What/who got you into brewing?

[Popatopher]

Wow, I see some folk going back as far as me.
I lived in Stevenage and our School Physics Master ran 6 week wine and Beer Making class for kids after exam activities. He was a teacher by day and pub landlord the rest of the time.
At the time I was Volunteer DJ at the local youth club. Once a month we had to finish early to let the local Wine and Beer Makers Guild have their monthly meeting. After the Wine and Beer making classes I decided to stay behind and see what it was all about.
well it snowballed from there. 3 years later I was chairman my family and friends and my fiancées family and friends joined as well.
At the time I was brewing those Geordie. kit beers. Never got anywhere entering completions. One of the judges was on the same county commute as me by then. He took me under his arm and showed me how to brew all grain, lent me his equipment to try myself.
that was it never looked back.
Was a big fan of Dave Line and his books still relevant today.
and just like others on here I, expanded from rotokegs to 3 kegerators 4 Taps on CO2, 3 Taps on Beer Gas and 2 hand pull beer engines. From plastic brew buckets thru temp controlled Fridge to Glycol chiller and a couple of SS Brewtech Unitanks and pressure fermentation.
Even grow 7 varieties of Hops and absolutely love making Fresh Hop brews.
my wife has grown from just the summer ale I made for her to enjoying a lot of the new beers like an APA, or a Hazy.

 

[damienair]

I shared a house with a friend after College and when first in full time proper work. My friends Dad used to brew, so one weekend we threw all his brewing gear into the back of my car and headed back up to our rental accommodation. We bought some basic lager kit and brewed it with table sugar. It was awful stuff. Flat and difficult to drink. My friend was still in college, in his final year, so I left the rest to him. I could afford the finer stuff, Dutch Gold and 6 cans of McEwans Lager for £5.
Roll on many years, beginning of December 2020, I was bored watching TV, COVID lockdowns and decided to give it another try. Bought a starter kit and 19 brews later I am delighted with the results. I've also become very popular with my next door neighbour.

 

[MmmBeer]

I did a few Boots kits whilst at uni in the late 80's, then about seven or eight years ago a home brew shop opened in my home town and I thought I must have another go at that. After about five kits, I tried small scale all grain for a while, bought a grainfather, built a fermenting fridge, was made redundant and decided to have a go at brewing for a living, volunteered at a local micro brewery, took and passed my IBD general certificate, got taken on part time as a brewer, bought cornies, built a keezer and now work as a full time brewer in a brew pub.

 

[Bernie]

Wife's birthday present was a Boots home-brew kit including bucket and keg.

 

[MickDundee]

Wow, I see some folk going back as far as me.
I lived in Stevenage and our School Physics Master ran 6 week wine and Beer Making class for kids after exam activities. He was a teacher by day and pub landlord the rest of the time.
At the time I was Volunteer DJ at the local youth club. Once a month we had to finish early to let the local Wine and Beer Makers Guild have their monthly meeting. After the Wine and Beer making classes I decided to stay behind and see what it was all about.
well it snowballed from there. 3 years later I was chairman my family and friends and my fiancées family and friends joined as well.
At the time I was brewing those Geordie. kit beers. Never got anywhere entering completions. One of the judges was on the same county commute as me by then. He took me under his arm and showed me how to brew all grain, lent me his equipment to try myself.
that was it never looked back.
Was a big fan of Dave Line and his books still relevant today.
and just like others on here I, expanded from rotokegs to 3 kegerators 4 Taps on CO2, 3 Taps on Beer Gas and 2 hand pull beer engines. From plastic brew buckets thru temp controlled Fridge to Glycol chiller and a couple of SS Brewtech Unitanks and pressure fermentation.
Even grow 7 varieties of Hops and absolutely love making Fresh Hop brews.
my wife has grown from just the summer ale I made for her to enjoying a lot of the new beers like an APA, or a Hazy.

Your physics teacher taught you how to make beer? At school?!?!?!?!?

 

[St00]

About 15 years ago I tried some of my mate's Nelson Sauvin IPA at a party and it blew my mind. I'd only ever drank alcohol to get drunk up until that moment. It tasted like nothing else I'd tried. He described the process to me and invited me to his next brew day. I bought his old kit off him when he upgraded and I didn't look back. He went pro briefly, but then moved to Portland Oregan.

It's one of my greatest regrets that it's too expensive to send him beer to try as I'd not really come close to making incredible beer before he left.