Advice on how to enjoy homebrewing over the years without becoming an alcoholic.

[bwible]

View attachment 844970
The toughest part of this sort of conversation is recognizing that the vast majority of us (active homebrewers) are in the top third of population for alcohol use, and it's nearly zero by comparison for the remaining two thirds.

So every conversation lumps an otherwise responsible 6-pack a day person with the twice divorced fella with a couple DUIs under their belt. Medically speaking, it's all the same.

 

[sibelman]

manager school

Most line supervisors never went to any management school. Being good at a job doesn't mean being good at supervising those who do that job. Reading Dilbert and watching Office Space might be valuable to clueless bosses. Or maybe they can't be awakened from their dreams of power.

 

[sibelman]

as long as you’re able to get up for work in the morning, your drinking is not getting you into fights or getting you arrested or landing you in the hospital, not interfering with your life, etc then you don’t have a problem

This is consistent with at least one definition of alcoholism. But, obviously...

Even if some of us can drink plenty without becoming addicted, we may be adversely affecting our health in exchange for the pleasure of drinking. alcoholic beverages. That is its own kind of problem.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

We enjoy lots of hobbies that aren't good for our health, but we need to realize that and make adjustments.

 

[corkybstewart]

As a guy who worked his way from the lowest level to the president of the company I learned this. If you ever wonder why your boss is such an a**hole become a boss and you will understand. The income doesn't necessarily match the stress. As the company president, dealing with 120 employees, the owners and countless clients made drinking too much the easiest path.

 

[corkybstewart]

Man, I was hoping this thread would start addressing cheese addiction next.

Don't get me started on my cheese addiction. Tonight was a moderate night until I pulled the cheese plate out and was forced to open a bottle of wine more suitable for the cheese we had.

 

[balrog]

Don't get me started on my cheese addiction. Tonight was a moderate night until I pulled the cheese plate out and was forced to open a bottle of wine more suitable for the cheese we had.

I hate when that happens.

 

[MaxStout]

 

[jrgtr42]

Office Space is not supposed to be a documentary.

The longer I spend in cube-farmdom, that movie becomes both funnier and more sad...

But to the question at hand, there is a lot more to alcoholism than just drinking a lot. Some folks can drink like fish and by those markers - having it affecting them in various ways - don't quaalify as such. THen others drink comparatively small amounts, but it's still affecting them. Of course, to other people, having one drink makes one a complete lush.
Myself, I enjoy a beer or 2 many evenings. I do normally hold off until the kiddo is in bed before opening one. But almost as often as not, by the time that happens, and dinner is done (I work a weird schedule - we're eating dinner most of the time after he's in bed) and things are cleaned up, I don't feel like going down to the beer fridge / cellar to get one.
Same thing with my homebrewing, I don't have a kegerator, so I limit it to one tapped at a time. I usually plan to have one on deck for when that one kicks, and it takes a while to knock off a full keg. I do have a couple recipes that I still bottle, though those are as much out of sight, out of mind.

 

[corkybstewart]

The longer I spend in cube-farmdom, that movie becomes both funnier and more sad...

But to the question at hand, there is a lot more to alcoholism than just drinking a lot. Some folks can drink like fish and by those markers - having it affecting them in various ways - don't quaalify as such. THen others drink comparatively small amounts, but it's still affecting them. Of course, to other people, having one drink makes one a complete lush.
Myself, I enjoy a beer or 2 many evenings. I do normally hold off until the kiddo is in bed before opening one. But almost as often as not, by the time that happens, and dinner is done (I work a weird schedule - we're eating dinner most of the time after he's in bed) and things are cleaned up, I don't feel like going down to the beer fridge / cellar to get one.
Same thing with my homebrewing, I don't have a kegerator, so I limit it to one tapped at a time. I usually plab to have one on deck for when that one kicks, and it takes a while to knock off a full keg. I do have a couple recipes that I still bottle, though those are as much out of sight, out of mind.

When I first converted our fridge to a back porch kegerator I couldn't walk past it without pulling a small beer, at least for the first couple of months. After that I settled into a more suitable pattern of consumption-2 or 3 glasses each evening if it was just my wife and I. If friends or neighbors stopped by all bets were off. Now we live out in the woods, no neighbors nearby and no casual friends who drink beer so a keg will now last me a month or 2 easily. I do not miss the daily drinking sessions, life is much better spent drinking less.

