brewing in VA

[thworted]

Hey all - long time lurker here, I finally decided to jump in and say hello to this amazing community (and as an ulterior motive, a hardware question, which I will post elsewhere).

I started homebrewing in the fall of 2015 and never looked back - I have done about 60 all grain brews as of this intro, and I've been mostly doing 10 gal batches for the past year or so. I took some timeouts from brew weekends to build a gas-fired brew rig and a 5 tap keezer (both projects with ample guidance from previous posts from you folks), and along with a supportive better half, converted part of the basement to a little pub and brew room. It seems as though I can't get enough of this hobby!

Cheers!

 

[Brooothru]

Hey all - long time lurker here, I finally decided to jump in and say hello to this amazing community (and as an ulterior motive, a hardware question, which I will post elsewhere).

I started homebrewing in the fall of 2015 and never looked back - I have done about 60 all grain brews as of this intro, and I've been mostly doing 10 gal batches for the past year or so. I took some timeouts from brew weekends to build a gas-fired brew rig and a 5 tap keezer (both projects with ample guidance from previous posts from you folks), and along with a supportive better half, converted part of the basement to a little pub and brew room. It seems as though I can't get enough of this hobby!

Cheers!

Where 'bouts in VA?

 

[thworted]

Where 'bouts in VA?

I'm in NoVa, Loudoun Co.

 

[jschein]

Welcome from Delaware. Sounds like a great setup

 

[thworted]

Welcome from Delaware. Sounds like a great setup

Thanks. I make it over to Delaware from time to time, the in-laws have a place near Bethany, and there's a cool little brew pub we like to visit in Rehoboth.

 

[Brooothru]

I'm in NoVa, Loudoun Co.

So I'm guessing you've been to Vanish just north of Lucketts on Rt 15?

Brooo Brother

 

[thworted]

So I'm guessing you've been to Vanish just north of Lucketts on Rt 15?

Brooo Brother

You bet. That's a cool place. I take it you know the area?

 

[jschein]

Thanks. I make it over to Delaware from time to time, the in-laws have a place near Bethany, and there's a cool little brew pub we like to visit in Rehoboth.

I am in Long Neck, lots of great breweries within 30 minutes

 

[thworted]

I am in Long Neck, lots of great breweries within 30 minutes

OK, right across the bay from Bethany area. I like it out there. Any recommendations for breweries on our next trip?

 

[Brooothru]

You bet. That's a cool place. I take it you know the area?

Oh yeah, just north of the Potomac in Frederick County, MD.

 

[thworted]

Oh yeah, just north of the Potomac in Frederick County, MD.

Excellent. Like Point of Rocks or Brunswick? I used to live in Germantown, and from Leesburg commuted 15 to 28 to the back roads near Sugarloaf to get to western Montgomery. We still head up to Frederick occasionally, I really like the old town - our company did some work at the old Union Mills building. Heard that they put a brewery there ; )

 

[Brooothru]

Excellent. Like Point of Rocks or Brunswick? I used to live in Germantown, and from Leesburg commuted 15 to 28 to the back roads near Sugarloaf to get to western Montgomery. We still head up to Frederick occasionally, I really like the old town - our company did some work at the old Union Mills building. Heard that they put a brewery there ; )

We've resided in Middletown for the last 35+ years. I used to commute down to Dulles 1-2 times per week, so I know 15 & 28 quite well. I can remember when Rt 7 eastbound out of Leesburg was four lanes with no stop lights all the way to Rt 28, which was two lanes past Herndon all the way to Centerville. What's it now, 8-10 lanes? Can't believe how much the area has changed.

At least there are an abundance of breweries and wineries that came with the growth and expansion. So there's that. Locally I've shopped for supplies at the Flying Barrel, but I know there's some new places in the Leesburg-Sterling-Herndon area. Frederick, with its historic German immigrant background has quite a brewing tradition and a vibrant downtown restaurant scene. And of course Flying Dog has been headquartered here since they emigrated from Aspen and Denver a decade ago. And the whole valley from Pennsylvania through Middletown and well into Virginia/West Virginia still retains its charm. Can't imagine living anywhere else.

Brooo Brother

 

[GrogNerd]

Sterling here... welcome!

LoCo BREWING!

 

[thworted]

We've resided in Middletown for the last 35+ years. I used to commute down to Dulles 1-2 times per week, so I know 15 & 28 quite well. I can remember when Rt 7 eastbound out of Leesburg was four lanes with no stop lights all the way to Rt 28, which was two lanes past Herndon all the way to Centerville. What's it now, 8-10 lanes? Can't believe how much the area has changed.

At least there are an abundance of breweries and wineries that came with the growth and expansion. So there's that. Locally I've shopped for supplies at the Flying Barrel, but I know there's some new places in the Leesburg-Sterling-Herndon area. Frederick, with its historic German immigrant background has quite a brewing tradition and a vibrant downtown restaurant scene. And of course Flying Dog has been headquartered here since they emigrated from Aspen and Denver a decade ago. And the whole valley from Pennsylvania through Middletown and well into Virginia/West Virginia still retains its charm. Can't imagine living anywhere else.

Brooo Brother

Agreed, it's a great place to live. Other than a couple years in Germantown, I've lived in Loudoun for 35 years as well, and definitely remember old Rt 7 eastbound (though I seem to remember a single stop light at Ashburn, back when Ashburn was a little village instead of a sea of house farms and strip centers). Back then, there were 4 high schools, now 16 of 'em. Anyway, enough geezing, it's a pleasure to make the acquaintance of someone who's been in this area as long as I have.

