MASHOUT MAGAZINE

Opinion

Homebrewing started in garages and kitchens. It was built on sharing recipes, swapping stories about batches gone wrong, and getting excited about making something drinkable from grain, water, and time. It still is, but somewhere along the way, a certain type of brewer decided the hobby needed gatekeepers. And they went ahead and appointed themselves.

The snobbery problem in homebrew culture is real, and I think it is starting to push new brewers out before they ever get going.

The Equipment Flexers

We have all met this person. They have a fancy automated brewing setup that cost more than a used car, and they want you to know about it, or they don’t and for some reason act like they do. Every conversation circles back to the gear. Not the beer. The gear. I know what you’re thinking… “Jordan you have a nice fancy brew system.” I know, I know, but I don’t scoff at plastic buckets, only glass carboys. (I mean seriously, they’re dangerous!)

The second a beginner mentions their starter kit, the Equipment Flexer checks out. “Oh, you’re still using that?” The message is clear: your setup is not good enough, so your beer is not good enough, so you are not good enough. It’s petty stuff.

Here is the truth gear snobs do not want to hear: equipment does not make great beer. Process does. Attention does. Care does. Some of the best homebrew I have ever tasted came out of a basic bucket setup in someone’s spare bedroom. Some of the most forgettable came from a gleaming system that cost a small fortune. The beer does not care what brewed it. Neither should you.

The Style Police

Craft beer has always had a tradition of telling people they are drinking the wrong thing. Homebrewing picked that habit up and ran with it.

Brew a clean, easy-drinking lager and watch what happens. Eye rolls. Quiet condescension. “Why would you spend all that time making something you can just buy at a gas station?” As if the whole point of homebrewing is to brew the most complicated or trendy style possible. As if wanting a cold, simple beer on a hot afternoon is some kind of failure.

Style snobs have decided that only certain beers are worth brewing. Usually whatever they happen to be into right now. Hazy IPAs are the gold standard right now. Don’t forget to make a Belgian, a West Coast IPA, or a stout because, why not? (I will never never make a brown ale). The trend changes. The judgment never does.

Here is something worth thinking about: brewing a clean, well-made lager is actually harder than brewing a hazy, heavily hopped beer that hides its flaws behind big flavor. The style police might want to sip on that one.

Why This Actually Matters

This might sound like venting, and some of it is. But there is a real cost to this kind of culture and it is worth saying out loud. I see this time and time again across the multiple Facebook groups that I am in, and it’s getting old.

Homebrewing is losing beginners. People show up curious, maybe to a homebrew club meeting, or they post a question online and get met with attitude instead of help. They put the hobby down and never pick it back up. Every one of those people could have become a lifelong brewer. We are losing them to ego.

The best homebrewers I know are also the most welcoming. They remember not knowing things. They get that excitement matters more than skill at the beginning, because skill can be learned and excitement cannot be faked.

Homebrewing should be the most welcoming corner of beer culture. It was built on people helping each other out, sharing recipes, talking through mistakes, and pouring a pint together. That spirit is still here. It just needs more room than the snobs are giving it.

So the next time someone shows you their basic setup or tells you about their first batch, be the brewer you wished you had when you started. That is what this hobby is supposed to be about.

By Jordan, Billy’s Tavern Homebrewing

Jordan is a California native. When he is not brewing he can be found drinking beer with friends, duck hunting, and getting lost in a good book or video game. When he is not out on an adventure with his wife, he can be found at home with his two lovable dogs. Stay up to date by following him on Instagram.