I’ve been meaning to participate in the Fermentation Friday write-ups but I always seem to forget. You can chalk it up to poor planning on my part. I never really plan out what I’m going to write, I just document whatever beer related things I happend to participate in or come across. Maybe that’ll change. Maybe pigs will learn to fly. Let’s see which happens first.
This month’s Fermentation Friday is being hosted by Ted’s Homebrew Journal. The topic this time around centers around homebrewing, specifically:
- What part of the your brewday brings you the most JOY?
- What part particularly brings out a good deal of STRESS?
It is difficult for me to pick a singular moment in the homebrewd process/day that I find the most joy in. Even something as mundane as watching waiting for water to boil is in itself a small joy. Some may argue that mashing their grains brings the most joy. A vast majority will probably say the addition of hops is the most joyful part. All great answers. For me though, the part of the homebrew day that brings me the most joy is when I pitch the yeast.
Pitching yeast brings me the most joy because I know my day is almost done. There’s no more water to boil, no more specialty grains to steep or hops to add. I have done everything in my limited ability as a homebrewer to create an environment for the yeast to live and thrive in. If I have done my job well, these microscopic, single-celled organisms will eat, multiply and be fruitful. I will measure my success in the days to come with every single “bloop, bloop, bloop” that rings forth from the airlock. With every bubble of CO2 that escapes, I am that much closer to drinking beer.
Because I enjoy virtually all aspects of the brewing process, it’s equally difficult to choose a time in which I am the most stressed. I view the homebrew day as a series of steps that are all interdependent and necessary to accomplish. To exclude one step or shortcut another is a recipe for disaster.
After much though, I would suppose the most stressful part of my homebrewing day is just getting started. This has less to do with homebrewing and more to do with my personality. If I knew I’m going to be brewing, I feel a level of anxiety and stress. I wonder if I bought all my ingredients. I wonder if there’s enough propane in the tank to power my burners. I think about my equipment and if I’m sanitizing everything well enough. Are my carboys clean? Will I remember to measure the original gravity? I think about all of these things even before I start brewing. That’s just me though. I do this with just about every activity I participate in.
So there you have it, the most joyous and stressful parts of my brewday. Turned out a little differently than what I expected to write but that’s the beauty of introspection.
No related posts.
