When, why, and what?

[Beer_me_plz]

This is pretty simple.

WHEN did you get started?

WHY did you get started?

WHAT keeps you going?

When- I started my my junior year in college. Been brewing and making wine for 4 almost 5 years.

Why- I saw an episode of good eats on food network where Alton Brown makes beer. It was so fascinating to me then that I could make something that tasted good and got you drunk. Then my girlfriend now wife bought me a home brew kit. She wasn't fond of my taste in beers so she convinced me to make some wine as well. I've been hooked ever since. The last year I've branched into fruit wines and meads. My wife has since come around and now drinks stouts right along with IPAs. She's yet to be as interested in the process as she is in the final product.

What- this one I'm not so sure about. I usually obsess over a hobby for several months and then it tends to sit on the back burner. I won't completely quit but it is certainly not something I constantly think about or try to get better and better at. I love to tweak recipes and learn new things about the brewing/wine making process. Maybe its that I can't obsess over it. An aging 6 gallon batch of wine is going to be doing the same thing today as it will tomorrow. It sits there and it builds up anticipation and I know that if I do anything too impatiently it could possibly ruin it! So I wait until one day it's bottled and corked and labeled and it's all mine! Then I can start all over again.

I'd love to hear more about when, why, and how from you other guys and gals.

 

[Zuljin]

A few years ago.

Neighbor was doing it and it looked fun. Being a native of Louisiana, there's an inate appeal to putting stuff in a big pot.

Making what I want, when I want, how I want. It's a hobby I get a useable finshed product out of.

 

[Golddiggie]

When: Started in November 2010.

Why: Talked with a buddy after an IT event (VMUG in Maine) and he talked about how he added coffee to the priming solution for a stout he's made. Got me thinking about brewing again. I had thought about it off and on for years before this but never pulled the trigger. Got advice from him as to what I'd need for hardware to get started properly and then took the plunge.

What keeps me going? Making GREAT beer that I enjoy drinking. I find it hard to find a really solid beer that's worth buying. There are a few exceptions, of course, but the majority are not worth spending money on (for me). Now that I'm kegging I have three brews on tap all the time. I'll soon have more taps and be able to chill down older batches that are in bottles to enjoy.

I'm also making mead, so I'm not limiting myself to just beer.

 

[Beer_me_plz]

Being a native of Louisiana, there's an inate appeal to putting stuff in a big pot.

I live in Louisiana as well. You bring up a good point. Are there any homebrewers out there that don't enjoy cooking as well?

 

[Homercidal]

When: Sometimes in like 90 or 91.

Why: Friend's stepdad always had carboys of wine sitting in the kitchen. I told him I was curious about how wine was made, but didn't like wine so he gave me a bench capper and said I can do the same thing but make beer. Mount Mellick American Light.

What keeps me going?: Right now I'm sure I can say I'm still going. I'm currently building a EHERMS single tier system, but that's not brewing, it's just building a project. The heat and other duties have really got me depressed about brewing. And I NEED to make some light beer for summer!

Still got some garage to clean and then I *think* I'll celebrate with a brew day. Centennial Blonde I think.

 

[CidCitrus]

When- started around Christmas of '08, didn't brew again till April '11

Why- SWMBO got me a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas. It was drinkable, but I was super poor and couldn't afford ingredients so that was it. I drank some homebrew a friend of a friend made a few years later and was pretty impressed so I took the plunge and got equipment for 5 gallon extract batches.

What- I'd say it's the ability to brew whatever I want, the fun involved, and the savings on store-bought beer (not including labor of course.) Also going all grain has really kicked up the interest level for me and made it a bigger investment, which of course makes me want to brew more.