The first post (Please mind the immaturity of the writing, I’m not a writer and definitely new to the whole blogging thing). I will have to say we are definitely not starting out on the right track. Salim and I already have our first batch of extract specific beer in the fermentor (which we will document in a later post). The whole blog idea didn't really come into play until about 30 minutes after we finished brewing. It kinda hit me after I was going back through all the pictures my girlfriend and I took during the whole brewing process this last Sunday. Another inspiration for our blog were all the other blogs written by more experienced home brewers. As I looked at all these blogs, I will admit that I was nervous about stating the brewing process. Multiple concerns came into play, what if I screw the first batch up? Will I have enough money to be able to buy a replacement batch if I screw it up? Would I look immature on the home brewing forums if I posted really simple questions? Etc. What I came up with after all the concerns, I AM AN AMATEUR!! I got over the whole looking stupid thing on forums, because there were plenty of people out there who knew just as little as me and were starting their homebrew careers as well. Every home brewer was a novice at one point and you'll never master the process without asking questions and getting support from the veterans. So, I came up with the idea of this blog for 2 main purposes. 1) So that we could document or experiences and our thoughts about home brewing, and 2) So that anyone who is starting to homebrew can hopefully gain some confidence and learn from two guys who have never brewed before and are in the infant stages of their home brewing careers.
Just to tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Alex Haskell and I am from Mill Creek, Washington. Mill Creek is a suburb in Western Washington about 20 miles north of Seattle. I currently live in Seattle in the Ballard Neighborhood. I wouldn't say that I didn't grow up not appreciating beer, but I just never had the wide knowledge of beer that I do now. I thought Pyramid and Red Hook were the only microbrews in Seattle, and then find out later, Red Hook isn't even in Seattle. I went to the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. There I joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and was introduced to Keystone Light. At the time I thought it was amazing, and still drink it on occasion when I'm not the one buying it. Then, eventually went from there to Coors, to Budweiser, and the occasional random microbrew or import at the bars. It wasn't until I was hired at The Shanty Cafe on 4th Ave in Tucson, where I truly learned about beer. Side note; If you are ever in Tucson, the only bar you need to go to is The Shanty Cafe. It is the oldest continually licensed bar in the State of Arizona. It may not be a huge party bar, but it has 250 different kinds of bottled beer, every type of liquor you could imagine, pool tables, etc. It's a quieter place, and the atmosphere from the clientele is amazing. Just be wary, they don’t serve food. Problem solved, you can order food or bring food into the bar. Not to mention, the bar has been run by 1 family for the entirety of its existence, and my old Boss, definitely knows his stuff. Needless to say, with 250 types of beer and the entire concept of the bar being beer focused, a person is bound to form a respect for beer. I tried every beer we offered at the bar, and from there took my interests to specialty beer markets. When most people went to parties with a thirty bomb of Key Light, I was bringing six packs of craft beers that would cost twice what the thirty racks would cost. I was spending most everything I made at the bar on beer. I WAS HOOKED. The conclusion I have come to is that the lower my ability to see through the beer, the better it is. However, I respect and enjoy all kinds of beer.
The past year or so, I have strayed from my search for craft beers, and had entered the world of wine. Coming back to Washington, I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the emerging Washington Wine industry and what it has to offer. However, I have made a conscious decision to GET BACK TO BEER!! Thus, the idea of brewing it myself. As luck would have it, I have a room mate who enjoys beer as much as I do, and had a desire brew it too. Worked out perfectly! I will have Salim get on here and write a little something about himself later, as I am the only one who knows that I have started this blog hahaha. If anyone finds this blog and wants to ask questions to gain knowledge, or comment to provide knowledge, please do so. Hope you all enjoy, if you're out there.....
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