Why Did You Start Brewing? Can You Answer These Questions?

[MBSstu]

Hi Everyone!
I am currently doing some research on the home-brewing business for a Consumer Behaviour class in my Graduate MBA program and need YOUR input!

Can you help me out by answering all (or some) of the following questions? Any responses would be extremely helpful and your honesty and greatly appreciated!

1) What inspired you to start home-brewing? Why do you continue to home-brew?
2) How did you go about finding the equipment?
3) Was it hard to find the necessary equipment?
4) Did you buy a starter kit or did you buy the equipment individually?
5) What's the best part about brewing?
6) At what age did you start brewing?
7) How would you describe the home-brewing community in Melbourne, AUS? In your local community? Do you think it is growing?
8) How often do you brew during the year on average?
9) Is there any type of equipment that you wish it would have been easier to find?
10) When you have a question about brewing or beer in general, where do you go for answers?
11) Do you experiment making multiple types of beer - using a unique blend of ingredients - or just stick with the out-of-the-box recipes? How do you find out about unique recipes?
12) Do you sometimes brew with other people?


Dear Moderator,
I am not certain if this is the correct place to place this question? If not, can you direct me to the proper location with a hope to get as many responses as possible. Thanks!

Thanks for your help and input everyone!!

MBSstu

 

[manticle]

Hi Everyone!
I am currently doing some research on the home-brewing business for a Consumer Behaviour class in my Graduate MBA program and need YOUR input!

Can you help me out by answering all (or some) of the following questions? Any responses would be extremely helpful and your honesty and greatly appreciated!

1) What inspired you to start home-brewing? Why do you continue to home-brew?
2) How did you go about finding the equipment?
3) Was it hard to find the necessary equipment?
4) Did you buy a starter kit or did you buy the equipment individually?
5) What's the best part about brewing?
6) At what age did you start brewing?
7) How would you describe the home-brewing community in Melbourne, AUS? In your local community? Do you think it is growing?
8) How often do you brew during the year on average?
9) Is there any type of equipment that you wish it would have been easier to find?
10) When you have a question about brewing or beer in general, where do you go for answers?
11) Do you experiment making multiple types of beer - using a unique blend of ingredients - or just stick with the out-of-the-box recipes? How do you find out about unique recipes?
12) Do you sometimes brew with other people?


Dear Moderator,
I am not certain if this is the correct place to place this question? If not, can you direct me to the proper location with a hope to get as many responses as possible. Thanks!

Thanks for your help and input everyone!!

MBSstu

Hi mate,

A bit more info about who you are (What uni, what year, why the interest, what project, what the data will be used for, any ethics clearance issues etc etc) will probably see you get a friendly response and some answers to your questions.

Cheers

 

[Silo Ted]

I have a question.

Are you a brewer?

Gut feeling says 'No', based on the style of the questions.

 

[Nick JD]

You're about to learn a lot about how some consumers behave...

Wait till everyone gets a few beers in them. Can you say, statistical outlier?

 

[Silo Ted]

He also forgot to use an umlaut in the word brw. Does no-one adhere to Reinheitsgebot these days ? :lol:

 

[Leigh]

Replace the word beer/brewing with any other hobby/pastime etc...looks like a bunch of generic text book questions to me.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Hi mate,

A bit more info about who you are (What uni, what year, why the interest, what project, what the data will be used for, any ethics clearance issues etc etc) will probably see you get a friendly response and some answers to your questions.

Cheers

+1 - given the fun police are going after cheap booze from the supermarkets (something that most members of AHB actually agree with), the next target could be homebrewers, as the nanny state wannabes target our hobby as being the reason for all the idiots that get drunk and do stupid/antisocial/dangerous/expensive things.

AHB members are wary of anyone uncredentialled, popping up and asking these questions.

Even more so considering that those who jump on the "cheap booze causes x problem" bandwagon, usually ignore the fact that most booze related issues are from expensive booze (namely the overpriced beer at pubs, clubs and other places in CBD areas that house the boofheads that vomit in alleyways and punch out cops).

You may well be genuine, but AHB members aren't gullible enough not to ask first.

