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Welcome to My Beer Garden. What is this all about? Well, it all started with a convergence of several ideas. I'll have to tell you a few stories before it all comes together. 1920's Russia My grandparents grew up in Russia during the Russian Civil War. They experienced firsthand the atrocities of Machno and his guerrilla army. Even though their community was largely agrarian, my grandfather was actually a school teacher. When he decided to move to Canada, "German School Teacher" wasn't an option. The only job he was allowed was farmer, so a farmer he became. My father left the farm early (my uncle kept farming) and became a school teacher. So, depending on how you look at it, farming may be "in my blood" or it may not be. Home Brewing In 1995, I made my first beer kit. It was okay. In 1996, I made my first kit that used grain adjuncts. It was not great. Over the next few years, I continued to make kits and malt-extract recipies. Some were better than others. A few years ago, my sister picked some hops in her back yard (they were actually hanging over the fence from the neighbors) and asked if I could make beer from them. This coincided with my desire to make my first all-grain beer. (cracking and mashing my own grains -- no malt extract used) I bought some malted barley at a local home-brew supply store and made my beer "from scratch." It turned out to be my best beer ever. Of course, "from scratch" means different things to different people. Since that batch, I have wanted to try malting barley myself. (I'll explain the entire brewing process from start to finish in a separate article soon.) I failed to source any malting barley before the next opportunity presented itself. A Friend with an Acreage A friend of mine is currently building a house on an acreage. Last winter, he was commenting to me that he wouldn't get the landscaping done this year yet, and it would be a shame to not grow something on it this season. I asked if he would consider 2-row barley. That quickly, I became a farmer. |
