Preface: Originally published January 16th, 2016 on my Blogger site, Homebrew explored the obvious satisfaction of making and drinking beer (Duh!). Oddly, I have not brewed since December 2017, although, I am really itching to give it a try again before the temperature here begins to rise.
I bring joy to the world one bottle at a time. Granted, it’s mostly my joy, but its joy nonetheless.
You see recently I have begun brewing my own beer.
It’s a modest, grassroots operation, one man with a humble dream to be inebriated. The act of brewing beer at home has been extremely satisfying. I don’t cook (Editor’s note: I have recently evolved just a bit I this area. Turns out I can cook, but largely prefer not to, most of the time), I’m hardly crafty, and certainly not handy as a general rule (Editor’s note: Here too, a bit of learning on the job after a recent move, feeling a bit more confident in this realm as well, still humble though).
I have just bottled my second batch; what I call a “Ch’oaked Out Porter” - a traditional porter with chocolate flavoring and whiskey soaked oak chips being added in during fermentation.
It should be just as delectable as it sounds. My first attempt was a Belgian Triple, of which I split half the batch and gave it some vanilla flavoring (Dilapidated Abbey Vanilla Belgian Tripel), just for poo and snickers. I’m honest (Editor’s note: Typically, a lie follows this statement, but accurate in this case) so I can’t say it was the best beer I’ve ever tasted, but it was pretty damn good, especially for a first run.
What surprised me the most about the whole process was how easy it was to finish. I’ve compared it numerous times to making stew, albeit a stew you let sit for three weeks or more, but still pretty appropriate in my humble opinion. In addition, drinking something that I created was satisfying in a way that buying a beer could never be.
I guess I had always looked at brewing beer as too complex for me to do myself. I looked at friends and acquaintances I’ve known that have done it through the years as somehow having this nearly supernatural knowledge of a process that was both mysterious and grand. Trust me that says more about my flair for the dramatic than it does about the high esteem that I hold them in.
At any rate, having accomplished my task, and succeeded has really given a boost to my confidence level- needless to say so has drinking all the beer I’ve created. It has made me want to learn more, not only about the hobby of home brew, but about lots of other things as well.
I’ve decided that nothing is as hard as it seems, and have used this as a springboard to expand my knowledge in other areas. I’ve taken up cross country rugby, horizontal skydiving, and have even booked myself for a neurosurgery I had been putting off for months, maybe even years -all things I just assumed were too difficult, dangerous or simply beyond my comprehension to attempt.
So with that I ask of you that you try something new. You don’t have to expect perfection, just try it and approach the task with a realistic outcome in mind.
Oh, and one more thing wish me luck on my surgery, it’ll be my first time operating.
Cheers!