We are moving from a town of 164,000 people to 6,000 people. I'm a little concerned that now I'll have to learn water chemistry since I'll be using well water and my old water was great "as is" for brewing. Another thing is not a single microbrewery in the new location. Going to be a big adjustment moving out to the country but worth it. Hoping to find some homebrewers in the area.
Moving to a small town
- Thread starter Dixon9717
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Lefou
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I'd give my left arm to leave for the country.
The population density and driving conditions are so bad where I live, it only takes five minutes on the road before someone pisses me off by 6AM.
Case in point...
Off to the scrap metal dealer and LBHS just after 1PM yesterday. Don't you know it, here comes another impatient Jersey idiot in a BMW.
I pulled off into a side development to avoid, but he was intent on teaching me a lesson, so he flew by, swerved in front of me several times to brake check, then threw a fruit at my car.
What caused it?
I was going too slow passing a huge frontloader in reverse doing a recycle pickup. He was tailgating, laying on the horn,trying to pass from the right on a two lane road ...so I had to cut him off to avoid oncoming traffic. Normally I have the cops on speed dial and would get a plate number, but no damage was done and it happened in another township.
I let him go. I have a CDL and drive for a living and it's gotten worse every year I stay. Every day there's someone running schoolbus "reds" and we've had a couple kids hit.
If the wife gets an offer to Texas, we're gone. I despise the traffic, the taxes, and the people here and can't wait to leave.
The population density and driving conditions are so bad where I live, it only takes five minutes on the road before someone pisses me off by 6AM.
Case in point...
Off to the scrap metal dealer and LBHS just after 1PM yesterday. Don't you know it, here comes another impatient Jersey idiot in a BMW.
I pulled off into a side development to avoid, but he was intent on teaching me a lesson, so he flew by, swerved in front of me several times to brake check, then threw a fruit at my car.
What caused it?
I was going too slow passing a huge frontloader in reverse doing a recycle pickup. He was tailgating, laying on the horn,trying to pass from the right on a two lane road ...so I had to cut him off to avoid oncoming traffic. Normally I have the cops on speed dial and would get a plate number, but no damage was done and it happened in another township.
I let him go. I have a CDL and drive for a living and it's gotten worse every year I stay. Every day there's someone running schoolbus "reds" and we've had a couple kids hit.
If the wife gets an offer to Texas, we're gone. I despise the traffic, the taxes, and the people here and can't wait to leave.
andrewmaixner
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You can buy a slow RO water system for $100+ if your water doesn't make good beer. Easier than getting filtered water from the supermarket, and cheaper in the long run.
timdillon36
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I see you live in Canada. I could be wrong but i thought it was legal to sell home brew at farmers markets there. You could be the craft brewery in town.
Transamguy77
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I just did the same thing, I moved from the super busy highly populated east coast (an hour north of Philly) to a very small town on the Central Coast of Ca and I'm going to need to look into water chemistry which I didn't need to before.
As was already mentioned you could look into A RO system, or you might find that your well water will work and you will be ok.
Good luck with the move!
As was already mentioned you could look into A RO system, or you might find that your well water will work and you will be ok.
Good luck with the move!
OP
OP
Dixon9717
Well-Known Member
I lived in the other Vancouver. USA, Andrewmaixer that sounds like the way to go if the water isn't right, thanks for the tip. We are not there yet so it'll be awhile before I can brew and figure out what I need to do.
Transamguy77
Well-Known Member
Thanks Dixon! It has been an experience, and good so far. I'm hoping it won't get to complicated too, it's been such an adventure that brewing will be a piece of cake compared to the rest. And again hope you settle in well to your new dwelling.
I've done it as well, moved from ~5.5 million metro area with complete s**t for water to a small mountain town with about 8000 people with another 4-6000 in the surrounding region. There are plenty of home brewers around to chat it up with, the hard part is finding them and connecting. Believe it or not, this site is actually a great way to connect.
We have municipal water that is relatively constant for now but will be changing to seasonal source switching in a few years.It is good water but just a wee bit alkaline for lighter side beers.
Get a sample, send it to Ward, then use any of the spreadsheets to get an idea of what, if anything, you need to add. If your water is overly hard/soft/alkaline/carbonic/salty/sulfury/whatever, then as others have said, get a R/O and mix down with R/O and filtered water to get closer to your desired profile. It really is pretty easy once you have a solid idea of what you are working with in the first place.
We have municipal water that is relatively constant for now but will be changing to seasonal source switching in a few years.It is good water but just a wee bit alkaline for lighter side beers.
Get a sample, send it to Ward, then use any of the spreadsheets to get an idea of what, if anything, you need to add. If your water is overly hard/soft/alkaline/carbonic/salty/sulfury/whatever, then as others have said, get a R/O and mix down with R/O and filtered water to get closer to your desired profile. It really is pretty easy once you have a solid idea of what you are working with in the first place.
madscientist451
Well-Known Member
I moved out of the DC area to a town of 7500. The whole county has 50,000 people and the surrounding counties have even less. Its about 2 hours to the city, but its basically the middle of nowhere.
