Is the Homebrew hobby in decline?

Clint said:

Yeah...what in the name of Jesus are PRE-DRINKS???
Everyone before the last one?
Going out AFTER 10pm....its kebab time then!

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@Clint - I remember when I first started going out everyone joined the local working mens clubs as they opened at 6pm and beer was cheap, pubs opened at 7pm until 11pm then everyone moved onto the night clubs as that was the only place you could then get a drink, if i remember right they closd at 2am.

Some pubs had illegal lockins after 11pm but they were few and far between and you had to be well known to be able to stay, they were raided often by the police.
I think the government ****** up allowing pubs to stay open until whatever time they liked as then drinkers stopped going out at 6 or 7pm and instead had a few drinks at home then went out much later, it's not a wonder so many pubs have closed

MickDundee said:

When I first started going to my local Homebrew Club in 2022 (I’d been brewing for 7 years at that point), it wasn’t unusual for meeting attendance numbers to be in the high teens.

In the last 6-12 months we are down to about 10 “core” members and there have been months where we’ve only had 4 of us able to make it.

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At London Amateur Brewers the membership ebbs and flows a bit.

When I joined back in 2015 we were getting 30 or so people regularly, and had nearly 50 at one meeting (Jamil Zainasheff was visiting). That dropped off a bit as we had some venue issues, but we now seem to be back at 25-30 people for some meetings. During summer that often drops to under 20 though.

Competitions are less well subscribed though. At one time for the biggest competitions they were selling out in less than 24 hours from opening. Now for many competitions you can now get an entry a couple of weeks before hand.

Perhaps the novelty has just worn off on those.

MickDundee said:

When I first started going to my local Homebrew Club in 2022 (I’d been brewing for 7 years at that point), it wasn’t unusual for meeting attendance numbers to be in the high teens.

In the last 6-12 months we are down to about 10 “core” members and there have been months where we’ve only had 4 of us able to make it.

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I would love to have a local home brew club, no idea if there even is such a thing near me.

This site has been a goldmine tho and encouraged me to try other things I might not have.

old dog new tricks said:

I would love to have a local home brew club, no idea if there even is such a thing near me.

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Why not give a shout out in this forum you might find one or get enough interest to start one -
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/forums/competitions-meetups-bottle-swaps-events.25/

You could always start a club. Have 2 meetings a week in your back parlour and be the chairman.
Keep it to yourself, tell the other half membership is closed.

old dog new tricks said:

I would love to have a local home brew club, no idea if there even is such a thing near me.

This site has been a goldmine tho and encouraged me to try other things I might not have.

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There was one that was meeting in Glasgow. If you google it'll come up. Scottish Craft Brewers also have some members over that way, so might be worth emailing them to ask, or go on their Facebook page.

Otherwise, do start one - post on here and some Facebook groups and you'll probably get a few people to come along.

old dog new tricks said:

I would love to have a local home brew club, no idea if there even is such a thing near me.

This site has been a goldmine tho and encouraged me to try other things I might not have.

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There must be one in Glasgow - Edinburgh (SCB), Aberdeen and Dundee all have one, so it would be odd for Glasgow not to!

At one point Brewdog was running Homebrew clubs from a lot of its bars and that’s how the Dundee one started up, although BD don’t have any involvement in it anymore apart from letting us use their premises.

JockyBrewer said:

Competitions are less well subscribed though. At one time for the biggest competitions they were selling out in less than 24 hours from opening. Now for many competitions you can now get an entry a couple of weeks before hand.

Perhaps the novelty has just worn off on those.

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I went through a spell where I was entering loads of competitions, but the bad organisation of the 2022 Brewcon one, and somehow sending a dodgy bottle to the 2023 Scottish (all 3 had turned to vinegar apparently - didn’t have a single bottle or pint from the keg that was anywhere near close to vinegar) put me off a bit.

Yours is the only one I go out of my way to enter now, partly because it’s the only one I’ve won anything at before, and partly because being in mid/late May it fits my spring/summer brew schedule nicely.

Others I’ll enter if I have a particular beer I want feedback on but usually just wait and see if there are any late entries - for example I did the Anglian last year because we were doing a “challenge” at my brew club and I wanted to see what it would have scored.

