My friends and family are always shelling out compliments like “He is a brew master” or “He makes the best homebrew ever”. All good to here but not true. Some beers that I make that are average they think are wonderful. It all tastes better when it is free!
IF you were going to call yourself a homebrew master, I’d say you better own that title by having an incredible amount of experience and knowledge. Simply counting batches won’t do it. You need to have brewed multiple batches in a very wide variety of styles, have good knowledge of multiple alternative homebrewing techniques (not just your own setup), be able to identify common flaws, talk specifically about the flavor contributions of different ingredients, yeast health, water chemistry. - I’m thinking that you’d need to approach Charlie Papazian levels of knowledge. Short of this you’ll risk sounding like a fool.
According to Dictionary.com:
brew·mas·ter/ˈbro͞oˌmastər/
Noun:
A person who supervises the brewing process in a brewery.
So technically, we are all brew masters in our own brewery. I think most people assume the name is an earned rank of some kind. I don’t refer to myself as a brew master but rather as a brewer (or hack with dumb luck 
). If others call me a brew master while drinking my beer, I don’t correct them.
Paul
Like Nateo says, it is a degree that you earn. You would be ridiculed for calling yourself a Dr. or a PHD if you did not earn the degree.
I am also chief bottle washer and I have been known to clean and unclog the toilette, too. 
I thought about taking a whack but ultimately didn’t…
I sorta thought it was complete in and of it self. sometimes the unsaid punch line is the funniest.
I think this all depends on the definition of “master”.
To “master” the craft…
A “master” of the craft…relative to whom?
What criteria do we use to define or draw the line in the sand?
These are all questions that may have been answered by many but it’s subjective.
Or the most adolescent.
Poomaster? :
Now that was adolescent.
Well, I started fishing at age five, so (do the math) being called adolescent is quite the compliment! 8)
Mahalo nui!
I am master of my domain.
Ok, sounds like alot of different opinions. And no, I don’t have an ego problem nor am I an insecure. I just prefer not to be called a Homebrew Master. I am quite humble about it and like I said in my original post I’m just a guy who loves Homebrewing Beer and loves all things Craft Beer. And I agree that the proof is in the glass. Thanks for the replies. Aloha!
I certainly don’t asked to be called anything. If someone calls me anything positive, I take it as a complement and then say that I like the hobby and enjoy learning new things and trying to make good beer. Jokingly, the guys in my group call me the professor, because I dig quite a bit deeper into things than most of them do, but I don’t seek a status and welcome the extract brewer making his first of a new style as much as the triple decoration all grain guy. That is what is great about this hobby/lifestyle/obsession - it’s cool on all levels.
Another showy title defined:
Expert
Ex = has-been
spurt = a leak under pressure.
Expert = a has-been leak under pressure. :o
You don’t have to, apparently he’s been giving himself the satisfaction for decades now.
I would say, I can make good beer that you like. I’m glad you appreciate my beer. but just call me a brewer of good beer.
Being a master fisherman is very satisfying! ;D
I’m called the brewmaster in our monastery because I’m in charge of the brewing. However, I really don’t like having that title precisely because it infers so much training, knowledge, and experience. I’m learning a lot every day I brew, but to really consider myself a “master” is a far stretch at this point. I personally prefer being called “head brewer”.
However, I would say that a lot of homebrewers are true brewmasters (even if it’s only on their system). The creativity and art is much more thriving in a home environment than a professional/business one. And of course consistent and good results are the sign of that. Understanding the ingredients, process, and results, as well as being able to formulate a recipe based on what flavors you want seem to me to be the biggest criteria for being a master.
I’ve been brewing for over 5 years and still wouldn’t call myself a “master”! In fact despite all the knowledge I’ve learned and the education experienced doesn’t lead me to categorize myself that way. I feel like the more I learn the less I know about zymurgy.
But to answer the question posted- in my opinion: you are approaching “mastery” when you can repeat your recipes consistently over and over again with little to no variation or error.
You guys that call yourself a brew master would really crack up a true brewmasters (or at least cause an eye roll ;~) ). Just sayin’. I don’t care what the dictionary says, in the industry you do not call yourself a brewmaster unless you have earned the title through apprenticeship or degree.