I can't move forward with this Brew Blog without a shout-out to the man, Charlie Papazian (pictured). Before I even thought about brewing my own beer, I had seen his book around - "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" (Amazon Link) - a friend of mine in Law School had a copy and my brother-in-law had one too. In fact, it was my brother-in-law that leant me his copy when I was just getting started. That book was later eaten by my dog, an upsetting day. I need to get a replacement soon, as I just don't feel right not having that book around.
Well, Papazian is a "legend" in my world. He is just this cool, laid back kind of guy who loves beer, especially that which is homebrewed. And, he loves to share knowledge about it, which is also great. Those of you in the homebrewing world will recognize his catchphrase - "Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew" (or RDWHAHB). He says it over and over in his books, and it really is a great piece of advice. A lot of people have tendencies to get 'crazy' with things - like sanitation, or obsessing about this ingredient or that way of doing things. The reality is, though, that humans have been making beer for a good chunk of our existence before we had cleaners and sanitizers, etc. Pay attention to sanitation and cleanliness, yes, but also just go for it - don't obsess.
Well, Charlie Papazian, cheers to you for your part in this movement to create delicious beers at home.