 

[Ingo]

Great thread and lots of good advice.
I used to drink quite badly around 20-30 years old while partying a lot.
Now days at 48 I don't like the feeling of being drunk but I sure like beer.

I quite recently started brewing so I'm drinking 1-2 beers most weekdays and Sometimes an extra 2-3 in weekends if partying.

But I give away half of my 20L batches and I like to finish drinking a batch before brewing a new one so there's always going to be 2-3 weeks without any beer.

But I recently came from a week in London where I had several beers every day and the first one Sometimes around noon. I am very aware of my consumptiin and it's not affecting my life in a negative way so no worries.

But I consciously take brakes from drinking 'cause I like that too.

Maybe I'm just lucky that I no longer like to feel drunk so that doesn't happen. I only like to feel a little tipsy.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

Perhaps easy for me to say - at 67, my body can no longer tolerate even the occasional excesses of my younger self.

^THIS!^
I remember back in college how me and my buddies used to love Monday Night Football. When Hank started singing; we started popping the tops!!
By the time all the expert analysis was over and kickoff was imminent, we were popping #2. Started second quarter with #3. I usually took a break at halftime, and started off the second half with #4, which may or may not get completely finished.
Then I graduated; got married; got a job. Yeah, I tried that routine, but to no avail. First, I started falling asleep and missing the 4th quarter. Then, I would dose off in the third.
By the time we had a couple kids, I was lucky to see half-time.
I decided that if I wanted to see the end of the game, I would have to delay the startup of beer drinking. Of course, with the game being so late on the east coast, who wants to start drinking late on a Monday night???

I finally found the solution; I gave up watching football!

But seriously, as I have aged, it takes less and less to just put me out; not passed out drunk, just closing the eyes and gone. I like most of my beer (or wine) with meals (at home) these days.

I had a grandfather who had problems with alcohol when he was young. I had an uncle who died from alcoholism. I don’t want to push any limits, and keep it in my mind that if you play with fire there’s a chance you’re gonna get burned. Not something that I want to happen. I feel absolutely sure that I could do without alcohol altogether, but as long as I can control it, and it’s not controlling me, I plan to tread on, but carefully.

 

[capt82]

Self control is obviously the answer here. Without it, ALL advice is pointless. For those of you with self control, my advice is to brew 7% and higher ABV beers for the weekdays and 4-5% ABV beers for the weekends. The trick here is to limit yourself 1 high ABV beer per night on weekdays and 2-3 low ABV beers per day on weekends. One high ABV beer is enough to end the days stresses, get a fuzzy feeling, fall asleep effortlessly, and not have any ill effects come morning time. On the weekends, 2-3 lower ABV beers gives you some controlled social time nursing your craft while getting your buddies lit up with the high ABV beers.

I always told my kids when they started going to parties..."stay in control and NEVER be the entertainment"

 

[corkybstewart]

Self control is obviously the answer here. Without it, ALL advice is pointless. For those of you with self control, my advice is to brew 7% and higher ABV beers for the weekdays and 4-5% ABV beers for the weekends. The trick here is to limit yourself 1 high ABV beer per night on weekdays and 2-3 low ABV beers per day on weekends.

A system I used for several years was to use a number system with the ABV. I picked a number, usually around 18. I could drink 3 6% beers, or 2 8%, as long as the number stayed around 18. It actually made me aware of how much alcohol I was drinking, not just how many beers. 8 years ago health issues forced me to abandon beer for several years, once I started drinking again I didn't drink much at all and abandoned my system.

 

[capt82]

A system I used for several years was to use a number system with the ABV. I picked a number, usually around 18. I could drink 3 6% beers, or 2 8%, as long as the number stayed around 18.

In the 80's was my first home brew from a kit. After realizing it took me a month to make 50 beers, I abandoned home brewing because the brewing couldn't keep up with the drinking. It wasn't until around 20 years later I took up home brewing again. This time I only drank my home brew so I savored each beer so I would never run out. It also allowed me to enjoy home brewing as a hobby and make beer all about quality vs quantity. I guess I can say homebrewing actually trained me to drink less.

