New member from Arlington, VA

[PokerDad]

Hi, folks, I'm new to this forum, looking forward to picking up some tips, and eventually (?) sharing some of my own.

I have a basic 5-gallon home brew kit. I did my first batch in summer 2022, a Dunkelweizen -- turned out okay, not great, but I learned a few things. Now doing my second, a New England IPA.

The home brew blogs scare me a little because they make me think every little detail is crucial, and one little mistake will ruin the batch. But I also attended a local in-person gathering (the "Wort Hogs") and those folks were very laid back and told me not to second-guess myself based on what somebody wrote in a blog. Most of the stuff I was sweating was minor in terms of the outcome, they said.

So I'm hoping this forum is more like the latter ...

Cheers

 

[TheCache]

Welcome, Having read this forum for quite a while, I think it's a bit of both - lots of opinions whose authors often think are the gold standard only to be later contradicted, extended or modified by another gold standard saying something a little different

Read lots, think it over, chose your path, and brew on. It's a craft so lots of room to experiment and learn from the techniques of others while developing the process that works for you.

Cheers.

 

[bellhp]

I learned to brew from reading Charlie Papazian's book "the complete joy of homebrewing" and his motto is Relax don't worry, Have a home brew . This has served me well , and it's the best advice I can give a new brewer .

 

[DromJohn]

Welcome from a former TJ, Kenwood, Wakefield student.
RDWAHAHB.

 

[hout17]

Welcome to the HBT family!

It's really up to you how far the rabbit hole you want to go. If you want to keep it simple, and still make decent beer then that's awesome too.

 

[ncbrewer]

The home brew blogs scare me a little because they make me think every little detail is crucial, and one little mistake will ruin the batch.

You've probably found lots of varying opinions on some of the subjects. Brewing is full of judgement calls. It makes me a little uneasy when I have to make a decision without being sure if it's "right", but in the end it makes it more interesting.
Welcome.

 

[Kent88]

Welcome!