Novice Brewer - Brand new HomeBrewTalk memer - North Carolina

[Focus]

Hello, all!

Focus here, checking into the Intro message board for the first time. I've been brewing for almost 4 years now off and on as my work and living schedule will allow. I've been working with the standard starter kit - 2 plastic Ale Pails & all the gadgets that come with them - all that time, but have recently upgraded to a 10 gal pot with spigot and a 12 gal plastic conical fermenter.

In addition to beer, I've always wanted to get into wine (both ready-made kits and fruit varieties) and mead. My big hangup has been the glass carboys. I'm skiddish about making wine in plastic jugs b/c it seems like with the time and strong nature - especially of red wines - that the buckets would get really stained and smelly. And carboys make me nervous b/c they're big, fragile, ungainly, and seem very difficult to clean really well. I've also looked into conical fermenters, but plastic ones have the same issues as buckets and stainless are WAY too expensive - at least for me right now. If anyone has advice to offer on wine methods, I'm happy to listen.

Besides brewing and drinking beer, I enjoy barbecuing in my Char-Griller smoker with side fire box. I mostly do pork (ribs, boston butts, shoulders) with indirect heat and hikory chips, but I'm always expanding my technique and rub, mop, and sauce recepies. It just so happens that it's a hobby with a rather leisurely pace during which I can enjoy the outside and beer - just like brewing! I also like to travel, read all kinds of books, go to the beach, scuba dive, and I pretend to be into camping, hiking, and climbing although I very rarely get to do any of that.

I live in the Raleigh area (NC), so if you've got info on any of the above activities, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected]. I know that Raleigh has a spring beer festival - Late April, I think - and there's another one in the fall - I believe it's in Durham. If anyone is interested in meeting up for a day o' beer sampling, let me know ahead of time. I'll also probably be posting a call for info on beer events / pubs / brewing groups in NC in the American Brewing News blog.

That's enough for now. Hope to hear from some of y'all soon.

Focus

 

[Jaybird]

I use to live in Athens GA and did a bunch of work in Raleigh on that postal building that went in about O 1993 or so. I was up there in the winter HOLY CRAP it was the coldest I think I have ever been... EVER!!!!
welcome
JJ

 

[nosnhojr]

Hello, all!

Focus here, checking into the Intro message board for the first time. I've been brewing for almost 4 years now off and on as my work and living schedule will allow.

Hey, welcome! What kind of beers do you brew?

In addition to beer, I've always wanted to get into wine (both ready-made kits and fruit varieties) and mead. My big hangup has been the glass carboys. I'm skiddish about making wine in plastic jugs b/c it seems like with the time and strong nature - especially of red wines - that the buckets would get really stained and smelly. And carboys make me nervous b/c they're big, fragile, ungainly, and seem very difficult to clean really well.

I started with glass carboys, and every time I brew they seem smaller and less ungainly. Still, they come with some risk. Several people here are recent converts to the Better Bottle, so maybe that's an alternative to plastic buckets and glass carboys.

Besides brewing and drinking beer, I enjoy barbecuing in my Char-Griller smoker with side fire box. I mostly do pork (ribs, boston butts, shoulders) with indirect heat and hikory chips, but I'm always expanding my technique and rub, mop, and sauce recepies.

Barbecue has been my main hobby for several years, although this year brewing has displaced it. When the weather cools down, I'm sure I'll go back to smoking. I mainly do Eastern NC-style pulled pork, brisket, and pork ribs. When I lived in CA, I had two friends who were into barbecue -- one from Argentina and the other from Texas. I pretty much had to get into the hobby, just to give them a chance to taste real 'cue.