Why I Love Homebrewing

Let’s get the obvious reason some people love homebrewing out of the way: beer. I mean, how many hobbies do you know of that let you do something you enjoy, then you end up with beer you made at the end of it? I can only think of one.

Most of the homebrewers I’ve talked to have something beyond just a love of good beer that got them hooked on the hobby. Curiosity is a big part of the hobby. What happens if I brew the same recipe but ferment it differently? What if I never make the same recipe? Can I make cider? Would this change to my brewing system affect the end result?

My Early Foundation

Once I learned brewing was just another form of cooking, I got really curious. My mom tells stories about how she had me on the kitchen counter in my car seat, cracking eggs into a bowl for her, before I could walk. I’ve always loved cooking and exploring how to combine flavors in a way to make fueling our bodies a source of enjoyment.

I’ve also always like flavors associated with different fermentations: sauerkraut, bleu cheese, kimchi, and kombucha speak to my soul. I didn’t like the first beer I tried, but when I found dark beer, my brain went to work thinking of fun and interesting flavor combinations.

My passion for brewing springs from the exploration of flavors, their sources, and how they can be changed with different processes. The simple fact that the timing of hop additions can affect bitterness levels and the aromatics present in the finished beer shows how good brewers really have to understand their process as well as their ingredients.

But I know brewers have different reasons for their passion. If you already brew, what attracted you to brewing beer? If you’re getting started or thinking about brewing, what aspects attract you to brewing your own beer? Leave a comment below.

Stainless Steel Growler Review – Keg King’s Ultimate Growler

Keg King sent me their Ultimate stainless steel growler to review. I spent some time on a Saturday logging data to see how it holds up.

Why a Stainless Steel Growler?

Keg King’s Ultimate Growler is a 64-ounce stainless growler for transporting beer from a tap to somewhere you want to drink that beer. Many growlers are made of glass, but this one is made out of 304 stainless steel. Many pools, beaches, and other public locations do not allow glass containers for safety reasons; this is a good alternative package to avoid that problem.

Since this is a stainless steel growler, you do not need to be concerned about it breaking inadvertently. The constructions feels solid, and the heft feels nice in my hand. The brushed stainless provides a good grip, even when it is wet.

The neck of the growler is a comfortable diameter and allows for easy pouring.

This Seal Barks, not Growls

One story of the growler’s origin states that the original tin containers emitted a growling sound because the lid could not form a tight seal. This caused the lid to vibrate, emitting a low growling noise. The Ultimate Growler has a tight bale-top lid with a food-grade silicone gasket to form a tight seal that barked loud when the top was flipped open.

You won’t need to worry about your beer going flat as long as the lid is closed.

Who, me? I’m just Chillin’

Chilled Growler — Initial Temperature 40 F / 4.4 C

To test the vacuum insulation, I filled the growler with iced water. The temperature settled at 40 degrees.

The growler rested on the counter in a 60-degree F room. I monitored the temperature every few hours.

4 hours later, the temperature was 42 F / 5.5 C

8 Hours Later — Checking after 8.5 hours, the temp had risen to 44 F / 6.6 C

18 Hour Temperature rose 10 F — After 18 hours, the temperature rose to 50 F / 10 C

Temperatures in the growler rose 10 degrees F / 5.6 C over the course of 18 hours.

I am happy with this growler, and think it’s a good option to transport your beer without taking a full keg.

Growing Hops at Home – Revisiting Your Rig

I posted the process I used to rig my hop pole like a flagpole. Check out that video.

Fixing Problems

Some of the strings I raised in that first video had some problems. In this video I talk about some of them.

Rough Pole

The pole had lots of irregularities. Since it was a tree I harvested and removed the branches, there were many places for the strings to catch. Cracks in the bark, the stubs of the removed branches, and more provided places for the strings to catch when the wind blew.

Too Much Slack

When I raised the strings and tied them off, I left too much slack in the twine. This allows the strings to move around a lot, catching in the irregularities of the pole used as the central pole for raising and lowering the strings.

Fixes

By shortening the strings, the twine no longer catches on the pole, so it can’t be worn down by movement.

Your Experience

Let me know if you’ve run into similar challenges, and what you’ve done to overcome the challenges. I’d love to learn along with you. Please post your thoughts in the comments below.