I was playing around with Google’s Insights for Search just to see how popular home brewing is as a hobby, from the search engine’s perspective.
I noticed there is a more than usual downward trend in the number of queries on the phrase “home brewing beer” this year.
I know this chart is based on people searching for “home brewing beer” in Google, but I think it can be seen as a indication of the popularity of the hobby. Do you think that there are less people getting into it or just less people searching for information about it?
Are there more people that you know picking up the hobby of homebrewing?
I can tell you it’s popular in my house.
David Eads
I think there are a lot of people looking for work or doing other things than brewing beer.
shaun
John – I can tell you more and more of my friends are picking it up now. Stupid Google.
spinney
Ryan
Less people searching for basic information. There is a consisten uptick at the end of the year, presumably folks getting and giving basic homebrew kits for the holidays. The decline in basic terminology searches follows as folks become more knowlegable and/or give up the hobby. Using the tool, there are upward search trends for more advanced terms and resources. To me, this indicates homebrewing’s stickiness as a hobby.
Nate
I ran a query on how to make beer, probably a more common way to ask that question from a newbie who wouldn’t necessarily use brew or brewing in their descriptor and it has a good steady up tick. I think it definitely shows that summer is not a good time for homebrewing typically and winter is much better, especially as Ryan said, with the new kits being sold as Christmas presents.
Oscar
I agree with Ryan. Search for mash tun or all grain brewing and you see an up trend.
Mike
Fascinating additional takes by Ryan, Nate and Oscar. Thanks for contributing guys.
chris
look at the upswing in the last quarter of every year. Hot summer, recession, could be anything. I taught a few people to brew this summer….its on the up and up. Larger numbers entering competitions etc more people targeting their searches more accurately. Homebrewing is getting bigger and bigger and the standards are getting higher and higher.
Matt Hendry
Do a search for Homebrew Beer and the trend like is way different
,
John
I found it to be pretty similar.