Goomba

 

[MBSstu]

Hi mate,

A bit more info about who you are (What uni, what year, why the interest, what project, what the data will be used for, any ethics clearance issues etc etc) will probably see you get a friendly response and some answers to your questions.

Cheers

Of course! I'm sure that will help out.
This is for Melbourne Business School, who partners with University of Melbourne, this is for a consumer behaviour course where we have a project on understanding a product/service and how to market the product/service to consumer in a more effective manner utilizing the affective nature of advertising. The information will not be shared with anyone, other than our professor and the other students in our class through a presentation only. A small write up will be provided to the professor, but all input will remain anonymous. We will be using the answers to the questions to formulate a better marketing plan for home-brewing kits.

I hope this clears up any confusion or apprehension about our questions and use of answers. I am able to answer any other questions you may have as well....

Thanks

MBSstu

 

[MBSstu]

I have a question.

Are you a brewer?

Gut feeling says 'No', based on the style of the questions.

No, I am not a home-brewer, but this project has definitely sparked my interest.....I always thought it was a hard task to accomplish, but i think the outcome would be worth every bit of work...

 

[Leigh]

Which Prof? Just finished a few subjects there last year

 

[dkaos]

Hi Everyone!
I am currently doing some research on the home-brewing business for a Consumer Behaviour class in my Graduate MBA program and need YOUR input!

Can you help me out by answering all (or some) of the following questions? Any responses would be extremely helpful and your honesty and greatly appreciated!

1) What inspired you to start home-brewing? Why do you continue to home-brew? I'd heard a lot of my mates dads had done it over the years and had seen the "homebrew" thread on overclockers australia. I continue to brew because I get enjoyment out of it and it makes me cheap beer that tastes great!
2) How did you go about finding the equipment? Went to Coles and bought the Coopers box.
3) Was it hard to find the necessary equipment? Nope, see above.
4) Did you buy a starter kit or did you buy the equipment individually?See above.
5) What's the best part about brewing? Having total control over the beer, the ability to modify the recipe.
6) At what age did you start brewing?23.
7) How would you describe the home-brewing community in Melbourne, AUS? In your local community? Do you think it is growing? No idea.
8) How often do you brew during the year on average? About once a month.
9) Is there any type of equipment that you wish it would have been easier to find? Ball-valves in homebrew shops. Perlick taps!
10) When you have a question about brewing or beer in general, where do you go for answers? AHB.
11) Do you experiment making multiple types of beer - using a unique blend of ingredients - or just stick with the out-of-the-box recipes? How do you find out about unique recipes? I muck around, mainly looking at recipe's on AHB. I also reference a book called "Clone Brews"
12) Do you sometimes brew with other people? Yes.


Dear Moderator,
I am not certain if this is the correct place to place this question? If not, can you direct me to the proper location with a hope to get as many responses as possible. Thanks!

Thanks for your help and input everyone!!

MBSstu

There you go mate, hopefully you get some more answers!

 

[Verbyla]

1) What inspired you to start home-brewing? Why do you continue to home-brew? The low cost initially as I was studying. The joy of learning new things and crafting a beer to my liking is what keeps me going.
2) How did you go about finding the equipment? Online and local home brew stores
3) Was it hard to find the necessary equipment? No it's very accessible only these days.
4) Did you buy a starter kit or did you buy the equipment individually? Individually
5) What's the best part about brewing? Thinking of what to brew next. Gonig to the home brew store. Brewing the beer. Drinking the beer.
6) At what age did you start brewing? 18
7) How would you describe the home-brewing community in Melbourne, AUS? In your local community? Do you think it is growing? Very welcoming and willing to help out beginners. I see it steadily growing.
8) How often do you brew during the year on average? 10 brews a year
9) Is there any type of equipment that you wish it would have been easier to find? No
10) When you have a question about brewing or beer in general, where do you go for answers? Auusie Home Brewers or the local home brew store
11) Do you experiment making multiple types of beer - using a unique blend of ingredients - or just stick with the out-of-the-box recipes? How do you find out about unique recipes? Usually talking to the local home brew store for ideas
12) Do you sometimes brew with other people? Yes

 

[Fodder]

