Homebrewing Blog

blakelyc said:

I have been working steadily on my blog: http://www.alementary.com

It started as a way to help my mostly non-brewing friends follow along while I try to figure all this out. That beer bloggers conference looks fun and we'll be in Boston around then anyways.

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Cool! Just added your entries RSS to my Google Reader!

Thanks! Let me know if you have any feedback.... I am still a toddler in brewing experience!

I am not motivated enough to keep up on a blog but did my first webcast on Friday. Planning to do it again on Monday and keep it going as a regular thing. Also may expand it to interviews, tours, live Q&A sessions etc. with various people ranging from homebrewers to nano and microbrewers. I want to focus on multiple aspects involved in brewing, brew culture, expansion and more.

Starting with a few test broadcasts first though so this is my plug to click the link in my sig and give me input of what you would like to see and I will see what can be done to make it happen.

Blog redesign / rename and a brew-post in the hopper.

Also, goodness, I'd think the webcast requires more dedication than a blog post! Kudos to that!

I hope this doesn't sound like a rant, but for anyone doing a blog it is very important to "NEVER" have a post called, "I'm getting back into blogging" "It's been a long time" or any other like statements. It really makes the blog feel old and abandoned. Personally, I want to feel like you are out brewing and carefully formulating that next post about it. Who really cares if it takes 3 to 5 months a post. No one gets upset about it.

Like most everyone else I started my website as a recipe database for myself and still treat it like that. I can look at recipes, notes and other brewing goodies. Also if people ask for a recipe I can point them in the right direction. I post a lot, honestly to much, but that's OK because they are focused at me and my brewing experience. My buddies can look at see whats on tap, when I'm brewing and the recipes I'm working on. It's all about the journey.

I wonder what brought up the reason to do the 'rant'?

Lavender_Pepper said:

Blog redesign / rename and a brew-post in the hopper.

Also, goodness, I'd think the webcast requires more dedication than a blog post! Kudos to that!

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I brew multiple times a week on average so it is just a matter of turning on the webcam and sharing my day with others really. I suppose it is a bit more than that and hopefully it is evident I am putting some time into it from todays webcast.

Lavender_Pepper said:

I wonder what brought up the reason to do the 'rant'?

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I didn't want it to sound like a rant, but I guess it did. To me, this thread sounds like people wanting to increase their page clicks. It was just a suggestion not have those types of post. By all means, if you want to post "I'm getting back into blogging" do it. It just discourages the majority of people from adding your blogroll into a RSS feed.

lewybrewing said:

I didn't want it to sound like a rant, but I guess it did. To me, this thread sounds like people wanting to increase their page clicks. It was just a suggestion not have those types of post. By all means, if you want to post "I'm getting back into blogging" do it. It just discourages the majority of people from adding your blogroll into a RSS feed.

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I concur, and I have shamelessly promototed myself a time or two in this thread. I have mostly used the thread to pick up new blogs which I add to my bloglist on my site. The list is getting rather long, but since I have it setup to order dynamically based on the most recent posts (on top) I don't mind to much. I actually, use the list on my blog a couple times a week to catch up with everyone else. I think there are one or two other members of this thread which use a similiar linking system to follow me as I can see in the analytics who I am getting a lot of hits from.

Another thing I would like to get off my chest is commenting. If I can add something insightful, ask a related question, or add to the discussion of your post, I am going to try and comment. Some of you are really good about responding to a comments and I appreciate it! Others just don't...If your blog is just there for your own recipe database, thats fine, but I tend to think of it as sharing avenue, much like the forum but on a little more personal level. It saddens me when fellow bloggers don't respond to comments. Its good for everyones blog when disccusion occurs.

brettwasbtd said:

Another thing I would like to get off my chest is commenting. If I can add something insightful, ask a related question, or add to the discussion of your post, I am going to try and comment. Some of you are really good about responding to a comments and I appreciate it! Others just don't...If your blog is just there for your own recipe database, thats fine, but I tend to think of it as sharing avenue, much like the forum but on a little more personal level. It saddens me when fellow bloggers don't respond to comments. Its good for everyones blog when disccusion occurs.

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I agree with the comments. I love getting comments, but I also hate commenting on other blogs when I know I will not get a response.

Ya, I agree with you guys. Someone took the time to read the article, and comment on the article. I always try to reply back to every comment, even if its just a "Thanks."

brettwasbtd said:

I concur, and I have shamelessly promototed myself a time or two in this thread. I have mostly used the thread to pick up new blogs which I add to my bloglist on my site. The list is getting rather long, but since I have it setup to order dynamically based on the most recent posts (on top) I don't mind to much. I actually, use the list on my blog a couple times a week to catch up with everyone else. I think there are one or two other members of this thread which use a similiar linking system to follow me as I can see in the analytics who I am getting a lot of hits from.

Another thing I would like to get off my chest is commenting. If I can add something insightful, ask a related question, or add to the discussion of your post, I am going to try and comment. Some of you are really good about responding to a comments and I appreciate it! Others just don't...If your blog is just there for your own recipe database, thats fine, but I tend to think of it as sharing avenue, much like the forum but on a little more personal level. It saddens me when fellow bloggers don't respond to comments. Its good for everyones blog when disccusion occurs.

