Brewing Gods V. Peers

I'd say general ideas on the podcasts - and nitty gritty details here on HBT.

-OCD

And for the record I use HBT and my brewing book library.

There is no one source I can point to.

The first and if I had to say most important place I learned about brewing from was one of the home brew workshops at High Gravity. High Gravity has beer and wine workshops every other weekend. When I was thinking about brewing I attended one. Dave Knott, the owner is so laid back and he ran the workshop the same way. He displayed that making beer is not hard and that you really can RDWAHAB.

Forums (and HBT is about the only home brew forum I have time to read) are good. If one doesn't look for the way to make beer here but instead look at all the ways beer can be made, I think they will get the most good out of it. There are people who batch sparge, fly sparge, no sparge and do this that and the other thing. When people find what works for them instead of what someone says the need to do, I think they will enjoy the hobby more.

Books and magazines are similar to forums in the varying types of information available. There just isn't as much room for reader interaction.

I have satellite radio. I can find better things to listen to than people talk about beer.

This site by far!!! I have read palmer's book cover to cover, but when I needed some details on things I came here. Also the DIY stuff is amazing, like flyguys cooler conversion, BobbyM's counter flow chiller, definitely helped me make the leap to all grain.

Although I have to admit, this is not my first forum. I work on VW's and have been a long time member of VWVortex.com. Forums are just a really great resource for knowledge and also to ask for help and get great feedback.

Probably learned the most from the guys in my club. All of them can blow me away with their knowledge and the products they serve. Great group of guys.

For me it's the collective knowledge of the brewing community from HBT, to brew shop owners, brew club members, brewing friends, books, radio, etc. I'll take any and all advice.

It's definitely a combination for me. I brewed for many years mostly on knowledge from books and Zymurgy. I didn't have much of an LHBS until I was about five years in. I brewed for about nine years before joining a club and about 14 before joining HBT. However, the knowledge I've gained from every source has been invaluable.

The books gave me my foundation. The Prodigy "Wine, Beer, and Spirits" forum put me in contact with some other brewers that, like me at the time, were relative newbies. The LHBS helped me refine things a bit and gave me the opportunity to really learn about ingredients. The club expanded my horizons, gave me the benefit of many great brewers' experience, exposed me to BJCP (which has been a big part of me becoming a better brewer), and exposed me to many beers that were not available in my local market at the time (and many that still are not). HBT has expanded my horizons even further and put me in touch with more experienced brewers and many innovative ones. HBT also helped reignite a passion that was on the verge of burning out.

So, I cannot point to one source. They've all mattered a great deal. I can't say I've learned much from podcasts or internet radio, though. They aren't talking to me.

Finally, the Brewing Gods (or Beer Gods) that I know aren't on any radio show.


TL

I have used all the listed sources at one time or another. I voted for HBT (and other forums) simply because I have learned much from the application of the knowledge. I like hearing what other people are doing and experiencing.

Full boil? really? I tried it and went AG soon after, as I saw a huge jump in complexity of flavor which I desired. Bulk Buys? Really? Now I know a bunch of home brewers doing a bunch of different methods here in my area. A hop sock? hmm... Kegging? I hadn't thought about it...

So for me, I love reading what people are actually doing (cheapskates, techies, hacks all of them!)

I learn much more reading about people struggling through something than I do from some of the so called "gods" of brewing. More power to them, but I love community more than I love some individuals single take on a subject.

Three things helped me go All grain.
HBT, a pictorial guide of AG brewing. (Can't remember the URL)
The one thing that helped me understand what happens when you brew was howtobrew.con

Since then HBT has hosted many guides on how to HBT.

My vote is HBT and Howtobrew.com.