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Well, let's see. I got interested in home brewing about 1997, in San Diego, while I was serving in the United States Navy. Everyday I drove home I passed a home brew supply store, and my interest was piqued. One day I stopped in and talked to the owner. Very interesting guy. Sorry I don't remember his name, But the store was called the American Home Brew Supply Store. They have since moved to a new location. I ended up buying a beginner 5 gallon kit, and an extract batch of some Australian lager. (Although I did not know a thing about lagering.) I went home and brewed it up, fermented it in the closet for a month, then I bottled it. A month later I was drinking it, and it was not too bad. I was hooked.
In 1999, my time there was up, I moved with my wife back here to beautiful Beaumont, TX. Well, I continued to brew more and more. I was trying everything, but was having a heck of a time keeping up with production. I was drinking more then I could brew! So I did the next logical thing, I bought a 16 gallon keg and the book "Brew Ware" by Lutzen and Stevens. Now I could keep up. I thought. Anyway, we moved from that house to where we are now. I hooked up with some local folks in the Golden Triangle Home Brew Club. They had a blacksmith who whipped me up a 3 tier 10 gallon system. I added RIMS and a few other goodies. Now I keg 5 gallon batches. 2 taps on 2 garage refrigerators later and I now have to supply the neighbors. Oh well. Now I prefer to brew Belgian Dubels and Tripels. I am planning 2 major future steps……
is a trip to Belgium to try at least 1 of every beer they make.
Is a home brew supply store or a brew pub of my own. I can see the need for one here, with the club members and the others who are showing more and more interest in the craft. This site is an intro to the second part. Which will hopefully becoming soon.
I now have an assistant brewer. His name is Tanner, and he is 5 years old. He loves to help me brew. Some day, I will be opening my own brew pub or store and he is going to run it for me. As soon as he gets out of the NAVY that is. 1st he will have to be a NAVAL Academy grad, then do his time as a NAVY SEAL. Then he will be ready for anything the world can throw at him.
I now have another assistant brewer. On November 9th, 2006, Alexandra Marie arrived, and Tanner and I will have to get her ready to fill in when we need another hand. This is going to be great. Too bad they wont be able to taste anything except the root beer, cream soda and ginger ale for a long while. 21 years is a long time to age their 1st beer.
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