Congrats Ron Dorsey!
I’ll take this honor as a belated birthday present since it was just a couple of weeks ago and my free case of beer must have been lost in the mail (or maybe you have to be BOM to get the case of free beer….we’ll see).I don’t think I can say much that others haven’t said before me. I’ve learned so much from the people on these boards and really enjoyed the community here, too. It’s so much easier to learn something new when you have a mentor, and the forums here are like having a plethora of brewers on-call to answer questions.
I started brewing by sheer luck. I got a MR. BEER kit at a family gift exchange a couple of Christmases ago by luck of the draw. The only experience I had with homebrew before that was when my older brother tried to do it about 20 years ago and I recall him making vinegar so I didn’t have high hopes, but thought it would be fun to give it a shot anyway. Needless to say, I was amazed at the ease of the process and at the quality of the resulting beer. After tasting that first beer I did what everybody else does/did – immediately got online and ordered a second keg and some refills.
Since then, I’ve enjoyed expanding my knowledge and experience to produce a range of different brews. I’ve been doing a lot of BIAB (Beer In A Bag) all-grain batches lately but still really enjoy the simplicity of the MR. BEER extracts and the top-notch beers that they make.
Since starting, I’ve gotten my best friend into brewing as well so it’s been a blast sharing this hobby with him as well as (many) other friends who just like to share the final results! All in all, I couldn’t be happier with this hobby and the valuable experience gained by using the MR BEER extracts and being part of the community here.
One piece of advice that I would share with both new and experienced brewers would be to read Palmer’s “How To Brew”. It’s a valuable read for beginners to understand what’s going on behind the scenes, and it adds a whole other level of comprehension for the experienced brewer as well. I got a copy recently and have really enjoyed reading it now that I have some experience and understand some of the more detailed explanations.
In closing, “it takes a village” and I want to thank the entire village for the help I’ve received since starting.
Cheers!
How long have you been brewing?
I've been brewing since 12/31/2009.
What is your favorite beer?
Commercial/Micro: Firestone Walker's Double Barrel Ale MR BEER: Bewitched Red Ale with Mellow Amber.
Who would you most like to share a beer with?
Elvis. Hands down. Would love to pick that guy's brain about a million things.
