I love good small-batched craft beers, whether from microbreweries, small breweries, or homemade. But I have a problem with a friend of mine.
He's a homebrewer and he's terrible. And he's always insisting I try his newest brew. The last batch tasted like the smell of fresh, green wood being burnt. But the poor guy is so enthusiastic and proud of his beers, I don't have the heart to be honest with my opinion, so I dutifully choke the vile brew down and tell him how great it is and agree to take some bottles home.
I've been thinking about telling him I joined AA, but we'd probably eventually run into each other at a pub or party.
Let me preface this by saying I’ve been brewing for a very long time.
If your friend is serious about brewing you need to tell him the truth about his beer. The most likely problem, if he is actually following a recipe, is poor sanitation.
Also, your friend may be keeping other beer loving people from brewing their own. The probably think he brews it in his bathtub (and considering his sanitation problems, he may be).
There are a lot of excellent sanitizers out the, like Star San for example. But if cost is an issue, he can use household bleach and water.
Then send him Knews_hound’s brewing 101 links.