I mean . . . why?
If you live in a city of any size these days, it’s hard to throw a shaker pint and not hit a craft brewery in the head (ask me how I know). Chances are, the beer at your local brewery is not half-bad and is only getting better. So when I tell you I spend five hours mashing and boiling a load of wort to then spend three weeks intermittently coddling yeast to then stare at cases of bottles for three weeks until they are ready to chill and enjoy, it’s understandable that my statement raises an eyebrow. It’s also understandable, if you know me, that you might call me out for force carbonating a new keg and skipping the three-week waiting period. But still. Why do we homebrewers go to such lengths to make our own beer when it is so readily available at the store or local taproom?
The easiest way to answer that is that either you get it or you don’t. While that may not sound fair, there’s a lot of truth to it. I could tell you about the abstract element of imagining a specific beer on the market and following a clone recipe to see how close you can get. Or the huge deal that is pulling a handle on a frothy draft and handing it to a friend who simply can’t fathom this was made at home. Or tasting a very pricey bottle and knocking out a close facsimile for half the price. Or the bottomless dorky joy that is yeast wrangling. Or the ridiculously fast return on investment (ROI) on equipment setup. Or the almost meditative respite from life that comes from standing around a burner in the backyard. Or the long-lasting friendships that develop around said burner.