 

[corkybstewart]

In the 80's was my first home brew from a kit. After realizing it took me a month to make 50 beers, I abandoned home brewing because the brewing couldn't keep up with the drinking. It wasn't until around 20 years later I took up home brewing again. This time I only drank my home brew so I savored each beer so I would never run out. It also allowed me to enjoy home brewing as a hobby and make beer all about quality vs quantity. I guess I can say homebrewing actually trained me to drink less.

I went the opposite direction. I had 2 kegerators that held 6 kegs each,I normally had 10 very different beers on tap. I started brewing to get drunk, then spent a week in Belgium, which totally blew my mind. The next year we spent 2 weeks traveling across Germany drinking in small town breweries.I started refining my process, paying attention to techniques instead of recipes. I had lots of "friends" to hang with, and other brewers I learned from. So now I've brewed since my wife bought my first homebrew kit in 1992.

 

[beersk]

I went the opposite direction. I had 2 kegerators that held 6 kegs each,I normally had 10 very different beers on tap. I started brewing to get drunk, then spent a week in Belgium, which totally blew my mind. The next year we spent 2 weeks traveling across Germany drinking in small town breweries.I started refining my process, paying attention to techniques instead of recipes. I had lots of "friends" to hang with, and other brewers I learned from. So now I've brewed since my wife bought my first homebrew kit in 1992.

I feel like this was very much me as well, particularly the last 4 years since the bloody pandemic. And only in the last about year have I really been starting to notice that maybe it's not so good for me anymore. Pre-pandemic I used to ride my bike to work every single day, about 20-25 minutes each way, and not slow either. I rode all year in Iowa weather. Then pandemic hits and my built-in workout routine is gone. Continuing to eat and drink the same and bike less equals less than optimal health outcomes lol
Lately it's starting to surface as heart palpitations. This started shortly after I got covid in 2022, so I'm wondering if that's really what set it off. But it also seems worsened in the following days after a run of heavy drinking days. It's scary and I'm addressing it with my doctor. Makes me wonder if it was covid or just the amount I drink... I don't know if I have an intolerance for alcohol or what.

 

[capt82]

Lately it's starting to surface as heart palpitations. This started shortly after I got covid in 2022, so I'm wondering if that's really what set it off. But it also seems worsened in the following days after a run of heavy drinking days. It's scary and I'm addressing it with my doctor. Makes me wonder if it was covid or just the amount I drink... I don't know if I have an intolerance for alcohol or what.

The only drinks I ever heard giving palpitations are coffee and energy drinks...caffeine. I'd bet on the covid or even the damn shots. I read beer is very healthy like wine is, in moderation, but please don't take this as any advice for I am no doctor. If I live to 100 I will certainly credit beer, or at least my homebrew craft beer. I hope this is just a passing thing for you. My wife has palpitations from anxiety. Meds keep it at bay. I tried to get her on my one high ABV beer a night program to combat the anxiety but beer is not her thing.

 

[monkeymath]

You touch an important topic here that should not be taken too lightheartedly. When I went to some homebrewer meetups (pre COVID) in Hamburg, Germany, at least a third of the guys there seemed to have a problematic relationship with alcohol.

For myself, my interest in brewing and drinking beer is mostly based on curiosity: I want to see all the possibilities and try a million things in pursuit of the perfect beer.
But if given a crate of "the perfect beer", I actually wouldn't know what to do with it.

So over the last years, I have mostly allowed myself the indulgence, eyeing it with a certain "benevolent scepticism" where I would keep track of how much I was drinking when, but without beating myself up about it if it was more than I had hoped.

And I noticed that it comes and goes in waves. At times, I find myself having a beer five days a week, and then there'll be a bottle occupying space in my fridge for three weeks just because I never felt like cracking one open.

Over time, as my curiosity becomes saturated, this enthusiasm over beer is slowly decreasing. I still enjoy a good pint, sure, but at the end of the day: it's just beer.

 

[day_trippr]

I don't drink for the buzz anymore, and I try to avoid unhappy outcomes by not doing heavy drinking...

Cheers!

 

[DBhomebrew]

The only drinks I ever heard giving palpitations are coffee and energy drinks...caffeine. I'd bet on the covid or even the damn shots. I read beer is very healthy like wine is, in moderation, but please don't take this as any advice for I am no doctor.

