Aloha everyone! Hope you’re having a great week so far. Had a good friend pose a question to me the other day so I thought I’d ask your opinions. He asked me if I considered myself a Brewmaster. I told him I am simply a Homebrew guy. I just brewed my 40th batch of Homebrew (200 Gallons to date total) and my buddy introduced me to his girlfriend as a Homebrew Master (she loves my Peach Blonde Ale I made a few weeks ago). I explained to her that I was simply a guy who loves to brew beer and has a great passion for Craft Beer. My question is can I consider myself a Homebrew Master after only 5 years of Homebrew Experience? Probably a stupid question but figured I’d pose the question to my fellow beer enthusiasts. Thanks and Aloha!
What’s in a name? The proof’s in the glass.
Homebrewers don’t have ranks (unless it’s the one next to your avatar ;))
Does that make us all rankless amateurs?
Usually I find that the master label is earned by passing a test of some sort. A brewmaster has earned a degree from a brewing college for example. A brewer at a brewpub would call himself the head brewer rather than the brewmaster unless he held that degree.
I have always called myself a homebrewer because to say that I am a brewer might imply that I did it for a living or worked in the industry.
Yes, even though I own my own commercial brewery I (usually) make sure to correct people when they call me a “brewmaster” because I have no formal education or degree in brewing. I think it is a good thing to be humble about such things, just laugh it off and appreciate the praise but make sure you explain that a true brewmaster has a formal education.
I agree with what others have posted regarding referring to oneself as a brewmaster. FWIW, I’m about to brew batch 150 and wouldn’t consider myself a master homebrewer. I would say that I’m a fairly advanced brewer, but there are homebrewers out there – many are on this forum – who have been brewing way longer than me and who have made several hundred more batches.
I don’t have a degree in fishing, but I have been fishing since 1960, using every type of bait imaginable. ;D
Once I have learned everything there is to know, and brewed every beer there is to brew. Not there yet after 20 years and 350 or so batches. 
I have to wonder if the term “Homebrew Master” is something of an oxymoron? But in a great way!!
I kind of enjoy the rankless society that is the homebrew community, and even if you are an experience homebrewer or it’s your first batch you can all get together to share ideas and a beer. I really hope this community doesn’t go the way of homebrew hierarchy. :-\
When called a brewmaster I often comment that I prefer the term brewmeister because it requires less schooling. Although maybe someday…
I brewed extract/partial mash for 20 years and made some really great beers, in my opinion. 8) Last year I made the leap to all-grain brewing. I didn’t know what a rank amateur I was until switching to all-grain! So, if you put the formal training argument aside and go by strictly homebrewing knowledge, I’d say you need to have brewed a significant number of all-grain batches before you can be truely called a Homebrew Master. I hope to get to that point some day! ;D
Some people have called me that, but I tell them that I’m either ‘just a beer nerd’ or a ‘beer disciple’.
I prefer the term ‘beer disciple’ if we have to pick names. Gotta spread the good word about good beer! ;D
In my experience, the only people who care about titles are insecure people. I agree the proof is in the glass.
I’m with Keith, just tell them you appreciate that they enjoy your beer. Never hurts to be humble.
Bruce
Ok. No one is going to call Carl on this?
I don’t know about Master, but I started calling myself “homebrew god” around my 4th batch.
I may or may not have an ego problem. 
Is it true that Brewmaster (or is Master Brewer probably more correct) is reserved for formal training in brewing sciences? How interesting…I never cease to learn new things about brewing, beer, and other useless facts from our community.
Advanced, old, experienced…all relative terms. I always laugh when I hear the Brewing Network’s commercial about the nerds doing the Dungeon’s and Dragon’s style brew sessions…that’s what I think of when the titles become important.
Folks like Charlie P. and Gordon Strong are just guys who love beer as much as I do, but have “done” something to further the homebrewing hobby (and create this wonderful environment for us to share and learn and grow)…maybe they are “masters” of the craft, but I am sure that they, like me, will never stop learning, growing, or brewing.
Keith, I disagree.
If you are responsible for the recipes, production schedules, and quality control of your commercial brewery then you are THE Brewmaster. You may also be, by default, the head brewer and chief keg washer, but I would take being THE Brewmaster of my own successful brewery over any educational credentials any day.
I thought about it but decided to let it slide by… ;D
“Brewmaster” =/= head brewer / chief brewer / captain brewer / president of barley. Calling yourself a “brewmaster” because you own a brewery is like calling yourself a doctor because own a health clinic.
I’m not giving him the satisfaction…