How much beer can one make/drink?

[maestro]

Hey All,

I know this may betray my newbie status within the HB community but I have a question that has been on my brain since I started my first brew last week.

Firstly, let me say that I am totally hooked on this stuff. I haven't even bottled my first brew yet but have already setup a 'brewing station' to prepare and hold all my brewing goodies. I have been browsing forums and reading up on as much information as I can - it is all really interesting. It is fantastic that one can literally make hundreds of different types of brew using many different types of ingredients. I have a huge list of brews that I would like to have a crack at - thus presents my dilema.

With all these plans to brew beer, I have quickly forgotten about one crucial component of the home brewing process - consumption! So many of you say that you have just put a brew down, and then I read your signatures saying 2 in primary, 3 in secondary, 5 in keg etc. What happens to all that beer???

I know it is a stupid question. It, of course, gets invariably consumed. But when you have such large amounts of completed brew, do you just stop brewing until you have finished your current stock? Or do you keep brewing and drinking at a constant rate? I know that I personally wouldn't be able to consume beer at the rate I plan to make it.

So, to cut a short story long, what are some ways you find best to keep your brew used whilst not having a major 'pile up' of beer due to brewing a lots of successive batches?

Feel free to flame at will I appreciate your (non obvious "Just drink it") responses as this is something that I am keen to know what everyone does as it will affect my ability to continue the momentum I currently have.

P.s. I have been a 'silent participator' of this forum for the past two weeks and I must say that everyone on here is superkalafrickenawesome!

Cheers!

MaestroMatt

[FazerPete]

One word: MATES!

Once it becomes known that you have large quantities of good quality free beer at home you'll need to beat them off with a stick. It doesn't take long to rip through a keg when you have 3 mates round and you drink 6-7 pints each. That's about half a keg in 1 night so I find that I'm putting on a brew every couple of weeks to keep stocked up.

[warra48]

You'll eventually find your own equilibium point in your brewing schedule.

For me, the avarage brew is about 22 litres into bottles, or about 58 stubbies equivalent.
My consumption is about 2.5 stubbies per day on average, I know it's not much by many others' standards, but it means a brew is equal to about 23 days drinking stock.

After allowing for some freebies to mates etc, I need to put a brew down about every 3 weeks or so.
Depending on how the stocks go down, that could be a little more frequently, but every now and then I'll dump a brew onto a yeast cake, which means the gap is only about a week or so between brews.

As I like some variety in what I drink, I normally have about 4 or 5 brews in active drinking stock, so a brew really lasts me about 3 to 4 months from bottling to finality.

So you can see, it's not difficult to have a long list of brewing, conditioning, and drinking, even on a relatively light schedule like mine.

[aurelius121ad]

The answer is in the two post above. It is amazing how much of the beer I make gets given away to friends/coworkers.

You could also potentially brew with a friend and split the costs and rewards. That would cut down your yield by half!

[WSC]

For me I brew in spurts, like when it's cold for lagers I go like the clappers and brew as much as possible.

The trick is to brew enough to always be drinking brews that are 3 months old plus.

It usually means for the first year or so you brew a lot, then it settles down. Having a good stock of brew is also good for unexpected slow downs in brewing like work, kids etc. Or when parties eat into your stock.

I agree with the variety comment, the reason I brew is for the variety and the fact I can have 4 different brews in a session.

[Bizier]

+1

Even though I am newish, I brew sporadically and keep around 10 +/- 6 cases in stock. It means you can drink something you fancy, and if you feel it is going to age well, you can let it sit a little and break it out in its prime. Though, you soon realise that this is not the best for all beers - stick to the malt focused ones.

[MaestroMatt]

Thanks all for the suggestions.

I know if was a wierd thing to ask.....just one of those things I wasn't really thinking off as I was enjoying the actual process of making the beer.

I have only put down 2 batches since I started (over the course of two successive weekends) so, I might put down another two or three and then wait a bit.

My mates don't know about my brewing so, if the result is good, I may find that I need to do a bit more brewing more often!

[Bizier]

My mates don't know about my brewing so, if the result is good, I may find that I need to do a bit more brewing more often!

Trust me, if you brew remotely drinkable beer, your mates will be around... The problem is keeping them away from the good stuff. I brew some fodder beer, just so I can be free with it, and not worry about people putting a dent in the stuff I am aging. Most of the beers I have been happy with are too malty and flavoursome for some mates, Anyway. I end up wishing I never cracked it, because they wince and pretend to enjoy it, but really just wish it was a bland, watery lager.

[Hopmeister]

I love brewing, so i'm more than happy if people come around and drink my beer.

In fact, I encourage people to drink as much of my beer as they want, as it allows me to brew more, and I love brewing as much as I love drinking. This is even more so since I started kegging, because kegging beer is not a chore like bottling can be.