"Holiday Heart Syndrome", atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia. Possible affects of alcohol on heart activity. It's a thing.

 

[Dancy]

"Holiday Heart Syndrome", atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia. Possible affects of alcohol on heart activity. It's a thing.

I have a-fib -- “palpitations” and

The only drinks I ever heard giving palpitations are coffee and energy drinks...caffeine. I'd bet on the covid or even the damn shots. I read beer is very healthy like wine is, in moderation, but please don't take this as any advice for I am no doctor. If I live to 100 I will certainly credit beer, or at least my homebrew craft beer. I hope this is just a passing thing for you. My wife has palpitations from anxiety. Meds keep it at bay. I tried to get her on my one high ABV beer a night program to combat the anxiety but beer is not her thing.

I haven't brewed a batch of beer since before my heart attack on 7/5/23. I was also diagnosed with a-fib and the palpitations I'd experienced for a couple of years prior to that are consistent with that. I had zero alcohol for maybe 5 months but then I tried some here and there. Studies show a correlation between a-fib and alcohol use, and it does not even have to be heavy drinking.

The studies about the effects of alcohol on our health are out there -- reputable ones -- if you wanna see them. I am trying to decide if I want to quit drinking entirely. I miss brewing, but I was not prolific about it as brewing 5-gallon batches in a small condo kitchen is something of a PITA. Maybe I can occasionally brew 3-4 gallons if I decide to imbibe conservatively. I still view HBT 4-5x/week and enjoy it but that has finally become a bit boring since I am not actively brewing.

I have no illusions there is a health benefit to alcohol and I'm of the opinion anyone who believes there is one is simply kidding themselves -- perhaps going on old information or reading sources that tell some what they want to believe. It is clear any perceived health benefit is obliterated by the scientifically proven downsides. Due to a family history of heart issues and serious, ongoing concerns I have with my heart requiring monitoring and likely future surgery, I must be honest with myself when I research how drinking affects one's health.

In the thread, there's been discussion about number of drinks per day, being in control, not being in control (alcoholism). The NIH states,
"Physicians operationally defined "light" drinking as 1.2 drinks/day, "moderate" drinking as 2.2 drinks/day, and "heavy" drinking as 3.5 drinks/day. Abusive drinking was defined as 5.4 drinks/day". There are even more details on the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website.

You've all seen the numbers. I brewed mostly Belgian Triples and Quads at 9% to nearly 12%, so one of those is 2-3 alcoholic drinks. Many of us brew stronger beers than the official equivalent of one alcoholic drink, so I am wondering when I see posts on HBT stating having 2 or 3, what is the actual number of alcoholic drinks, really

It certainly is not for me to say people shouldn't drink and though I am enjoying it occasionally right now, I may need to quit 100%. For me, any amount may not be worthwhile. I am 65 and I am "medically complex" (my doc said). No doubt many of you are genetically, biologically superior to me (younger!) and the health risks make it worth it to you; although, I've learned we cannot know everything that is going on inside our bodies until a diagnosis shows up at some point, sometime too late, so excessive alcohol abuse may catch up with you unexpectedly.

It seems clear to me if even the finest human specimen is a moderate to heavy drinker over a long period of time, it will affect their health. Of course, some will live to 85 regardless of their bad lifestyle choices, so if you want to pick that person as your example to justify heavy drinking, go ahead. Also, I believe many of the self-declared "moderate" drinkers are heavy drinkers. We often determine our own standards regarding alcoholic behavior or light versus moderate versus heavy drinking. We convince ourselves of what we want to believe -- I have been guilty of it.

 

[Miraculix]

I have a-fib -- “palpitations” and

I haven't brewed a batch of beer since before my heart attack on 7/5/23. I was also diagnosed with a-fib and the palpitations I'd experienced for a couple of years prior to that are consistent with that. I had zero alcohol for maybe 5 months but then I tried some here and there. Studies show a correlation between a-fib and alcohol use, and it does not even have to be heavy drinking.

The studies about the effects of alcohol on our health are out there -- reputable ones -- if you wanna see them. I am trying to decide if I want to quit drinking entirely. I miss brewing, but I was not prolific about it as brewing 5-gallon batches in a small condo kitchen is something of a PITA. Maybe I can occasionally brew 3-4 gallons if I decide to imbibe conservatively. I still view HBT 4-5x/week and enjoy it but that has finally become a bit boring since I am not actively brewing.

