After my first year of home brewing I finished with about 1440 12oz bottles or 135 gallons brewed. I learned a lot and I think I can contribute more to this forum. Thanks a lot to all in this beginners forum who helped me when I got stuck. All my 28 brews came out good to excellent which shows my initial research did pay off. I did 9 all grain brews (7 towards the end) for which the last one I hit all the numbers. This last one (Oktoberfest) I took to FL (from MI) to share with my friends there. Everybody was impressed and liked it. I felt proud. I built the water, crushed the grain and measured PH. As I write this, I am drinking an Irish Red ale that I did with the recipe provided here. To all new brewers, take time to read a lot. Don't skip the basics and try best practices. Cleaning and sanitizing. Ferm temp control. Closed transfers. Your beer will be good from the beginning. It will get better as you add best practices. My key learning here? There are many different ways to brew a good beer. Pick the process you feel more comfortable and if it works then keep going that way. I shared most of the beer with co-workers and good friends. It is a great hobby. Looking forward to 2020. Happy new year to all! ;-)
