I have seen the light.......It was good

I was an extract brewer who was always timid (most of all, didn't have the funds) about going AG. Well, being deployed to Afghanistan, I have more disposable income for the time being. As a suprise for father's day, my wife and kids did a little research and ordered me a mash tun for father's day! I still have 2.5 months to go until I can use it though. I didn't have the heart to tell them that I could have built one for cheaper, since its the thought that counts.

My wife wanted to suprise me when I got home, but the kids are so exicted that they told me over the phone. I've got kids that love to help me brew and now they're buying me equipment....what else could a guy to ask for??? Oh yeah, a wife that also bought me a kegerator last month :rockin:

Of course I told her now I have to get a bigger brew pot and propane burner, and I got the surprising response, "Go ahead and get what you need." How kick ass is that??? Now I really can't wait to get back home.

Congrats on your Fathers Day gift. Sounds like you have some great kids, and wife too. Stay safe.

And, thanks for serving our great country.

DUDE, I know what you mean. I brewed with my college roomie back in the mid 80's. Always loved it when the bottles were not exploding (Roomie was always over priming).

Back then the industry was being re-born and there was not much in the way of extract recipes out there. NOTHING like there are now days. Only "local" place (120 miles away and NO internet, AL Gore hadn't invented it yet) to get supplies was a store called "Nutts-N-Stuff." A Bulk food, tree hugger, hippie joint that smelled like a cross between incense, stale grain and sweaty arm pits.

Anyway, Was sitting in the den one night watching the food channel with the misses (her favorite channel). Alton Brown had a spot on there about Home Brewing. Out of NO WHERE comes the following quote "HEY!! Why can't we do that?"

I dropped to my knees and looked to the heavens and shouted "THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!" Followed by "IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY, OR WHAT?"

She laughed and asked what the hell i was doing. I explained that she was my dream woman and that IF she was serious, she might regret her first question.

We were brewing that next weekend. She could not understand and was VERY upset about how long it was going to be before we could enjoy the fruits of our labor. A 5 gallon batch of a light american ale from Brewers Best. How I prayed that she would like the finished product, so we could continue brewing and experimenting.

That batch was followed by many others of different types. She loves this stuff. A woman who ONLY drank Bud Light, is not bitching at me about when her Honey Wheat will be ready to drink. My Perfect woman.

Bought me a March pump and other equipment for Christmas. Birthday was a Theriminator. Slowly building my AG equipment list and she is asking me what I want for Father's day.

DUDE I feel your joy. These women DO exist. I have one. She hunts too and LOVES IT.
P.S. She is not too hard on the eyes either.

Hurry up and get home, but be Safe and more importantly, THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. The kids are kick ass to say the least, and to think they're only 9, 4, and almost 2. They love to dump the hops in the wort and help stir. The 9 year old loves science so I explained to him that making beer was a science, so I got to kill 2 birds w/ one stone.....brew and teach!

That's awesome about your whife simphoto. My wife doesn't hunt or fish, but I've been slowly brining her around, so now she'll fish w/the kids and I. As for home brewing, she won't get involved w/ that, although she sure will drink the brew! It's funny that you mention the episode w/ Alton Brown.....it was that episode that got me into brewing, and I was watching it w/ the wife. Needless to say, it wasn't too long after that I was picking up a kit from the lhbs and walking up to the counter when she said, don't you need to get a kit too? I was going to wait, but who could resist? That brew was a total disaster, and I made a bunch of noob mistakes. But I learned what not to do and have not made the same mistakes twice and each brew has progressively gotten better w/ experience and TONS of reading and research.