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I agree about the commenting thing, which is why I try to respond to any comments in a (relatively) timely manner. I often wish for replies to my replies - to sort of get a dialogue going, but I guess that would only happen if enough people were regular visitors and I posted more than once a month.

I usually post in here when I have a brew day update and regularly look on this thread for updates. I try to check on to many blogs to follow them all via email so I actually appreciate it when people post in this thread with a new post on their blog.

I like the bloglist on your site brettwasbtd!

Agreed on Jelms comments as well. I get some comments and I have it set up so i get an alert on my phone. I respond immediate if possible. If not, I do respond within a day.

Agree with Brett as well.

I certainly was after hits when I first started the blog. I was also trying to get it out there to more people. But I've learned through time that its more about content. I've been trying to do a better job of that.

Soon I will be going to a site I pay for. Its all part of our hopeful expansion into the business. We shall see. Hope everyone is well. CHEERS :rockin:

I agree with what's been said about comments. I love creating a dialogue, and more so I think it's important. I don't get too too many on my blog, likely because it doesn't have a super tight 'beer blog' focus (beer/brewing, slice of life, and until I moved: gardening), but I do my best to get back to them ASAP. Similarly, I love commenting on blogs where I know I'll get a response.

While we're talking about commenting, what are people's thoughts on comment systems?

Blogger blogs allow a host of login options, blogs hosted on wordpress usually allow people to sign-in with facebook, twitter, or use a name and email. Disqus is becoming more popular and has options similar to wordpress.com blogs.

Asking the general audience in this thread: are there barriers to commenting that keeps you from engaging an author?

I'm personally guilty of reading feeds in a feed reader, so I don't always click over to the article and see if there's a discussion going at the site itself unless the article ends with a question to the readers or is otherwise engaging enough that I have something I feel I can add.

hoppedupbrewer said:

While we're talking about commenting, what are people's thoughts on comment systems?

Blogger blogs allow a host of login options, blogs hosted on wordpress usually allow people to sign-in with facebook, twitter, or use a name and email. Disqus is becoming more popular and has options similar to wordpress.com blogs.

Asking the general audience in this thread: are there barriers to commenting that keeps you from engaging an author?

I'm personally guilty of reading feeds in a feed reader, so I don't always click over to the article and see if there's a discussion going at the site itself unless the article ends with a question to the readers or is otherwise engaging enough that I have something I feel I can add.

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I like being able to sign in with a name/URL that blogger offers, however, I then miss out sometimes if I don't follow up. I really like, which i think wordpress does, the comment system which allows the commenter to select if they wish to receive email updates when other people comment. Its nice to know when others are commenting rather then having to make a mental note of where I left a comment a circle back.

Posted a couple beer industry related posts in the past few days including one on my take in the recent craft vs. crafty debate. Check em out and let me know what you think!

I posted about this earlier in this thread, but it appears to be happening again. For all of you using Google/Blogger/Blogspot - are you having trouble with your pictures disappearing? I was originally having this issue when I would add a picture and use the "Choose picture from Picasa Web Album." To get around this I would go to the image in Picasa I wanted to add, right-click and save the image URL, and then use the "add picture from URL" option. Now it looks like the reverse is happening - using the URL option my pictures are not appearing, but if I add them via the Picasa Web Album it works...very frustrating!

I am updating my blogroll. If you are interested in swapping links, PM me and I will happily add you.

Hello everyone. Haven't updated in a while here because I've been pretty busy playing with the idea of moving to an electric setup. With that in mind and the process started I've made a post about what my plans are and why I choose what I did. There will be more pics and a build to follow but this is what I got so far.

http://inhousebrew.weebly.com/1/pos...25-gallon-e-biab-with-recirculating-mash.html

I just started my damn good food blog, expect heavy beer coverage!
Www.idgfusa.blogspot.com

HBT POST 1000!!!

My new blog, Metabrewing.com, will be focused on documenting my homebrewing experiments involving system design, recipe formulation, process, fermentation, and whatever else sneaks its way in. There will be an emphasis on wild yeast (brettanomyces) and bacteria, farmhouse style ales, and aromatic hoppy beers.

http://bagendbrewery.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/mildly-annoyed/

Posted again about Milds, looking for feedback on my recipe for my next attempt - feel free to chime in I need some input!

ocluke said:

My new blog, Metabrewing.com, will be focused on documenting my homebrewing experiments involving system design, recipe formulation, process, fermentation, and whatever else sneaks its way in. There will be an emphasis on wild yeast (brettanomyces) and bacteria, farmhouse style ales, and aromatic hoppy beers.

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I like the start of your blog, nice design.

AnchorBock said:

I like the start of your blog, nice design.

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Thank you. It may change somewhat in design in the near future. I'm open to suggestions. My goal right now is to focus on content and get to the design a little later.

I'd offer you advice on your mild, but I've never brewed one, mostly because I've never had one that impressed me enough to encourage me to attempt it. Eventually I will, because I'm a big fan of session beers.

ocluke said:

Thank you. It may change somewhat in design in the near future. I'm open to suggestions. My goal right now is to focus on content and get to the design a little later.

