Is Homebrewing A Creative Outlet?

[sinkas]

Hi all,
I have wondered for sometime,
DO many people feel as though their brewing is a way in which to express themselves?
Let face it its a fair bit of effort to make an all grain beer, so do you require some sort of inspiration to make one?

I personally feel as though my best beers are ones that I have put quite a bit of emotional energy into, dreaming up the beer, working out how to make it, finiding time to make it, and then the hard graft of dealing with the finished product.

And how about naming you brews? I notice not many people give thier beer particularly interesting names,

I think much of the satisfaction in a finished beer is having a perfect name for it.

Does anyone else think much of this?

 

[brendo]

+1 for all of the above...

some say it is a hobby... my wife would suggest that it is a growing obsession.

I like to think that if my beers turn out good then it is a reflection of the effort and thought I have put into it. I like nothing more than foistering the latests labour of love upon my friends and getting their honest opinion on them.

I have been known to refer to checking on the fermentors of a night as 'putting the children to bed'.

I also love naming the beers with the missus - some are fairly predictable, others are a bit of an in joke. Either way, I think it is part of finishing the brew - I have spent quite a bit of time nurturing it through fermentation and conditioning that I like to give it an identity.

All of this might sound like a bit of a wank... but I guess that is part of the obsession.

Brendo

 

[peas_and_corn]

DO many people feel as though their brewing is a way in which to express themselves?
Let face it its a fair bit of effort to make an all grain beer, so do you require some sort of inspiration to make one?

A little from column A, a little from column B. It requires energy, but it's energy that I give up voluntarily because I enjoy brewing. However, there is an element of inspiration to brewing, no doubt.

I personally feel as though my best beers are ones that I have put quite a bit of emotional energy into, dreaming up the beer, working out how to make it, finiding time to make it, and then the hard graft of dealing with the finished product.

It's not just increased quality, but when a lot of effort has been put into a brew, there's a certain satisfaction that's gained from it.

And how about naming you brews? I notice not many people give thier beer particularly interesting names,

I think much of the satisfaction in a finished beer is having a perfect name for it.

I have come up with awful, awful names for my beers- and that's the way I like it.

 

[Swinging Beef]

Sure is... as my lack of gigs and new songwriting testifies.

NY resolution is to balance things a bit better.
mash in... write songs... sparge... practice geetar... boil... record and mix...

 

[Doc]

I'd agree that it is a creative outlet.
Also provides something tangible from the creative process.
My best beers too are the ones I put a little more thought into the design of the recipe for.

Doc

 

[Bizier]

I am a graphic designer and visual artist by training.

I have only recently explained my love of brewing as being a new set of brushes and palette to paint with, which is true if you are brewing with an inspired vision of your end product.

But it is like cooking, you can follow a recipe with your head, or you can cook from the heart and put more of yourself into it.

[/freakin' hippy talk]

 

[mikem108]

And how about naming you brews? I notice not many people give thier beer particularly interesting names,

I don't know but after the thirtieth batch or so this naming thing got a bit tiring, unless something obvious pops up in the course of brewing that beer

 

[Fatgodzilla]

DO many people feel as though their brewing is a way in which to express themselves?

If its along the idea of saying "I make my own beer, that makes me different" than yes.

I love case swaps cos of the different brews you get, but I also use them to brew different beers that I would not ordinarily have brewed. I love the feedback when you get it right. So yes, I guess my brewing is an avenue for me to express myself to other.

Let face it its a fair bit of effort to make an all grain beer, so do you require some sort of inspiration to make one

Mostly inspired by the need to have good brew to drink - but yes, I love showing off my I make a beer someone says "I like ! "

I don't know but after the thirtieth batch or so this naming thing got a bit tiring, unless something obvious pops up in the course of brewing that beer

The last recipe I made up and named was brewed 3 times and all went down the drain. When I get it right, Roadkill Ale will again adorn a brew !

As a rule I simply label the brews as they are mainly so I can remember whats in then, and mainly call the dominant hop used eg Liberty Ale, Amarillo Ale etc, or origin - American Pale, American Brown Wheat etc


Edit : PS

I am a graphic designer and visual artist by training.

I'm an accountant. Bland non artistic people like me need all the help expressing ourselves through their beer. :icon_cheers:

 

[Bizier]

If you look at Dogfishhead, their recipes and techniques seem to be deliberately provocative and pushing the creative envelope with beer.

Dad joke:
Wort-colour artists.

