What do you like most about brewing?

[nelstrodomus]

...and beer for that matter


The science, making a great product, the DIY possibilities or simply the satisfaction of it all?

[belsonc]

For me, I'd say it's the DIY-ness of it. Not to mention I think it satisfies something else inside me - something mental/psychological.

I've always enjoyed cooking, and by trade, I'm a computer programmer. I think somewhere in there, there's a deep seated desire to create something. To take these assorted ingredients (chicken, pancetta, sauce, integers, strings, forms, malt extract, hops, water) and put something together out of it. There's just some sort of satisfaction I get out of this stuff that I can't get out of other aspects of my life.

And the fact I like beer is just a side benefit. ;-)

[wortchillergoal]

The boil overs, the dropped broken carboys, stuck fermentation, and the inability to remember to take a SG reading before pitching yeast. On the plus side it is nice to have a recipe taste so good after all of the afore mentioned situations.

[Fweezle]

Perfect blend of art and chemistry.
The ability to create something from numerous ingredients with the end product being pleasing to the eye, palate, and the nose is quite rewarding. Plus all the science involved it pretty neat as well.

[petitbilbo]

The fact that, for once, I'm not just the consumer.

Instead of choosing what brand I'll drink, I can choose exactly what colour, taste and strength I want to have. I *made* that beer and I'm proud of it.

[Bob E.]

Looking into ethanol fuel production is what first peaked my interest in fermentation, and led me to brewing. Coming from a mechanical background, I like all of the ingenuity, gadgets and homemade equipment. Also as mentioned earlier, brewing gives me the same deep down "I did that" kind of satisfaction I get whenever I build or make something worth while from raw materials. I also really like to drink beer :D

[Otis_The_Drunk]

Knowing that I can brew beer that tastes better than what I can buy in the store.

[MrNate]

Having convinced my wife, through a series of smaller steps, that it is perfectly reasonable to have 10 gallons of beer on tap and that drinking it daily is simply appreciating the fruits of my labor. And that for labor such as it is, much appreciation is needed.

[markaberrant]

Fweezle and Otis' comments combine to summarize my feelings.

I bottled a barleywine and IIPA yesterday. Had nothing more than a small sip or two of each, and I spent the rest of the day and night mulling over the flavours and how the beers are going to taste when finished.

Later in the evening, I made some homemade brown malt in the oven. Tasted several kernels and again, kept contemplating how the malt is going to contribute to the finished beer (the recipe I'm using is approx 20% brown malt, so it's going to play a major part).

I love the scheming and planning, formulating recipes, schedules etc... then executing on these plans, and finally being rewarded with a fantastic finished product... then sharing it with others, and doing well in competitions is just icing on the cake.

If you are looking for instant gratification or suffer from ADD, this probably ain't the hobby for you. We talk about how easy everything is in homebrewing, but the overall process is actually extremely complex, just think of all the variables and intangibles that are involved.

It is an extremely satisfying hobby that requires patience and determination, but the payoff is so worth it.

[corkybstewart]

The look on friends'(and strangers'" faces when they drink one of my homebrews and they realize it's not some murky, foul tasting concoction. At a party last spring I saw a big guy headed toward me with a scary look on his face-I thought I was in for an ass whooppin or something. He hugged me and said my wit was the best of that style he had ever tasted, then he asked me if I could brew him a keg for his wedding 2 weeks later. I wish I could have but there wasn't time. That's my favorite part of homebrewing.

[Beer Martin]

I'm a chemical engineer and the brewing process was by far the best application of my engineering knowledge. I have hand calculations for achieving dough in and mash temperatures. I don't use brewing programs I do it all by hand in the office. I love it.

Brewing is the greatest use of my time. To echo comments above, I love when people skeptically taste my beer then go, "wow, this is great!" It took some time to consistently get that reaction, but I've got it now.

Thanks for the topic. This is a nice reflection on the reasons we brew.
________
Iolite (http://vaporizer.org/portable)

[nelstrodomus]

I think others surprise and happiness while drinking my beer is what really gets me going. I can just about always find a flaw in the beer I made, which generally leads to continuous improvement, but most people I serve my beer to just think it's damn good brew. The people around me also seem to really have an appreciation for something home made, especially well crafted beer.

I recently had a large party at my house where I brewed up 20 gal of brew and to show off my kegerator that I recently built. I was surprised at the amount of people that really liked my different beers, and they were generally impressed with the brewery and everything else in the garage.

This hobby is no question time and money well spent imo.

[beerking]

I love the act of creating something that tastes so good, and is appreciated by others. I think that is what is great about winning competitions, solid proof that someone else liked what I created.

I also love knowing that I am controlling every step of the process, and coming up with something unique. I have brewed many very different and unique beers, I love pushing the edge of the envelope.

[dparsons]

I like the creativity. And the very good beer that is a result of that. And having people happily exchange me empty bottles for full.

[cul8rv8]

I have to say I haven't gotten that creative with my beers, but the knowledge I've gained in the last year and half of brewing, I feel very confident in my abilities, and look to start playing around more and more. That's what I like about it, the fact that I am in control.

One regret I have is that I didn't start homebrewing until I moved from Ohio to Vegas. My father is a former AB employee, he worked in Quality Control at the Columbus plant. He's retired now, and last winter when him and my mom were being snowbirds down in Kingman, Arizona, he came up to stay with me for a couple days. I brewed a beer while he was here, and he seemed to have so much fun with it. He doesn't enjoy beer itself, but I wish he was closer to me so we could enjoy the brew days together. He was all excited when he saw what I was doing and realizing that I was doing the exact things that they did at AB, just on a much smaller scale. He started talking about what he did at work, testing the plato of the beer, etc. My dad and I have always been close, but it was one of those times when I felt even closer to him. If he could just convince my mom that they need to move out this way permanently to get out of the crappy central Ohio weather. :)

Plus, I know it's a long shot, but I would like to try and keep improving and in 2 or 3 years open my own little brew pub. Nothing fancy, not wanting to make a million dollars, but be able to brew beer for the (small) masses and bring the enjoyment of a great handcrafted brew to more than just my friends and family. Here's to the dream...

[The Alchemist]

I'm a HS chemistry teacher and my background is in both chemistry and biology. I love developing the recipes and then seeing how close they come out to what I had planned. As a science person, I tend to enjoy the process of brewing. The hitting of temps, the gadgets, the record keeping,etc. It's a great hobby. I brew with a friend, so it's also about the camaraderie. When you are done it is then time to sit back and enjoy.

[B_rad1969]

Being able to do something by myself and not have anyone bothering me! And beer as a result!

[nelstrodomus]

Being able to do something by myself and not have anyone bothering me! And beer as a result!

...you may have won the contest...!