I have no illusions there is a health benefit to alcohol and I'm of the opinion anyone who believes there is one is simply kidding themselves -- perhaps going on old information or reading sources that tell some what they want to believe. It is clear any perceived health benefit is obliterated by the scientifically proven downsides. Due to a family history of heart issues and serious, ongoing concerns I have with my heart requiring monitoring and likely future surgery, I must be honest with myself when I research how drinking affects one's health.

In the thread, there's been discussion about number of drinks per day, being in control, not being in control (alcoholism). The NIH states,
"Physicians operationally defined "light" drinking as 1.2 drinks/day, "moderate" drinking as 2.2 drinks/day, and "heavy" drinking as 3.5 drinks/day. Abusive drinking was defined as 5.4 drinks/day". There are even more details on the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website.

You've all seen the numbers. I brewed mostly Belgian Triples and Quads at 9% to nearly 12%, so one of those is 2-3 alcoholic drinks. Many of us brew stronger beers than the official equivalent of one alcoholic drink, so I am wondering when I see posts on HBT stating having 2 or 3, what is the actual number of alcoholic drinks, really

It certainly is not for me to say people shouldn't drink and though I am enjoying it occasionally right now, I may need to quit 100%. For me, any amount may not be worthwhile. I am 65 and I am "medically complex" (my doc said). No doubt many of you are genetically, biologically superior to me (younger!) and the health risks make it worth it to you; although, I've learned we cannot know everything that is going on inside our bodies until a diagnosis shows up at some point, sometime too late, so excessive alcohol abuse may catch up with you unexpectedly.

It seems clear to me if even the finest human specimen is a moderate to heavy drinker over a long period of time, it will affect their health. Of course, some will live to 85 regardless of their bad lifestyle choices, so if you want to pick that person as your example to justify heavy drinking, go ahead. Also, I believe many of the self-declared "moderate" drinkers are heavy drinkers. We often determine our own standards regarding alcoholic behavior or light versus moderate versus heavy drinking. We convince ourselves of what we want to believe -- I have been guilty of it.

Very well said. I hope your heart will get well soon.

 

[capt82]

In my previous post you refer to, I disclosed I am no medical doctor. I made the statements based on my own experiences. Perhaps I'm wrong...like studies (from medical doctors) that show moderate consumption of beer/wine is healthy. Perhaps studies (from medical doctors) that show multiple covid-19 vaccinations are safe too. When seemingly healthy people suffered ill effects, of course it's human nature (as well as medical nature) to find a cause. When athletes began to drop after the shots, the shots were the blame. Even after the studies (from medical doctors), can we conclude if the shots caused these athletes to go down? Medical doctors have not concluded anything as far as I know. Obviously most everyone who got the jab did not suffer any ill effect so shots are still being given to those who subscribe.

I too would have stopped drinking my "live to 100" elixir if I was in your shoes. Weather or not it was proven to be the actual cause or I was already programmed to not tolerate alcohol? It really doesn't matter. I've seen 100's of dead people from car wrecks over a 30+ year career, but yet I still choose to drive. There was an underlying cause for everyone of those car wrecks (ie mechanical, falling asleep, ETOH, texting etc...) and simply "driving" was never the cause...but if they weren't driving to begin with, their death would have never happened.

You are absolutely correct in your post. I believe we are all pre programmed (via DNA, genetics, family history) on what our bodies will and won't do. I was never able to be an athlete or a medical doctor. I am also guilty of subscribing to what I want to believe (lacking facts to prove otherwise). Maybe I'm not looking for the facts! I no longer believe in the shot after taking the first two. Maybe I'm wrong about that too. I'm sorry you have to experience this "medically complex" diagnosis as your doctor called it.

 

[corncob]

I wonder what this conversation would be like if it were happening in a different era.

Drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of heaven--this is black and white. But where is the line that separates a drinker from a drunkard? That's a moral question that only exists within a Christian context.

I am fairly certain that nobody who lived before the second half of the 20th century, and outside the West, considered that there might be a moral component to choices that might shorten one's lifespan (I'm happy to hear a counterexample if somebody has one).

