Waqaa! from Rural Alaska

[6r33nh311]

Hello I am a brewer from Bethel, Alaska. Been brewing for a little more than a year. I have brewed too many to count extract batches to get my fermentation process down. Now I am doing All-grain in my temp-controlled garage. A little cold here but I use it to my advantage as to Lager my beer with Snow and Ice collected outside and also Rain collected for the water I use to make the beer. It is more interesting as I am native yupik eskimo, grew up in this area and try to harvest and use what is available to use from the land. Like my Cloudberry Wheat beer I brewed this summer! My favorite is Oktoberfest though, No local products but my fermentation temperature going from 50-55 all day combined with the local rain water makes the beer taste devine! :rockin: I have been reading a lot off this forum to answer my questions on certain things. It is nice to finally join.

 

[prandlesc]

Welcome. And best of luck moving to all grain brewing - you're in for a treat with the options available. I've been to Bethel, and brewing in the winter seems like a great thing to do - especially lager brewing. It looks like your three tier brewing "system" will serve you well. I'm guessing all or at least most of your supplies come in from Anchorage, is that right? I didn't spend a lot of time in Bethel, but I don't recall seeing a homebrew shop!

 

[6r33nh311]

Yes, I order everything in from Anchorage. Nice brew shop there. A little pricey on the shipping but better than ordering from somewhere far for even more. I've dreamed of opening one here as it has caught on pretty well and I know quite a few people doing partial mash and extract brewing. A little surprised that somebody on here has been to Bethel out of all places.

 

[Subsailor]

Camai and welcome! I'm in Eagle River. My wife spent 10 years in Bethel - in fact that's where honeymooned!

 

[prandlesc]

Camai and welcome! I'm in Eagle River. My wife spent 10 years in Bethel - in fact that's where honeymooned!

WOW!! You must be in love with Alaska. Bethel in OK, but not what I'd think of as a honeymoon destination. Do you work at the hospital and got a great rate on a room?

 

[Cyclman]

Welcome from CO!

 

[kaboom133]

Not a bad looking setup you have there. When I saw the thread title, it reminded me of the book that taught me homebrewing: the Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible.

 

[6r33nh311]

Honeymoon in the muddy streets on the Paris of the Kuskokwim! I wouldn't wanna live anywhere else. My beer keeps my mind busy on the long dark winters.

 

[Subsailor]

WOW!! You must be in love with Alaska. Bethel in OK, but not what I'd think of as a honeymoon destination. Do you work at the hospital and got a great rate on a room?

Yeah, we truly do love Alaska. However major surgeries for both of us the last 4 years have left us feeling the long winters more. Moving to Arizona late next year to help her parents.

 

[Subsailor]

Honeymoon in the muddy streets on the Paris of the Kuskokwim! I wouldn't wanna live anywhere else. My beer keeps my mind busy on the long dark winters.

I have enjoyed every visit I have made to Bethel, fortunately my job with the Court System has allowed me to travel through out much of our great State!

 

[Jette]

I'm in Palmer, so good to hear from you guys. We really are getting a fine brewing community. It's nice to have Arkose Brewing out here for when you need a growler of some else's brew... Just getting into AG Brewing myself.

 

[Subsailor]

I retire from the State Court System June 30th, 2014. We are moving to the Prescott area of Arizona in late July/early August.

we have several techs and network types that live out there in the valley. We use them alot to do work in the Palmer Courthouse due to the convenience.