Greetings from Alaska!

[Setzer_777]

Hello all. I joined HBT almost 2 months ago when my friend and I decided we wanted to learn about brewing. We hadn't yet decided to start, only that we were curious about it. Well, it really didn't take long to find out that yes, we very much wanted to do it. For the past couple months I've been soaking up every last drop of information that was available. Well, last week, I decided to chip in some money and treat myself to a membership.

And now, here I am, making my first post.

A little about myself: I live in a smallish town in Alaska called Sitka. Not only do we not have a LHBS here, but shipping is killer. Sitka is located on an island in Southeast Alaska. This means, the only way to get to another town or city is by boat or plane. And you thought your nearest home brew store was hard to get to...

Anyway, I just felt it was time for me to introduce myself, and I'd also like to thank some people for the amazing wealth of information they've shared with me and didn't even know it..

Thank you Revvy, Yooper, DeathBrewer, EdWort, Yuri, FlyGuy, and all the others that have posted all their nuggets of wisdom, and always willing to help out.

 

[hopdog]

Greetings. I feel your pain on island living. I lived on a small island (45-50 year 'rounders) in the north atlantic for the better part of the past decade. I would have killed for plane access. It was almost impossible to brew because we didn't have a reliable source of year around water. Island living gets in the blood though.

 

[Kugster]

Welcome...I've been to Alaska a few years ago. Beautiful up there...cold but beautiful (i was there in march for about a week). Wow, I could see how difficult it could be getting things up there. Good luck on that!! This is a great place and everyone is very helpful.

cheers

 

[snailsongs]

Hey Setzer,
Welcome from one brew-noob to another. I grew up in Juneau (have lived in central Wisconsin since 2004, but am plotting my return to the wild west soon), so I know all too well the difficulty of procuring cheap and timely goods in far flung land-locked towns. What's the population of Sitka today? I know that Juneau is only marginally bigger, and just as difficult to enter or leave.
Oh, and why Sarah Palin? and Red State? Is Sitka in on that? I know and love Southeast AK and my gut says no, but Sitka is a town I have only seen from the Ferry......;-) Have fun brewing.

 

[DragonTail]

Welcome

 

[pedalmedic]

I miss it. Lived in North Pole, South of Fairbanks... Wife hated it. I fished everyday, miss the dorsal of the arctic grayling, and fly fishing for it

 

[McKBrew]

Hi! Welcome to HBT. Spent a couple years in AK before I joined the Navy. Ninilchik on the Kenai Peninsula and a few months in Nenana. Love that place and hope I can visit again in the future.

 

[Saccharomyces]

Wow, I've only experienced Sitka in Flight Simulator X.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Setzer_777]

@hopdog - Yeah, island living isn't for everyone. One good thing is, our water here is amazing, so I'm looking forward to brewing with it!

@kugster - Alaska is very beautiful, sometimes you get frustrated by the limitations here, but then you have some just amazing moments where you realize you're living in one of the most amazing places on the planet.

@snailsongs - I think we're sitting at about 8500 population now. I was just in Juneau a couple weeks ago picking up some brewing supplies and got snowed in with about 10 inches overnight...had to take the ferry to get home! Its been a while since I've been on the Malaspina, but man, I forgot how much I enjoy the ferry ride.

@Dragontail - Thanks! I reall love this place, I've never been a forum so mature and helpful, its really great to be a part of this community

@Pedalmedic - I've been to Fairbanks and North Pole many times...however, its *always* in the dead of winter. I'm not sure I could live there either, but you really can't beat the fishing and hunting all over Alaska

@McKBrew - Yeah, Alaska is a pretty neat place! If you happen to come by Sitka, I'll buy you a drink =)

@Saccharomyces - Haha, I don't remember how well its represented in Flight Simulator X, but its just like landing on an Aircraft Carrier! Landing in Sitka freaks most people out really good if they aren't used to it.

 

[AKbrewer]

Welcome to the forum, I don't post much but do lurk a lot. I live in Wasilla right now, but I`ve also lived in Kodiak and a few other places...shipping is expensive anywhere your located up here it seems. At least there`s a home brew shop in Anchorage. Have fun with the hobby.

 

[Setzer_777]

Yeah, shipping is killer. Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau have a lot easier time of it, but down here in Sitka, its ridiculous. Often times shipping costs more than whatever you are ordering, and ground shipping, and free shipping is never available, or has an Alaska exemption. Oh well, I'm brewing beer for the joy of it, not to save money =)

 

[SPLASTiK]

The only way to get to another town or city is by boat or plane here too, but we have a LHBS Poor, poor Sitkans.

BTW, are you doing extract or all grain?

 

[Setzer_777]

Hey now, you have 3 times as many flights, and are in the middle of the ferry system! I'm doing extract at the moment, I don't have the space for All-Grain just yet. I think we get a ferry every 3 days now? I know there's a couple other Juneau brewers on here too.

I was just in Juneau a couple weeks ago, got snowed in...like 10 inches overnight. The joys of SE Alaska!