New guy, from Houston TX

[ajmartinez]

Drinking good beer became a "passion" of mine while I was in the 3rd Brigade 3rd Infantry Division, because it was the only way to keep my soldiers from drinking my beer (smokin' them didn't work, they'd still drink it and I had to waste valuable beer-drinking time making them do pushups, etc). If it had more flavor, or alcohol, than Natty Light they'd generally just pass on my fridge and move down the hall to somewhere with "beer" more familiar to them.

I got out after my 2nd paid-vacation to Iraq mid-2008, and started spending an inordinate amount of time at The Ginger Man in Austin (old 4th Street location, I still spend too much time at the new Lavaca location even though I live 2hrs away). Met a lot of cool folks there, started talking about brewing my own beer one day. Never really took the jump. School kept me busy.

My folks apparently heard all the chatter about wanting to brew my own beer and got me a Mr. Beer for Christmas. I was already looking at a 5gal setup, but do not have a money tree anywhere (the VA seems perpetually unable to pay me for anything but disability compensation on time) so that will have to wait.

Add another potentially very expensive hobby to an already long list of expensive hobbies (photography, guitar/recording, motorcycles).

 

[david_42]

Read the Mr. Beer thread. Or at least part of it, since it's over 1500 posts. Many members got started there.

Also welcome and thank you for your service.

 

[ajmartinez]

Read the Mr. Beer thread. Or at least part of it, since it's over 1500 posts. Many members got started there.

Also welcome and thank you for your service.

Started reading it at about 0130, passed out around 0345, woke up and started reading more around 0830.

Something tells me it'll take a while I read the whole thing!

 

[DragonTail]

Welcome

 

[ajmartinez]

Thanks. Got my first batch going right now!

 

[duffman2]

Thanks. Got my first batch going right now!

Hey aj, welcome to your new obsession! I'm living in South Houston by the Nasa area. I'm a Marine but have been out for a few years going to school and now I fell head first into brewing. It's great, you'll love it, and pretty soon you'll start selling your worldly possessions to keep it going! But although I've only gotten 10 batches under my belt, I feel like I've learned a whole lot so far:rockin:

Use this forum, most people here really know what they're talking about (you'll find out who the good ones are the more you talk to them). If you need any Houston Brew store suggestions or locations, or anything else for that matter you can private message me whenever you want.

Other than that, keep on rocking and enjoy every brew day!

 

[ajmartinez]

Hey aj, welcome to your new obsession! I'm living in South Houston by the Nasa area. I'm a Marine but have been out for a few years going to school and now I fell head first into brewing. It's great, you'll love it, and pretty soon you'll start selling your worldly possessions to keep it going! But although I've only gotten 10 batches under my belt, I feel like I've learned a whole lot so far:rockin:

Use this forum, most people here really know what they're talking about (you'll find out who the good ones are the more you talk to them). If you need any Houston Brew store suggestions or locations, or anything else for that matter you can private message me whenever you want.

Other than that, keep on rocking and enjoy every brew day!

Thanks man. I'll definitely drop you a line for some local info. So far I feel like I have already learned a ton from this forum. At some point I will have to leave this computer and get some other things done though!