wonderful until your doctor puts you on blood pressure medication and tells you that you need to lose 50 pounds.

So... for the younger folks on HBT... enjoy it while you can, and for us older folks... all things in moderation. Enjoy your food, but less of it, and not quite as often as you used to... enjoy your beer, but not as much of it, and no longer every day.

It's really sad to grow old... only for the loss of the things that you have to either give up or limit yourself to.

I'm beginning to see why my elders resented me when I was a younger man. Not because I was trouble, but rather that I represented what they used to be.

 

[mikeprooo]

Well, I've homebrewed for about 9 months or so and realized: If you can cook, you can homebrew. If you cant cook, you probably cant homebrew. Its as easy as following simple directions and then enjoying. Similarly, any cooking recipes can and will be modified to taste as in the homebrewing world.

 

[Snicklefritz]

I cook all the time and love all types of cooking shows. I've always said if I didn't have my current career I would have been a chef.

 

[Brettomomyces]

I'm a Chef Manager IRL...which at the moment is more like being a manager that does catering than a Chef. I'm pretty much going to be all about food and drink my whole life, and I'm ok with that. :rockin:

 

[alagaren]

i worked as a chef for 4 years and during that period i almost never cooked at home. a was so tierd of cooking for 8-12 hours a day that doing the same thing when a got home would have made me puke.

but i quit 3 months ago and now i can enjoy cooking at home again.

 

[Funkychef]

Been a chef for 14 years and still love cooking, even at home. But I work for my self now which makes it more fun. But I love making things from scratch. But my passion is sweets and desserts!


Drink more coffee and do stupid things faster

 

[Dixon9717]

I love to roast pigs. Take awhile so plenty of opportunity to drink beer


Does gravity affect gravity? Would all beer be lite on the moon?

 

[TheCADJockey]

Went from dishwasher, busser, server, cold prep, line cook throughout my college career. It wasn't always the healthiest lifestyle: long hours, getting home late to throw down some beer, pass out and do it all over again on a few hours of sleep. But I wouldn't trade it for anything, and I would go back in a heartbeat. Real life jobs are boring as Hell. I cook every night though. I wish I could create beer as exciting as I do food.

 

[cannman]

Big time cooker here at the house. My passion is Pizza and preserves (any canning). I make a killer ketchup and have won several ribbons for my jams. Its too bad they don't judge beer anywhere within 200 miles...

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

I happily do about 80% of the cooking in my house and love every second of it. Baking isn't my strong suit (bread excluded) but I'm up to try just about everything else at least once.
Big fan of doing a big dinner on the weekend and spending hours in the kitchen. That's my happy place.
If I'm in the middle of cooking something big and elaborate, just stay the hell out of my way

 

[pghxdguy]

cook, brew, eat, drink.... Life is wonderful until your doctor puts you on blood pressure medication and tells you that you need to lose 50 pounds.

So... for the younger folks on HBT... enjoy it while you can, and for us older folks... all things in moderation. Enjoy your food, but less of it, and not quite as often as you used to... enjoy your beer, but not as much of it, and no longer every day.

It's really sad to grow old... only for the loss of the things that you have to either give up or limit yourself to.

I'm beginning to see why my elders resented me when I was a younger man. Not because I was trouble, but rather that I represented what they used to be.

What is considered old? Im 32 and just got my first prescription for blood pressure meds...

 

[depper]

Q and Brew is what I do!! Love to BBQ on the grill and smoker, but can cook in the house too. Nothing better than smoked meat. It's all about the process for me....that's why I'm getting into homebrewing. Which is also why I get up every morning by 5am to workout, so I can enjoy my hobbies!

 

[Yooper]

I don't enjoy cooking day-to-day meals like a routine dinner, but I love cooking more elaborate meals and unusual foods. I cook maybe three to four times per month usually.

I make wine, cider, mead, beer, vinegar, other fermented foods, and occasionally hot sauce. I don't do things like cure my own bacon (yet), but I'm really into food and great food. For a long time, I made a ton of cheese out of fresh raw milk. (Mostly goat's milk).