My town water was OK, but I have a small farm now and the well water sucks. I get tap water from friends in town or used distilled/spring water from the store.
The hardest thing to get used to is the "small town mentality". The school district only hires people that are from this area because they figure outsiders will just move away after a couple of years of experience. So the school just isn't up to the standard I expect.
People don't want to get involved in anything, don't wan't to rock the boat. Local politicians routinely violate laws, have been doing so for years and no one even mentions it. The Heroin/Opioid epidemic is fully raging out here. No brew pubs but we have a winery.
There are some issues living out here in the boondocks but I'm not moving back to the city.
My town water was OK, but I have a small farm now and the well water sucks. I get tap water from friends in town or used distilled/spring water from the store.
The hardest thing to get used to is the "small town mentality". The school district only hires people that are from this area because they figure outsiders will just move away after a couple of years of experience. So the school just isn't up to the standard I expect.
People don't want to get involved in anything, don't wan't to rock the boat. Local politicians routinely violate laws, have been doing so for years and no one even mentions it. The Heroin/Opioid epidemic is fully raging out here. No brew pubs but we have a winery.
There are some issues living out here in the boondocks but I'm not moving back to the city.
You won't know how good your water is going to be until you get a Ward Labs report. Get that and go from there.
A small town can be friendly. Most people living there appreciate owning their own land/property. Respect their space and get to know them. Be choosy about where you live. There's good and bad in every section of every town, but you really don't want to live next to some meth head, or some dirty redneck who leaves crap all over his yard.
Mostly be friendly and offer to help people around you and in time you might even start a neighborhood block party or something and have friends to hang out and brew beer with.
A small town can be friendly. Most people living there appreciate owning their own land/property. Respect their space and get to know them. Be choosy about where you live. There's good and bad in every section of every town, but you really don't want to live next to some meth head, or some dirty redneck who leaves crap all over his yard.
Mostly be friendly and offer to help people around you and in time you might even start a neighborhood block party or something and have friends to hang out and brew beer with.
To extend: if you demonstrate your commitment to the community through volunteering as well as supporting financially worthy projects (to the extent you can), others will be much faster to accept you. Join a service group, maybe a church if you tend that way, the school PTA or PTO, maybe coach a kids team. Not all of it
, but doing even some tells people you care.Rural areas and small towns tend to be much more into self-reliance; the local government likely has little extra revenue to give away in whatever form, so people tend to rely on each other and themselves.
I live in a small rural college town; during the school year the population is slightly more than 11,000, but during the summer, maybe 5000 or so. There is only one word I can use to describe small town life during the summer here: delicious. I hate big cities, they give me the willies.
I love knowing business owners; I walk into the place, and they know me and I know them. I walk down the street and see people I know, unlike cities where I feel like an absolute social isolate.
There's an old saying about small towns: the best feature of small towns is everyone knows everyone. The worst feature? Same thing.
Ask your local friends and neighbors about recommendations as to where to bank, get your car fixed, find a plumber, and so on. And make sure they know that someone recommended you use them. The implicit message is that if you aren't satisfied, you'll tell the neighbor, and the tradesman/woman will lose not just you, but the recommendations of the other.
And pay them ASAP. My local plumber has probably 40 jobs pending at any time. But if i need something Pronto, he'll take care of me. Why? I pay him. Seems simple, but you'd be surprised how often local tradespeople are stiffed. Seems antithetical to what small town life is about, but it's true.
I can't imagine what it's like to spend 2 or 3 hours in a car or train every day commuting. My commute is about 4 1/2 minutes, 5 minutes if I have to wait for an Amish buggy.
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Dixon9717
Well-Known Member
I appreciate all the comments and advice. Wish my commute was as short as yours Mongoose. I'll have a 50 minute drive to work not to bad. My wife works in a different town she will have a 25 minute drive in the opposite direction. We are as about centrally locally between our jobs as we can be. Our house is 10 miles out of town at the edge of the forest not much of a neighborhood but the people seem very friendly. Mostly elderly that I've seen so far so it'll be nice to help them out as needed. As a family when our kids where small we did that as a family and it's very rewarding. When we're all settled in and I get a chance to catch my breath I'll send in for the award report. Thank again everyone.
I can't imagine what it's like to spend 2 or 3 hours in a car or train every day commuting. My commute is about 4 1/2 minutes, 5 minutes if I have to wait for an Amish buggy.
My commute is about the same, but depends on whether I catch the light (The only light) before 7:00am, when it changes from a blinking red to a solid red.
Steveruch
Well-Known Member
Where, exactly are you moving?
Not yet but they are working on it. Cider is legal right now
I can see that problem, well if you ever take a trip up the coast I'm in Aberdeen and my wife and I just opened up or brewery feel free to swing by.
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