How Long Have You Been Brewing? And How Many Have Your Done?

[Muggus]

Started in 2003 with a mate. We started with K&K stuff, which evolved as we discovered better beers. Brewed about 10 batches together before I started going solo and pushing the envelope a bit.

To date i've racked up 180 batches of various "brew", which includes 54 AG's, plenty of extract/K&K's, a few batches of ginger beer, cider, mead, and a dabble, more recently, in fully blown winemaking. Plenty of hits, plenty of misses, and some just truely fantastic brews along the way.

Certainly true about never stop learning - there's just way too many styles, ingredients, combinations out there to try, and not enough to use them all, let alone perfect them!

 

[b0neski]

I first started doing K&K with some extra refinements about 15 years ago as a poor apprentice. Through moving house a few times and general laziness I stopped brewing after a few years, but held onto all my gear until finally deciding to sell it all to a couple of university students who were dead keen on homebrew.

Fast forward to about 1.5 years ago. I get "dragged" around to the see these people by the now ex missus and this guy has a keg and a pluto gun setup. Nice beer. Got me thinking...... convert shed fridge into kegerator? Yes. Great idea. Research on internet. Find homebrew shop. Buy hardware and install. Make K&K batch which turns out ok but somewhat boring with definite homebrew twang. But I've got a kegerator and I don't have to wash bottles which was the bain of my existence back in the day. Over a manic few months I pump out a dozen batches, venturing into partials etc, which combined with better yeast makes HUGE improvements to the product, but it still tastes like homebrew.

What's next then? How do I make better beer? All grain, that's how. Cue montage of massive amounts of internet research, drawings, smoking credit cards, construction annnnnnd tada - it's a 3V all electric system capable of making single batches. I still remember tasting my freshly kegged first batch and although in hindsight there was a few minor faults with it, I just couldn't stop grinning because it was a ******* excellent acheivement. In the ensuing 6 or 7 months I've made 14 batches and upgraded the kettle to 70ltr gas fired for doubles. And the finished product does not taste like homebrew anymore.

What a rewarding hobby!

 

[Spork]

Been brewing just over 12 months and have done approx. 20 BIAB batches in that time.

I just went through my DB of "bought beers" and found I have recorded 157 different ones since I started keeping track in May last year. There have a been a dozen or so that I have tried but not listed also...

 

[Spiesy]

I've been into craft beers for quite a few years, and after seeing/tasting the efforts of some mates and my old man's homebrews, I took the plunge in January this year... didn't **** about - went straight to double batch BIAB AG, with a twin 19L keg kegerator. Basically I couldn't be arsed bottling and I am not a fan of the kit beers I've tasted - it also helped having good mates who could shed light on the processes involved, and are only a phone call away when needed.

I've been brewing about once a month since, predominantly APA's... looking forward to knocking another one out this weekend!

 

[paulie]

Up to batch no 490 - about 440 of them mashes. Mostly 38 lt batches too - thats a lot of beer !!!