W

Way back in 2010, myself and two friends ventured into the black arts that is the homebrewing hobby. Little did I know that I would become so infatuated with the brewing process and pursue it to somewhat “advanced” stages. Granted those first couple of batches were nothing special, in fact, I would go as far as saying they just weren’t good at all. Not to be thrown off course by a few “meh” brews I moved forward with the hobby.

It wasn’t until I purchased the essentials to start All-Grain brewing that things started to get interesting. The first all grain batch I made (can’t even remember the style) was incredible, in relation to the prior extract batches. This could have been from my higher understanding of the brewing process, but at the time I attributed it to the more “advanced” process. That is when I was hooked on the hobby. I planted hops, was constantly looking at forums for recipes and techniques, and while my general skill level increased one thing remained the same. I HATED BOTTLING!

After moving to LA and only getting to brew a couple of times during the year, I thought it was destined for me to forever be a craft beer consumer and give up on arcane magics of brewing. Alas, I persuaded myself to take the plunge and finally go the kegging route. This reinvigorated my interest to whole new levels. My parents were coming to visit so I quickly brewed up a cream ale and an IPA for them to enjoy during their stay. It was a definite success and I have no idea why I didn’t switch earlier. The process of carbonating and transferring is much easier, cleaner, and definitely quicker.

Overall, kegging is the way to go if you plan on becoming a homebrewer. While the initial cost might be daunting, it pays of in the end. I will be posting my recipes that I am brewing on the website soon so that anyone interested can try their luck at them. Remember, as Charlie Papazian said, "Relax. Don't Worry. Have a home-brew." Cheers!