+1 …although it’s tempting, I have lived and learned in that department. I always have as many as I feel necessary after everything is done. 
-J.K.L.
I’m with you guys, no beers until I’m (nearly) done. Not before chilling anyway. Inspiration is great during recipe development, getting inspired while brewing leads to some bad brews.
I rarely have a beer before noon when I’m brewing.
I’m breaking my rule. It’s boiling, not chilling. ;D
Fixed that for you.
I will be the first to admit that I don’t always abstain while brewing as mentioned but sometimes I’ll have one or two in 4-6 hours at most before finishing the process. I used to pop one open at the time the mash started. It was never a marathon drinking session just a RDW kind of brew day and it seemed appropriate. But listening to the group, it makes sense. No need to add alcohol to the laundry list of dangers. Glass carboys ‘splodin’ and brewing in the garage near a gas tank, or high temps of boiling wort…With my luck I am amazed I don’t have any brew battle scars…
So I’ll add, XX.) Be safe.
Everything turned out fine AFAIK, but I’ll judge it again after fermentation. It took longer to clean up than it should have, but that is to be expected. Then my neighbor showed up with a bottle of Ardbeg . . . ;D
- marry a woman who loves beer.
Not all brewers would chose to marry a woman - example, Kathryn Porter ;D
But this should be first on the list. Without the support it makes it really hard to happily stay in the hobby. I was a brewer before I met my wife, but I feel for people who got into the hobby later and their spouse is less than supportive.
So serious… RDWHAHB
I met my wife at NHC '96, seven years after I started brewing. She pushes me to brew. And I enjoy every nudge!
Me?! ;D nah, but if we’re coming up with a list we might as well include everyone, no?
Lucky man. :) Does she brew?
I met my wife at Alameda Brewing in Portland, through her co-workers (my college buddies). Her go-to beer when she turned 21 was Black Butte Porter. She doesn’t brew, but she enjoys my efforts and nudges me to brew too.
- Learn to taste beer, and calibrate your pallet/preferences to professional beers rather than homebrew.
I see this far too often; people that stopped buying commercial beers after they began homebrewing start to tolerate (and in some cases prefer) the common off flavors in homebrew. Never stop buying good commercial examples of different styles, and mimic them as best you can.
I have to agree that it really helps to have your wife or significant other support your brewing adventures.
I think I’m lucky in that my wife is very supportive of my brewing.
It should definitely be on the list of steps. ;)
Having a supportive spouse should definitely be on the list. I started brewing after we got married, but my wife has always enjoyed good beer, so she supports my “hobby.” It’s kind of funny how after every childbirth, her palate, and my brewing priorities, have changed. After the first, it was lagers. Then, it changed to hoppy beers. Now, she’s discovered the joy of sour beers.
My wife does not drink beer. Wine, single malt, gin, vodka, rum, but no beer unless I ask her for an opinion on my homebrew. She doesn’t so much support my brewing as tolerate it since she knows how important it is to me.
My wife says she admires my passion for the hobby.
Our club’s only rule: if you are making beer, you had better be drinking beer. (a positive vibe thing, rather than a get drunk thing).
In my case, when I first started making beer as a new hobby I decided it would be disadvantageous for my health and life and I decided to go to a gym as a rule. I had years who did not exercise regularly and I think there is no justification to just do something like pleasure and do nothing for the health of your body to try to compensate. Im 37 years old and I think it should be esady drink from now on, forget about comercial beers and drink less but quality beer as once did,
I like to drink my beer on Friday and Saturday
I know this is nothing to do with skills, knowledge or gadget for brewing but i recomend this option so that makes me feel better when I drink beer and think: Im a brewer! and also workout!
Do exercise!!
I think time of day plays a big part in having a beer or 2 while brewing. I start no later than 9 AM usually and I just don’t want to start drinking that early. But since I’m always done by 2 PM, it’s easy to hold off having a beer (or several) til then.
I was brewing before I met my wife so it’s one of those things that got “Grandfathered” into the relationship. I have taken several hiatus from brewing since we’ve been together but when I start back up she never says much. Sure, I get the occasional, “Your beer stuff is everywhere” and “You spend more time with your beer stuff than me”, but deep down I know she thinks it’s cool that I can turn water (and grain) into beer. Guess what? She’s right!
woops, you’re absolutely right, my apologies!
Heck I need the exact opposite, my girl likes my home brew too much some times.