Re: Condidtioning at Bottle shops,
Its amazing How often I see this now in QLD, In NSW you rarely saw great piles of Palates sitting in the sun for hours at a time, But here its almost obigitory.
I think most of the problem lies with people's perception of what "Home Brew" is, Ok here what I thought of "home Brewers" Untill only very Recently (this is all my mates pereceptions as well who ive changed thier names to dorkier names to annoy them)
(this diddnt happen to me, A mate told me this one)
Around 18 or so we got our first taste of HB it was at Ted's 18th, (this was 17 years ago)
Ted's uncle was a bit of a HB'er He used Kits and nothing else, He used to Go ooon about it whenever we saw him, he was single and his ONLY outlet apart from work was HB, so we thought he must be the self crowned "king" of HBing, There could be no one else that could make a better brew, I mean that what he said as well!
So who better to supply all the beer for his 18th, Itd cost nothing and ted said he'd make it "stronger" for us too.
well the big night arrived and all his HB (in glass crowned bottles) were all in fridges and ice buckets etc, A few cartons of "swill" had been arranged "for the ladies", well ted had bugged off as had anyone older than 23 and the party got into full swing, now we had to drink the "store bought" stuff first as the other stuff hadn't time to cool down, which was quite ok we had a few cartons of "real" beer to drink. well some plonka decided he'd had enough and opened a HB and was loudly trowing up in a quiet corner, me and Ted ran over to him fearing he had food poisoning or something, as it was only early it couldn't have been the booze he only had 2.
Well it was the HB, We opened up a few bottles to check em and they were all "bad" tasted very "strong" and had that definite HB taste, Like someone getting "real" beer and adding a tabelspoon of vodka or metho and adding a handfull of sugar. the stuff was pure **** compared to the VB we just had, well as we had not drunken very much and had no beer left we went to get some more quickly before the "takeaways" were shut, and swung past Ted's uncles pitchforks and flaming torches in hand ready for a confrontation.
Ted was full of apologizes and gave us a crate of spirits to "calm the mob down" we went back to the "fizzled out" party, all of girls had gone to another party and the guys that were left had drunkem more of the HB and were staggering about looking very "Green". All of Ted's mates NEVER let him forget this night and of "Home Brew", Every time any of us see a tin of HB in coles we "shudder" quietly to ourselves.
Now thats one of my mates "tales" he says its all true and will not even let a drop of HB go anywhere near him. I secretly gave him a Glass Recapped bottle of one of my brews and he thought it was very nice!, Of course he thought it was "store bought" drop, I decantered some of my VB -Clone into Wierd Green bottles I had found Re-Capped em with red caps (that "convinced him" ) steamed the old labels off and told him they were a special new euro brew.
Of course after he piled praise on the beer and was getting into his car to buy some more, I had to tell him. Needles to say he was steaming mad. the Now wonderfull beer was purse piss and I had "swapped" bottles or some slight of hand. He's that adamant that all HB is purely and scientifically Wrong. He's had one or two since then and is now getting around the fact there is MANY diffrant ways to make beer, many Kits, and these days its a far cry to K&K of the late 80's.
I was going to tell him of my HB one day, Im not someone who tries to as sinkas stated,
"its very Australian to totally undervalue ones own perceptions and idea particularly if they fail to resonate with ones mates."
So I have no compulsion to fill our conversations with my boring tales of washing bottles or checking the FG, Like he dosent go on about his Footy.
He likes ACDC and Death Metal, I like Jazz. we do listen to each others music from time to time but it dosent "make" our friendship.
If he wants to brew his own one day, it won't be from me "filling his head" with my nonsence. He'll get there by his own will. If on occasions he wants to sample one of my brews I won't say no. Like I sometimes go to a game with him.