That makes the question specifically an artifact of the post-Christian 20th century West--a civilization uniquely unsuited to producing a concerts answer. The world is funny.

 

[beersk]

I'm working with my doctor to see if all it is for me is "holiday heart syndrome". It very well could be. I am otherwise a healthy 40 year old, get regular exercise, eat decently, not overweight (by much if I am anyway), good blood pressure, blood work, etc. But I definitely have been a moderate-heavy drinker for a good number of years, not going to lie about that. And my doctor knows it. I've told him at least twice before that I average about 21 pints a week, some weeks more, some weeks less. I do think that has decreased in the last year or so though. But there are times where it's too much and that is probably when I seem to have these heart palpitation issues. I guess I should pay closer attention...

@Dancy I hope your heart issues get better. That is scary and it's too bad it's forcing you to consider quitting brewing and enjoying the beverage we're all here in this forum for. I love beer, I love sharing beer and beer experiences with friends and family; it'd be really damn hard for me to quit it altogether. I'd be a different person in many ways. Sure, there are a lot of things I do that don't need to involve beer and all of this is making me examine that a little closer. Not a bad thing.
Also, like @capt82 says....we've all seen horrible car accidents that can happen to literally anyone on any given day, yet we still drive our cars all the time, even when we could easily walk or bike somewhere (I do tend to bike a lot more if I'm in town, way easier for parking, etc.). Same could be said for biking...many cyclists get hit by drivers not paying attention...yet I still bike and am not going to stop unless I'm physically unable to. There is inherent risk in almost everything we do. Sure we could avoid it all but what a dull life that would be...

 

[Willy]

Not long ago, beer was the beverage of choice and was safer than water due to boiling off the bugs. Kids drank beer. Beer history if fascinating - and can be very low alcohol and tasty.

Guinness is about 4.3% - I make my stouts at that level or less. I also brew a bunch of tasty golden lager and ales from 4-5%... And lower in the summer when I am thirsty from yard work.

I avoid hard liquor and just stick to beer and wine. Another tip ... Drink water often and chill.

Stay safe and healthy and be thankful for beer.

 

[Willy]

I have to check if Wisconsin's history is based on loads of Polish immigrants....

Grew up in Wisconsin. Yeah, we like beer. Germans, Swiss, Polish, Austrian, Swedish, Irish, Greek, Italian, Russians etc - the reality is we need to try all the different beers from many cultures and be good to each other. Beer is our universal lubricant for squeaky wheels

 

[oakbarn]

I have found that as I age, I am drinking more than I used to. I think it is somewhat a function of the small aches and pains as we pass 75. I do not get falling down drunk and since I do not drive anymore, that is not any issue. In fact, I do not get to a stumbling stage, My Dad when he was my age was diagnoised with kidney cancer anf he got addicted to the opiate pain killers quite fast for the last six months of his life which was about those six months, I had an Uncle who was a full blown a$$ whole alcolohic as well as a man. I never want to be that, but other than that, I try to keep it moderate, but constant due to the little issues I have, but generally wait to about 4 PM. Although I drink 3-5 a day on most days, I do take vacations from it. If I ever have one too many, I do a vacation because I feel worse.

Some general rules I would think:

If you have someone concerned that it is affecting you, they are telling the truth
If you hide it, it is a problem
If you should not drive but do, it is a problem.
If you cannot go to a function or work, it is a problem.
If they stop serving you at a bar, it is a problem.

 

[beersk]

I have found that as I age, I am drinking more than I used to. I think it is somewhat a function of the small aches and pains as we pass 75. I do not get falling down drunk and since I do not drive anymore, that is not any issue. In fact, I do not get to a stumbling stage, My Dad when he was my age was diagnoised with kidney cancer anf he got addicted to the opiate pain killers quite fast for the last six months of his life which was about those six months, I had an Uncle who was a full blown a$$ whole alcolohic as well as a man. I never want to be that, but other than that, I try to keep it moderate, but constant due to the little issues I have, but generally wait to about 4 PM. Although I drink 3-5 a day on most days, I do take vacations from it. If I ever have one too many, I do a vacation because I feel worse.

Some general rules I would think:

If you have someone concerned that it is affecting you, they are telling the truth
If you hide it, it is a problem
If you should not drive but do, it is a problem.
If you cannot go to a function or work, it is a problem.
If they stop serving you at a bar, it is a problem.

