i live in mississippi, so i brew my own beer.
My own second batch really did come out great, and it feels wonderful to know I brewed it. I’d happily pay eight or nine bucks for a commercial brew like this. I doubt every batch I brew will be this good, but I certainly intend to keep trying anyway!
I enjoy hobbies for the learning experience, and theres a heck of a lot to learn about homebrewing and beer in general.
I am therefore I brew
My wife actually started homebrewing before I did. After helping her for awhile I decided to brew up some of my own stuff. It was all downhill from there ( or uphill depending on your perspective ). There is so much to learn about homebrewing which feeds my thirst for knowledge. It also is a great way to create my own recipes & if it turns out well then others may enjoy it as well. I like to say that half the fun of brewing is sharing. I really enjoy the feedback I get from friends & family. I am always striving to improve my process & product to make the best beer possible. There are so many styles that it makes it fun to brew up new ones that we have not done before.
I brew for my love of beer, which is the same reason that I cook for my love of food. I agree about being over critical about brewing(and cooking) and although I brew mainly for my taste, it’s a great feeling when someone else is enjoying what I’ve made. Brewing also has given me an appreciation of all beer styles and the techniques of making each of them that I would have never gotten by just drinking them….and as cheesy as it may sound, it’s almost a spiritual or therapeutic thing for me on brew day. 
I brew because it’s either this or world domination and this is more fun. Who wants all those naggy people nagging you that their life sucks? ;D
In internet years this is ancient but if you ever decide to pursue world domination it has some very useful advice. Peter's Evil Overlord List
;D
Paul
Why I brew has changed a bit in the fairly short time (4.5 years) I’ve been doing it. These days, I brew because it’s a good break from all the other “noise” in my life. I’m pretty focused on brew day, so there’s not a lot of time to get distracted by all that other stuff. I also enjoy tinkering and building gadgets for my systems, and trying to make better batches of certain styles. Among other things, I’m on a quest to be able to brew a consistently great Helles.
Well put, as usual Denny.
I feel the same, pretty much.
“Better” is a pretty subjective term. There are definitely a small handful of fine commercial brews that hit the bullseye for me. But by and large I find that most commercial brews (from big breweries and small ones) lately seem to fall short of what I’ve come to expect. I suppose, in the overall picture, that maybe I’ve simply gotten so accustomed to my “house flavors” that my preference long ago shifted to homebrew.
So for that reason alone, the homebrew is better because I can make exactly what I like. And it is a lot less expensive than so many commercial beers of the same quality. ;D
This is a good and worthy conversation…I brew for me. Once in a while my beer, dialed in for me, is better than anyone can get anywhere…but I don’t care…I brew for me.
I do occasionally enter beer in competition, for no other reason than to get feedback. I usually fill a recycled bottle(s) from tap and send it in…usually just one or two.
I don’t begrudge those who brew for competition, or are moving in a professional direction…but think that brewing with the goal of winning gold at NHC, let alone Ninkaski? Seems pretty shallow of an endeavor to me (as in, personally unfulfilling) for a homebrewer. I think we all know of awesome beers that personally speak to us that haven’t recently metaled at GABF (or anywhere).
A good beer is the one that is perfect for you at the time you are tasting it…be it a BJCP competition score of 28 or 48…it doesn’t matter, be it BMC or Chimay, ABV of 3% or 13%, or IBU of 12 or 122.
Of course, I sometimes wish I could taste and identify every flaw in beer…but in so many ways, am glad I can’t.
Here’s another reason why I brew:
I get to say “I made this, and it’s really good!”
In 1977 when homebrewing became legal a friend of mine took it up. He made the best tasting beer I had ever tried. Of course back then all that was available in America were bland pilsners. Bud, Blue Ribbon, Hamms the beer refreshing, Shlitz, etc. Light beer had not even been invented yet.
I was always fascinated with it after that but never had the time, space, or opportunity to try it until a couple years ago. Of course by then the craft beer boom was really picking up momentum and I could buy good beer. But I like to tweak and perfect, plus I was still fascinated with the idea of it.
Since then I have discovered the ever learning aspect of the hobby. I like that. I used to play a lot of tournament chess and that was what made chess fun to me as well. Plus, I have found that once I have the equipment, brewing is much cheaper than buying beer. I recently went to the liquor store and picked up a 6 of Sam Adams Red Ale, a 6 of Odell’s Red Ale, and a 6 of Sam Adams Alpine Spring. The ticket came to over $28. I walked out of there thinking I spend less than that making 2 cases. The kicker is I actually liked my last red ale than either of the professionally made ones I bought.
I have thought it might be fun to go pro on some level. But then it would become a job. And anything that becomes a job isn’t fun anymore. I am not brewing to enter any contests. I am brewing for fun and to have beer actually designed just for my own taste.
Because I love it. 
I brew for several reasons. 1. I’ve always loved good beer. I’m passionate about it. 2. I love hand crafting something. We’ve lost that in America but not at my house! 3. I’m generally very distracted (ADD) in life and brewing forces me to channel everything into the brew day and focus. Its good for me. 4. Im proud of my finished product. I’m brewing what I like to drink 5. My wife was never much of a beer drinker but she LOVES my vanilla porter. Has a pint with me every night. I knew when I turned her to the dark side that I was making great beer!
Outside of the bedroom, theres nothing I’d rather be doing in my free time that brewing!
Cheers!
You guys all know the beer drinking friend or acquaintance who always drinks the same kind of beer and never varies? Won’t drink if you don’t have his brand?
I brew because I never want to be that guy.
Except that now it’s skunked
Now that was funny…but not for alcaponejunior. ;D
Trust me it didn’t last that long ;D
I believe that.