BeerBorg

It's weird....

Last year, I had such a full pipeline I actually had to go out and buy bottles.

This year, it seemed as though I was always nearly running out of homebrew and I've got dozens of empty bottles that I haven't even touched. Even though I don't think I was drinking more this year (although that's a possibility, of course), and I know I was brewing on the same schedule, rotating weekly through two 2.5 gallon batches and one fiver.

I think part of it was the fact that my first brew after the summer slow-down was a lager. So yes, I brewed a five-gallon batch Labor Day weekend, but didn't begin drinking it until nearly Christmas. I also had some batches that went bad, and had to be discarded, so that's probably a couple of cases or more that left me short-handed.

I've already cut back on my brewing for the summer, limiting myself to 2.5-gallon batches, although I bottled a fiver of Pale Ale last week, so that will help during August. But I just did a quick inventory of my drinkable beer, and I'm heading into the weekend having to schlep some rather young beer upstairs. It should be fine, but I really liked the luxury I had last year of having four or five varieties filling the beer closet at all times.

FedoraDave wrote:Even though I don't think I was drinking more this year (although that's a possibility, of course)

Perhaps you can't recall that you are drinking more because you are drinking more which is affecting your thinking...

My pipeline was being dramatically impacted and I figured out the root cause and had him and his girlfriend to Florida... Down to 11 varieties (2 in very short supply) and 9.45 cases. 5 gallons of White House Honey Porter 1 week into fermentation and 5 gallons of Mackinac Island Red on deck to replenish. But I will end up with 1/2 dozen varieties intentionally as Mr. Beer refills fall out of my pipeline.

Dave, the beer will get drunk even faster when you start kegging. The young beers will taste better than ever... I guarantee it!

I've got the opposite problem this year since my good friends moved and we're no longing doing our Wednesday night thang. I can't drink the beer I'm brewing and I am definitely brewing less and missing it more.

I've slowed my own brewing, too. Mostly because there are so many good beers available right now that I want to try/drink. When I have a lot on-hand I feel like I *have* to drink them and it almost feels like a chore. I like having variety on hand, too. Even 2.5G is a lot of the same beer for me when nobody else is drinking it. I think it's time to bottle some up and give it away so I can clear some out and not feel guilty about buying some stuff. I must be Catholic.

(No offense to any Catholics intended. Just a poor reference to feeling guilty about buying beer when I have so much)

I'm a Catholic......I guess that explains my guilty feelings too!
And, people get offended way to easy. That's a big pet peeve of mine.
MAN UP!

I can tell you through first hand knowledge, Catholics sure can drink!

So like Paul said Ron, MAN UP and get to drinking!