Skiing and Homebrewing on the Horizon

Season's Greetings!

With true winter three weeks away, I am gearing up for an exciting next couple months. Not only will I be spending weekends on the slopes of a couple Lake Tahoe resorts, but I will also be taking my interest in craft beer to the next level. Starting at the beginning of next year, I'll begin my adventures in homebrewing. I have some great creations in mind, and hopefully I will get a chance to see at least one of them come to fruition.

There is much to prepare for aside from getting the right kit, so to start I'm diving into John Palmer's third edition of How to Brew. This guide provides readers with a basic understanding of the ingredients and processes that go into brewing--not to mention you can learn a lot about cleaning and sanitizing solutions! What I appreciate about Palmer's third edition is that you can understand the fundamentals without reading more than 20 or 30 pages, but if you want to see the art behind the science, read on with gusto.

In recent weeks, I have engaged in much beer tasting and beer appreciation. The craft beer scene is starting to come alive a little in American society, but it is booming in cyberspace. The learning and interaction potential in sites such as BeerAdvocate and CraftBeer.com will get you buzzing in a matter of a couple minutes. So will tasting a unique spectrum of beers! I myself have picked up a couple favorites from Foam Fest as well as some unfamiliar brews, such as this fantastic smoked Rauchbier I learned about in Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer. You can read up on Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock here on BeerAdvocate. 

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on what I'm thinking about in light of homebrewing, new brews in my glass and everything else beer-related.

You Stay Hoppy California,

Pink

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