You also have to keep in mind where they're coming from. My mom and my uncle think that most people drink too much because their dad was a major alcoholic. So their attitude towards drinking is different than, say, a friend's or someone who didn't grow up in a house where a parent was a bad alcoholic.
But you're right, if someone who cares about you thinks you drink too much, maybe it's something you should recognize and make adjustments. Of course, you don't live your life for others, it's your life after all. Just be responsible. Thankfully I could never be a full blown alcoholic. I don't know how people get to that point. When I get really drunk, say at Oktoberfest, the next day the last thing I want to do is drink. But full blown alcoholics have to drink to get rid of the hangover. No thank you. And to do that on a daily basis? Holy crap...

 

[oakbarn]

Maybe another one then:

If you drink the next day after an excessive session, it is a problem.

Double that if you start drink the next morning, time to think!

 

[beersk]

Maybe another one then:

If you drink the next day after an excessive session, it is a problem.

Double that if you start drink the next morning, time to think!

Well, sure. But we're not here to define what problem drinking is. We're here to talk about life as homebrewers and being responsible with it.

Personally I feel like I've been at a crossroads with drinking and homebrewing for about the last 3 years. No doubt the pandemic caused a lot of things in life to go sideways including drinking more and as @corkybstewart said earlier, I started essentially brewing to make sure I had enough beer to keep up with a heavy consumption rate; brewing to get drunk. I basically don't do that anymore and periodically toy with the idea of not brewing anymore. I don't know that quitting drinking is something I fancy though. But when you're having beer so seldomly, is there a point in brewing? I don't give my beer away, nor do I want to make the effort to try because, honestly, it's not as easy as it used to be. The more realistic answer I think is probably just to brew less often and have fewer beers on tap. I currently have 4 and that is really probably too much even for 2.5 gallon batches.
I don't throw parties, I rarely invite people over, I rarely take beer places. That's just how life is nowadays. Pre-pandemic was a very different story.

 

[mac_1103]

The more realistic answer I think is probably just to brew less often and have fewer beers on tap. I currently have 4 and that is really probably too much even for 2.5 gallon batches.

You could always try one gallon batches.

 

[beersk]

You could always try one gallon batches.

This, to me, is - waste of time is the wrong phrase - but 2.5 gallons is the smallest I'm willing to go with it.

 

[mac_1103]

waste of time is the wrong phrase

Maybe "not worth the trouble"? It's a personal choice after all. If I didn't have so many brothers in law taking beer off my hands regularly I think I would cut back to minikeg-sized batches before I quit. I'd rather have three on tap than drink five gallons of the same thing until I managed to kick a full keg all by myself.

 

[beersk]

Maybe "not worth the trouble"? It's a personal choice after all. If I didn't have so many brothers in law taking beer off my hands regularly I think I would cut back to minikeg-sized batches before I quit. I'd rather have three on tap than drink five gallons of the same thing until I managed to kick a full keg all by myself.

This is true. But I'd probably cut down to 1 or 2 taps of 2.5 gallon batches.

Anyway, I think when it comes to being fairly young and getting into homebrewing and maintaining it as a long-term hobby, it takes a fair amount of trial and error to find what works best. I've been through a lot of trial and error over my 16 year brewing career. Most of it I didn't pay much attention to my consumption. I still think I drank more 10 years ago than I do now. But as I've gotten older is just feels like a lot, body doesn't take to it quite as well, doesn't recover as easily. These are obvious and everyone knows it.
Also, some of us need to realize that hobbies come and go. Quitting shouldn't be seen as the end of the world. We all have to do what is best for us. If you just don't have a passion for it anymore, no reason to keep doing it.
Me, personally, though, I will probably just do it less. For the longest time it has been just about the only thing I've really thought about and focus on in my free time. I think I'm ready to move on from that.

 

[corkybstewart]

This is true. But I'd probably cut down to 1 or 2 taps of 2.5 gallon batches.

