The Fun Factor (or, Keeping Homebrewing Approachable)

Not only have I found I rarely have the effort/energy/time to blog about brewing anymore, but there are a ton of way better homebrewing blogs out there, like Brülosophy that a "general experience" homebrewing blog like mine doesn't seem very relevant anymore. I love this current crop of homebrew blogs. For a decade-long brewer who deeply enjoys both the scientific and culinary aspects of this hobby (not to mention the deeper historical and cultural impact of beer in the western world), I find these popular blogs to be 100 times better than mine ever was and I don't believe I would ever be willing to devote the time and energy (let alone keg space) to producing a blog that could even approach the quality of Brülosophy or Shut Up About Barclay Perkins.

And so, I let my blog wither away without caring too much about it.

Then when I read about the homebrewing industry hitting hard times, and when longtime online homebrewing supply store Northern Brewer was purchased by AB-InBev, I started to worry about the health of this hobby in a future where AB-InBev controls our homebrewing supplies. And so now I wonder if the blogs that appeal to a seasoned brewer like me might not be a little intense for a newbie brewer or a casual (couple times a year) homebrewer. Obviously the health of this hobby relies on maintaining a steady supply of new and casual homebrewers joining the party. So while many newer, better blogs aim at improving brewing results through the use of science and controlled experimentation, they don't always focus on improving the experience of the homebrewing process by keeping the hobby inexpensive and easy. In part, this can be because successful bloggers often get equipment and ingredients for free or at a discount.

Since this hobby is recessing a bit right now, and keeping casual homebrewers is an important goal, this blog will be primarily focused on the fun (and cheap) aspects of the hobby. I don't know if I will be able to produce more than a few posts a year, but my goal will be to produce one post every month, either about brewing or about craft beer, generally.