Sharing Homebrew

I enjoy sharing! I brewed a case of a centennial blond session ale that IMHO turned out pretty well, and I was very happy to see all but 4 bottles of it disappear at a big party we had yesterday. Believe me, I'm going to lament the fact that I will not have any homebrew available for a while (too dang busy next several weeks), but the nice words about how everyone enjoyed it was very heartening and encouraging, considering it was my second all-grain brew.

 

I brew much more than I drink. So I share as much as I can. My keezer only holds 3 kegs. So when I need space my friends do pretty well if you know what I mean. ;-)

Cheers!

 

I'd share it more often if I had the opportunity. Most of it gets drunk by either me or my eldest son, who happens to be back in the house for the time being. My wife doesn't drink any of it. I'd really like someone to finish off the dark lager so I could fill up that keg with something else...

 

I have 4 or 5 'reviewers' at work (depends on the style) and one friend that I fish with. All get bombers. They give me decent reviews and I continue to provide them with free beer. If it's fishing season - sadly short this year in Cali for a stream fisherman - most goes to that. I drink the rest. I try to cellar some, really I do. I fail.

 

I just gave away the first 4 bottles I have given out of my homebrew. Two people are already banned from further bottles, one permanently. Is it always like this? A coworker I gave a bottle to left it at work accidentally for a couple nights, then another coworker (who I WAS going to give a bottle of a fatali pepper ipa when those peppers finally get here) was fed up with people leaving stuff and he THREW IT AWAY! What would you guys do? I've never really produced anything with a passion for it like my homebrew, it kinda hurts for someone to just throw it away. Needless to say, if you throw away the homebrew, for any reason, you will never get a bottle. I guess the other guy will still get some but he may have to get skipped out of rotation a couple times, he had his chance, there's not much to go around. I make small batches and there are other people who want it more. I guess I need to make bigger batches, or just drink it all myself

 

I share what I can't sell.



















Someone had to say it. Just kidding ATF!

Man, this 10% homebrewed old ale is going to my head...

 

I definitely give out more than I drink, which I'm ok with. It's cool when people enjoy something you've created, yet even better when they ask for more.

 

I bottle mostly sours & high gravity stuff for aging. I hoard all that, giving very little away, instead I'll break it out with a discerning guest. My kegged beers (low gravity &/or hoppy) go to whoever is over . . . a keg doesn't last very long around here.

 

I know this was a joke - but actually I'm the reverse. When it's really good I give it away. There are batches I've had one or two pints of only, and these are usually my favorites. It's the experiments/mistakes that I usually hoard, to ruminate over, and to imagine tweaks and future improvements.

 

My beer is always available to share with anyone. But it pretty much has to consumed at my house. I recently had an employee ask if he could come over and fill some growlers, I guess homebrew must be free beer. I shut him down on that whole concept immediately. I'm brewing for Oktoberfest right now, I'll have 6 or 8 cornies(not counting what others bring) go empty that Saturday and we love sharing, but we're not a takeout joint.

 

Yeah I have pretty much the same story. The better it is the more I share it... but when trying something new (recipe or own creation) I always wait to try it first if bottling before I give it out... I made a mistake a long time a go with a cheap porter I got at midwest that turned out awful, and I gave a couple 6 packs out before I tasted it..

 

I have a buddy who just started brewing himself, and he has not learned that lesson yet. He gave out some beer that while not hopelessly bad, has some issues (including massive overcarbonation) that I fear may put some mutual acquaintances off of his future efforts. But he is enthusiastic and I don't want to be the one to throw the wet blanket, either. Kind of a head-scratcher for me right now, what I should say next time I see him.

 

Tell him the truth... "it was pretty good but..."

 

Agree with this. Tell him the truth if he is really serious about brewing. If he is just brewing a couple times a year for fun then go easy on him. I will usually follow up a critique with questions about their process that could of caused the problem. This kind of diverts the attention from the negative to a positive once we figure out what the problem is and how to fix it next time. But over carbonation is obvious you got to call him out on that. That should be an easy fix.

 

I probably give 50-60% of my beers away,..... at least until I find time to get my kegerator finished. I presently bottle ALL my beers, and generally 1/2 gets taken to work where I have "created a MONSTER" with the BMC crowd.
I have one co-worker who claims he can't buy Bud Light anymore because of my homebrew contributions. Seems while he awaits my next bombers to be shared that he heeds my advice on local craft beers, and he is enjoying my suggestions. Now if I could just convince them that "dark beer" doesn't necessarily mean STRONG & OVERPOWERING beer, .......

 

Thirsty friends, thirsty hombrew club buddies,, give away and share at least half what I make.

OTOH most of them are great brewers, and they do the same, so it evens out nicely.

 

I share a good 70% of mine. I usually have some of the first few pints once it carbed, and I enjoy seeing how the beer changes as it sits in the keg. Currently I have an amber ale that I need to be gone by next weekend so I can free up a keg so that'll be the main focus this week.