First State Brewers Blog

Website has been updated with the last Wort’s Hoppening.

Today I also got confirmation that my grain mill has shipped and did a WLP002 English Ale Yeast starter for a batch I’m brewing tomorrow - My sister got me the Beer, Beer, and More Beer kit for Jim Rossi’s Honey Pale Ale. Once this Amarillo Pale Ale keg kicks I’ll be out of light stuff - Well, that’s not completely true. I’ve got a keg of Abbey Tripel sitting down there, but I don’t know that I want everything on tap to be >6% ABV. Well… there’s also that berry beer sitting in the secondary, but I’m bottling that for my sister. I won’t be kegging it.

The more time I spend thinking about this past meeting, the more I realize how eye opening it was. Found out how much everyone else sweats spending money on their homebrewing equipment and supplies. I guess I never even give it a second thought… I mean… aren’t hobbies often expensive? Also, it seems that alot of people buy cheap where as I usually buy quality… Yeah, I bought a $180 grain mill, but I’ll never ever need to replace it. I’ve got a $200 10 gallon brew pot - but it’ll last me forever. If I move up to 10 gallon batches… its the ideal size for a mash tun. C’est la vie… Some folks just prioritize differently. Not that its bad, its just not how I do.

I got into homebrewing because it is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve been a beer snob since my freshman year in college (I mean since I was 21!!!) and have always dreamed of brewing great beer. Its never been about cheap for me - its about quality, creativity, and above all enjoyment. I LOVE BEER, and I make sure mine knows it as I bring it into this world and nurture it to its fullest (alcohol?) potential.
Perhaps some other blog entry I’ll muse over why no one could ever pay me to brew… not tonight for sure. I’m cached.