I thought I would pose the question of how people got into homebrewing, and if there were any particular stories involved.
Around 8 years ago while we were all poor university students (poor as in broke, not poor as in bad students) my mates and I decided we would pitch in and get into homebrewing. Without being consulted they'd decided for me that I wasn't interested anymore so went ahead and made and drank the batch without me. Needless to say I wasn't terribly disappointed when the first bottle was opened and it geysered out and burnt a hole through the newspaper it was sitting on. After this I vowed to start brewing myself and make a better beer than they had (not hard all things considered).
Not long after this I started playing a pool comp at my local, the weekly prize being $50 cash and a $50 drink card. After a fair few weeks of trying I finally won a comp, collected my winnings, went directly to the nearby 24-hour supermarket and bought a Coopers Homebrew starter pack which I then carried home at around 2am in the morning.
Now that I work I can obviously afford to spend a bit on the home-brew setup, but back then when money was scarce it was rather satisfying to be able to splash out on enough to get me started.
I'd be interested to hear how others have got involved.
How did you get into homebrewing??
A long time ago in a suburb really not very far away....
...we (brother and I) were stuck for what to get Dad for a birthday pressie.
When in doubt give the gift you'd like to recieve yourself so Pa got a Wander brew kit and 2 cartons of long necks.
Dad opened his pressie and was "Gee, um... thanks, .... you shouldn't have. ..." ( Mum got in his ear at this point - that'll learn 'im)
We had to be interested for him so we brewed the Wander kit and he conceded that it wasn't that bad.
Then followed up with a Coopers Draught and kilo of CSR Caster sugar in a heat wave (what we didn't know...) the fermenter sounded like a V8 at idle. Down mid week, bottled Sunday. This was sampled two weeks hence and ...
.... fast forward 13 years Dad is on first name terms with his local brew shop as am I with mine. The only one not brewing is my brother, that is more a factor that Widethroat he thought he was adding value by keeping us in empty bottles.
Cheers,
Greg
...we (brother and I) were stuck for what to get Dad for a birthday pressie.
When in doubt give the gift you'd like to recieve yourself so Pa got a Wander brew kit and 2 cartons of long necks.
Dad opened his pressie and was "Gee, um... thanks, .... you shouldn't have. ..." ( Mum got in his ear at this point - that'll learn 'im)
We had to be interested for him so we brewed the Wander kit and he conceded that it wasn't that bad.
Then followed up with a Coopers Draught and kilo of CSR Caster sugar in a heat wave (what we didn't know...) the fermenter sounded like a V8 at idle. Down mid week, bottled Sunday. This was sampled two weeks hence and ...
.... fast forward 13 years Dad is on first name terms with his local brew shop as am I with mine. The only one not brewing is my brother, that is more a factor that Widethroat he thought he was adding value by keeping us in empty bottles.
Cheers,
Greg
I must admit, until a several years ago, I thought Australia brewed the best beers in the world. I can hear you all laughing, but I really did. I was one of those CUB-swilling animals - like John Abbott - who drank VB/Coldies/Draught, and on a splurge, Crownies. I had ventured as far as sampling a few American imports from the "Boutique" section of the bottle shop, but thought that they were all shite. And so by process of elimination, Australian beers were the best.
That was of course until I left merry old Oz for the motherland. Spent 12 months indulging in tastes and smells and textures that I had never experienced, and fell in love. I never knew that beer could actually be something to enjoy, instead of a cheap way to get drunk. It was here, too, that I learnt that there is actually a difference between Lagers and Ales. And a two week trip to Belgium became a veritable orgasm of damned fine beers (and chocolate).
After returning home, I declared that, with a few noted exceptions, Aussie beer was rubbish. My eyes had been opened. I now enjoy looking for new beers that I haven't yet tried. This, and the thirst for those few fabulous european beers I'd sampled years before, led me down the path of homebrewing.
I've only been brewing for about 6 months, and apart from my miserable failures (see thread http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... .php?t=818), I have enjoyed creating some very drinkable beer. Even though I've brewed nothing but Kit and Kilo, the results have given far more enjoyment than any of the mass-produced rubbish that I'd bought previously. The only problem: keeping up with demand!
Cheers,
scooper
That was of course until I left merry old Oz for the motherland. Spent 12 months indulging in tastes and smells and textures that I had never experienced, and fell in love. I never knew that beer could actually be something to enjoy, instead of a cheap way to get drunk. It was here, too, that I learnt that there is actually a difference between Lagers and Ales. And a two week trip to Belgium became a veritable orgasm of damned fine beers (and chocolate).
