Help from home brewers please!!

[Andyyan]

Hi All ;-)) Thank you for taking the time to read my post, I am currently trying to carry out some research on the home brewing industry in UK to gain a bit more knowledge of it and to try and understand home-brewers motivations, I am carrying out this research as part of my Masters programme and would really appreciate if you could point me in the right direction to gain this info, please see attached a list of questions prepared:
QUESTIONAIRE FOR HOMEBREWERS
Q1: What is your motivation for home-brewing?
Q2: Could you describe the biggest problem or disadvantage with home-brewing.
Q3: How long do you spend at home-brewing per week?
Q4: Is the time you spend at home-brewing an issue or irrelevant?
Q5: Is water or electricity a key factor for home-brewing?
Q6: Do you have to source hops, grain and malt from separate suppliers? If so are they easy to access?

Q7: What could improve your home-brewing process or experience?
Q8: Are there any important features/products you think could improve the home-brewing process?
Q9: Do you prefer to source/locate your own Beer ingredients?

Again I really appreciate your time and if it is at all possible to help me with this, as I have no knowledge of this industry or don't know of anyone involved with home brewing

I look forward to hearing from you,

Email: [email protected]

Andy

 

[AndyKU]

I'll play.

Q1: What is your motivation for home-brewing?

I like beer and wine, but I also like self reliance.

Q2: Could you describe the biggest problem or disadvantage with home-brewing.

Cost. You end up spending quite a bit to brew at the highest levels of homebrewing.

Q3: How long do you spend at home-brewing per week?

At home? 6-10 hours a month. Work? 20 - 30 hours a month.

Q4: Is the time you spend at home-brewing an issue or irrelevant?

Nope. Wife loves my wine.

Q5: Is water or electricity a key factor for home-brewing?

Water.

Q6: Do you have to source hops, grain and malt from separate suppliers? If so are they easy to access?

No.

Q7: What could improve your home-brewing process or experience?

More time to brew!

Q8: Are there any important features/products you think could improve the home-brewing process?

Nope.

Q9: Do you prefer to source/locate your own Beer ingredients?

Yup.

 

[Covrich]

Q1: What is your motivation for home-brewing?

I enjoy it, I enjoy my beers and ales and making my own is very satisfying. It is also very cheap which is an advantage


Q2: Could you describe the biggest problem or disadvantage with home-brewing.

It takes time and some space and of course if something went wrong it can be disheartening and possibly costly.

Q3: How long do you spend at home-brewing per week?

6-7 hours per month at the minute

Q4: Is the time you spend at home-brewing an issue or irrelevant?

No not really I try to do it on evenings which I have to myself as long as I clean up and I am happy she is.

Q5: Is water or electricity a key factor for home-brewing?

Water is good and I dont have any electrical issues

Q6: Do you have to source hops, grain and malt from separate suppliers? If so are they easy to access?

At teh moment yes all from the same supplier, yes no problem accessing them.

Q7: What could improve your home-brewing process or experience?

More time, it would be nice to have a 4-6 hour window where I could brew totally free of worry looking at the clock. Having more space to have equipment would be nice too but I make do with what I can.

Q8: Are there any important features/products you think could improve the home-brewing process?

Nothing which comes to mind.

Q9: Do you prefer to source/locate your own Beer ingredients?

I ship all my ingredients from a supplier

 

[stesmi]

QUESTIONAIRE FOR HOMEBREWERS
Q1: What is your motivation for home-brewing?
Originally cost, but now also I love to concoct
Q2: Could you describe the biggest problem or disadvantage with home-brewing.
Inconsistency in final product
Q3: How long do you spend at home-brewing per week?
3 hours on average.
Q4: Is the time you spend at home-brewing an issue or irrelevant?
It's a hobby, so an enjoyable irrelevance to all my family
Q5: Is water or electricity a key factor for home-brewing?
No. It still ends up cheaper - by a lot
Q6: Do you have to source hops, grain and malt from separate suppliers? If so are they easy to access?
Yes and yes
Q7: What could improve your home-brewing process or experience?
Nothing really could
Q8: Are there any important features/products you think could improve the home-brewing process?
Not really
Q9: Do you prefer to source/locate your own Beer ingredients?
Yes, but only if the local supplier is a friendly, good supplier

 

[howyoubrewin]

