Bliss’s Brewers Corner

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Bliss’ Brewers Corner. The goal of this page is to give those people interested in brewing beer at home an idea of what is involved. I will feature a recipe of the month which will either be a beer I just brewed or one I brewed a few months back that is now ready for drinking. There will also be a page giving a description of the general brewing process, and a tips and tricks page consisting of things I learned over the years (many of them the hard way). I purchase most of my ingredients online through Brewcat.com. They have proven very reliable and the quality and selection is top-notch.

I have been brewing for about seven years. Over this time I have brewed 36 batches, only losing one. I do not believe that is luck or skill – it’s just that easy. As long as you follow some general guidelines and maintain a basic level of hygiene in the kitchen, you can be largely successful at brewing at home. I brew roughly 6 batches every year that get me about 2 cases of beer per batch. It takes about two hours to brew and an hour to bottle. This means I have roughly a case of beer every month to consume. In this age of the Internet, I can actually order my supplies online, brew it, and let it age, and drink it without ever actually leaving my apartment. If we are getting another foot of snow dumped on us and I would like a beer to relax with, or if I have friends over, I don’t have an issue with any beer in the fridge. I just go to the closet, pull a few bottles out and stick them in the freezer for 10 minutes. Very convenient (and lazy, I suppose).

I first became interested in brewing when I attended a Beer Convention at the Worcester Centrum. In between sampling dozens of brands of beer, I stopped at a few stands that advertised home brewing. I bought a kit for roughly $100 that included everything I needed to brew, age, and bottle my beer. I still use the same kit to this day (although I have added on over the years). With the kit came “The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing” by Charles Papazian. This “brewers bible” gave an introduction to brewing, and instruction for the beginner right on through to the advanced brewer with recipes and detailed descriptions. I consider myself to be an intermediate brewer, as my job as a mild-mannered accounting manager prohibits me from taking the time to grind my own mash and grow my own hops, barley, and yeast (all in due time, of course).

Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments or ideas for a recipie.

Happy Brewing!

Dan Bliss
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THIS MONTH: I brewed up a wheat beer (a.k.a. weizenbier) for my summer enjoyment. Like last year, I added in a little ginger and a brewer’s licorice stick to kick the taste up a notch. It should come in around 4.7% alcohol. I will have a review of the beer in the July issue.

NEXT MONTH: A review of the English Lager I brewed back in December for my springtime enjoyment. I’ve already had a few tastes and it is looking favorable!

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