The "official" what/how YOU started thread
 

Discuss.....







I have yet to, And am wondering where everyone roots is.

A friend, sometimes I wish I never chose to brew on that faithful day......

Mr. Beer. After two brews with Mr. Beer I moved to 5 gal extract. Getting ready to do a PM and its my 4th 5 gal brew. I went from testing the water to cannon ball in about a month!

Same here! Got Mr Beer for xmas, was kind of "ok, this is different, might be something interesting to do on a rainy weekend."

Finally got around to it, and now I've been building up 5gal equipment. Just acquired a copper immersion chilller.

She had no idea what kind of monster she was going to create by getting me that gift. (neither did I.)

Alton Brown's Amber Waves

i had some homebrew while visiting friends at virginia tech. it was disgusting, but i knew that if these goons could do it , i had to try. 10 years later, i'm still trying!

Back in 1988, my mother-in-law knew that I loved beer and thought I would enjoy making it myself. She came across a tattered book at a library sale and bought for me. The book, Making Beer by William Mares forever changed my life. It is out of print now, but I own several copies as I loan them out to friends.

The author, a journalist and a former dark-ale champion of Vermont shares his recipes, reveals his secrets, and introduces readers to an entire community of beer connoisseurs, in a comprehensive guide to preparing and bottling first-class porters, stouts, ales, and lagers, at home and on the cheap with funny illustrations.

While the methods are old school, many people will enjoy reading about the early days of homebrewing and how folks like Charlie Papazaian got started. It's very entertaining and a quick read.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...9L._SS500_.jpg

Christmas, 2002. My son gave me a "Wine" making kit. one 5 gallon carboy, racking cane, hoses, bungs, packets of "stuff" and other goodies. The kit sat for seven years in our wine cellar.
My son makes a pretty good beer, just not enough (or at least there's not enough to share).
So about two weeks ago, I get the bug to brew some beer. My wife suggests that I should get the rest of the brewing "stuff" for Fathers Day. I start reading this forum, I pick up a couple of the suggested books, and start wearing out my sons ear asking questions about beer.

I found a gentleman one state east that was getting out of the brewing hobby, and I scored four corny kegs, one 6 gal carboy, two 20 pound CO2 tanks, a four gang manifold, enough hoses, connectors, fittings, gauges, and parts to plumb a tavern, plus strainers, funnels, hydrometer, etc. etc. etc. for ...... are you ready?


$200.00... Swwwwwwwwwwwweeeet..


I stopped at Jim's Home Brew Supplies in Spokane and had a great chance to visit with the owner. A fountain of knowledge. I left with six extract kits that he assembled, and a big box of stuff, I drove five hours home, and started cleaning and sanitizing.

I have one carboy bubbling this morning with stout, and one carboy bubbling with IPA. Yeee hawwww...

So, today I have to clean kegs. sort hoses, clean, sanitize, and putz with all the extra stuff... What a Hoot!

My wife is pretty stoked to... we really enjoy good wine, good food, and good beer. The adventure of home brewing will be fun to explore.

Next week the Leavenworth Bare Knuckle Brewers monthly meeting will have a new "Rooke" member.

Thanks to everyone that takes time to share his/her knowledge, skill and expertise with neophytes like me... and thanks to Bob at Jim's Home Brew Supplies in Spokane. You patience was appreciated, I"ll be back..

Now, please excuse me, I have to go watch my beer bubble.....

Mr. Beer here was well. Saw one for sale on woot! and picked it up. Checked out further details and landed here to learn what all I needed. When I was readying to bottle my first beer and brew my second, I stopped at the LHBS to get myself a hydrometer and a capper and ended up coming home with a whole 5 gallon kit. From there it's just been a continued slide.

I was helping a work buddy build some speaker cabs and he was sharing his homebrew. It was pretty tasty.

A couple months later I saw AB's show and called this buddy to ask when he was brewing again. He said, "tomorrow, come on over."

He brewed an extract, I watched. Then we went to the nearby LHBS where I bought the basic hardware, some LME and hops. Brewed my first batch the next day. Found HBT during the boil.