I do other things too, like render my own tallow and lard for soapmaking.

I think brewers are "into" good food and beer and it also translates into things like roasting your own coffee. Cooking is just an extension of making great things I think!

 

[unionrdr]

What is considered old? Im 32 and just got my first prescription for blood pressure meds...

You & me both. About the time I retired at 50, I was told I had high blood pressure. Maybe that's why I can't sleep at night? I needs help ladies & gentlemens! In my younger days,I cooked, baked, barbecued..any kind of cooking process that'd yield something good. Pies, cakes, breads, etc all from scratch. My daughter insisted on helping me cook when she was 5. I was making breakfast one Saturday morning. She grabbed a spatula & dragged a chair over to the stove. " Daddy, I help you?" she said. One of life's Kodak moments. I guess that easy bake oven & ice cream maker really got her interest. My parents were all smiles once when we had them over for a big BBQ meal. My daughter used those two toys to make everyone cake & ice cream for dessert. That was ingenuity to me! She properly served & everything..at 5 years old! Cool that she now runs "Cookie Me Happy" in Hollywood.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

I cook constantly. At work, at home, at the camper, for the atv club, for a cancer survivors group, for the 4x4 club, for my parents, for my friends. Sometimes I sweat, sometimes I burn, sometimes I bleed. My feet hurt, my back hurts, my brain hurts, pass me a Tylenol. I forgot to order futching romaine lettuce, the dishwasher is leaking, breakfast cook needs tomorrow off. The joys of being a chef.

 

[Clweed]

To me Homebrewing is more about cooking than it is about drinking. I love to build/create things. It's the learning and process that I enjoy the most.

A good beer while I'm barbecuing isnt bad either.

Here's My Kitchen

 

[bu_gee]

Cooking and brewing utilize the same skill sets, so I think it is pretty natural that many brewers also cook. I'd venture that most people who actively brew but haven't cooked would be able to learn to cook with minimal effort.

I always look forward to making a loaf of bread every time I transfer a primary and scrape the yeast cake from the bottom. And I think it comes back to brewing and cooking: Beer and bread have to have been cultivated together, historically speaking.

 

[unionrdr]

Well, actually..., they're finding that beer pre-dates bread by about 3,000 years! Gotta have more beer first! lolz. But I do agree that cooking is related to brewing, since you're basically making a barley soup seasoned with hops, etc. If you can cook you'll find brewing to be much easier. I've noticed the ones that come on here having trouble brewing generally don't cook much if at all.

 

[MerlinWerks]

Been comfortable in the kitchen for 30+ years, really enjoy all different kinds of food and preparing it. At dinner parties with friends it is always expected that I will be bringing dessert and now freshly roasted coffee. Cooking, brewing, coffee roasting, yogurt making all appeal to me on many different levels.

Interesting and fun stuff with very tasty rewards

 

[losMythos]

Some get extreme enjoyment out of challenge. And hopefully success in those challenges. You can't half ass cook and get a good meal and you can't half ass brew and get a GREAT beer. Dedication to understanding the fundamentals of both cooking and brewing is vital for great results. I for one cook, brew and grow produce. I get zero satisfaction out of buying anything from the store although we all have to do it at some point. Self sustainability is a fundamental right of all citizens and should be practiced if at all possible.

 

[bu_gee]

Well, actually..., they're finding that beer pre-dates bread by about 3,000 years! Gotta have more beer first! lolz. But I do agree that cooking is related to brewing, since you're basically making a barley soup seasoned with hops, etc. If you can cook you'll find brewing to be much easier. I've noticed the ones that come on here having trouble brewing generally don't cook much if at all.

I meant more the science and the art of modern bread-making and beer brewing grew together. Understanding one made understanding the other easier.

 

[Melana]

I don't enjoy cooking day-to-day meals like a routine dinner, but I love cooking more elaborate meals and unusual foods. I cook maybe three to four times per month usually.

I make wine, cider, mead, beer, vinegar, other fermented foods, and occasionally hot sauce. I don't do things like cure my own bacon (yet), but I'm really into food and great food. For a long time, I made a ton of cheese out of fresh raw milk. (Mostly goat's milk).