 

[bradsbrew]

Hi all,
I have wondered for sometime,
DO many people feel as though their brewing is a way in which to express themselves?
Let face it its a fair bit of effort to make an all grain beer, so do you require some sort of inspiration to make one?

I personally feel as though my best beers are ones that I have put quite a bit of emotional energy into, dreaming up the beer, working out how to make it, finiding time to make it, and then the hard graft of dealing with the finished product.

And how about naming you brews? I notice not many people give thier beer particularly interesting names,

I think much of the satisfaction in a finished beer is having a perfect name for it.

Does anyone else think much of this?

So Sinkas is this one of those silly threads

 

[Bribie G]

I have had several obsessions during my life. When I was a lot younger I was a keen oil painter, then later I discovered computers and did a degree in software engineering and became obsessed with object oriented programming. Now I'm brewing.

As far as I am concerned the activities hit the same creative spot in the brain.

When I see my airlock bubbling or the brew clearing in the bottle It's the same feeling of satisfaction as when my little code object got created somewhere in a line of code then jumped up and down and did its thing as it was designed to do. Mashing, sparging, hop boils hit the same spot as compiling a C program and anxiously examining the outcome. And drinking it and sharing it is like appreciating a new painting "OOh did YOU actually paint / brew this?"

 

[Muggus]

I've always been a creative person, and brewing is how I express myself these days.

Drawing pictures/comics, programming and making computer games, composing, playing and recording songs, has been what i've done in my freetime (beside sport) until I became a serious homebrewer.
Oddly enough, homebrewing seems to be the easiest and most rewarding on them all.
Not only do you end up with essentially a tangible product that can be source of great refreshment, intoxication and flavour, but the brewing of a batch of beer is a committment I have to see to the end, and have done so 100+ times to date. Whereas, I have hundreds of unfinished songs and games that I may never finish.

 

[boingk]

I think its a pretty good way to express yourself. I may only be doing kits and bits with a bit of mini-mashing, but essentially I still create beers to my liking. I think of it as a kind of relaxing, recreational pastime (artform?) which just happens to save me money, make something people like, and is thoroughly enjoyable.

Plus the finished product can help you express yourself, too, after a bit of imbibing

Cheers - boingk

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Music thrills the ears with dynamism and balance

A painting lets us see beauty and creativity through our eyes

You can walk up to, touch, sit on, lean your face up against the cool marble beauty of a sculpture (or a dancer - but they might object)

Thats three of the 5 senses covered by art. Whatever will we do about taste and smell???

Hang on............

 

[Bribie G]

.................................................
Thats three of the 5 senses covered by art. Whatever will we do about taste and smell???

Hang on............

http://www.sacred-texts.com/sex/garden/index.htm

The Perfumed Garden

 

[Kai]

"Making beer is not WORK...

....it's personal expression by creating Living ART!"

Thanks grand master kenny

 

[antains]

I didn't know who to quote, so I'll add +1 +1 +1 +1 and so on.

I write, I draw, I paint, I sing, I play, the list goes on.

Read Bertrand Russel's "Conquest of Happiness," especially the chapter on 'Zest.'

All these above activities I undertake require some form of mental focus and often mental exertion. Often, there's too much of that at work.

Beer and brewing, however, are pleasures that are relished on many levels, at my discretion: whether it's a mega-swill or a craft brew. Especially simple levels, because these are the ones that liberate the mind from stress. I love cracking a homebrew at the end of a shitty day, because it is something that has been made with the simple aim of being enjoyed.

 

[Effect]

I get the same feeling (from brewing beer) that I get from cooking - the feeling that I have accomplished something grand!

 

[Bribie G]

...........it is something that has been made with the simple aim of being enjoyed.

You have summed it up perfectly, brother

 

[mattcarty]

i totally agree

I am a photographer i also play the guitar and drums and write a lot of my own songs. I have a huge interest in film and film making

although I still only do K&K brews I have recently taken the next step in my obsession with home brew and decided to experiment and try different recipes, for me its not about diving straight in and doing AG (as many people have asked me when Im going to start) its the journey not the destination that is important and the ability to continually strive for perfection in what we do regardless of what stage we are at is something that i believe keeps us all inspired and driven to carry on with allthe hard work.

I like art that has function, I dont really get art for art's sake an indecipherable splatter of paint makes me scratch my head in confussion I guess this makes me uncultured and ignorant but I believe that art is for the people, if it has a purpose and serves a need whilst allowing the creator to express themselves in their own unique way than it is definately a winner.

cheers
carty