It just really gets under my skin...

[janson745]

It just bothers me when people say, "Oh, no thanks - I don't want to drink your home brew because I don't want to go blind" or another one I can't stand is, "You actually drink the beer you make? I wouldn't do that, I'd be too scared since you aren't professional". To the last one I say, "I would be too scared to eat chicken that you cooked, since you don't work at a restaurant. But they replied, "That's just different."

Usually, I am a very easy going, level headed dude. Hell, you can make fun of my family, my personal apperance or the car I drive or anything else, and I will just let it roll off my back. it don't bother me! But for some reason, the fact that people pass judgement on homebrew just because it is the unknown, ticks me off!

Anyone else feel this way? Am I alone? What can I say to help open people's eyse? I feel like someone trying to explain that segregation is wrong back in the '50s..

 

[Yooper]

It just bothers me when people say, "Oh, no thanks - I don't want to drink your home brew because I don't want to go blind" or another one I can't stand is, "You actually drink the beer you make? I wouldn't do that, I'd be too scared since you aren't professional". To the last one I say, "I would be too scared to eat chicken that you cooked, since you don't work at a restaurant. But they replied, "That's just different."

Usually, I am a very easy going, level headed dude. Hell, you can make fun of my family, my personal apperance or the car I drive or anything else, and I will just let it roll off my back. it don't bother me! But for some reason, the fact that people pass judgement on homebrew just because it is the unknown, ticks me off!

Anyone else feel this way? Am I alone? What can I say to help open people's eyse? I feel like someone trying to explain that segregation is wrong back in the '50s..

You know, it used to bother me and I'd try to help educate people by explaining how homebrew is perfectly safe and how it got that reputation.

Now, I just think, "Ok, more for me!!!!"

I also make soap, and if someone was worried they'd get lye burns and wouldn't accept the soap, again, I say, "Ok, more for me!!!!"

Life is just too short to worry about what ignorant people think and say.

 

[GrogNerd]

Life is just too short to worry about what ignorant people think and say.

amen, sister

 

[dstranger99]

^

Some people still have this weird idea that we make this stuff in bathtubs like were' still in prohibition......They really just have no clue in our process, and ignorance just feeds more ignorance........

 

[MuddyCreek]

Wait... You guys don't make your beer in the bathtub?

Crap. I need to rethink my rig.

 

[headbanger]

I wish some of my friends were scared of it, I can barely keep enough in the pipeline as it is... and if I slack up on production for a week or two then the crying starts.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

I keep my circle of friends incredibly small. I simply can't deal with the stupid crap that comes out of peoples' mouths. I'm really really trying to get better, but its difficult. And the thing that really chaps my saddle is that you cant necessarily just shrug it off. If some yutz proposes anti-homebrewing legistlation its these human redundancies who are going to voting on it.

There's a million and one things I am completely ignorant of and even more that I probably have an incorrect perception of, but I feel like at least I ask questions and read when I have time. I feel like spelunking is probably pretty terrifying and dangerous, but maybe its not... I dont know any seasoned spelunkers to ask.

 

[TxBrew]

That'll happen. Offer them a small taste to prove your point. Most people I've met will try a couple of ounces.

 

[CooperBrew]

There's a million and one things I am completely ignorant of and even more that I probably have an incorrect perception of, but I feel like at least I ask questions and read when I have time.

This is me as well. I know some things well, but there is a lot that I don't know. What you have to do is educate yourself, ask questions of those more knowledgeable than yourself on different subject matters and learn. I have learned more by listening than by talking

 

[weirdboy]

I get "do you make it in your bathtub?" comments more than anything else from that sort of person.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

In the interest of being fair, I have to say, maybe I am just lucky, but the #1 question I get when I say I make my own beer and mead is "what got you into that?"

Not an ignorant question. I do get "dont you need a still?" a lot too, though. But thats just ignorance, not stupidity.

 

[headbanger]

I do get "dont you need a still?" a lot too, though. But thats just ignorance, not stupidity.

Funny, I was asked that very question just the other day.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Funny, I was asked that very question just the other day.

Hehe how did you respond?

I usually say "nah, not for beer and wine. For beer and wine you want to leave a lot of the water in, and a still takes a lot of the water OUT to make spirits"

This works great until just the other day.

"But... then how do you get distilled water?"

"I... have no idea... shut up."

 

[davekippen]

I'm Lucky, have not run into any of these types of people yet!

 

[headbanger]

Hehe how did you respond?

I usually say "nah, not for beer and wine. For beer and wine you want to leave a lot of the water in, and a still takes a lot of the water OUT to make spirits"

This works great until just the other day.

"But... then how do you get distilled water?"

"I... have no idea... shut up."

I just explained the difference between distilled spirits and beer which led into a lengthy explanation of how my brew rig works. Everybody's up to speed now and I have a new volunteer to help me brew one upcoming Saturday.

EDIT - I haven't gotten the distilled water question yet, classic!

