Hopping_Mad
Regular.
Er, not sure what I'm supposed to be putting here, except how my recent re-introduction to home brewing came about?
Brewed with my late father at home in the 80's when Boots kits were somewhat rudimentary (although the stout wasn't too bad and did the job for a teenager who wanted to get a buzz on!).
Grew up drinking Tetleys in Headingley when it was a half decent pint and have basically drunk bitters and ales ever since.
The recent trend for craft beer and microbreweries has been a Godsend for me as mass produced ales got worse. West Yorkshire apparently has the highest concentration of microbreweries per capita of any county in England (something to do with local demand perhaps?). I have two fantastic breweries on my doorstep - Wharfebank in Otley and Ilkley Brewery in, er Ilkley!
Having been made redundant and had a 15% reduction in salary in my new job, I was looking for ways to have beer at reduced cost. I joined my local social club which always has guest cask ale from a local brewery, the other was to investigate home brewing again.
Got my starter gear with a Coopers Dark Ale kit, made it to instructions with the basic brewing sugar and do you know what? - it isn't too damn bad! Kits are obviously that much better than 30 years ago! Second kit is a ruby ale by St Peters which is bottled and conditioning. Making a St Pete's Golden Ale tomorrow.
Out of the blue last week, I got head hunted to a much higher salary level than before my redundancy, but do you know what - the process and quality of home brew is so much fun (...have you noticed his appreciative your friends who give you their empties are when they get some back with beer in?) that, even though my original motivator has been removed, I'm damn well going to carry on!
Supping a Coopers Dark Ale right now! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Brewed with my late father at home in the 80's when Boots kits were somewhat rudimentary (although the stout wasn't too bad and did the job for a teenager who wanted to get a buzz on!).
Grew up drinking Tetleys in Headingley when it was a half decent pint and have basically drunk bitters and ales ever since.
The recent trend for craft beer and microbreweries has been a Godsend for me as mass produced ales got worse. West Yorkshire apparently has the highest concentration of microbreweries per capita of any county in England (something to do with local demand perhaps?). I have two fantastic breweries on my doorstep - Wharfebank in Otley and Ilkley Brewery in, er Ilkley!
Having been made redundant and had a 15% reduction in salary in my new job, I was looking for ways to have beer at reduced cost. I joined my local social club which always has guest cask ale from a local brewery, the other was to investigate home brewing again.
Got my starter gear with a Coopers Dark Ale kit, made it to instructions with the basic brewing sugar and do you know what? - it isn't too damn bad! Kits are obviously that much better than 30 years ago! Second kit is a ruby ale by St Peters which is bottled and conditioning. Making a St Pete's Golden Ale tomorrow.
Out of the blue last week, I got head hunted to a much higher salary level than before my redundancy, but do you know what - the process and quality of home brew is so much fun (...have you noticed his appreciative your friends who give you their empties are when they get some back with beer in?) that, even though my original motivator has been removed, I'm damn well going to carry on!
Supping a Coopers Dark Ale right now! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!
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