That's why (self serving plug) our next book is titled "Simple Homebrewing". That's why you're seeing so many all in one systems out there. People are VERY interested in doing things for themselves, but it has to fit in with their busy lives. Sure, that's a factor but loom at the rise of the maker culture. First, the reason Homebrewi g is declining has a lot more to do with lifestyle than availability of craft beer. Mike, ya know I love ya, but you're off base on a coupe things. Drinking beer is a diversion, brewing beer can change your life! I understand that drinking a beer and checking in on Untappd is no-risk (I wrote a couple hundred reviews on BeerAdvocate), but it doesn't really lead to anything. It caused me to learn and grow in areas that aren't really connected to beer or brewing. An active engagement with brewing is the best way to really understand and appreciate beer. There will still be plenty of people who drink craft beer, and try their hand at homebrewing, but only enough to replace all of the homebrewers who stop to drink craft beer or join the industry.ĭrinking beer wouldn't have done the same thing for my life as homebrewing. There won't be a return the levels of excitement and engagement we saw ten years ago. My best guess is that we're reaching stasis. Homebrewing becomes an even more specialized/nerdy hobby, and we lose out on the vibrancy that new hobbyists bring. As quality beer becomes more accessible the price will be pushed down, making it an even more attractive option for marginal-homebrewers. Hopefully as more consumers become accustomed to really fresh beer at tasting rooms, they get interested in brewing it for themselves! Maybe the greater number of people drinking craft beer simply gets more people interested in brewing. Lack of quality, high prices, poor quality control, beer that sits too long before being sold… honestly now that I know how good IPA tastes within a month of brewing, I rarely buy a six-pack off the shelf. Maybe the continual push for novelty in craft brewing, extra-bold flavors, and lack of true originality turns people off. If this time is like the previous two lulls, homebrewing is due for another bounce. Not that automated wort production isn't appealing (and useful) for homebrewers looking to devote less time to the process. The automated systems will always make beer that isn't as good as commercial, at a higher price-point. You can buy a six pack at the store for less than it takes to brew these, and enjoy a bottle each night. I just don’t see any product that makes brewing that easy gaining a strong foothold because brewing beer involves more care than coffee and to-the-minute freshness isn't as important. If I hear one more new product that bills itself as the “Keurig” of beer… I’m going to lose it! It isn’t even like Keurig is synonymous with high quality coffee. I don't view automated homebrewing systems as a threat to traditional homebrewing or a big boon for the hobby. For them craft beer is a source of inspiration, but not a replacement for the hobby! engineering, culinary techniques, and experimentation. Those who are passionate about recipe design, microbiology, botany, community. Those who brew not to save money, or drink the “best” beer, but who love the process. There have always been different types of homebrewers, different reasons they brew. There were still plenty of people who wanted to drink a wider range of styles though, and that still meant brewing their own. I've met a few former homebrewers who thought that was enough selection to make homebrewing superfluous. No longer were beer drinkers limited to macro lagers and stale impotrs, because hoppy pale ales, malty browns, and roasty stouts were available coast-to-coast. These coincide with three pivotal moments in commercial beer availability.īy the early 1990s most parts of the country had a selection of bottled craft beer from the likes of Sierra Nevada, Boston Beer, not to mention a few local breweries. Roughly the early-1990s, early-2000s, and the last few years. The surveys from the American Homebrewer’s Association gives hard numbers: from 1.2 million homebrewers in 2013, to 1.1 million in 2017.Īnecdotally over the last 30 years, American homebrewing has experienced three similar dips. The closures of retailers, like the recent announcement from Love2Brew. I see it at DC Homebrewer’s meetings, where there aren’t nearly as many fresh faces as there were five years ago. That’s why I'm sad that homebrewing is on the decline in America.
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