new here from CT

[jlewin]

Hi everyone i'm new to the site and the brewing life. I have my first beer, a from extract dry stout (coopers) a few days away from bottling. I have plans for all grains over the summer as well as some ciders and mead for the girlfriend so she doesn't try to put a stop to the home brewery that is taking over the basement.

 

[krispy d]

Welcome! I live in Middletown now but just bought a house on the shoreline (old Saybrook) and will be moving sometime this summer. We should do a brew together sometime! Where are you getting your ingredients? Online? I can give you the skinny on a couple of our less than desireable LHBS stores...

 

[jlewin]

i got my equipment and my initial ingredients and bottles from the brew store in hartford. happy enough with the service but seemed very expensive. so my next order will be through northernbrewer. com

My sister lives in Stonington, towards your area, but I'm on the MA border in Simsbury.

 

[MA_Brewer]

Welcome - I grew up in CT, in Bristol, but moved away after college. That was before my brewing days...

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

Welcome to the forums and the life of brewing, fair warning now: Its an obsession, not a hobby.

 

[jlewin]

[: Its an obsession, not a hobby.[/QUOTE]


I already know...obsessed after 1 week.

 

[joshpooh]

wait until you taste the first bottle if you think it is an obsession now. Think about it if its good you're itching to recreate it or create something else or improve. Even if it is bad you just want to figure you what went wrong and get it right the next time. It is a double edge sword. My money says you will love it and be itching to make more though.

 

[krispy d]

did you go to Beer and Wine Makers Warehouse? I don't want to poo poo your experience if it was a good one, but I have a laundry list of bad ones from there. I will never shop in there again.

congrats on getting into brewing though! I'd love to swap some brews and talk shop sometime.

 

[c.n.budz]

welcome aboard. There's a pretty good HBS in monroe called maltose, a bit far from simsbury but good prices and selection. At this point I've probably funded their next christmas

 

[krispy d]

welcome aboard. There's a pretty good HBS in monroe called maltose, a bit far from simsbury but good prices and selection. At this point I've probably funded their next christmas

I love the guys from maltose! those guys know this industry and beer in general better than anyone I've ever talked to. Want to hear a story about being burned by the man? walk in there and ask about their adventure publishing the clonebrews books...

Zokko is pretty good as well. he's helped me a bunch in sourcing hard to find ingredients and off the wall recipe formulation. (he's kinda into his belgians though...)

 

[Whelk]

Welcome to the forums--I'm from Westchester in NY, but my girlfriend is in New Milford and I went to high school in Westbrook. We should do a CT area HBT brewday or something.

 

[jlewin]

i did go to beer and wine makers warehouse. seemed expensive. sold me a dented can that was dropped, made it very hard to open. selection wasn't incredible. i'm shopping online now

 

[krispy d]

I'm up for that Whelk. I could probly host. I usually have 2-4 beers on tap and decent selection of bottles.

 

[c.n.budz]

We should do a CT area HBT brewday or something.

That sounds like a great idea.

 

[LouT]

Welcome! Try not to drink more than you brew, that's my best advice!!

 

[jlewin]

good advice thanks.

 

[Castle Meadow Brewery]

Thought I'd chime in here being a fellow connecticutian. I live in Newtown and not 5 minutes from Maltose Express. They'll be doing an all grain batch on Saturday, May 5th for anyone interested.

Alex

 

[MikeRLynch]

Hey all,

Another Connecticutite here, in Rocky Hill. The Brew and Wine Hobby http://www.brew-wine.com/ store in East Hartford isn't bad. Cramped and crowded, hard to find, but cheaper than the warehouse in hartford and more fun because the guy is a little off Let me know of any brew meetings, me and my buddy are just starting.

Anyone going to Bonaroo this summer? We're brewing up a brew to bring with us.

mike