 

[thworted]

Sterling here... welcome!

LoCo BREWING!

View attachment 665296

Thanks!

 

[GrogNerd]

couple good homebrew clubs in the area.

I haven't been in a while, but my favorite is NoVA Homebrew. usually meets at Old Ox on 3rd Monday of the month. is a tasting club, bring homebrew for critique & any commercial beer you'd like to share

Worthogs is a competition club, meet (usually) at Mellow Mushroom in Herndon, 2nd Wednesday of the month. 10 competitions a year, prizes for Brewer of the Year

HOWL, Homebrewers of Western Loudoun. not sure where/when they meet, maybe Brew LoCo? check there for details

Loudoun is home to 45 wineries, 38 breweries, 3 cideries, 2 distilleries & 2 meaderies. only thing we're missing is an absinthery.

 

[thworted]

couple good homebrew clubs in the area.

I haven't been in a while, but my favorite is NoVA Homebrew. usually meets at Old Ox on 3rd Monday of the month. is a tasting club, bring homebrew for critique & any commercial beer you'd like to share

Worthogs is a competition club, meet (usually) at Mellow Mushroom in Herndon, 2nd Wednesday of the month. 10 competitions a year, prizes for Brewer of the Year

HOWL, Homebrewers of Western Loudoun. not sure where/when they meet, maybe Brew LoCo? check there for details

Loudoun is home to 45 wineries, 38 breweries, 3 cideries, 2 distilleries & 2 meaderies. only thing we're missing is an absinthery.

Good info, thank you. I haven't tried any homebrew clubs yet, but I'd like to in future.
And if someone opens an absinthery, I'll see ya there...

 

[Brooothru]

definitely remember old Rt 7 eastbound (though I seem to remember a single stop light at Ashburn, back when Ashburn was a little village instead of a sea of house farms and strip centers).

Yeah, well I remember before there even WAS an Ashburn! And what's all this about "strip clubs"? They got those down there now too? Hope they serve beer!

Brooo Brother

 

[thworted]

Yeah, well I remember before there even WAS an Ashburn! And what's all this about "strip clubs"? They got those down there now too? Hope they serve beer!

Brooo Brother

Haha you must have been around for a LONG time, I 'm pretty sure that Ashburn has been around since the 19th century. A friend of mine's family had a house there before he was born, and he's my age. Now the sea-of-homes version happened late 80's perhaps? I remember it being built.

 

[GrogNerd]

Route 7... they just took out another stoplight, so there's no stopping from Battlefield Pkway to City Centre/Countryside Blvd

no stoplights on Rt 28 (Darrell Green Blvd. HTTR!) from Rt 7 to that park right before I-66, and the lights there & at I-66 are both going away soon

 

[thworted]

Route 7... they just took out another stoplight, so there's no stopping from Battlefield Pkway to City Centre/Countryside Blvd

no stoplights on Rt 28 (Darrell Green Blvd. HTTR!) from Rt 7 to that park right before I-66, and the lights there & at I-66 are both going away soon

Yep, and Battlefield light is going away soon as well. Will be able to drive without lights, and without using toll roads, the 40 miles or so from Leesburg to Constitution Avenue downtown. May take 8 hours sitting in traffic, but still...

PS - good to meet another long suffering Skins fan.

 

[GrogNerd]

luckily, I work from home, but once a week I have to drive to my boss's house, which is basically next door to Shady Grove metro station. it's 15 miles as the crow flies, I can almost see his house from mine, but the drive is 31 miles & most days it's an hour, knockonwood, if there's not an accident

Redskins Park is 3½ miles from my house. I CAN see it from here, because they've cut down all the trees in between to build more DATA CENTERS

70% of the world's cloud storage is in good ol' LoCo

 

[Brooothru]

Haha you must have been around for a LONG time, I 'm pretty sure that Ashburn has been around since the 19th century. A friend of mine's family had a house there before he was born, and he's my age. Now the sea-of-homes version happened late 80's perhaps? I remember it being built.

Well, I might be old but I'm not THAT old! Just kinda' meant Ashburn Village, aka "House Farm". So true about the 8 hour drive for 40 miles to downtown DC. If you walked at a 2½ mph pace you could get there faster. "Build It and They Will Come" certainly applies to NOVA, as well as the MD/DC exurbs.

Brooo Brother

 

[Brooothru]

luckily, I work from home, but once a week I have to drive to my boss's house, which is basically next door to Shady Grove metro station. it's 15 miles as the crow flies, I can almost see his house from mine, but the drive is 31 miles & most days it's an hour, knockonwood, if there's not an accident

Redskins Park is 3½ miles from my house. I CAN see it from here, because they've cut down all the trees in between to build more DATA CENTERS

70% of the world's cloud storage is in good ol' LoCo

Yep. Most of the wired generation doesn't realize that AOL (that's 'America On-Line' for post-millennials) still exists alive and well in Loudin Country, VA., at least as a division of Verizon who bought it for $4.4 billion a year or so ago. Down quite a bit from its peak market cap of over $200 billion in the 90s, but existing today as a leader in Cloud storage.

"You've got mail" !!!

 

[225]

Welcome!