I love beer. It has been well documented in picture, story, song, and interpretive dance that the Idiot enjoys a cold frosty beverage after a long day in the sun, a stout by the fireplace on a wintry day, or a crisp pilsner with his sushi. I have entertained the idea of brewing my own beer for years now, but due to my other commitments, jobs, and hobbies, pursuing the thought has taken a back seat to other things. It was with excitement, then, that I accepted an invitation to learn to homebrew with the new father of the Scout.

After cracking a hefeweizen and adding some lemon, he stepped me through the process carefully, explaining the methodology and the purpose of all the tools laid out in careful order on the counter. He’s been brewing beer since 1998, and has careful notes of each of his batches, from ingredients to alcohol content. After boiling the water and adding the wheat, we sat and chatted as it cooked. It’s pretty striking how may interests we share, from old trucks to home renovation to camping.

After an hour’s boiling time, we added the beer to a tub of cold water and made plans to reconvene in a week or so for the bottling process. Meanwhile, I am taking baby steps, looking into a kit of my own. Plastic fermenting tub or glass bottle? Red Irish ale, Raspberry wheat, or Oktoberfest lager? The mind reels at the possibilities (and the mouth waters).