Replies to post #4097 on Ed's Thread

[fringe_remnant]

It Became An Obsession

I just HAD to brew a perfect beer, and went to great lengths to do this along with other nutcase devotees. One of my friends, an Air Canada pilot, used to bring blocks of Saaz hops home from Czechoslovakia in the plane, prior to the fall of the iron curtain. He secondary fermented his lagers for three months in a fridge. Another devoted himself to brewing the perfect Hi-Test Guiness, very dry and with that creamy white head. Difficult to do... requires a lot of flaked barley in the mash. We would sample the work when we knew we didn't have to go anywhere for a while... 11% by volume dry stout, the alcohol perfectly hidden.

I devoted much time to the Campaign For Real Ale in Canada and helped lobby governments to change brewing laws, both for the homebrewer (it was once illegal) and in the commercial sector, allowing microbreweries a leg into the market. Also spent a lot of time teaching the subject at an amateur level, and organizing some interesting tastings (once with this fella, who flew up from New York while on tour just to do this with me... http://michaeljacksonthebeerhunter.blogspot.com/ and http://www.google.ca/search?q=michael+jackson+beer&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Suddenly, after five years, I realized it had become too much. Friends were becoming alcoholics and it was affecting their marriages. I had put on thirty-five pounds. I dropped it all.

But I hope you enjoy it. A very fine hobby if kept under control.

If you are going to brew at home, keep in touch. I can always offer an opinion on something. The process of brewing from grain at home is beautiful, and cannot be replicated by using commercial worts in a can at brew-for-you centres.

Here is a fella you can use as a resource:
http://www.google.ca/search?q=charlie+papazian&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

English Ale is the easiest and quickest way to a pint and you might consider starting there if you like the stuff. Finding English malts and hops is a prerequisite. The basic 2 row (not 6 row grown for lager and Canadian beer) barley is sold in 100 pound bags....

Here is a starter on English, just sourced from the web...
http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2009/06/01/english-pale-ale-recipes/

And, here is someone local to you... http://brianbeer.blogspot.com/

Cheers! as they say. I am making myself thirsty.

fringe