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Ya, it looks good. Nice articles so far. Keep at it.

Loving these. its taking me forever just to get through them. When I started this thread I had no idea it would be this productive. Thanks everyone. I've put a lot of new stuff up since I was here last time. I really am in the process of putting a paid page together. I love the blog and will keep it going but my business partner and I are looking to purchase our property finally and its time to get serious.

OlieNH said:

I am updating my blogroll. If you are interested in swapping links, PM me and I will happily add you.

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Dude, just read your three part Rock Bottom posts... I was dying laughing regarding seeing the dude from the bathroom....and then what happened after!

As for Rock bottom, I have only been there once since they have been purchased by Craftworks. I have been to the two d.c. area locations. The one in Ballston VA had spotty line clealiness, but I have enjoyed most of there beers. I have always had good experiences at the location in Bethesda MD. I think they have created a set of "staples" - Red ale, White Ale, Kolsch, and IPA. Then they rotate different dark beers and another beer, that I believe is each locations brewmasters decision.

Just started my own blog! I've added a couple of you to my blog links but that was off the top of my head. Hope to post once a week

Fathom Brewing

I just got this blog up and going over the past couple days but it still needs a ton of work.

www.toxicdartbrewing.blog.com

It's not 100% about beer. It will also contain some posts about my other hobby, but the plan is to update it once or twice a week. Hopefully you guys find it at least partially entertaining and informative!

Hey all! I'm sorta stuck with my blog at the moment and am not totally sure what to do with it. And it's ... well, you can't spell 'blog' without 'drama' right?:

synopsis: I started it as a brewing/gardening/bit'o'life blog when I moved in with a dude. Because, you know, lurve and trust and that fun stuff. Well, poop hit the fan ('I tried to sleep with her because I want more power in this relationship', 'Those (ptsd-induced) panic attacks just make you seem weak. I can't love you if you're weak.') real winner, right? Because of lurve and trust influenced decisions I was at a very vulnerable point: no money, no official job (was starting a business but then it got 86ed because "I can change my mind, this is my house." so there goes that time and capital), and effectively no place to live.

Things came to a head one day and I moved out in favor of a friend's couch. I posted some 'meh, breakups suck, at least I got my kitties' posts on the blog at the very beginning and I've avoided contact with him and his friends. But since then he's been a complete and royal lout, to the point of a month after the move-out and I haven't talked to him at all, but he lets himself into where I'm staying (my parentals had an open guest room for a few days) and handed them a box of 'my stuff' (old toothbrush, *empty* bottle of soap, condoms, etc). Yeah, you read that right. He figured out where I was staying, four weeks after the breakup and chose then to give my mother a box full of garbage and condoms. Because really, we haven't proven ourself a class act before. Also, even though I don't respond to *any* of this and have even been out of town as much as possible staying with other friends to avoid all of this, he and his friends leave just enough 'you suck and are a psycho ex' messages in various ways (ie: comments on my blog, I never approved them) that I'm feeling rather vulnerable if I should I post anything else about what I've been doing...

Like, I feel like if I put up a post of "Wow, I've been having fun and beer rocks." Then he'll start increasing his efforts to be an arse? I know this sounds paranoid, but he figured out I was staying with my parents and gave my mother a box full of garbage and condoms.

Or, if I put up a "I'm tired of this" post and write about how all of this is frustrating then I give more fuel to the 'she's psycho' party.

Or, if I just put up beer recipes... well, that's no fun.

And if I post *anything* then that acknowledges that I've seen those comments and if I don't respond to them then will they try harder and I get to deal with the drama and baggage of a new batch...

so...
Thoughts? I'm tempted to just pull the blog. I'm so tired of all of this drama.

Uhh no disrespect but not sure if this is a place. Wondering whether this is real or a troll

Lavender_Pepper said:

Hey all! I'm sorta stuck with my blog at the moment and am not totally sure what to do with it. And it's ... well, you can't spell 'blog' without 'drama' right?:

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I'm really confused. Is this post for real? I can't tell if this is genuine or just old fashioned trolling....

No. Not trolling. Wish I was...
basically... I'm rather confused about keeping up my current brew-blog because it was personal as well and I have an ex who's being a complete troll. I haven't posted much on it in the last 6 weeks because when I go to do so I feel rather vulnerable because of his actions IRL and through the webs. Was sorta crowdsourcing among the community here as to whether blogging more is poking the bear and/or if I should just delete the whole thing. Sorry if it's not appropriate.
eta: Plus I rant when I'm stressed and am a context fiend, hence the potential TMI up there.

Really enjoying everyone's blogs. I think we have all been doing a good job (consciously or not) to only post relevant posts - none of this " I didn't get to brew this weekend but plan to next" type posts. I find myself going through the bloglist throughout the week...great reading material and ideas! Keep it up!

Brett- noticed you had added me to your blogroll so I returned the favor.

Almost at 1000 page views in under two months. Pretty exciting. I'd have a lot more if I actually posted more haha

Thanks! I really enjoy your pictures! What type of camera do you have?