In the world of homebrewing there are wonderful, cordon-bleu grade brewers, producing fantastic beers. Me, I’m a backyard barbecuer. I have a lot of respect for folks who hone their craft, but no aspirations to be a beer artist myself, just a beer good cook. I started brewing back when the Big Six were all you could get, and you could have any beer you wanted as long as it’s a lager. I brew less these days, since there’s a lot more good beer available over the counter, but like a homecooked meal, a good homebrew is always a treat. I like flavorful beers. Some brewers worry and fuss over a faintly visible haze in their beer. Mine block out the sun. Over the years I’ve gradually drifted away from solely stouts and porters (dark sleep chocolate stout is still a favorite recipe, and a friend has a great imperial stout) and towards more amber ales, and also towards hoppier beers (wiseass red bitter is a current favorite). I even brew a lager once in a while (Rocky Raccoon Crystal Honey Lager). I’m experimenting with cider, these days. It’s ridiculously easy... and ridiculously finicky. Sigh. [ less ]

In the world of homebrewing there are wonderful, cordon-bleu grade brewers, producing fantastic beers. Me, I’m a backyard barbecuer. I have a lot of respect for folks who hone their craft, but no aspirations to be a beer artist myself, just a beer good cook. I started brewing back when the Big Six were all you could get, and you could have any beer you wanted as long as it’s a lager. I brew less these days, since there’s a lot more good beer available over the counter, but like a...
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