Hi from Florida!!

[SarahMatt]

I started brewing as a birthday gift to my boyfriend. I know that sounds weird, but I've kind of taken over. We started with a basic wheat; we popped the first bottle on Tuesday!! We currently have a Lager in secondary and a Pale Ale in primary. We purchased an old shot out refrigerator at a thrift store for lagering and I've already ordered kegs. We spend the days off we have together at our LHBS. And somehow, I've inadvertantly entered a local contest in September.
The possibilites are so endless!!! I don't have much patience, hence the 3 batches at once, right off the bat.
Glad to know there is plent of good company out there!!!
Sarah.

 

[drunkenlogic]

I need to find a girlfriend who wants to spend her days off brewing...KUDDO'S. Also, Welcome! Just joined a few days ago myself, plenty of good information on here if you read around!

 

[SarahMatt]

Thanks for the compliment!!
There's too much (great) information!! I've got so many pages bookmarked. I have 3 recipes "on deck".
What did you start with?? What's next??

 

[drunkenlogic]

I'm new to brewing myself, but I've been obsessed with craft beers since I turned 21 and left the world of Natty behind. One of my buddy's up at school who also has a passion for good craft beers asked me if I wanted to come brew so I went to his apartment and we brewed an amber ale back in April. I knew It was going to become a new obsession right away. my 2nd batch I kinda "wung it" just getting some ingredients from my LHBS, just bottled that today, but don't expect the finished product to be all that great since I was impatient and just went for it instead of having a set plan for the brew. I just got the ingredients for a Cascade Orange/Coriander Pale Ale (which is a recipe found on HBT) which I'll brew as soon as weather breaks. I use a propane burner outside so can't really do much in the rain :-/

 

[SarahMatt]

Ahh...my beautiful Florida. At this point, we could put the pot on the sidewalk outside and get an instant boil!! I just saved my Pale Ale (in my primary) from a horrific blowout. I guess I should have started with the blow-off tube (Ooops!). There's been a lot of activity today.
I'm sure your first batch will be great! I compared it to driving a newly detailed car, I always feel like it runs better clean....and beer that I make just tastes better!!! Orange/Coriander sounds awesome! Check out "The Flavor Bible", its a book that highlights ingredients that other ingredients "go with". It might be useful for your next batch of fruit/spice infused brew.
Sorry about the rain, send some our way.

 

[passedpawn]

Welcome to HBT!

 

[Kegcowboy]

Cool Sarah - let us know if we can help!

 

[drac0]

I need to find a girlfriend who wants to spend her days off brewing...KUDDO'S.

Me too! I hope my wife doesn't mind.

Welcome to brewing, it's fun. Brewing in Florida adds it's own challenges when it comes to maintaining fermentation temps, but we get around them.

 

[SwampassJ]

You are lucky to live close enough to hang out at BX, they are all fantastic people.

 

[SarahMatt]

SwampassJ:
Bx was my first stop!! I love them all, but blame them for my new addiction, I mean "hobby".
The Florida summer isn't quite conducive to fermentation. My ac is on 65, so I'm FREEZING inside!!! I think FPL is loving me though. We've got an old shot out fridge in the garage for lagering (More refrigerators for beer than food ).

 

[SarahMatt]

Cool Sarah - let us know if we can help!

Ok, just checked out your website....it's TROUBLE!! I've got 4 kegs (arriving today) and a set up for one! I'm looking at putting together a kegerator and where to put it!! These days I have a tougher time at Home Depot than the mall....
Thanks for the offer, I'll definitely take you up on it!!!
Sarah.

 

[jpr210]

hey im in sfl too! i just bought all the stuff i need from bx and got started, maybe ill run into you guys there...were you at their class like 2 or 3 weeks ago?

 

[SarahMatt]

Haven't take a class (yet??), just making it up as we go with help from the AWESOME folks at Bx!!!
We've been going in about every week, usually Tuesdays. I'm going to try to get to their tasting tomorrow night!!
Great to meet you!!
Sarah.

 

[bottomofthebarrel]

i gotta try to make it to one of their classes.
i usually end up talking with my buddy in san fran about brewing.