After returning home, I declared that, with a few noted exceptions, Aussie beer was rubbish. My eyes had been opened. I now enjoy looking for new beers that I haven't yet tried. This, and the thirst for those few fabulous european beers I'd sampled years before, led me down the path of homebrewing.
I've only been brewing for about 6 months, and apart from my miserable failures (see thread http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... .php?t=818), I have enjoyed creating some very drinkable beer. Even though I've brewed nothing but Kit and Kilo, the results have given far more enjoyment than any of the mass-produced rubbish that I'd bought previously. The only problem: keeping up with demand!
Cheers,
scooper
Last edited by scooper on Saturday Jun 11, 2005 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Started back in year nine when the bottle-o wouldn't sell a 15 year old and his mate any beer but Kmart would sell them the equipment to mass produce it. Six years latter I am still at it but just have a different philosophy. Then it was: sacrifice everything for alcohol content, now however, I don't mind enjoying my beer.
This is the writ of the Baron, thou art truly blessed.
When I was young, Dad was a homebrewer that did it because it was cheaper than buying commercial beer. I liked watching him mix up his kit and kilo and always had the irresistable urge to put my grubby little fingers on everything, in much the same way my son likes to "help". As Dad liked to throw money around like a bloke with no arms, his one and only combination was a generic can of draught and a kilo of genric brand white sugar. I can hear the groans of readers, but to this day he still claims his beer was great. Anyway, many years later I was never satisfied with the CUB clan and thought brewing my own would be better but had always put homebrewing in the too hard basket, in addition to that I was in the Army for a while and was frequently going away so it wouldn't have received the attention it deserved. Over Christmas last year the father-in-law got to talking about it, that was then I converted. I bought a Tooheys kit thinking it was better value than Coopers as it was on special in Big W $10 cheaper than the Coopers kit, which at the time I wasn't aware you got bottles in the Coopers kit. So here I am, 10 brews later and much better for it.
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Dogger Dan
- Posts: 3168
- Joined: Thursday Aug 26, 2004 10:43 am
- Location: Lucan, Ontario, Canada
University 17 years ago. A commercial came on TV where a guys homebrew was blowing up in the basement and the recomendation was to drink Labatt Blue as it is always perfect (perfect piss).
Thought to myself "Self," and I knew it was me cause I recognized the voice, "Homebrewing looks cool"
Anyway, next day was buying a futon with my Sister in Law and the shop next door was a HBS. Went in and the rest is history. 9 months latter I was working there on weekends for some spending money.
Been brewing ever since
Dogger
Thought to myself "Self," and I knew it was me cause I recognized the voice, "Homebrewing looks cool"
Anyway, next day was buying a futon with my Sister in Law and the shop next door was a HBS. Went in and the rest is history. 9 months latter I was working there on weekends for some spending money.
Been brewing ever since
Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
A coupla years ago, through necessity, a mate and I made a magic box. It seemed every couple of months one of us would have a party and the party always involved a keg (or more). So instead of borrowing the magic box from the local pub (and hoping it was available), like I said, we made our own.
I saw an ad in the trading post for some keg fittings and a beer gun and drove out and checked it out. It was then that Ray (aka the Godfather of homebrew) introduced me to "the new and improved homebrew". Not unlike a heroin dealer, he asked me if I was interested in brewing my own. I told him I'd tried brewing before and wasn't overly impressed. He handed me some heroin, actually no, it was an ice cold glass of draught homebrew. I drank it, I was hooked. I stole my parents VCR, sold it, and went and bought a Coopers Canadian Blonde kit and a kilo of the white stuff (dextrose). Haven't looked back since.
Now we not only don't need the pubs magic box, we don't need the pubs beer.
I saw an ad in the trading post for some keg fittings and a beer gun and drove out and checked it out. It was then that Ray (aka the Godfather of homebrew) introduced me to "the new and improved homebrew". Not unlike a heroin dealer, he asked me if I was interested in brewing my own. I told him I'd tried brewing before and wasn't overly impressed. He handed me some heroin, actually no, it was an ice cold glass of draught homebrew. I drank it, I was hooked. I stole my parents VCR, sold it, and went and bought a Coopers Canadian Blonde kit and a kilo of the white stuff (dextrose). Haven't looked back since.
Now we not only don't need the pubs magic box, we don't need the pubs beer.
Evo - Part Man, Part Ale
good lad.
i did something symalar. im a student with plenty of time on my hands and a great thirt for beer, my dad yoused to homebrew and i always fancyed giveing it a try.
so when a hbs opend up within walking distance of my house i was naturaly drawn to start up,
quite a ot of SEARCHING and reading later and the rest is history.
englend victorious "ashes 2005" -
Oliver
- Administrator
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- Location: West Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Just after I met Geoff in Geelong about 10 years ago when he was a solicitor and I a court reporter for the local paper, it became quite apparent that he was as mad about beer as me.
