Rewind to 1999. I’m a terribly geeky undergraduate who loves beer. My best friend is a biochemistry major who is focusing his thesis on yeast genetics. Beer brewing is born.
Many batches later, work and new hobbies take hold, graduations happen, partners become spouses, houses are purchased, graduate school becomes an all consuming nightmare, kids are born. The brewing equipment collects dust in the garage or is loaned/donated/lost forever to friends.
One night, while drinking a fine oatmeal stout, you remember when you used to brew these things, and how much you missed it. Your brother is soon to be relocating to your area, and you used to brew with him. Unlike when you started, you can afford to buy equipment that you have oogled over. Your focus on work and whatnot and the resulting stress puts you at risk for a hemorrhagic stroke. Your spouse says “I think you need to get back into a hobby”.
You research, you read, you spend every waking moment not working, parenting, or spousing thinking about brewing (with some spill-over, too). You write project plans, employ spreadsheets and models that would make your operations research professor proud (or weep), and even simulate what a brew day would look like. You read BrauKaiser and Bru’n Water and the NB forums and four books and even a few theses.
… and then, out of nowhere, Papazian’s voice rings out: DWRHAHB.
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After a nearly seven year hiatus, I jumped back in with both feet this morning, much to the chagrin of my bank account. It is amazing how much has changed in the homebrew world in the past seven years… and how much remains the same. First batch in the new system on April 6th.
Cheers.
