Another brewtiful day!

 

I have been drinking craft beer for most of my adult life.  It was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, still one of my favorites, or St. Stans IPA that started it for me almost 25 years ago.  I lived in Fresno, California back when I started drinking beer and back then the craft beer scene was non-existent.  But we did have some decent options at the liquor store.  Some of my early beers that I remember were Liberty Brewing, Russian River, and Stone Brewing.

Over the years, I found myself gravitating towards pale ales and India Pale Ales.  I never considered myself a beer geek and still don't to this day.  I do love hanging out with friends and enjoying a good beer, though, whether it's at home, camping, at the beach, brewery, or dive bar.  Hands down, it's one of my favorite activities.

So when we started seriously considering moving to Mexico full time, I knew that I needed to learn how to brew beer.  Now don't get me wrong, there is a thriving brewery scene happening in Mexico but nothing close to where we live in Bahia Asuncion.  I'll address the Mexican craft beer scene another day but let's just say it's a topic I like to research as often as possible.

So on June 2, 2020, I ordered my first brewing kit from MoreBeer.com and haven't looked back.  Thanks to Tracy for supporting me on this decision from day 1.  She insisted I go for it and encouraged me to buy the kit that allowed me to keg.  She encouraged me to get my first kegarator and then said I should upgrade it to a Nuka tap and why not install a second tap.  Tracy even said if I bought her a new refrigerator I could use the old refrigerator for a second kegarator.  Hey wait a minute, I see what she did there.  But seriously, Tracy has supported this hobby from day one which had made the journey even better.

When we first started out, it was a family affair with everyone pitching in and learning how to brew.  Over time, Gabriel, Mika, and Tracy have kind of backed out which is probably for the best.  Brew days can be long and slow.  Tracy still checks in on me when I'm brewing and is our official bottler but otherwise mostly she is around for quality control.

Today, I'm on batch number 78 and am brewing a Citra Session Pale Ale.  I really like this beer!  It's lite and refreshing and comes in around 4.5 abv.  I will keg this beer.  Currently I have four tap handles but one of those is dedicated for soda water.  Mikayla is a big fan of Italian sodas and goes through 5 gallons of water ever few weeks.  One tap is normally a pale ale, another for IPAs, and the third is equiped with a stout spout and pours stouts and porters.

I just recently purchased another upgrade for my draft system that will allow me to individually control the psi for each line but I still need to install it.  In addition, I purchased my first grain mill and am very happy with it and the results.  I kept thinking a finer mill would improve my efficiency and sure enough it's been a game changer.  Both of those purchases were the result of a very generous gift from one of my student's parents.  Thanks again Mark!

I love brewing on so many levels.  To me, it's just like cooking except with a bit more science involved.  One can definitely geek out but I tend to take brewing in stages.  Each year, I try and take on a new process to improve.  Last year, I focussed on improving my water quality by changing the water chemistry based on the style of beer I was brewing.  This year, I'm milling my grains and am slowly making the switch to having my own inventory of grains and hops.  Currently I order whole grain kits which works fine except having to travel up to San  Diego to get them.  Ideally in the near future, I can source all of my grains and hops from vendors here in Mexico.  I'd also like to make the switch to fermenting in stainless steel but that's going to be an expensive upgrade.  Another upgrade I am looking for this year is adding two more taps.  I would love to brew some other styles of beers such as sours and lagers for our guests.  

For now, though, I'm really happy with my set up.  It's so rewarding sitting at my bar, working on my lap top all while brewing up a great beer that I know will be shared with great friends in the future.  Oh did I mention the joy I get pulling a cold beer from one of my taps!  Yes, I do love brewing!  

Cheers for now!