On a couple forums that I frequent, I go through the “new to brewing” forums and read posts about people asking the same old questions over without researching answers. You see things like: people transferring their beer from the Primary Fermenter to the Secondary Fermenter without taking a Hydrometer reading. Or asking when is my beer ready to drink. Or their post reads something like: “Help my beer is to sweet”, “I didn’t take an OG but it is at 1.0xx now”, or the myriad of other’s out there.

There are all kinds of people out there. Some are methodical, some are in a hurry, which one are you? As an example: I was in a local HB store and overheard a gentleman talking to the clerk about the beer he was making. It turns out that his wife purchased a beer kit from the Internet. He did not read the instructions (Threw them away), and he mixed water, priming sugar, and his extract together and put it in the bucket without the lid. After that he siphoned it into the bottles and well had flat beer! After overhearing what the clerk told him (I’m standing in for my father), I had to speak up. Just trying to help you know. I explained the basics of brewing and why you would want to boil, along with the priming sugar. I could tell it went in one ear and out the other. He did not want to wait the required time for the beer to mature, or even for carbonation. I handed him a couple of the standards that (IMHO) all new brewers should read. He immediately put them down and stated that he did not have time to read them. I’m sure you can guess what happened when I told him that brewing beer may not be for him.

Back to the topic, I freely give any knowledge to anyone willing to learn and don’t mind answering the questions that frequently arise on the forums. Most of the people who post those messages that have been answered on more than one occasion are usually in a hurry. Maybe not to the extreme that I ran into, but they are new to the brewing hobby and ware wanting to get started. Nothing wrong with a little enthusiasm right? I was new to brewing at one time and people were patient, and understanding when I had dumb questions. Therefore I will try to be the same, and hopefully you will be also.

Cheers

Preston