 

[CreamyGoodness]

I just explained the difference between distilled spirits and beer which led into a lengthy explanation of how my brew rig works. Everybody's up to speed now and I have a new volunteer to help me brew one upcoming Saturday.

EDIT - I haven't gotten the distilled water question yet, classic!

I think a lot of folks think that beer making involves adding a small amount of liquid alcohol to a flavored water and then putting it in a still which does... something... they arent sure what. I have less than 10 batches of beer under my belt (though I have more than 30 of mead) and even MY explanation can demystify the process forever.

Not sure if she would mind me telling you all this, but when I explained it to my wife she actually felt sympathy for the yeast. Thats my girl.

 

[weirdboy]

A still takes (mostly) alcohol out of the beer/wine/whatever by turning it to vapor and then condensing it somewhere else, leaving most of the water and other things in the original vessel. I say mostly alcohol because what technically happens is that both water and alcohol vaporize, but alcohol produces more vapor than water so you end up with a higher concentration of alcohol at the other end when you re-condense it.


A still purifies water by turning the water to vapor and then condensing it somewhere else, leaving all the salts and minerals in the original vessel.

 

[headbanger]

Not sure if she would mind me telling you all this, but when I explained it to my wife she actually felt sympathy for the yeast. Thats my girl.

I already know that I like her, even though we've never met.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

A still takes (mostly) alcohol out of the beer/wine/whatever by turning it to vapor and then condensing it somewhere else, leaving most of the water and other things in the original vessel. I say mostly alcohol because what technically happens is that both water and alcohol vaporize, but alcohol produces more vapor than water so you end up with a higher concentration of alcohol at the other end when you re-condense it.


A still purifies water by turning the water to vapor and then condensing it somewhere else, leaving all the salts and minerals in the original vessel.

This is a much better explanation than what I offered, for sure.

 

[SpentGrains]

This is a much better explanation than what I offered, for sure.

A good demonstration is to boil water in a tea kettle or pot, and put a cold plate above the steam. The water condenses on the plate, the condensation is distilled water.

That's how I was learned.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

"I don't want that bathtub brew!"

Me: "Well, I DO wash the bathtub first... With the dog in it."

MC

 

[CreamyGoodness]

A good demonstration is to boil water in a tea kettle or pot, and put a cold plate above the steam. The water condenses on the plate, the condensation is distilled water.

That's how I was learned.

Thank you. For the record I just realized that this is getting dangerously close to talk about distillation, and I will discontinue mentioning it further.

 

[fuzzy2133]

When I tell people I am learning to brew my own beer they ask how it tastes and if I'll ever share some with them.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

When I tell people I am learning to brew my own beer they ask how it tastes and if I'll ever share some with them.

Are you a homebrew hoarder?

 

[fuzzy2133]

Are you a homebrew hoarder?

No; I just do not want to disrespect the hobby and scare people away by passing around beer that I am not happy with. So far they all needed more hop aroma.

Now my friend I grew up with who pours beer into a frosted mug and tends to chug it... that gets under my skin!

I found that out after I asked him for some input on how one brew tasted. With the response of "little carbonation and very drinkable". I knew something was wrong because I screwed up and over carbed the bottles.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

I'm not going to lie. I was scared to drink my own home brew from my first batch.

All the trub and hops floating around in the fermenter looks like a damn science experiment or something. Took a few sips and haven't been scared since.

 

[reverendj1]

I'm lucky enough to have not had anyone say such silly things. Most of my friends or family either know someone who has brewed or has brewed themselves. Everyone I've talked to it about has only asked if they can have some. Unfortunately, they do make it very hard to keep a full pipeline going. I need to start planning on double-batches, etc. for holidays because they keep wiping me out.

 

[jonmohno]

It just bothers me when people say, "Oh, no thanks - I don't want to drink your home brew because I don't want to go blind" or another one I can't stand is, "You actually drink the beer you make? I wouldn't do that, I'd be too scared since you aren't professional". To the last one I say, "I would be too scared to eat chicken that you cooked, since you don't work at a restaurant. But they replied, "That's just different."

Usually, I am a very easy going, level headed dude. Hell, you can make fun of my family, my personal apperance or the car I drive or anything else, and I will just let it roll off my back. it don't bother me! But for some reason, the fact that people pass judgement on homebrew just because it is the unknown, ticks me off!

Anyone else feel this way? Am I alone? What can I say to help open people's eyse? I feel like someone trying to explain that segregation is wrong back in the '50s..

I wouldnt give those people saying those things about your homebrew beer anyway. They wont like it. Unless it matches a lite beer.If you made one of those well then maybe they would like it. Even funner would be to make one batch of light beer andbottle it in a MIller or Bud lite bottles with labels still on and serve it. Then take the lables off real commercial miller/bud bottles and say its your homebrew and serve it to them and see what happens. Hope they dont get sick or somethin caaaa-razie such as that.