1) What inspired you to start home-brewing? Why do you continue to home-brew? Girlfriends Dad & grandad got me into it. I continue because its cheaper and tastier than commercial bought brew, plus I enjoy experimenting with new recipies/flavours etc etc.
2) How did you go about finding the equipment? Bought the Coopers Kit from K-Mart/Big W (cant remember which).
3) Was it hard to find the necessary equipment? No. For my basic needs, K-Mart/Big W/Bunnings/BCF have most of what I need. For brewing specifics, the LHBS.
4) Did you buy a starter kit or did you buy the equipment individually? Kit.
5) What's the best part about brewing? Cheaper and tastier than commercial brews. Plus, bit of self satisfaction/pride in being able to consume ones efforts.
6) At what age did you start brewing? 19.
7) How would you describe the home-brewing community in Melbourne, AUS? In your local community? Do you think it is growing? Not sure. My only contact with a brewing community is on this site. It would appear that it is growing, but i couldnt say for sure...
8) How often do you brew during the year on average? 1 brew every three weeks or so...
9) Is there any type of equipment that you wish it would have been easier to find? Not really.
10) When you have a question about brewing or beer in general, where do you go for answers? My LHBS & ABH
11) Do you experiment making multiple types of beer - using a unique blend of ingredients - or just stick with the out-of-the-box recipes? How do you find out about unique recipes? Started with recipes from my LHBS. Then tried a couple out of books on Brewing. Recently used a few recipes from this sites database, and have further tweaked them to what I had handy in the fridge and/or felt like giving a go.
12) Do you sometimes brew with other people? No. But i share my beers with others, particuarly my brother who is also a home brewer.

 

[Nick JD]

... understanding a product/service and how to market the product/service to consumer in a more effective manner utilizing the affective nature of advertising.

I don't think I've ever seen "homebrew" being advertised - certainly not to a broad audience. With this in mind I think you might have chosen the wrong industry to research a consumer base.

I'd also like to mention that many/most of the "Goop in a Can" homebrew kits sold in supermarkets (and by people who sell ethanol-making apparatus trying to look more kosher) are produced by breweries who also make and sell actual beer - and may be shooting themselves in the foot if they encourage those who already spend too much on beer to take up a money-saving practice.

Encouraging more people to homebrew is nuts on so many fronts.

It's also important for you as a non-brewer to understand the difference between Kit, Extract and All-Grain brewing - and the commercial chunk easy of these hobbies takes from the whole - and importantly, the difference in product quality.

Put Fresh Wort kits (in plastic bladders in cardboard) 2x concentrated with high quality yeast for $30 (makes 20L) and the breweries are in trouble...

Coles? Woolies? You listening?

 

[Silo Ted]

The generic questions won't yield a lot of valuable information pertinent to this hobby IMO. You make no distinction between Kit & Kilo, Kits & Bits, Partial Mashers, and All Grainers, Or various AG methods such as BIAB, 2V, 3V, RIMS, HERMS. For AG methods especially, that's where the big value equipment comes into play, but it's unclear what elements (or what your understanding) of 'brewing' you are focusing on. Supermarket cans require little more than a bucket with a tap, and some screwtop bottles. The difference between kit brewing and All Grain Brewing is huge. Don't know what I'm talking about ? All your pre-research requirements are here within these virtual walls.

You also fail to mention in your poll the activity of local, state & national competitions that many of us enter.

Abd hey Clint, who's the teachers pet then ?

 

[Milky11111]

Sorry can't quote with the work computer browser so I'll just C+P:

