How many HBers in Oz?

[kangarool]

The reason I ask is, since I started a couple months ago, it turns out they (we?) are coming out of the woodwork. In fact, a very, very good friend has been doing it for a few years, just never mentioned it. He didn't think I or others in our circle would have been that interested.

The more I look into it, the more I find people who are doing it or about to. Do you talk to non-homebrewers about what you do?

Any idea how many there would be in Australia? Just curious. I couldn't begin to guess. 100,000? 1 mil? 100?

[Rysa]

Funny you should bring this up,
a couple of weeks ago i was chatting to a bloke at work (in a different section) and he's been brewing for about a year and i had no idea.
I've only been brewing five months so it wasn't a common topic but we catch up nearly every second week at work and it had never come up.

[rwh]

It's very popular in Australia, in fact the Coopers brewery only made it through the recession in the 80s because of its homebrewing products. If I'd have to hazard a guess, I'd say maybe one in 20 men in Australia may have brewed at one time or other. That would be about 500k people. But that's only a guess based on the people I know!

[Rysa]

There are only two at work out of 120 that i know of but another 4 in my section alone said they have either tried it or brewed for a while at some stage.

[Boonie]

My Financial Adviser dropped round with a Six Pack of Little Creatures 2 years ago

"Can I have one of those?" he asked

I said, "You probably wont like it, plus I have no cold ones" "It's Home Brew anyway......"

"I make my own too" was the reply.

I worked with this guy for 3 years and he never mentioned it. He has a great set-up too

30 Minutes later in the freezer and he loved them

I reckon 1% of the population, possibly 1.5, as many do not tell you.

Cheers

Boonie

[Tipsy]

There is either a lot of homebrewers, or the lazy bastards at Big W are very slack at stocking shelves.

[Cortez The Killer]

I can't get over the number of people you see at the HBS stores

There's always people in the ones I've been too

And not just a couple they are always crowded

Cheers

[Chris]

Probably because the people in the stores (like me) stay and talk to the owner a bit- if it's a good store.

[Iron-Haggis]

I rarely see people in my local HBS. But then again Tuesdays wouldn't exactly be the busiest day for the local HBS.

[Rysa]

Went to my local yesterday and for the first time it was empty, the phone rang a few times though.
Good to see people support their local Home Brew Shop.

Ours here in Ballarat is fantastic with the owners more than happy to help and give you their time and always with a smile.

Ballarat Home Brew Centre

[Rone]

I have been 'helping' dad with the HB since I was about 10. It is amazing how easy a parent can coax a child into carting water for them.
At the ripe old age of 22 I am yet to see the HBS empty. Geelong is not the biggest place in Australia, but we must have at least one or two floating about in secret.

[rahne]

when i first started brewing i thought i only knew 1 person who brewed my dads friend but then i found out my dad use to brew before my older brother was born, my mums friend brews (about to start wine), my brother inlaws dad use to brew my lecture a mate brews with his father and another one as well 3 generations. I went camping and even bumped into one it like homebrewers are every where a huge secrete cult "long live yeast malt and hops"

[Oliver]

Homebrewers are everywhere! The problem is that it usually takes you to mention that you're a homebrewer before they'll fess up.

I'm constantly amazed by the people who reveal themselves as homebrewers. I reckon the reluctance to come straight out with it is because there's still a stigma attached to homebrewing. In many people's eyes all homebrewers are just in it to make cheap grog, like many people no doubt were in days gone by, and homebrewing is all about brews that knock your socks off. Or explode

Cheers,

Oliver

[earle]

Yeah, there still is a lot of stigma attached to homebrew. Especially around here where most people kit and kilo with sugar and would not think of changing the recipe they've used for the past 20 whatever years.

I've learned to translate my friends responses when they taste one of my homebrews.

eg.
Friend - You can tell its homebrew!
Translation - I'm not sure what this taste is (later found to be hops and malt), it certainly doesn't taste anything like the megaswill crap that I usually frorce down my throat.

followed by
Friend - Mmmm, not bad!
Translation - Ohhhh, so this is what beer should taste like.

followed by
Me: Yeah
Translation - Poor bugger

[Kevnlis]

Yeah, there still is a lot of stigma attached to homebrew. Especially around here where most people kit and kilo with sugar and would not think of changing the recipe they've used for the past 20 whatever years.

I know a guy who has been doing HB for yonks. He kegs all his beers. He has 1 recipe, Coopers Draught and 1 kilo of white sugar to 25L, rack to 23L keg and serve.

[drsmurto]

Yeah, there still is a lot of stigma attached to homebrew. Especially around here where most people kit and kilo with sugar and would not think of changing the recipe they've used for the past 20 whatever years.

I know a guy who has been doing HB for yonks. He kegs all his beers. He has 1 recipe, Coopers Draught and 1 kilo of white sugar to 25L, rack to 23L keg and serve.

Thats why i dont wear a shirt around labelling me as a homebrewer - too many of my parents generation made shit beer as above and its now tainted us all. Some of my mates brew too and slowly i have heard of more and more. I think there are now 8 or so of us at local footy club that do.

People are slowly coming around to my beers but most find them too confronting in the taste department..........

One of my favourite quotes has always been - 'Whats the matter lager boy, afraid of a little flavour?'

I reckon that comment could be levelled at most aussie drinkers.

[earle]

One of my favourite quotes has always been - 'Whats the matter lager boy, afraid of a little flavour?'

Brings to mind the Hobgoblin Afraid of the Dark shirt

http://www.secureonlineshopping.biz/wyc ... number=136

They have some other good ideas too

http://www.secureonlineshopping.biz/wyc ... number=139
http://www.secureonlineshopping.biz/wyc ... d+T-shirts

[James L]

I've managed to get 5 people in my lab to start home brewing.... one of them is a chick too...

[Tipsy]

.... one of them is a chick too...

sexy....the one time I got my missus to wash my bottles I was extremely arroused

[Danis]

One of my favourite quotes has always been - 'Whats the matter lager boy, afraid of a little flavour?'

Brings to mind the Hobgoblin Afraid of the Dark shirt

http://www.secureonlineshopping.biz/wyc ... number=136

They have some other good ideas too

http://www.secureonlineshopping.biz/wyc ... number=139
http://www.secureonlineshopping.biz/wyc ... d+T-shirts

I've got the "What's the matter lager boy, afriad you might taste something?", and I wouldn't mind getting their Goliath version.

"Are you brave enough to take on the towering might that is Goliath?"

Whychwood brewery has a really cool culture to it.