Homebrew

Photo Credit: Anders Adermark

Well this winter has been a tough one. I will admit that I am not one of those who ride all year. while I did enjoy riding much later into the winter than I usually do I just am not all about the wind chill and frostbite. So I have had to find other things to occupy my time.

Relax, Have a Homebrew

That is just what I have been doing. I like 2 million other people got a MR. