BITTEN BY THE BUG: Here I am flipping through John Palmer's book "How to Brew" during my first homebrew batch in June 2008.

It all started when three close friends convinced me to help them brew beer on June 7, 2008. Only one of us knew what we were doing, and it wasn’t me. That batch, brewed using an English Pale Ale extract kit, turned out to be quite good.

Fast forward to March 28, 2009, when I ran into an acquaintance at a party and found out he was a homebrewer. He, the three other friends and I all joined forces a couple of weeks later to brew. Another friend of mine from elementary school turned out to be a brewer and eventually joined us too, and we became The Hoplings (an homage to the Inklings).

I could certainly follow directions on brew day, but I soon wanted to know more about the equipment, the ingredients, and the steps involved in beermaking. Sparked by Charlie Papazian’s The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, I’ve developed an insatiable thirst for info about beers and the brewing process. I’ve also put on about 30 pounds.

At one time or another I’ve been a writer/editor, a photographer, and a website developer. I’m a husband and stay-at-home dad. I like music, film and hockey, and I spend a lot of time (and probably too much money) on beer—researching it, brewing it and drinking it.

This site is a place for me to document my brewing experiences, share any knowledge I gain, and learn along with other brewers and craft beer enthusiasts. You will not find beer ratings here, and I’m not here to tell you what brand or style you should drink. Nor do I pretend to be particularly skilled at the art of brewing beer. I have way more questions than I have answers. But I have a passion for the beer-making process and a love for learning. And I’m happy to share my experiences and the lessons gleaned from them.

My ultimate goal is to become a better brewer. Hopefully, in the process, I can help others do the same.

Welcome, and thanks for reading,
Doug Brumley

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