WFox93
Well-Known Member
I'm sure there are many threads on this already but I thought it'd be fun to start a new one and maybe get some new stories.
For me, it actually started roughly 3 years ago.
Up until 2015 I actually hated beer. I thought it was the most vial, disgusting pi$$ water dink. Then, I got a new job and met a beer enthusiast. He never shut up about limited release beers, local breweries, he would even travel across the country in the name of beer. Through talking with him he eventually got an idea of the flavors I liked in other things. He eventually talked me into trying a brown ale or a porter. I had the opportunity to visit a local craft brewery where they had a brown ale, so I took my chance. It was delicious, sweet chocolate with roasty coffee flavors. I was in heaven. I decided to try more and more within the dark malty beer categories and I was in heaven.
By summer 2016 I was a self proclaimed craft beer enthusiast. I was trying and drinking anything I could get my hands on. My horizons broadened as well and I was drinking Pale Ales, Hefes, some IPA, Stouts, Browns, Porters. It was an incredible experience. By late 2016 I was starting to save for purchasing my first house and my parents kept asking me what I wanted for my birthday and christmas. Too which I answered "House things." Well, my mom made the joke over thanksgiving dinner that she would just buy me a beer making kit. fastforward two weeks and I opened up a shiny new Mr.Beer Hopped Malt Extract kit. Came with everything I needed. Just add water and the supplied yeast.
On the first week of 2017 I started my first batch, I want to say it was a czech pilsner. It tasted pretty good, so I moved on to the next one the kit included, a mexican "Lager" (I now know it was technically and ale). I started tweaking different extract kits from them doing partial mashes and steeping grains. It was all great fun but it was missing something. I finally made the move to all grain and that's when it really felt like magic. I finally found a hobby that gave me a fizzy feeling inside, the same one I normally got from driving fast on back country roads or going to the local race track for amateur night.
I've now been brewing for over a year, I just finished my first keezer build and will be brewing my 4th or 5th all grain batch this weekend. Oh... and I, the person who used to hate beer, has become the source of answers just about any beer related questions my friends can come up with.
I know that's a bit of a novel but I thought it may be fun to share our journeys in beer. Thanks for all those who have provided knowledge and insight on this wonderful money pit of a hobby. Let's hear your bee/brewing stories.
For me, it actually started roughly 3 years ago.
Up until 2015 I actually hated beer. I thought it was the most vial, disgusting pi$$ water dink. Then, I got a new job and met a beer enthusiast. He never shut up about limited release beers, local breweries, he would even travel across the country in the name of beer. Through talking with him he eventually got an idea of the flavors I liked in other things. He eventually talked me into trying a brown ale or a porter. I had the opportunity to visit a local craft brewery where they had a brown ale, so I took my chance. It was delicious, sweet chocolate with roasty coffee flavors. I was in heaven. I decided to try more and more within the dark malty beer categories and I was in heaven.
By summer 2016 I was a self proclaimed craft beer enthusiast. I was trying and drinking anything I could get my hands on. My horizons broadened as well and I was drinking Pale Ales, Hefes, some IPA, Stouts, Browns, Porters. It was an incredible experience. By late 2016 I was starting to save for purchasing my first house and my parents kept asking me what I wanted for my birthday and christmas. Too which I answered "House things." Well, my mom made the joke over thanksgiving dinner that she would just buy me a beer making kit. fastforward two weeks and I opened up a shiny new Mr.Beer Hopped Malt Extract kit. Came with everything I needed. Just add water and the supplied yeast.
On the first week of 2017 I started my first batch, I want to say it was a czech pilsner. It tasted pretty good, so I moved on to the next one the kit included, a mexican "Lager" (I now know it was technically and ale). I started tweaking different extract kits from them doing partial mashes and steeping grains. It was all great fun but it was missing something. I finally made the move to all grain and that's when it really felt like magic. I finally found a hobby that gave me a fizzy feeling inside, the same one I normally got from driving fast on back country roads or going to the local race track for amateur night.
I've now been brewing for over a year, I just finished my first keezer build and will be brewing my 4th or 5th all grain batch this weekend. Oh... and I, the person who used to hate beer, has become the source of answers just about any beer related questions my friends can come up with.
I know that's a bit of a novel but I thought it may be fun to share our journeys in beer. Thanks for all those who have provided knowledge and insight on this wonderful money pit of a hobby. Let's hear your bee/brewing stories.