Anyway, I think when it comes to being fairly young and getting into homebrewing and maintaining it as a long-term hobby, it takes a fair amount of trial and error to find what works best. I've been through a lot of trial and error over my 16 year brewing career. Most of it I didn't pay much attention to my consumption. I still think I drank more 10 years ago than I do now. But as I've gotten older is just feels like a lot, body doesn't take to it quite as well, doesn't recover as easily. These are obvious and everyone knows it.
Also, some of us need to realize that hobbies come and go. Quitting shouldn't be seen as the end of the world. We all have to do what is best for us. If you just don't have a passion for it anymore, no reason to keep doing it.
Me, personally, though, I will probably just do it less. For the longest time it has been just about the only thing I've really thought about and focus on in my free time. I think I'm ready to move on from that.

I have thought about quitting but it has been such a huge part of my life for 32 years, it's like cutting off my arm. I will still brew 10 gallon batches but make 2 very different beers from one session.

 

[beersk]

I have thought about quitting but it has been such a huge part of my life for 32 years, it's like cutting off my arm. I will still brew 10 gallon batches but make 2 very different beers from one session.

I know, I kind of feel the same way after 15-16 years of doing it. I started in fall of 2008, so coming up on 16.

I talked to my doctor yesterday at my follow-up appointment for my EKG. Turns out there is something I need to worry about. He says probable left atrial enlargement and/or left ventricular hypertrophy that may be genetic. He says drinking 3 beers a day did not cause it. Some 20% of the population has it but doesn't know it and things like alcohol and caffeine affect some more than others. We are scheduling an echocardiogram to see further what's going on. Until then, I'm not drinking any beer.
But this has me thinking about brewing leichtbier styles. I want to convert all my recipes to about 3% abv or so, mash warmer to keep the body. I don't care about the carbs, that's not the enemy in this particular case.

 

[Coydee]

I did 25 years in the military. We worked hard and played hard.
As a SNCO I remember attending a lecture on alcoholism and how to spot it in others.
One of the "facts" we were told is that once you consume approximately One Ton of alcohol you are an alcoholic. It varies a little based on build, genetics, etc.
We all quizzed the lecturers on this number but they stuck by it.
Several of my buddies succumbed to it and some are on their way to a bad end in the near future.

I'm in my 60's now and only drink once or twice per week (usually beer) and sometimes take a break for several weeks.
I love making wine - it's been my hobby since I was 15.
I make about 18 gallons per year and after maturing I usually drink only one bottle per batch.
I have to give away a lot but that's ok, other people are enjoying it.

 

[Yooper]

I drink less now than ever before; however I stil have a daily beer. I don't do hard liquor, I do drink wine at times, but I love my daily evening beer.

Part of it is my age, sigh. I turned 60 this year. Part of it is my size- at 130 pounds I just can't hold my liquor like I did when I was much younger and more greatly practiced. (Some of the oldtimers still around may attest to my ability to outdrink most men way back when!).
I don't ever 'need' alcohol. I went on an aircraft carrier from Pearl Harbor to San Diego for 6 days last summer, and never once even thought about my daily beer. For me, it's more of a ritual, as after dinner and after doing a few more chores, my husband and I sit down either with a book, a TV show, some computer timer, and have a beer.

This definitely has changed my brewing- I brew smaller batches and less often. Sometimes we have one beer on tap, sometimes two. But I always have a topo chico clone on tap, and often kombucha or another low or NA offering.

I drink alot of water, 2 cups of coffee each day, a little beer, some wine and occasionally kombucha. I NEVER drink soda or commercially packaged energy drinks, etc. On my night out with the girls, if it's not my turn to drive, I will have two beers.

I'm really healthy and strong for my size. I don't kid myself it's because of my alcohol use- but rather my food and life choices. I don't eat packaged food, processed food (beyond a little cheese), any sugar substitutes, or even sugar except on rare occasions. No industrial seed oils (canola, soybean oil, etc). Almost 0 restaurant meals. I eat low carb (I drink my carbs in my one beer!). I probably will continue to brew, smaller batches, as long as I physically can. I like my beer- although I drink some commercial brews too, I really like that Bob and I have our preferences and can brew exactly what we like. He's 69, and in perfect health and very fit. No medication for either of us, and we take great care of ourselves with yearly physicals and labs, and awesome dental care.

I think while alcoholism is a serious issue, that for most Americans and others in developed countries, diet and lack of exercise plays the biggest role in overall health. For those struggling with alcohol, that is really an issue and I feel for them.