You are currently browsing articles tagged brewing.
A few weeks ago I finished my latest batch of beer, this time a nice Scottish Ale.
The results were quite good, and the whole process was much smoother than the last batch. I had very willing helpers for the boil (my parents) and for bottling (my girlfriend) which helped a lot. I also switched to a “pump-style” racking cane, which eliminated the painful siphoning process I struggled through last time.
I know, I know. I’ve been bad about blogging more updates on how my homebrewing attempts have panned out.
Well, I was holding out to see how the beer turned out. I was worried I’d messed something up and would be embarassed to find out that it was ruined and my efforts were all for naut. I bottled my first batch about two weeks ago and crossed my fingers.
Well, surprise suprise, it turned out excellent. I’m very satisfied. And not just because I made it myself.
For months I’ve been talking about brewing my own beer. I bought my brewpot, I started making up beer names, deciding what styles to try, but I never bit the bullet and went for it.
Well, this weekend, I finally did. Steph and I stopped by Bob’s Homebrew Supply and picked up a homebrew kit on Saturday, and on Sunday afternoon we whipped up our first batch. I can’t compliment Bob enough on his service. Every homebrew enthusiast I’ve talked to (which is starting to seem like one out of every three Seattle natives) has eschewed the virtues of Bob and his homebrew shop, and they’re all true.
For $125 you get a starter kit which includes everything but the brewpot (that kit runs $189, which is also a great deal and includes a case of bottles) along with all the ingredients for your first batch. Bob is enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeable. When disasters strike in the brewing process, its a comfort to know you can always call for “tech support”. His shop is clean and his selection is great, but I’m surprised to find that he doesn’t have a website.
For my first batch I decided to brew a standard IPA. Although I know it won’t be perfect, it should be a good beer to start with. The brewing process is a bit more complicated than I expected, but I’ve had a blast so far. Watching my beer grow and bubble is pretty fun.
I’ll keep posting updates as things progress, and I’ll be sure to post an update about how the beer turns out.
What you’re saying