He was a homebrewer who bottled in the old crown seal 750ml CUB bottles, and I was a Cooper's drinker (Cooper's coming in crown seal 750ml Adelaide Bottle Co-op bottles at the time). So I started saving my bottles for him to put homebrew into (they had, until then, gone into the recycling).
Soon I wondered why the hell I wasn't homebrewing and filling the bottles instead of giving them to Geoff. By this stage, I'd helped Geoff with a few brews and decided it wasn't that hard.
Geoff was alert to my enthusiasm and as a combined Christmas and birthday present (my birthday's on December 29) in 1996, he and Lisa bought me a homebrew kit.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Oliver
He was a homebrewer who bottled in the old crown seal 750ml CUB bottles, and I was a Cooper's drinker (Cooper's coming in crown seal 750ml Adelaide Bottle Co-op bottles at the time). So I started saving my bottles for him to put homebrew into (they had, until then, gone into the recycling).
Soon I wondered why the hell I wasn't homebrewing and filling the bottles instead of giving them to Geoff. By this stage, I'd helped Geoff with a few brews and decided it wasn't that hard.
Geoff was alert to my enthusiasm and as a combined Christmas and birthday present (my birthday's on December 29) in 1996, he and Lisa bought me a homebrew kit.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Oliver
Must have been around 1980 or maybe a year or two later.
I can't remember the reason but I don't think it was because of the cost solely.If those of you can remember a slab was only $7.92 in those days.
I reckon it was because a couple of blokes at work used to do it and they may have piqued my interest(Always was interested in beer)
One bloke,Pear Shape,made me a lever bottle capper which was in use up until I was given a you beaut italian job recently.
Pear Shape used to get home from work and sit outside his garage and drink 6 longnecks of homebrew before going in the house.Obvious why he was called Pear shape though.
I stopped brewing about 1987 and didn't start again until a couple of years ago.
I don't homebrew to replicate boutique beers and some commercial brews are better than I can make(Tooheys Old ) so I guess it's because I enjoy being able to D.I.Y.
I am not dedicated enough to get into mashing or all grains.
For me to spend that much time boiling and fussing around is not in my psyche.
To you blokes who do that you have my utmost admiration but think the old kit and kilo with a few tweaks will do me.
I can't remember the reason but I don't think it was because of the cost solely.If those of you can remember a slab was only $7.92 in those days.
I reckon it was because a couple of blokes at work used to do it and they may have piqued my interest(Always was interested in beer)
One bloke,Pear Shape,made me a lever bottle capper which was in use up until I was given a you beaut italian job recently.
Pear Shape used to get home from work and sit outside his garage and drink 6 longnecks of homebrew before going in the house.Obvious why he was called Pear shape though.
I stopped brewing about 1987 and didn't start again until a couple of years ago.
I don't homebrew to replicate boutique beers and some commercial brews are better than I can make(Tooheys Old ) so I guess it's because I enjoy being able to D.I.Y.
I am not dedicated enough to get into mashing or all grains.
For me to spend that much time boiling and fussing around is not in my psyche.
To you blokes who do that you have my utmost admiration but think the old kit and kilo with a few tweaks will do me.
Alpacas are larger than nattterjack toads
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beermeister
- Posts: 188
- Joined: Thursday Oct 07, 2004 6:40 pm
- Location: Perth, Western Australia
A couple of years ago I started going to the Belgian Beer Bar in Perth (around the corner from work) and I had Hoegaardens, Leffes etc which really prompted my interest in good beer. I also started drinking stout or Coopers when I went to a pub with a limited range. Then I went to the Duckstein brewery in the Swan Valley and I was hooked...
I noticed how cheap the Coopers tins were in supermarkets and thought maybe I could make my own drinkable beer.
My son was born last July and my first father's day present was a Coopers kit!
I noticed how cheap the Coopers tins were in supermarkets and thought maybe I could make my own drinkable beer.
My son was born last July and my first father's day present was a Coopers kit!
won a homebrew kit in a rewards scheme at work. Hadn't previously given any great amount of though to homebrewing, as a mate of mine had tried his hand at a few kit+kilo's a number of years ago that I thought were shite, but figured I'd give it a shot and see how I went. First few brews turned out crap but in a rare showing of either steely determination or comitted alcoholism (i'm still not sure which), I decided to persevere and try a few different brands and combinations of ingredients, and the rest, as they say in the pictures, is history.