I do have one caveat though. I find that I need to *really* *really* *really* spell it out to people that I will not be at all offended if people don't like drinking my beer, because I brew it to my tastes, and a lot of people that I know drink megaswill like blondes and super dry etc.

Nothing annoys me more than the thought that people might be drinking my beer so as not to offend me. This offends me more. I hate the idea that people might start thinking to themselves, "oh bugger, we're going over there again, and i'll have to drink that bitter and hoppy beer that I don't really enjoy". My solution is to always try and have something pale, not bitter, unhoppy, and generally plain, on tap, so I can offer them a few samples of different beers on tap, and see where they end up.

[Bizier]

OK, I was exaggerating slightly, but that is a definite disadvantage of bottling that you have to consume or waste the set unit of a bottle rather than being able to draw off a small sample. But that is why I have lots of pale beer on hand at any given time.

[chadjaja]

Same idea here. We brew VB Not that nasty stuff in that small squat bottle. VB=Visitors Beer

A simple draught...Carlton people love it
A simple coopers green....trendier patriarchal's love it
A simple cerveza....people that don't like taste love it..

Then they stay away from all the others I have as I actually get offended when they say they hate it but then again I could go to any top beer bottle shop and buy 100 beers that they would say tastes like crap too. They simply don't like beer that stronger or can't be served at minus 10 degrees like most are used to.

I've been upping production lately and have about 600 stubbies but all in various stages of being ready or what I want from them. When making stronger brews where you only get 50 from a batch its pretty easy to go thru them quickly even if you only have two with a meal etc.

I can't wait till I get my kegs going as this will solve part of the problem.

[drsmurto]

I brew beer for me.

If noone else likes it i dont have a problem, more for me.

Having said that, there are beers i know most uneducated beer drinkers wont like - Alt, IIPA, Stout etc. beers with a lot of flavour and generally higher IBUs.

I am trying to track down a wychwood poster for my bar - "What's the matter lagerboy, afraid you might taste something?"

Sod them all.

The other end of the spectrum is a kolsch and my golden ale (shameless plug). My partner who is a Pure Blonde drinker enjoys my Kolsch and doesnt mind the odd pint of my golden ale but finds the rest of my beers too bitter/hoppy etc.

I dont brew either of these beers because i think someone else might enjoy them, i brew them because i enjoy them.

Could i brew something like a pure blonde? Probably.

Will I? I think you know the answer to that one!

[matr]

I am trying to track down a wychwood poster for my bar - "What's the matter lagerboy, afraid you might taste something?"

Download the wallpaper off their website and print it..

I've got the jpeg if you want it.

[WSC]

Fully agree with the Dr on this one.

You nailed it. End of story.

[Boonie]

When I first started I just brewed and brewed so I always had alot of stock and secondary ferments happening as I could not keep up with consumption....but there was 2 of us brewing and only 2 Fermenters.

I now have 4 Fermenters, 6 if I borrow my mates, and tend to brew in bulk when I get a spare moment...I have 4 brewing as I type as I am running out in my kegs, but I still have about 30 Longies full. I sold/gave away the rest of the bottles as I had over 400 Longnecks at one stage.

So in short, I bulk brew when I am running out.

Cheers

Boonie

[Sathias]

What's the matter lagerboy, afraid you might taste something?"

haha thats great

[Tipsy]

Will I? I think you know the answer to that one!

What? Not even one keg for your partner??

How she puts up with you I'll never know

[drsmurto]

No, all 3 taps are for me. Plus the picnic tap (keg fridge holds 4 kegs so i actually have 4 beers on tap at any one time!)

She will drink the Kolsch and tastes (no doubt reluctantly) all my beers but prefers her Pure Blondes.

I've offered to have tonic or sparkling mineral water on tap and she isnt interested.

I offered, cant do any more than that!

How does she put up with me? Not sure i can answer that without greg moving or deleting it.

the PG13 answer is i cook. Make all my curry pastes from scratch so she gets spoilt.

Life is all about points. I score points by cooking for her, i lose points for being a drunken yobbo. Its all about balance.

[Bizier]

4 years ago my girl never let beer pass her lips (nor coffee). Today she wants Leffe, Chimay and fresh Lavazza. She is acquiring a more expensive taste in beer than me... soon she'll go to bloody Westvleteren without me. I ordered "Brew Like a Monk" only yesterday as part of the remedy.

[Bizier]

Download the wallpaper off their website and print it..

I am a print professional in a company that specifically prints posters... these are only really (technically) good for about a business card sized print - you can fudge it somewhat though.

http://www.wychwood-shop.co.uk/products ... cnumber=28

I seriously wouldn't mind these for my archives, or displayed framed.
Anyone wanna co-ordinate a bulk buy for some A2s to save shipping?

Posters @ about $6 each - hmm, ok (cost about 10c )
Delivery - £10.00 - ouch!