Where to start???

I taste tested my 2nd batch of home brew beer I made while living in Japan. I don't know what style of beer to call it other than it is an ale. Right now I'm still using the Mr. Beer kit which doesn't give you too much control over the brewing process but I have been able to turn out some very drinkable brews so I'm happy with that. And it is very easy if you can follow instructions. A great way to learn and start home brewing beer.

I'm not a fan of the "fizzy yellow" beer that is the main stay of the American commercial beer market and I'm sad to say that most Japanese commercial beers are pretty much a copy of the American fizzy yellow beers. I like very bold hoppy flavors in my beer. Living in San Diego as I did for over 20 years, I discovered Stone Brewing and am a great fan of the very big beers, especially their Arrogant Bastard Ale (ABA), now that is a great beer, nothing "Lite" about this beer.

Since I can't get ABA here in Japan where I now live, I'm going to expand my beer brewing experience and see if I can't make something that matches it in taste.

Now ABA is not a beer that you just throw in some ingredients, add the yeast, wait 2 weeks and drink. No, it has to be made with a lot of love and skill. The love I have but the skill (with the right equipment and ingredients) is what I am now building up to.

This beer you see pictured here was made with some pale malt extract, amber dry malt and a bunch of cascade hops in my Mr. Beer rig. It is a very drinkable beer and is most certainly not the fizzy yellow stuff that is the commercially available beer here in Japan.

I don't want to give the wrong impression about the beer in Japan however, there are some very nice craft beers available and goes by the name of "jibeelu" or local brewed beer. Some of them are very good. But at ¥500+/350ml bottle(~$6/12 oz), it is very expensive to my US based sensibilities. But then most things here in Japan are expensive when compared to the US prices for comparable things.

Mr. Beer has introduced me to home brewing beer and now I'm about to graduate to the next level. I've ordered and am waiting for the next level kit for home brewing. With it I can brew 5 gal at a time instead of the 2 gal I can make with Mr. Beer. But quantity is not the main reason for going to this next level, it is the better control of the brewing process and ingredients with which I hope to make better and more interesting beers.

Stay tuned for that.

I don't want to give the impression that this blog is about beer and homebrewing alone. I just happened to be brewing beer when I decided to start this blog. As my title suggests, I will be writing about food, which I like a lot, and my friends and family. And because I am a passionate follower of the American political scene, I will most definitely have comments in this area as well. And finally, I wish to share my experiences about living in Japan after having lived the last 45 years or so in the US. I'll explain this last statement in more detail in the future.