In the Beginning...

I've never been a great writer and I wouldn't call myself a great brewer yet, but I figured that with the amount of time I spend brewing, reading about brewing, and drinking beer, a blog would be a good method of organizing my thoughts on brewing with the added bonus of other people either learning from my mistakes or sharing their own wisdom.

I first started brewing in May of 2011 and fell in love after the first batch. Granted I haven't been brewing as long as other people, but I've had a fairly voracious appetite for brewing literature, websites, and blogs. Another reason I chose to start this blog is that I've found that brewing the classic US and UK beer styles to a little too straightforward with the results being on par with what is readily and cheaply available through craft breweries. After reading Radical Brewing, Brew Like a Monk, and The Mad Fermentationist blog I've gotten much more interested in the stranger side of brewing, the things that are hard to find, and more importantly: the beers I can't afford to buy.

While I will probably still have at least a keg of ale at all times and will include their recipes here, I hope to focus this blog more on my descent into the more eclectic side of brewing, reviews and tastings of rare, sour, or weird beers, and to talk about beer equipment both store bought and DIY.

Oh, and expect this thing to look a lot better once I let my girlfriend get her hands on it.