I began brewing in September of '09. Shortly after being shown how to brew by a close friend, I quickly became obsessed! I read everything I could get my hands on. Soon enough, I had a starter kit of my own and got to it. My first beer was a Honey Wheat. While it wasn't terrible, it wasn't great either. Fast forward a few months and I got tired of doing the whole extract brewing thing.
Being the handy guy I am, I made a small mash tun to begin partial mashes. This was still technically extract brewing, however more grain was added and less extract was used. This increases the complex flavors and freshness of the beer. After a handful of batches, I decided it was time to make the jump to All Grain Brewing. This is where I really became addicted to brewing.
I did a huge amount of research on turn key systems and DIY systems of the like. Before I knew it, I had two polished keggles and a March 809 pump. Soon after, a control panel appeared. I just couldn't stop building and a few months later I was brewing with a complete HERMS set up. My beers improved greatly!
After brewing on this system for a while, I decided it was time to put my beers up against some other Homebrewers in the area. In the first annual Schuylkill BrewFest I placed third among a small group of applicants with my Pale Ale recipe. Hey, it's a start!
I just recently entered a more legit competition that involved 548 entries. Although I didn't place, I did receive a great score of 37.5/50. The judges really enjoyed the beer.
With only three years of brewing under my belt, I'm hoping that I continue to improve in every area of this great hobby!
Cheers!
Brent
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