18 yrs ago use to brew alot at my camp...crazy times, the leading affordable technology was Phils Latertun and I brewed many a great beers, mostly wing'n it with whatever I had in camp. Beers had names like Kitchen Shit Ale....but I had the basics down......so my mountain bike buddies wondered how I was making such good beer.....fast forward to today.....
......I dont have camp any more but I got a big ole house...gotta keep the wife happy.....early Dec I went to pick up a sixpack at my local package store Discount Bevarage and they had some new Porter I said yea gotta try it...wtf it was 10 bux......thats when I decided it was time to get back into brewing........
....After a ton of internet research it was like WOW homebrewing as come along way! Software for recipe designs! WTF....ok Im in....you mean I can mod this old keg I been drag'n around for 20yrs into a brew pot with temp gage, vol sight and a bulkhead! hell yea Im in.....I can use sideline coolers for mashtun & latertun....hell yea Im in.....
.....decided I need to test my skills and go basic.....used my old equipment to brew up a St. Paul Porter Extract Kit w/ Specialty Grains a week before Christmas in my driveway.....it was 60degrees out...weirdly warm for northern NH....Its kegged and Im enjoying it now...Im hording it not sharing with anyone lol.......yea it came out that good.....
....during the holidays I decided to build a new system and Bobby over at homebrewtalk has been a huge help....ok eguipment...check...now I need a recipe....found BS2...saweet.....now what to brew...hmmmm.......
......something different....let me look around....what our my local breweries brewing....standard $$$ beer....not one of them has named a beer after our local MTB trails...we got everything Mount Washington Valley....Tuckermans Ale, Headwall Alt, Cathedral Ledge lager...etc etc...all things skiing or climbing...NO Mountain Biking.....I've been part of an old guys trail crew that built many miles of classic New England riding, our signature trial...Red Tail Trail..(hawk) off the top of Black Mountain....OK got my inspiration now to find a recipe.....
...Im looking for a Red Ale but not a standard red ale....WOOT...found the Mad Fementaionist Red Ale discussion....something caught my eye...Maine Brewing Cos, ZOE.......ok I can get my hands on that......WOW....dam this is good...malty flavors but hopped like and IPA....had some friend try it...there like WOOT...where'd you find this...what is it......decision made....I need to find a clone recipe.....
.....today....brewed up my clone.....crazy hop schedule but BS2 made it easy to follow.....wow....long day...I dont have a dedicated brewing space yet and its winter...so I had to use my office above my garage....it works got water...Imset.......BS2 figures worked like a charm....hit all my #s.......Im tired....and yea a few Porters...oh and fine cigars....w/nfl channel on....got good numbers for the game...well unless its a blowout....lol.....ok so yea my introduction....hello all......
TLDR; Old Brewer getting back into it....my story is above....
Rex Kramer....partime airline mechanic, full time daredevil.....
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......I dont have camp any more but I got a big ole house...gotta keep the wife happy.....early Dec I went to pick up a sixpack at my local package store Discount Bevarage and they had some new Porter I said yea gotta try it...wtf it was 10 bux......thats when I decided it was time to get back into brewing........
....After a ton of internet research it was like WOW homebrewing as come along way! Software for recipe designs! WTF....ok Im in....you mean I can mod this old keg I been drag'n around for 20yrs into a brew pot with temp gage, vol sight and a bulkhead! hell yea Im in.....I can use sideline coolers for mashtun & latertun....hell yea Im in.....
.....decided I need to test my skills and go basic.....used my old equipment to brew up a St. Paul Porter Extract Kit w/ Specialty Grains a week before Christmas in my driveway.....it was 60degrees out...weirdly warm for northern NH....Its kegged and Im enjoying it now...Im hording it not sharing with anyone lol.......yea it came out that good.....
....during the holidays I decided to build a new system and Bobby over at homebrewtalk has been a huge help....ok eguipment...check...now I need a recipe....found BS2...saweet.....now what to brew...hmmmm.......
......something different....let me look around....what our my local breweries brewing....standard $$$ beer....not one of them has named a beer after our local MTB trails...we got everything Mount Washington Valley....Tuckermans Ale, Headwall Alt, Cathedral Ledge lager...etc etc...all things skiing or climbing...NO Mountain Biking.....I've been part of an old guys trail crew that built many miles of classic New England riding, our signature trial...Red Tail Trail..(hawk) off the top of Black Mountain....OK got my inspiration now to find a recipe.....
...Im looking for a Red Ale but not a standard red ale....WOOT...found the Mad Fementaionist Red Ale discussion....something caught my eye...Maine Brewing Cos, ZOE.......ok I can get my hands on that......WOW....dam this is good...malty flavors but hopped like and IPA....had some friend try it...there like WOOT...where'd you find this...what is it......decision made....I need to find a clone recipe.....
.....today....brewed up my clone.....crazy hop schedule but BS2 made it easy to follow.....wow....long day...I dont have a dedicated brewing space yet and its winter...so I had to use my office above my garage....it works got water...Imset.......BS2 figures worked like a charm....hit all my #s.......Im tired....and yea a few Porters...oh and fine cigars....w/nfl channel on....got good numbers for the game...well unless its a blowout....lol.....ok so yea my introduction....hello all......
TLDR; Old Brewer getting back into it....my story is above....
Rex Kramer....partime airline mechanic, full time daredevil.....
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