If you go by the evidence of home-brew shops, they seem to be closing in droves. I know there's plenty of online suppliers, but then again, there always was.

I have people saying they would like to get into it but it seems too much work, or they don't have the time.
A few have started when they find out you don't have to send £k's to do it.
I started by watching Beer 'n' BBQ with Larry on Youtube. He had tutorials on how to make grain beer with some copper pipe and some thermos tubs. That was a while ago and the results blew my mind. First ever was a Timmy Taylor Landlord clone and was making everyone try it saying "I made that!".
We all evolve once we are bitten. next thing you know the garage is full of my progression through equipment. (maybe I should start a Youtube channel and get loads of free stuff!)

Clint said:

Need to compare with pre covid. I bet nearly all the new home brewers from the covid years don't brew any more.

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I do

Herms bay said:

I have people saying they would like to get into it but it seems too much work, or they don't have the time.

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Very good point. I have had that.

6 hour brew days with a family and a job don't often fit.

Rodcx500z said:

Both of my kids only drink on occasions and very rarely at that

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And not on school days

moto748 said:

If you go by the evidence of home-brew shops, they seem to be closing in droves. I know there's plenty of online suppliers, but then again, there always was.

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I'd love a decent homebrew shop near me but with next day delivery and the sheer range of products you get on line now, no homebrew shop could compete. High street shops are struggling full stop. Nobody wants to go out shopping these days.

I'm one of those who took it up during Covid but have been following the hobby for a while and Covid was just an opportune time to roll up my sleeves and get stuck in due to a combination of a bit more 'spare' cash around me to make the initial investments and the cessation of other hobbies and activities taking up my spare time.

I don't mind a 5-6 hour brewery. its not as if its totally absorbing, there is alot of dead time during the brew day so I usually have some other chore or activity going on in parallel. Besides my bacon butty game has been raised to epic proportions in competition with my brewing mate trying to outdo each other.

But the yoofs of today were brought up on a diet based on super sweet carbohydrates and refined sugars all washed down with drinks that are basically refined sugar syrup so their taste for beer is not great and much prefer sickly sweet cocktails so wouldn't be surprised if the popularity of beer reduces over the next 20 - 30 years.

Davegase said:

And not on school days

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They are both grown up Dave 35 and 26 and rarely touch alcohol

@ Old Dog New Tricks, Alex Salmon got me into home brewing the first time he mentioned minimum unit pricing! Never looked back. Now hamsa is talking about increasing it. Its enough to make me buy a still. Every time we are away in the MO HO and are out of Scotland we come back with Gallons of beer and wine. (My home brew beer doesn't travel well, I like clear beer). Best place to buy wine is Italy you can pick up 5L of drinkable wine for 2.5 euro. Last summer alone we came back with 10 demijohns worth! never have to buy a demijohn again.
On the subject of home brew clubs never even knew there was such a thing. Never heard of such a thing in Glasgow.
I blame coffee shops and hipsters for the decline in beer drinking. The young of today need a good role model today just like we had Lemmy when we were young.

Rodcx500z said:

They are both grown up Dave 35 and 26 and rarely touch alcohol

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Mine comes back from Uni and says he prefers mine to the pubs, so proceeds to drink the lot! there again £7/pint might have something to do with it. I could never see them making beer no matter how much they like it as it's a hobby thing and they don't do that unless it's golf!

well my first brew was cider my son tried it said too dry not sweet enough for him as he went back to Strongbow and Corona.

I have seen there is Muntons Premium Cerveza kit might try that for him

MashBag said:

Very good point. I have had that.

6 hour brew days with a family and a job don't often fit.

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It's noticeable at LAB that we get quite a few younger members in their 20s that then disappear as they have a family and often move out of London.

MickDundee said:

When I first started going to my local Homebrew Club in 2022 (I’d been brewing for 7 years at that point), it wasn’t unusual for meeting attendance numbers to be in the high teens.

In the last 6-12 months we are down to about 10 “core” members and there have been months where we’ve only had 4 of us able to make it.

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I must admit I'm with Groucho Marks here. "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member."!

I think I have been put off in the past, I joined a diving club back in the day and they ended up just being a social club. They cared more about the annual ball than actually doing anything to do with diving.

That's why I like forums. you can always find advice, Usually good