People leaving the hobby?

[Ty520]

Lately, I seem to have been noticing many people reporting that they are giving up the hobby of wine-making, and selling off their equipment.

was curious if anyone else has noticed this as a trend?

and if so, what would you attribute it to?

 

[Rocky]

Lately, I seem to have been noticing many people reporting that they are giving up the hobby of wine-making, and selling off their equipment.

was curious if anyone else has noticed this as a trend?

and if so, what would you attribute it to?

As in most hobbies, people get in and get out for a number of reasons. Personally, I don't see a "trend" away from wine making. Perhaps is seems so because we see posts of people selling their equipment, but we rarely see people announcing buying equipment. One positive, note the number of forum members and how it has grown over the past year. I believe the hobby is alive and well and may even see a major reinvigoration given the current economic climate.

 

[vinny]

but we rarely see people announcing buying equipment.

You would get sick of all my posts.

People come and people go. There is a ton of used equipment for sale in my area for next to nothing. These are clearly people that have made a lot of wine and the equipment paid for itself. They just don't use it anymore. You can tell when a person wants top $ that they didn't stick with it and it wasn't their thing.

We have an new LHBS in town and they are doing really well. They are the first location in the area where you can make it on site. A lot of people seem to prefer it. The owner said many of their clients used to make it at home and just want to start it and walk away.

Also said there are lots of new people getting into it as well.

Especially since covid hit. New wine makers, garden growers. Lots of people found more home based hobbies.

I don't see the hobby dying out, if that is your concern.

 

[Sage]

The people I bought a bunch of equipment from were part of a group. They must have had several hundred cases along a garage wall. Liked making it, won some awards, but enough is enough! They just got half their money back and had more than a lifetime of wine. Moved on to other fun things!

 

[QuiQuog]

People have been making wine for thousands of years. It's not likely that everyone will stop right when we're getting good at it. If it's true that more people are selling equipment, it may be because of all the people who started during the pandemic that don't have the time anymore. That in conjunction with the economic downturn may have people re-prioritizing their expenditures.

 

[BernardSmith]

I wonder if some people who are getting rid of equipment jumped into wine making with both feet before they had made a gallon of wine and then discovered after buying a kit that they had no patience for this hobby or they had no idea how to follow instructions without adding their own creative notes and so the first wines they made were barely drinkable... Lots of people with not much spare money seem to have lots of money to burn...

 

[mainshipfred]

I see far more people getting out of beer than winemaking.

 

[Rocky]

I see far more people getting out of beer than winemaking.

I would not be surprised at this. I have never had a homemade beer that tasted anywhere near what one can buy. I am not faulting the beer maker. Perhaps the equipment to make a really good beer would be cost prohibited for the home beer maker.

 

[wood1954]

I would not be surprised at this. I have never had a homemade beer that tasted anywhere near what one can buy. I am not faulting the beer maker. Perhaps the equipment to make a really good beer would be cost prohibited for the home beer maker.

My neighbor makes great beer, many flavors and styles, but it seems to me to be a pain to make compared to making wine. I helped him make a 10 gallon batch and realized I would never do it on my own.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

Maybe it’s the labor costs causing them to leave

 

[ChuckD]

I, like many others, started winemaking as a pandemic hobby. For me it has only intensified but many jump from One hobby to the next. That has benefited me greatly as I have picked up a lot of winemaking equipment at “spouse told me to get it out of the spare room now” prices!

 

[Loadclear]

Speaking for myself, I made beer as good or better than could be bought… the problem was that it cost more to make than to buy.

 

[Wayne Freeman]

I would not be surprised at this. I have never had a homemade beer that tasted anywhere near what one can buy. I am not faulting the beer maker. Perhaps the equipment to make a really good beer would be cost prohibited for the home beer maker.

I made beer fairly regularly for a few years. One batch I made in the mid '70s, living in Florida, tasted almost exactly like Heineken. I swear it did. Never repeated the feat. All the rest of the beer I ever made, before and after, always had a slight apple ciderish flavor. I always used dextrose, too, not regular sugar, so it wasn't that. Finally gave up.

 

[vinny]

Speaking for myself, I made beer as good or better than could be bought… the problem was that it cost more to make than to buy.

Were you using kits, or raw ingredients?

I have been considering giving beer a try. I only really like a heavy Belgian style beer, and there is none available locally to buy. I don't drink much and I like to cook with it as much as drink it. If I had a bunch on hand that might change, but if I didn't like it, I wouldn't drink it just because.

 

[vinny]

Maybe it’s the labor costs causing them to leave

Nicely played!

 

[Loadclear]

I got really into it… I was going full grain. No extracts. I was tweaking it batch over batch to get to my perfect IPA.

Finally, I reached perfection IMO. I shared a bottle with a friend… he said “this is awesome, it tastes just like Inversion IPA”. (Deschutes).

It did taste like Deschutes Inversion IPA, my favorite beer.

Unfortunately, inversion at the local store cost about $1.00 a bottle. My recipe cost about $2.00 a bottle.

That’s when I stopped brewing beer.

 

[Loadclear]

Were you using kits, or raw ingredients?

I have been considering giving beer a try. I only really like a heavy Belgian style beer, and there is none available locally to buy. I don't drink much and I like to cook with it as much as drink it. If I had a bunch on hand that might change, but if I didn't like it, I wouldn't drink it just because.

Raw ingredients, full grain, no extracts (kind of like a raw grape wine from the vine)

 

[Loadclear]

Raw ingredients, full grain, no extracts (kind of like a raw grape wine from the vine)

FYI, I live in Alaska, my LHBS is a one and only within 2500 miles… not a great situation for brewers.

 

[G259]

FYI, I live in Alaska, my LHBS is a one and only within 2500 miles… not a great situation for brewers.

Yeah, supply and demand . . .

 

[sjjan]

I started making wine and beer during the Corona pandemic. Wine I can only make once per year after the harvest of the grapes. Beer I can make all year long and I am now selling my beer to a local pub. I ferment beer and wine in the same cellar but brew outside.