1) What inspired you to start home-brewing? Why do you continue to home-brew?
Spending way too much on commercial beer.
2) How did you go about finding the equipment?
Internet search.
3) Was it hard to find the necessary equipment?
No, bought online, very easy.
4) Did you buy a starter kit or did you buy the equipment individually?
Starter kit.
5) What's the best part about brewing?
Knowing you brewed the beer you drink is rewarding and sharing it with mates.
6) At what age did you start brewing?
22.
7) How would you describe the home-brewing community in Melbourne, AUS? In your local community? Do you think it is growing?
Don't live anywhere near Melbourne, but the one in Tamworth (although I don't go myself) I heard had quite a large turn-out at it's last meeting. Couldn't comment on the growth in the local community though as I haven't been brewing very long.
8) How often do you brew during the year on average?\
Since I started I knock out about 3-5 brews a month. Hoping to increase this number though, my beer disappears very fast for some reason. <_<
9) Is there any type of equipment that you wish it would have been easier to find?
Having a larger hops (not teabag kits) and grains selection at my LBHS would be great.
10) When you have a question about brewing or beer in general, where do you go for answers?
This forum.
11) Do you experiment making multiple types of beer - using a unique blend of ingredients - or just stick with the out-of-the-box recipes? How do you find out about unique recipes?
I do use alot of other peoples or box recipes but I generally tweak them a bit with my favourite grain or whatever ingredients I want to get rid of.
12) Do you sometimes brew with other people?
My brother watches me mash sometimes, asks alot of questions and is genuinely interested but doesn't brew himself.


Hope that helps mate, GL with your paper.

 

[ekul]

1. Because i am a uni student and can't afford to buy beer that tastes nice
2. Garage sales, ebay/internet shops, scrap yards, other brewers
3. It could've been easy but i would've spent more money. I chose the slow but cheap route.
4. Originally i think everyone does. Then they work up from there.
5. I like making it, thinking about making it and drinking it. Filling the cubes is always very satisfying.
6. 15 with my folks
7. In melbourne? i heard that they all wear funny hats fling kites while the wort gets to the boil.
8. As often as i can! Sometimes its once a week, sometimes once a fortnight
9. Yes, a big ass cheap pot early on would have been great.
10. AHB and local brewers
11. I experiement sometimes, usually after tasting someone elses recipe.
12. Yes

Hi Everyone!
I am currently doing some research on the home-brewing business for a Consumer Behaviour class in my Graduate MBA program and need YOUR input!

Can you help me out by answering all (or some) of the following questions? Any responses would be extremely helpful and your honesty and greatly appreciated!

1) What inspired you to start home-brewing? Why do you continue to home-brew?
2) How did you go about finding the equipment?
3) Was it hard to find the necessary equipment?
4) Did you buy a starter kit or did you buy the equipment individually?
5) What's the best part about brewing?
6) At what age did you start brewing?
7) How would you describe the home-brewing community in Melbourne, AUS? In your local community? Do you think it is growing?
8) How often do you brew during the year on average?
9) Is there any type of equipment that you wish it would have been easier to find?
10) When you have a question about brewing or beer in general, where do you go for answers?
11) Do you experiment making multiple types of beer - using a unique blend of ingredients - or just stick with the out-of-the-box recipes? How do you find out about unique recipes?
12) Do you sometimes brew with other people?


Dear Moderator,
I am not certain if this is the correct place to place this question? If not, can you direct me to the proper location with a hope to get as many responses as possible. Thanks!

Thanks for your help and input everyone!!

MBSstu

 

[warra48]

1) What inspired you to start home-brewing? Why do you continue to home-brew?
Retired, son/daughter bought me a homebrew kit.
Continue because I love the beer I brew, and the process of brewing

2) How did you go about finding the equipment?
Information from forums such as this one, and How to Brew by John Palmer.

3) Was it hard to find the necessary equipment?
No.

4) Did you buy a starter kit or did you buy the equipment individually?
See question 1. All Grain gear located individually.

5) What's the best part about brewing?
Satisfaction of making a quality product, and the enjoyment of consuming beers with character.

6) At what age did you start brewing?
First time was at age 25. Resumed at age 59.

7) How would you describe the home-brewing community in Melbourne, AUS? In your local community? Do you think it is growing?
I know nothing about Melbourne. It's not really growing much in my local area.

8) How often do you brew during the year on average?
About 13 to 14 batches of 25 litres each.

9) Is there any type of equipment that you wish it would have been easier to find?
No, it's all available with a little research. The internet is a great help these days.

10) When you have a question about brewing or beer in general, where do you go for answers?
This forum, my supplier, or a text book.

11) Do you experiment making multiple types of beer - using a unique blend of ingredients - or just stick with the out-of-the-box recipes? How do you find out about unique recipes?
I generally design my own recipes, but use lots of sources as inspiration.

