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January 26, 2012
The Hobby That Keeps on Giving
I enjoy cooking. I really enjoy beer. How do I combine these two passions? Home brewing. I bought my first home brew kit about a year ago. I don't really know why I got into it; I think I was just looking for something cool to do once I moved off campus. I walked into Cool Stuff downtown on Broadway, and just bought a kit. After three batches, I think I'm getting the hang of it. Home brewing takes patience, commitment and a little bit of creativity. I've just now started getting more creative. Adding dried orange peel and coriander to a summer wheat beer made the beer honestly better than Boulevard or Blue Moon. I'm biased, but ask my roommates. It takes about three hours to make the mix. After that, it ferments for a week. When the fermenting is done, bottling takes about three hours. Three weeks of aging, and you have some fresh home brew. That first sip of beer is some of the most nervous, exciting times I had last year. My next batch is going to be a Belgian white. I'm going to experiment with different types of yeast. Apparently English yeast adds a little bit of a fruity twist. Pretty much all hobbies are expensive, but after a pretty big initial investment, you can definitely save money home brewing. Each brew batch kit costs $45-$60 for five gallons of beer, or around 50 12 oz. bottles. When compared to Natty, you're obviously paying more, but compared to premium bottles you save a lot. Really committing to hobbies is very difficult in college because they are time consuming, but I suggest picking one up. Home brewing not only is a great conversation starter, but they make great gifts. I just gave a six pack to each of my aunts and uncles for Christmas and called it a day. Try to keep a hobby in college, or pick up a new one. It's a great way to get your mind off of school or all the other drama in our lives right now.
David is a senior studying accounting and religious studies. You may contact him at dklktb@mail.missouri.edu.
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