Relationship with craft brewers?

[Spurtrax]

How are peoples relations with craft brewers? If you bring beer and ask them to taste it are they cool and helpful or are they assholes?

Why I am asking is a local micro-pub owner/brewer invited our small homebrew club to have a meeting and tasting at his place. He wants to get a co-op going to sell us grains and hops.

Everything started out good but as soon as people started pouring beers the vibe totally changed. While a few people brought "homebrew" tasting beers, most everyone brought it strong and fielded great stuff. Most of it a lot better than the local micro-pubs beer. After this he kind of acted sulky and sort of ignored people when they would ask him a question, like we couldn't get out of there fast enough to suit him.

So what's the story? Has anyone else had a reaction like this?

[BarefootLion]

Our club is based out of a local brew pub, as well as one of the clubs in NJ(its a chain of brew pubs) we are on a great relationship with the brewers. I have gotten 1 pitch pure Brett from thier stable, I know others have gotten other things from them in a pinch. They host a comp every year for the club where the winner ends up brewed and served at the pub on their system. They are pretty open about trying our beers and giving feedback.

Now I say this but the assistant and head brewer have moved on, the assistant is openning his own and the head brewer moved up in the company. We'll see how much this relationship might change, though I have heard the new guys are cool.

[BeerPal]

Knowedgeable pro brewers understand that cultivating relationships within the local homebrewing community is good for business. I say give this guy another chance ('cause he obviously "gets it", since he opened his place to your club once already) but maybe ask him if he has a problem with you guys bringing in and sampling your homebrewed beer. If he balks or otherwise continues to have an attitude, take your business elsewhere.

[Tom from Raleigh]

Maybe he expected your group to spend more money than you did. Did everyone buy a pint of the brewers beer or were you sampling your homebrew?

[Spurtrax]

The meeting was during off hours so the bar was closed. He gave pints to a couple of people, and they offered to pay but he turned it down. After that we just drank homebrew.

I have been talking it over with a couple of other people who where there and I wonder if it isn't an age/method thing. He had been a homebrewer for like 20 years, off and on, before starting his little brewery and during the conversation he mentioned he used to do decoctian(sp?) mashes and racking and stuff like that. I wonder if he used to be a really good homebrewer but he hasn't stayed current on stuff (i.e. not a BNer). This might make him feel a little disconnected on modern homebrewing methods and threatened.

[TastyMcD]

..... Most of it a lot better than the local micro-pubs beer.....

Brewers see homebrewers as good people to spread the word about their beers. I don't think they want that word to be that it's not as good as homebrew.

I never ask a pro to taste my beer unless I feel there is some relevant reason. Everyone knows when someone is trying to impress them. We should all have access to other people who can give us an honest opinion about our beer. That's what the club is all about.

When my club meets at a pub or brewery, we never bring beer unless the owner specifically includes homebrew tasting as part of the invite. And then, we keep it limited and always drink the house beers as well.

Tasty

[Spurtrax]

I think you are right, Tasty.

He probably felt like we were trying to show him up. I guess I am not sure how to balance being super proud of my beers and wanting everyone to try them but not rubbing them in the face of people who's beers are not so hot, or not bad but not awesome.

It was not that long ago my beer was just average, then I started listening to the BN and absorbing all the info you guys offer, and now it is a lot better. So I feel like if I can make great beer anyone can, they just need to learn and keep an open mind.

When he invited our group to his place I think he envisioned a situation where he could make money supplying us with grain and hops (our nearest homebrew shop is 100 miles away). What he found out is everyone already sources fresh ingrediants off the internet and only a couple of people all grain anyway. It is cheaper for me to order everything I need from the Brewmasters warehouse and have it delivered than drive 70 miles round trip to pick up just my base grains at the brewery.

Then he found out people were already brewing great beer and using methods he was unfamiler with. It could have been a big day for him and it is very possible he kind of felt rubbed the wrong way.

[Monster Mash]

I have a local brewpub and I went in to meet the brewer. Everything was great as long as the topic was about him, after about 20 minutes of talking I told him I have a 1BBL system at home and asked if he might be willing to sell some of his excess yeast.

He went from being a nice guy to a complete a-hole in 1 second, He said "I'd rather flush it down the toilet then sell it to you!!" he turned around and walked away. I found out he hates homebrewers from other patrons, that's not a good way to get business...