I also completed the project by getting some help naming the beer (thanks Ashley) and it is now to be known as “Bitter Explosion 2008“. As you might know, on day two the batch blew the lid off the fermenting bucket leading to a full night of washing clothes that had yeast, beer wort and hops all over. I will remember to take my clothes out of the closet at least until day 3 or 4 next time.

Because it fermented for a week with the hops, it also has a fair degree of bitterness to it. Just the right amount to get those salivary glands working.

Therefore I came up with a label and concept that embodied the event, printed them and Ashley stuck a few on. They are old 3 1/2 inch floppy disk labels. These are going to suck to wash off, but until I get some transparent semi-gloss peel off labels, they will have to work.

For everyone going on the ski trip next week, expect me to have a few of these in tow. If they survive the plane ride, they will definitely make you smile. I guarantee it.

I currently reuse commercial, amber glass beer bottles for bottling my homebrew. I like the idea of reducing my environmental footprint a bit by not purchasing cases of new bottles (although, I must admit to coveting some 16 ounce flip-top models), even if filling 54 bottles of beer is kind of a pain in the ass.

With the idea of partially lessening this burden, as well as providing myself with a more convenient means of transporting a portion of my brew for tastings and whatnot, I had considered purchasing a glass growler. They are a little pricey, with nicer models costing upwards of $30 each.

So, with this plan steeping in the back of my mind, I ended up eating at the Gordon Biersch restaurant in San Jose. As we walked in, I noticed a pair of branded growlers high on a display shelf and mentioned them to John. “We gotta remember to ask about those.”

We found out that you can own one of these beauties for $16 (plus $11 if you want it filled with beer)! They seem to be very well constructed and have a great ceramic flip top with a sealing gasket. So if you’re ever in the market for a growler or two, head out to your nearest Gordon Biersch and pick some up!

• A Belgian Wit, seasoned with citrus and coriander
• A Belgian high-gravity Trappist-style ale
• A dark porter or stout

With spring coming, I am leaning towards the Wit for its clean and crisp character and citrus notes. I think a Trappist ale would be fun, but a bit complicated for my experience level. Stouts strike me as cold-weather beers, and from what little I’ve read about brewing them they seem to require a long conditioning cycle, on the scale of months. Perhaps this summer I’ll work on one of those to have ready for next winter.

Another problem I’m facing is storage space. Living in a little one-bedroom apartment doesn’t really lend itself to storing multiple batches of conditioning beer. Once I’m nearing the end of Murray’s Irish New Year, I’ll begin gathering the ingredients for the next experiment. Stay tuned!

I got started down the homebrewer’s path in a manner similar to many, I suspect: my girlfriend bought me a brewing kit for Christmas. I had been tossing around the idea of starting up a homebrewing hobby for a while, with my interest finally peaking when I found the homebrewers mailing list at my place of work. The kit went unpurchased for quite a while, as I can be rather lazy, even about things I truly enjoy.

So, Christmas rolls around and my surprise gift is a very nice starter kit from Northern Brewer. On new year’s day I began the process of brewing my first beer, which I am currently in the process of slowly (and sometimes not-so-slowly) enjoying. I dubbed it Murray’s Irish New Year, and it is a quality brew if I do say so myself (and I, of course, do).

So, hopefully, this site will become an entertaining and informative look into the process of brewing carried out by two noobs living in cramped quarters in the Bay Area. Enjoy, and have a homebrew!

I, John Forsythe, a beer brewing n00b and part-time code pusher, would like to welcome you to the 2d text adventure of World of Wort(craft).

First off, if you have made it here because of some Google search-engine clerical error you will find no mention of 70th level rogue elf maidens. At least not the kind that do all that fighting. All of our elf maidens are busy serving beer in the tavern.

What you have stumbled in on however, are the first hand accounts of homebrew beer grand successes and spectacular failures. We have all the magic potion you will need. These potions take somewhere between 30 and 60 days to make. Each has a story, a passion to live, and a destiny to fill. What better a subject to explore than one concerning the elixir that brings us all closer to each other as humans. For there is passion in these bottles and you will see it.

Like they say, there is no better way to learn a language than immersion. In the spirit of that saying, I am diving headfirst into this mysterious world of homebrewing by immersing myself in it. I am bringing my love of the suds into my home for everyone to read, see and touch. This site is your ticket to that show, and I hope you get what you paid for.

So grab a brew, explore some of the articles written by myself and Aaron. Grab another brew and laugh when you read some of the more interesting testimonials. Oh and feel free to click on some of the advertisements (wait, what?) that seem to litter this website.

Huzzah! Good brews!