I do other things too, like render my own tallow and lard for soapmaking.

I think brewers are "into" good food and beer and it also translates into things like roasting your own coffee. Cooking is just an extension of making great things I think!

Why not???

 

[Melana]

I do love cooking, baking, brewing, curing meat, and anything culinary. My family and friends think i have some sort of food addiction.

 

[CA_Mouse]

Does having a degree in Culinary Arts qualify?

 

[bu_gee]

I'd bet that a lot of people on here would be really good at making fermented pickles including sauerkraut and the sort.

 

[dtgrdn]

Been cooking my whole life. Was a Sous Chef for 10 years before getting out of the business. Long hours, working every weekend, lousy pay just didn't seem to be worth it. Been in IT for 25 years now but still cook at home all of the time. Plus I just started smoking this summer too, great way to relax and have a cold homebrew!

 

[RhodySeth]

I rarely cook and it's something I need to work on as I'd like to give my wife a break from preparing all the dinners (something she'd like as well.) And after watching me brew a few batches, she knows I'm capable of cooking a meal so now I have no excuses!

 

[Homercidal]

Why not???

Had some home cured and smoked bacon at Yoopers this summer. Tiber_brew brought it and I can never enjoy store bacon as much as I used to now. It blew away any and all bacon I've ever had before.

I had already ordered my hog with bacon and smoked hams, so I missed out on the chance to do a bunch of it this summer. NEXT TIME!

I generally cook most of the stuff at our house. It's probably pretty close to even, actually, but the family appreciates what I do most times.

I'm pretty good at soups. Have a few family favorites. I also sometimes cook a fairly large breakfast, although the wife and kids tend to sleep in later than I do these days and by the time they get up I'm done in the kitchen!

I enjoy smoking pork butts, ribs, and stuff like that. Still perfecting it best I can with my electric Brinkman $10 yard sale smoker. Grilling is always great, but I cheat and use propane.

If something looks tasty and interesting I will try to cook it, but since I've started cutting back on sugar and grains I don't do cakes and cookies much anymore. Pies are still a go on occasion.

I'd like doing thing like canning and preserves and some old timey methods, but my wife is not interested. I think it would be fun to spend an afternoon or two making canned goods and sauces.

 

[Melana]

Canning is fun and fairly easy. I also make jams and jellies.

Bacon is SO easy to make. I am thankful that there is a meat market not to far from here.

 

[Rotgut]

None of the poll options accurately describes my situation. I am the family cook. I do take a good deal of pride in knowing that I am providing healthy, nutritious, tasty meals for my wife and kids. But I don't do it for the "If it makes everybody go OMG!" factor.

 

[CA_Mouse]

Canning is fun and fairly easy. I also make jams and jellies.

My Mother taught me to cook very early on. Baking cookies and bread when I was 8, canning and jellies when I was 9, then my Father taught me to grill when I was 10 while camping. My extended family always looks for whatever I've made for our get togethers. Best reaction was Cinnamon Chocolate Crisps. I waited until my little brother stuffed an entire cookie in his mouth to tell him it was Bisquik, Cocoa and Mayo! :rockin:

 

[Staestc]

I don't enjoy cooking day-to-day meals like a routine dinner, but I love cooking more elaborate meals and unusual foods. I cook maybe three to four times per month usually.

I make wine, cider, mead, beer, vinegar, other fermented foods, and occasionally hot sauce. I don't do things like cure my own bacon (yet), but I'm really into food and great food. For a long time, I made a ton of cheese out of fresh raw milk. (Mostly goat's milk).

I do other things too, like render my own tallow and lard for soapmaking.

I think brewers are "into" good food and beer and it also translates into things like roasting your own coffee. Cooking is just an extension of making great things I think!

I would say that's a most accurate conclusion! And, yeah, I roast coffee too!

I love the processes and the results. I love to build things. Anything. Food, beer, coffee, furniture, bullets, stained glass, cabinets, you name it. And I love the new toys you just have to have get to support each of those hobbies