QUESTIONAIRE FOR HOMEBREWERS*
Q1: What is your motivation for home-brewing?
Initially I needed a hobby but now its a passion.
Q2: Could you describe the biggest problem or disadvantage with home-brewing.
Space. I struggle for space to brew at the level i'd like to.
Q3: How long do you spend at home-brewing per week?*
About 6 hrs a month give or take.
Q4: Is the time you spend at home-brewing an issue or irrelevant?*
As long as I prioritise my time with my family over brewing then its not an issue.
Q5: Is water or electricity a key factor for home-brewing?
Water quality potentially can be.
Q6: Do you have to source hops, grain and malt from separate suppliers? If so are they easy to access?
I access all my ingredients from the one supplier and find them very easy to deal with.
Q7: What could improve your home-brewing process or experience?*
I enjoy all aspects of brewing. I wouldn't change a thing.
Q8: Are there any important features/products you think could improve the home-brewing process?*
Nothing springs to mind.
Q9: Do you prefer to source/locate your own Beer ingredients?*
Yes.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Q1: What is your motivation for home-brewing?

Originally it was cost but when i discovered i could make better tasting wine than the cheap supermarket stuff we had been drinking for less money it turned it into a hobby.

Q2: Could you describe the biggest problem or disadvantage with home-brewing.

I don't have a lot of room for both making and storing my wines so they never age as long as i would like them to.

Q3: How long do you spend at home-brewing per week?

It differs from week to week depending on what part of the process the wines are at, i would say on average 3 hours.

Q4: Is the time you spend at home-brewing an issue or irrelevant?

My wife loves the stuff i make so doesn't care how long it takes me to make it.

Q5: Is water or electricity a key factor for home-brewing?

NO, when you make wine you don't have to boil water in the quantities beer brewers do.

Q6: Do you have to source hops, grain and malt from separate suppliers? If so are they easy to access?

N/A

Q7: What could improve your home-brewing process or experience?

More room and storage.

Q8: Are there any important features/products you think could improve the home-brewing process?

Nothing i can think of.

Q9: Do you prefer to source/locate your own Beer ingredients?

I buy all my juices in my local supermarkets and the rest of the ingredients (yeast, pectolace, nutrient etc) i get from my local health food shop.

 

[dad_of_jon]

QUESTIONAIRE FOR HOMEBREWERS
Q1: What is your motivation for home-brewing?

To make the type I beer I want to drink that isn't readily available locally.

Q2: Could you describe the biggest problem or disadvantage with home-brewing.

It's either waiting for the beer to mature sufficiently or storage of maturing beers.


Q3: How long do you spend at home-brewing per week?

It averages an hour a week, but nothing for a few weeks then 3-4 hours.

Q4: Is the time you spend at home-brewing an issue or irrelevant?

It's not a problem.

Q5: Is water or electricity a key factor for home-brewing?

Water quality. I use bottled water. A lot of brewers use gas.

Q6: Do you have to source hops, grain and malt from separate suppliers? If so are they easy to access?

I use various suppliers but all via the internet, there are no good suppliers in the locality.

Q7: What could improve your home-brewing process or experience?

automated brewing temperature control

Q8: Are there any important features/products you think could improve the home-brewing process?

more space

Q9: Do you prefer to source/locate your own Beer ingredients?

You have to, they don't turn up on their own. I suppose someone could ask me to brew for them and they might then give the the ingredients.

 

[baggybill]

Q1: What is your motivation for home-brewing?
Initial attraction was cost. Now it's a hobby I enjoy like people who bake cakes/sweets etc. I also enjoy giving my products (wine) as gifts at Xmas time and birthdays etc. as this seems to be well appreciated (personal touch) and I'm motivated to do a good job with a custom recipes (not kit wines!) and bottle presentation such as fancy caps, labels, tags etc.

Q2: Could you describe the biggest problem or disadvantage with home-brewing.
I would say the space required. In under 12 months, I've had to go from the corner of a shelf for a single demijohn to converting half my garage to a brewery! But then, I did get the homebrew bug bad

Q3: How long do you spend at home-brewing per week?
Easier to estimate by the month. An hour here and there and normally a full day brewing/racking/bottling. So, about 10-15 hours a month.

Q4: Is the time you spend at home-brewing an issue or irrelevant?
Irrelevant.

Q5: Is water or electricity a key factor for home-brewing?
Nope, no issues with either.

Q6: Do you have to source hops, grain and malt from separate suppliers? If so are they easy to access?
Yes and yes via online orders.

Q7: What could improve your home-brewing process or experience?
More free time, more practise, more experience... always learning!

Q8: Are there any important features/products you think could improve the home-brewing process?
An all-in-one automated temperature controlling device (with probe) like a ready made STC-1000 but ready built in a box with mains sockets etc. already wired up and attached. Did one myself, pain in the a*, took me hours. Need another 3 <sigh>

Q9: Do you prefer to source/locate your own Beer ingredients?
No. I rely heavily on forums like this to advise me and point me in the right direction.

:drink: