Life Lessons from Homebrewing

On the flip side, perseverance and rejection-handling skills take flight when one is asking that question. When the thumbs down is aimed at your self-made, bottled pride and joy – “I know stout. I worked with stout. Your brown ale is no stout.” – an ability to brush off criticism and move on is severely tested.

Politicians forced into government-mandated homebrew clubs could solve any government problem with ease and earn some across-the-aisle pats on the back.

Making beer can allow people to fulfill themselves in roles once thought out of reach. “Beer is the only thing,” my brother Chris says, “that I can bring to life, protect through gestation and nurture to tasteful adulthood.” He can’t make kids on his own, but brewing means he can overcome his “womb envy.” 

Can woodworking and golf do that?

Of course, today many homebrewers-turned-commercial-brewers know the other pluses that brewing teaches. These men and women know that sometimes the best thing to do is craft your own recipes, defy traditions, and be brave enough to challenge the macro-status-quo. Such trailblazing delivers delicious results for at-home and on-the-job brewers alike. 

Me, I’m thinking of the brewed lessons I’ve learned about cleanliness and sanitation – right now an infected beer is the least of my worries – and optimism. What to do? Apply siphon skills and drain bag. Flush again with sanitizer and rinse. Clean fittings and reconnect. Squeeze hand, kiss goodnight. Tuck in, turn out light. “Relax, don’t worry.”