On Christmas Day of 2001 a friend (yes, I have a friend) gave me a very small beer kit for my birthday. I know what you’re saying; he gave you a birthday present on Christmas? Yes, because my birthday is on Christmas Day; not that any of my so-called friends in this club called or emailed to wish me a happy birthday. But I Hugh!
When I received the kit, it was in a small box. The box contained a 12-ounce can of hopped malt extract, a package of dry yeast, an airlock, a two foot long length of quarter inch vinyl tubing and a little book on the history of beer with the instruction for the kit. I thought to myself; well that’s an unusual gift, I like beer, thanks!
After Christmas, I put the little box in my closet and forgot all about it. One weekend in the first part of the year I was at home and found the kit in the closet and thought I would take a look at the book. As I read the book and the stories of the history of beer and the different styles I was intrigued. I decided to brew my first beer. The instructions were fairly simple. Boil water, add malt, cool wort, pour in one-gallon jug, add yeast, attach airlock and let fermentation begin.
I followed the directions perfectly, including sanitizing everything with a mild breach solution and rinsing well. The little book suggested using flip top bottles when it was time to bottle my first beer. I remembered that I had seen some beer that was sold in bottles just like that. I went to Specs in League City and found Grolsch and purchased a six-pack and took them home and began to empty the bottles orally! My first thought while drinking the Grolsch was; I hope my beer turns out better than this! But I Hugh!
To make an already long story longer, I let the wort ferment out of the one-gallon jug all over the kitchen counter and really stink up the kitchen. Needless to say Diane was not pleased with this first brewing experience. I followed the directions and after a couple of weeks I carefully siphoned the beer into the bottles and primed each bottle with a small amount of table sugar. I put the bottles in the pantry for a couple of weeks and waited patiently.
After the time passed I put a couple of the bottles in the fridge and chilled them down. When I decided to open the first bottle I was so excited! I carefully popped the flip top closure open to the sound of a sharp pop. A little puff of carbon dioxide floated from the opening. I was thrilled! I could see the bubbles rise through the bottle. I smelled the bottle and it almost smelled like beer. My first thought was that it was going to be really strong. I poured the liquid into a clean glass and watched the deep tan head rise in the glass. The beer was not what I had expected; it was dark brown in color but relatively clear. I took the first sip and was not at all shocked by the flavor. It was strong in flavor and a little sweet but tasted like beer. It had carbonation, but it did have a slight cardboard taste. I thought this was pretty cool. Over the next few days I drank each bottle and got a little buzz off each one. I had made my first fermented beverage in my own home. I was a brewer!
I thought to myself; this is fun and I might enjoy doing this again. A few months went by and I decided I wanted to make a wine. I thought; Diane and I both like wine so it would be something we would both enjoy. Another friend (ok fine just someone I knew) suggested that I go to Defalcos and get those guys to help me get started in winemaking. I went by there and Landry put together all the basic equipment I would need to make a Strawberry wine. He even gave me the recipe. After getting home and finding out those fresh strawberries would cost me about $75 to make this wine, I had to find a better way. I made the wine and it wasn’t bad. But once again I Hugh!
A month or two later I went back to Defalcos and Scott sold me all the extract ingredients to make a light ale. I had a carboy and a bucket to ferment in from my wine equipment. I had a turkey cooker and a pot to boil in; all I needed was a little motivation. Scott gave me step-by-step instructions on how to brew the beer. I followed it carefully and watched the process of fermentation. I racked when the primary fermentation was finished and I watched the beer clear nicely in the secondary. I went back to Defalcos and bought a couple of cases of Grolsch bottles and primed and bottled the beer. It tuned out pretty good and I drank all the beer up in a couple of weekends. My friends (no really) couldn’t believe I made the beer.
I went back to Defalcos and bought another extract brewing kit and complained to Scott of the drudgery of bottling the beer. He quickly showed me how I could eliminate the hassle of bottling by using a soda keg and a CO2 dispensing system. So, without checking with the Chief Financial Officer I plopped down my credit card and purchased the set-up. I brewed my third beer and kegged it per the instructions provided and waited in anticipation for my first glass of my own tap beer. When I tapped it and poured the first glass I was horrified by the site of a muddy glass of beer. By the third glass I realized I was just pulling the sediment off the bottom of the keg and it was getting clear. But again I Hugh.
That weekend I had a group of friends (that’s enough, just stop) over to play poker. We killed an almost full corny in just less than three hours. I was a brewing god! I had been looking at the different Homebrewing websites and many talked about Homebrewing clubs. I thought that would be a great way to meet other sick individuals and learn a few things about the hobby. The next time I was in Defalcos I asked Scott about the area clubs and he told me about the Foam Rangers. He also mentioned that there was a club on the south side in my area. He gave me the name of the Bay Area Mashtronauts. In December of 2002 I went to the website and emailed then Mission Commander John Schmalz. John emailed me back and invited me the January 2003 meeting at the Outpost.
The first meeting was interesting. I met a lot of strange but nice people who had a real passion for this hobby. I was hooked. I have spent the last five years learning, brewing and drinking with my friends (don’t deny me a dream) in the Bay Area Mashtronauts. This January’s meeting marks my fifth anniversary with the club and I had the honor of being elected Mission Commander in 2006. This club is just not about making beer. It is about the camaraderie of sharing a hobby. It’s about building friendships. It’s about learning and sharing knowledge. It’s about enjoying life to the fullest.