Had a "cash flow crisis" a few years back so it was either home brew or give up. Borrowed my mate's gear initially and gave it a go. Had heard plenty of horror stories from mates about "undrinkables", so was pleasantly surprised when it turned out pretty good. Considering my technique was just a Coopers tin and CSR not quite sure how I managed that looking back.........
After about 3 years gave it away for a while due to moving to NW Qld (just too hot to brew outside) -just restarted with a plan to be a bit more innovative and imaginative.
After about 3 years gave it away for a while due to moving to NW Qld (just too hot to brew outside) -just restarted with a plan to be a bit more innovative and imaginative.
I had my first glass of beer(& it was a homebrew draught!) at a mate's house when I was 10. My mate's father said that kids will try alcohol no matter how many times parents tell them not to(true!). He let us have 1 small glass of beer any time we came over, aslong as he was there. He recons beer should be enjoyed & appreciated(how true!).
My mate moved away & I never touched a beer again till I was around 16 & beer never tasted as good as what them homebrews years back tasted like.
I spewed up my fair share of VB till I was 18 then remembered HOMEBREW again! Made a couple of brews (both great) but then moved house several times & didn't brew again till about 12 years later. Got a Giftvoucher from Kmart & had to spend it on something!!!
2 years on I'm still at it, about to brew batch number 19.
Still making basic can brews but sometimes ad a brew converter or some extra hops or malt in aswell.
I still buy the occasional beer, I just have a different approach. I ask what they don't sell often, usually microbrewery stuff or from overseas, I'll grab it. I love the different tastes beer can have.
Tried turkish, Indian, Asian, Arminian + many more common.
Brewing, a great hobby, I'm allways thinking of gadgets to build for it.
Cheers - redsicks
My mate moved away & I never touched a beer again till I was around 16 & beer never tasted as good as what them homebrews years back tasted like.
I spewed up my fair share of VB till I was 18 then remembered HOMEBREW again! Made a couple of brews (both great) but then moved house several times & didn't brew again till about 12 years later. Got a Giftvoucher from Kmart & had to spend it on something!!!
2 years on I'm still at it, about to brew batch number 19.
Still making basic can brews but sometimes ad a brew converter or some extra hops or malt in aswell.
I still buy the occasional beer, I just have a different approach. I ask what they don't sell often, usually microbrewery stuff or from overseas, I'll grab it. I love the different tastes beer can have.
Tried turkish, Indian, Asian, Arminian + many more common.
Brewing, a great hobby, I'm allways thinking of gadgets to build for it.
Cheers - redsicks
Something id always considered trying at the back of my mind, but never gave much thought to until my folks asked me if i wanted anything for my 22nd birthday this year, asked for a HB kit and they got me the Tooheys one. Its now been 2 months, I've already picked up a second 30L fermenter and brew #4 (Carlton Cold Clone) is currently fermenting away with brew #5 (Coopers Pale Ale) sitting waiting for more bottles (only have 200 stubbies/swingtops and 30 longnecks), cider #1 has also been brewed and a Magic Mixer package is waiting for 2 free fermenters so i can rack it.
Het Witte Konijn
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Longbeach Brewer
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Monday Sep 13, 2004 10:00 pm
- Location: Melbourne
My grandfather brewed when I was a little sprite, always remember him sitting in the kitchen in the middle of summer in his blue bonds chesty and stubbie shorts with a jug of amber fluid that was about half head. I remember sticking my head in the laundry to figure out what the stink was, and giving it a taste test when he wasn't watching, god awful stuff it was - not sure what the finished product tasted like, mustn't have been too bad otherwise I'd have remembered it!
25 years later, I've developed a taste for beer that wasn't satisfied by the major Aussie brewers. Cost was also becoming a problem (I got married, say no more...) Always thought about going homebrew but just never had. Then walking past the HB section at Safeway and Coopers starter kits were on clearance sale, so picked one up for $45 - 2 weeks later got the last one for $30, needless to say I was stoked!
First brew was a dismal failure; Hottest Melbourne summer week for decades and a kilo of white sugar... Threw it away, did some research and haven't looked back.
Now I supply my grandfather with beer (even brewed a light for him!) Asked him for his old recipie last month. Not sure how he ever managed to drink the stuff. It was a can of confectionary malt, a bag of sugar a handfull of hops pelletts and sachet of yeast.
Yep, my grandfather was one of the original set to give homebrew a bad name! But it was more or less the reason I got into it, thanks Pop...
25 years later, I've developed a taste for beer that wasn't satisfied by the major Aussie brewers. Cost was also becoming a problem (I got married, say no more...) Always thought about going homebrew but just never had. Then walking past the HB section at Safeway and Coopers starter kits were on clearance sale, so picked one up for $45 - 2 weeks later got the last one for $30, needless to say I was stoked!
