Can we talk about the business of homebrewing for a minute?

TaraNurin

South Jersey FC Member
I'm doing some research on whether homebrewing is getting more or less popular this year with the growth of the number of breweries, etc... Do you brew less now because you have so much good beer available or anything like that? Do you spend more or less $ on supplies? Where do you buy them? Is this different from last year or the year before? Explain. Do you think the perception of homebrewing is changing? If you've gone pro, do you homebrew less? Collecting thoughts for the next 48 hours. If you want to email me privately, write to writing@eyesontheworld.us. Thanks!
 
I draw inspiration from commercial beer. If I have a beer that I really like, I'm likely to try to reproduce it or derive a recipe from it.

My homebrew production is about one five-gallon batch a month and hasn't changed for at least as long as Barley Legal has been around. Neither has what I buy. What has changed is that BYOB has closed. It was my go-to store for everything and though I've done seven batches this year, I haven't brewed anything since they closed.
 
Just seeing this now - I don't check the forums often enough I guess.

In case it's not too late - and even if it is, it is an interesting topic.

The appearance of new local breweries has not changed how much I brew. We have 2 new local nanobreweries in Medford where I live, but I don't bother with them even though they are both a very short drive away. First off, their hours are quite limited. Secondly, just because a brewery is local doesn't mean its good. Thirdly (and most importantly), I don't feel compelled to go to a brewery and spend $6 per pint when I can drink a pint of craft, (very-)small-batch beer at home for a fraction of that price.

I do not think the perception of home brewing is changing. I don't think non-home-brewing beer geeks really think about the fact that most nanobreweries are homebrewers who are trying to go pro - at least not the ones I know. The beer geeks I know are just as likely to go to a bar with a great tap selection as they are to a nanobrewery, perhaps even more so since breweries don't sell food.
 
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