Missed It by That Much

What could be better than brewing two weekends in a row? Brewing three weekends in a row!

Two weeks ago, I decided to shake things up a bit. I'd always been brewing batches that finish with about 5 gallons (or about 2 cases) of beer. This is the most common batch size for homebrewers. I'm not sure why that becomes the default volume for so many homebrewers, but it can seem difficult to break out of that rut and brew different batch sizes.

Thanks to my brother, I was able to do two things: realize that I can easily brew a smaller volume on my stove top with equipment I already have, and make the jump from brewing with just malt extract to brewing with all grain.

The second of these - brewing with all grain rather than just malt extract - was a true gift. He started homebrewing about five months ago, so I had a whopping seven-month lead on him. But over the last month or so, I'd become less of a mentor for him than a true peer, taking advice as much as I give it.

And I knew this was going to happen. When it comes to cooking, I stick to the recipe, and he fiddles. I try to master what the recipe intended, and he just tries to make something tasty. In a way, I'm the scientist and he the artist, which is going to favor me for consistency but him for some truly phenomenal break out beers.

About a month ago, he decided to make the leap into brewing with all grain. As he and I learned the new process together, we both realized we could easily to this. All grain brewing can be intimidating for extract brewers - as it was for me. All grain brewing tends to require a greater level of control over temperatures and water volumes. But his boldness and curiosity opened the door for both of us.

Two weeks ago, he was visiting from out of town and helped me brew my first small, all grain batch. I enjoyed it so much, I brewed a 3-gallon batch last weekend. And I enjoyed that so much, I brewed another 3-gallon batch this weekend.

The batches the last two weeks went very well. But this week, something went wrong. I recently started using the timer feature in my brewing software. I mistook a single alarm and starting adding my ingredients at the wrong times. I ended up finishing my "60-minute" boil 10 minutes too soon, and I didn't realize what had gone wrong until I was 5 minutes into chilling the sweet wort down.

I immediately did two things. First, I remembered the homebrewer's mantra to relax and not worry. I came up with a feasible plan to rescue my misstep. Second, I called my brother for his advice. If I take the boil pot out of the water bath for chilling and bring it back to a boil for another 5-10 minutes, I should be good to go, right? I knew it'd be okay, but hearing his confirmation brought a lot of peace of mind.

So, little bro, you weren't here to help me brew this amber ale, but every time I drink it (starting in 6 weeks!) I'll think of you.

Happy Anniversary!

The first anniversary of my first brew day passed uneventfully yesterday. It sneaked up on even me, not realizing it until last night.

I've logged a satisfying number of brews this year: an amber ale, a pale and also an extra pale ale, a brown ale, a saison, and three English ales (a Mild, a Special Bitter, and a Porter). I wrapped up the year with two all grain beers: a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone, and an ale called Dirty Water Brown from Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer's book, Brewing Classic Styles.

I think I ended up bottling about 35 gallons of beer, or about 60 six packs. Many of those six packs were gifted to friends and family who gave me probably too generous feedback. They were probably just happy to have the free beer!

Things I've learned about brewing this year:

• Keep your equipment clean.
• Keep everything sanitized after the boil.
• Use fresh ingredients.
• Use the right bottling equipment or you'll waste beer all over the kitchen floor.
• Having the kids help with the hobby makes for a great bonding experience.

Things I've learned about myself this year:

• I take myself way to seriously. Relax, and enjoy a glass!
• Having homebrewing friends can be a very good thing. Some of the best beers I've ever tasted came as samples from fellow homebrewers.
• I shouldn't apologize so much for things that I do that I think are sub par. I've long known I'm the worst critic of myself. Life is so much nicer when I can simply enjoy the things that I have and be thankful for those around me. I'm glad I have family and good friends who remind me to give myself a break.
• Having the kids help with the hobby makes for a great bonding experience.

Goals for this next year? Brew as often as I can, drink the beers I enjoy drinking, don't be afraid to try something new, and be thankful for everything I have.

That doesn't sound too difficult!