Converting Old Timers From Megaswill

[Doc]

We have had some similar threads in the past, but here is a synopsis of me converting the older generation last night.

We were over at my sisters outlaws last night for dinner. I took along a growler of Pilsner (which is a clone of Scharer's Lager).
Usually I'm not into converting the older generation to home brewed beers because of the stigma they have implanted in their heads, of bad brews, exploding bottles, big hangovers (all the conversations you don't want to have).
I offered it up, said it was award winning, did a mild sell on it and got my sisters father-in-law to have a glass. He enjoyed it and was up for refills. He said it was the best homebrew he had tried. I said actually it is a craftbrew. Homebrew is those bad memories you have. This is a craftbrew, and told him how I make beer.
Needless to say he will be up for my beers in the future. I've done this a few times when I've got the energy and patience to explain it.
The downside is when they come over to my place they leave their Sterling/New/VB in my fridge which I have to tip out :lol:
The funny thing was, when the growler was finished, he didn't return to his Tooheys New. He switched to wine :lol:

Anyone else got some interesting conversion stories ?

Beers,
Doc

 

[Backlane Brewery]

I have a mate who likes to drop round his VB empties every couple of weeks, always stays and drinks whatever is in the fridge, though to be fair he is getting through the super hot chilli beers for me. He was very dubious at first, all the usual excuses that you list Doc. But then he tried a few (ie one of everything we had on hand), and his girlfriend tried the ciders, and they were converts. Trying to wean him off the VB onto Coopers at least.
Similarly, I brought 8 bottles into work for Christmas Eve drinks, people very shy of trying them til they saw I didn't drop dead after the first glass, after that they all went & now 3 other guys here are getting into it, have bought themselves starter kits etc.

 

[jayse]

I have a quick short story about how my family and friends all suck...... picture this christmas day and a box of my oktoberfest, after handing it around and it getting the nod from the family i ask my uncle what he thought of it. To my discust he replies 'yeah i don't mind it i like home brew!'
I couldn't speak for a few minutes and had no reply but for the rest of the day in my head iam thinking 'homebrew' he called my beer homebrew!..at least he liked it!
Previous occasion i supplied a keg of skunk fart for my sisters wedding while nearly everyone was amazed after finally plucking up the courage to watch down there west end gold with it. exept one aunty (the other half of the uncle who called my beer homebrew) spat it out in discust claiming it was god awfull and proceeded to rinse her mouth out with cheap cask mosselle.
To this day i don't think i have converted anyone so either my beers are god awfull or iam adopted because no one else in my family has the same taste as me.
I still get mates asking when iam gunna make a 'draught' my reply is simply 'rinse your glass on your way out and shut the door behind you!'

So my story ends pretty well on a sad note and now you all know i drink all my beer myself you'll all wonder were the annuall production of around 800-1000litres goes. :chug:

Jayse

 

[warrenlw63]

My father is pretty much the same. He actually homebrewed a couple of batches himself many years ago (back in the early 70's). I can still remember the beer shooting out the bottles and hitting the ceiling. Think that impression was always on my mind. I can even remember sneaking a taste. Worst thing I ever encountered and probably ruined my perception of beer for quite a while.

He's been a lifelong VB drinker since Courage breweries closed down many years ago. He's gotten older had a triple bypass so now he drinks lights. Usually Hahn or Sterling etc. nowdays because he's "supposed" to watch his health.

Tried my homebrew and loves it. Even likes the odd Little Creatures, Pilsner Urquell etc. He even managed to snag me a 50 litre keg gratis from a mate of his who obtained it cheaply from a garage sale. (New boiler here I come) :super:

Only problem with the top shelf beers is he only drinks them when I buy them. <_< . He comes over for BBQs at our place with 4 stubbies of Sterling, sometimes now he at least buys Cacade Premium light which I don't mind. Usually leaves the lights and drinks mine.

I've got a fridge full of the afore-mentioned light beers. Anybody want 'em? :lol:

My opinion is that anybody likes good beer. It's just that most people don't want to put in the elbow grease and make 'em. OTOH They're more than happy to drink the fruits of our labour.

Warren -

 

[bonk]

sounds very familar. it took a huge effort to convert my father to drink my beer, but once he actually drank some boy did he change his mind. i think it helps to explain the process you have undertaken to get your beer.

its always funny watching people take their first sip, realise they haven't died and say, 'thats not bad '

 

[nonicman]

I use to take a few bottles in for our monthly Friday drinks at my last job in Nth Sydney. They would be finished before anything else. It got to a stage that I would forget who I had promised to bring a bottle in for (we had a number of business unit managers on our floor, who would regularly ask when I bringing in some more homebrew), so I would just put the bottles on the table pour myself a glass and let first in first served.
I did get one bad reaction and that was from a bourbon and coke drinker who had a mouthful of a porter once. He said it was very nice, but didn't want a glass. The next day he reported that the mouthfull of homebrew gave him the worst hang over he has ever had, go figure. Bring brew to work changed the beer that the company use to purchase, we started getting Squires etc... instead of VB or Crownies .

 

[user 384]

I don't even bother trying, it's too hard. Most beer drinkers in Australia are full of preconceived biases about what they will and will not drink and often homebrew comes at the bottom of their list. They'll try some, say that it's OK or might even begrudingly say it's "nice", but then the very next beer is the same old swill they've been drinking for 20 years. Even if they give up the megaswill for the night and drink your well crafted brews, next time you see them they're drinking megaswill.

So I take the opinion of why bother? I put a lot of time effort and money into my beers and I don't feel like sharing them with people who obviously don't know a pilsner from pineapple juice. I do however have a load of mates who enjoy drinking a variety of beers and are happy to experiment. I'm more than happy to share with these guys and girls.

The beer fridge is always open to those who appreciate beer for more than just an icey cold drink ya chuck down ya neck.

Cheers
MAH

 

[Duff]

My parents came to visit late last year in Brisbane before my wife and I moved to Sydney with a box of Carlton Cold in tow. Both of them swore by the Cold's since the mid 90's <_<

They tried some of my house ale, now, they have 3 kegs, 2 fermenters and are pumping out the HB :chug: Will introduce them to AG and liquid yeats in a few weeks when they visit down here, who knows where it will stop

 

[Kai]

Mine gets mixed results, depending on the person and how good the batch is. Only notable one I'll recount is when I took a Coopers Pale Ale kit brew to a party, everyone tried it and liked it except for the dude sucking back VBs who said he never drank homebrew.

I've taken a few bottles of a partial mash stout into work for the ladies and they've liked it. Two of them went to Grumpy's to buy kits and another commissioned me to brew a batch.