I began brewing in 2001 with a Charlie Pappazian book, a bucket and a stove top. My daughter and son would help stir the boil kettle and pitch yeast. I made some really bad beer but created some great family memories back then.
One night a few years ago (and Larry remembers this more clearly), I suggested that our group of friends brew a batch of beer. We had decided to brew a bourbon porter, but somehow drank all the bourbon during brewing. As you can imagine, the end product was an abysmal failure. We ended up pouring that batch down the drain when I realized half of the ingredients were still sitting on my kitchen table the next morning. A new rule was invented – no drinking while brewing – and our product got significantly better. Larry and I continue to obsess over our beers and our processes to this day.