12) Do you sometimes brew with other people?
Not generally.

 

[Screwtop]

Would have been good if you included

• More than 10 years
• More than 20 years

Screwy

 

[manticle]

If the interest is genuine and the perception of brewers might be changed as makers of cheap piss in exploding bottles then I don't mind. Thanks for making the effort to explain yourself a little better. If someone starts trying to tax me for my most rewarding hobby (other than the GST I already pay on ingredients) then I know where to come looking.

It would be good to clarify in your project that there a number of differing brewing methods - many non brewers think all homebrew comes from a supermarket tin whereas you can make beer at home using the same basic techniques a commercial brewery does.


1) What inspired you to start home-brewing? Why do you continue to home-brew?

Initially a very tight budget and a thirst for beer led me to get my dad's old kit. I brewed kit tins and extract beers for a few years.

Since then I learned how to make beer from scratch (eg from cracked malted barley and hops) and developed a taste for many different kinds of beers. Knowing I can make them myself is rewarding and the actual brewday (5+ hours for me) is a very relaxing day at home. It's rewarding the same way cooking can be rewarding (or gardening or any other hobby that involves getting your hands dirty).

2) How did you go about finding the equipment?

Research, blunder and luck. There are good homebrew shops that sell loads of gear and you can make a lot of it yourself.

3) Was it hard to find the necessary equipment?

I wouldn't say hard. Fun sometimes, frustrating other times. The frustration pertains more to making it than buying it and I find anything worth doing has an element of frustration anyway. The equipment I'm talking about is for full mash brewing (eg from scatch brewing) and there are easier full mash systems to acquire/make than the one I have.

4) Did you buy a starter kit or did you buy the equipment individually?

I inherited my dad's fermenter, hydrometer, funnels and some other bits when I started from supermarket tins.

The equipment for full mash brewing I bought individually or was given by fellow brewers. Much of it was fitted out by me at home.

5) What's the best part about brewing?

The brew days, knowing you made it, the passion you develop for beer and beer history, the like mindedness of many fellow brewers, the results when they work, the technical science, the art of creating your own, working out what went wrong, drinking what went right, sharing beer with people who like it, changing people's minds about home brewed beer somehow being inferior by necessity, growing your own hops, making your own brewery, the case swaps, the international community of home brewers......... I could go on.

6) At what age did you start brewing?

Around 30

7) How would you describe the home-brewing community in Melbourne, AUS? In your local community?

Generally friendly, often nerdy, generous and helpful in the main to people who are genuinely passionate about brewing. Like most passionate hobbyists I guess.

Do you think it is growing?

Of course. Melbourne is growing, craft beer appreciation is growing etc. Whether the proportion is any different to 10 years ago (brewers to non-brewers) I have no idea but there's more than there were 10 years ago.

8) How often do you brew during the year on average?

I try and brew once a week. Sometimes 2 or 3 batches a week, sometimes 1 in a month

9) Is there any type of equipment that you wish it would have been easier to find?

Not that springs to mind.

10) When you have a question about brewing or beer in general, where do you go for answers?

Originally this forum but through this forum I found various brewing texts that have a decent amount of info available. Between here, those and my own experiences I work most things out. There's also fellow brewers I have contact with and good homebrew shops can be a good souce of info.

11) Do you experiment making multiple types of beer - using a unique blend of ingredients - or just stick with the out-of-the-box recipes? How do you find out about unique recipes?

I almost exclusively design my own recipes. Since full mash brewing I believe I have brewed exactly twice to someone else's recipe. When extract and partial brewing I also designed my own recipes exclusively and most kit brews contained something extra. the only 'out of the box' stuff I do is the ocassional Fresh Wort Kit and most times I'll add some extra hops and sometimes some minimash wort.

I find out about styles of beer and possible ingredients, IBU ranges, techniques etc from the internet, books and experimenting.

12) Do you sometimes brew with other people?

I have had a couple of interested beginners around for a brew day, have brewed once with my lady and have brewed with a couple of people at a case swap. Quite an enjoyable experience but most brew days are solo.