First brew was a dismal failure; Hottest Melbourne summer week for decades and a kilo of white sugar... Threw it away, did some research and haven't looked back.
Now I supply my grandfather with beer (even brewed a light for him!) Asked him for his old recipie last month. Not sure how he ever managed to drink the stuff. It was a can of confectionary malt, a bag of sugar a handfull of hops pelletts and sachet of yeast.
Yep, my grandfather was one of the original set to give homebrew a bad name! But it was more or less the reason I got into it, thanks Pop...
I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings...
I started homebrewing when I turned 18 (7 years ago). My interest was there as my grandad has been a brewer since I can remember and I didn't have much money as a uni student, so it was a Brewiser kit for my 18th birthday that my parents gave me which started my homebrew career. I brewed a few batches over the next two years and then had a bad batch and I stopped brewing. 
My old brew kit was lost when I bought my own house and moved out of home last march so my grandad bought me a brewcraft basics kit for a present. I'm right into my kit brews now and have just done my first one with extra hop pellets. My favourite brews are Thomas Coopers Traditional Draught (with 1.5kg light malt extract) and Coopers Int Series Canadian Blonde. I've made a few good batches of stout too....essential in the south aussie winter.
I'm just beginning to realise how much I prefer my homebrewed beer to the various corporate megaswill beers I was partial too. I don't think there'll be any turning back from here.
My old brew kit was lost when I bought my own house and moved out of home last march so my grandad bought me a brewcraft basics kit for a present. I'm right into my kit brews now and have just done my first one with extra hop pellets. My favourite brews are Thomas Coopers Traditional Draught (with 1.5kg light malt extract) and Coopers Int Series Canadian Blonde. I've made a few good batches of stout too....essential in the south aussie winter.
I'm just beginning to realise how much I prefer my homebrewed beer to the various corporate megaswill beers I was partial too. I don't think there'll be any turning back from here.
Homebrew- Better than the corporate megaswill we are so often served.
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Oliver
- Administrator
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- Joined: Thursday Jul 22, 2004 1:22 am
- Location: West Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Sarge,
With all this talk of beer brewing, I gather you're not Sarge, aka Ian Perrie, who plays for the mighty Adelaide Crows?
http://afc.com.au/default.asp?pg=player ... onid=13089
Cheers,
Oliver
With all this talk of beer brewing, I gather you're not Sarge, aka Ian Perrie, who plays for the mighty Adelaide Crows?
http://afc.com.au/default.asp?pg=player ... onid=13089
Cheers,
Oliver
purpose built for inspiration
I am a bit late in posting to this thread but was inspired to post my fist post....
This web site sure has grown since I fist looked in a couple of years or so ago!
When we moved in to our house about 3 years ago we discovered a bunker under the balcony. We'll we knew it was there when we bought but not its designed purpose. Well, the neighbors were quick to comment on the quality of the old fellas (who owned before us) generocity and his very social neighborly gesture of a couple of long necks passed over the fence, more often than not.
With this not so subtle hint I asked around and found out that he had set up the bunker with brewing in mind. I could not resist the temptation to test it out. I am happy to tell that it has proved ideal a place to set up a kit. The thick concrete walls, floor and ceiling keep temps constant and with the racks and steps the perfect height for bottles and fermenters I am spoilt.
Thanks to geoff and Oliver for their on-line help and guidence. They have inspired me to build my own small on-line record. I have yet to brew a full mash but will get there some day. Please feel welcome to have a look at my site. http://www.simonalberry.com/BBB.htm
Happy brewing - Simon
This web site sure has grown since I fist looked in a couple of years or so ago!
When we moved in to our house about 3 years ago we discovered a bunker under the balcony. We'll we knew it was there when we bought but not its designed purpose. Well, the neighbors were quick to comment on the quality of the old fellas (who owned before us) generocity and his very social neighborly gesture of a couple of long necks passed over the fence, more often than not.
With this not so subtle hint I asked around and found out that he had set up the bunker with brewing in mind. I could not resist the temptation to test it out. I am happy to tell that it has proved ideal a place to set up a kit. The thick concrete walls, floor and ceiling keep temps constant and with the racks and steps the perfect height for bottles and fermenters I am spoilt.
Thanks to geoff and Oliver for their on-line help and guidence. They have inspired me to build my own small on-line record. I have yet to brew a full mash but will get there some day. Please feel welcome to have a look at my site. http://www.simonalberry.com/BBB.htm
Happy brewing - Simon