I'm hooked!

[brehm21]

I just transferred my official first brew to secondary. I was planning to bottle straight from primary, but since I've learned so much here the past few days, I decided to wait. Don't good things come to those who wait?

I must say, this is way more fun than I though it could ever be. Something about beer just makes people happy.....funny how that is! (somehwere, my wife is rolling her eyes)

Anyway, I stumbled onto this site just a few days ago, and I gotta say: This is by far the best forum I've ever been on! I subscribe to several other forums, pertaining to things such as mtn biking, cars, jeeps, etc. They are all full of useful information, but also lots of egos and ********. I haven't seen that here yet. It all makes sense though.......who would be happier and more friendly than a bunch of people surrounded by, and talking about (and maybe even drinking!) beer!?

I'm stoked. It's early morning and I'm "tasting" my first homebrew. Although a bit cloudy and flat; it is good. All is well.

So I'm off to search out my next recipe. By the way this first one is Honey Nut Cheerio......partial mash from Hombrewstore.com. So far so good!

Thanks folks!

Matt

 

[cweston]

Excellent. Welcome to the obsession.

 

[Cheesefood]

I subscribe to several other forums, pertaining to things such as mtn biking, cars, jeeps, etc. They are all full of useful information, but also lots of egos and ********. I haven't seen that here yet.

What is it about Hombrewers and Jeeps? When you get a Jeep, they should warn you that you're going to start brewing soon.

(Proud owner of a 2003 Wrangler X.)

I agree that there are a lot of cool people here. A lot of overweight, hoppily drunk, cool people.

 

[brehm21]

I married the Jeep....or....my wife.....who happened to own a Jeep! Met my wife right about the first time a friend and I made our first ever batch of beer, and she already owned a 2000 Cherokee Sport. She likes beer, like to fish and hunt, owned a Jeep, and is an avid football fan. How could I resist?

By the way, Cheesefood; love the avatar. I'm sure you get that a lot!

 

[MrEcted1]

I'm new to this obsession too! I'm only on my 3rd batch and boy do I love brewing. Heck I love everything about it! To me a perfect saturday is taking it nice and easy, brewing a beer. I even like cleaning and sanitizing (and all other "grunt" work) because the whole process is rather therapeutic for me.

I also get a different kind of buzz off my own homebrew. I get a really happy "Man this is MY own beer!" type of buzz that you just can't get anywhere else. Sure it's just in my mind, but who cares! it's great!

Welcome!

 

[Schlenkerla]

I'm new to this obsession too! I'm only on my 3rd batch and boy do I love brewing. Heck I love everything about it! To me a perfect saturday is taking it nice and easy, brewing a beer. I even like cleaning and sanitizing (and all other "grunt" work) because the whole process is rather therapeutic for me.

I also get a different kind of buzz off my own homebrew. I get a really happy "Man this is MY own beer!" type of buzz that you just can't get anywhere else. Sure it's just in my mind, but who cares! it's great!

Welcome!

I noticed this too. The buzz seems different, I don't know if has something to do with the alcohol quality, or whether the state of mind. According to Charlie Papazian author of "The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing", he states its because of the vitamin B complex in the homebrew, which come from the brewers yeast.

When I'm done drinking, I never have a hanger, I just feel like sleeping.

I think drinking your own homebrew adds to the euphoria. When you sit there, look at the head, smell the aroma, and think....damn this taste good!!

 

[Brewing Clamper]

I'm right with you guys! My I bottled my first batch last week, I got another batch going in primary, and I just scored a free refrigerator from a neighbor for my first attempt at a lager sometime next month. I'm loving it! The best part is that my wife's loving it just as much, so she's just as gung ho about it! Anyway, thanks to all the pros here, I've already learned a lot and feel pretty confident in my product.

--Ohms

 

[Cheesefood]

When I make a good beer, I feel like Tom Hanks in Castaway:

"Look what I have created. I have created BEER!"

It also leads me to believe that if I were ever stranded on a desert isle, I could probably find something worth fermenting. Then all I'd need to do is hope for decent wild yeast.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Anyway, I stumbled onto this site just a few days ago, and I gotta say: This is by far the best forum I've ever been on! I subscribe to several other forums, pertaining to things such as mtn biking, cars, jeeps, etc. They are all full of useful information, but also lots of egos and ********.

Matt

I agree. I am on a couple other brewing forums, but I rarely post there anymore because of all the snobbery. The brewers here are just as knowledgeable and a lot more laid back.

 

[brehm21]

I also get a different kind of buzz off my own homebrew. I get a really happy "Man this is MY own beer!" type of buzz that you just can't get anywhere else. Sure it's just in my mind, but who cares! it's great!

I think we just feel better about anything we can do for ourselves these days. The veggies I grow in my garden taste way better than any grocery or gourmet veggies. I have this ugly chair I built. I love it! I think it's really comfortable even though I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't spend 5 minutes sitting in it. My car "feels" faster when I've been under the hood, even if I just change the oil. There's a sense of pride or accomplishment that makes things we do for ourselves better! I can't wait to get my first batch finished so I can start enjoying the fruits of my labor!

 

[SteveM]

It's nice here. When things start to get a little high strung (you would be surprised - it can happen every so often, usually over the dumbest things, like the proper technique for cleaning and sanitizing bottles), people generally remind everyone that in the end, it ain't like world peace is hanging in the balance - it's just beer!

 

[Schlenkerla]

As long as your drinking isn't a problem, this is a healthy obssession. People get so meticulous over processes, but that's half of the fun. The planning of what to make, what ingredients to use and so on.... Then the anticipation of the first tasting is like a kid on x-mas eve who doesn't want to go to bed.

I must admit that I do have a drinking problem.....

.... I don't drink often enough!!!