My adventure in brewing began at a garage sale of all places...

It was the end of the day when I spotted a lonely unopened Mr. Beer kit for $5. After several successful batches using the kits, I decided it was time to experiment. I added different extract combinations and extra hops in an attempt to recreate some of my favorite beers.

It wasn't long before I acquired the gear to upgrade to 5 gallon batches and grain mashing instead of extracts. This brought out the ability to do an even wider range of styles. It also came with switch from bottling to corny kegs. That meant a huge saving of time on kegging day plus a better ability to control carbonation levels in the brew. Beyond that, I was able to switch up the spouts and tanks to incorporate the nitrogen based mix called "beer gas" which has smaller bubbles than carbon dioxide. The difference is the creamier mouthfeel like that you get with a fresh draft Guiness.

In the fall of 2017, my hobby took a more serious turn as I enrolled in the new Associates degree program in Craft Beer Brewing that was being offered by the Culinary School at SUNY Schenectady.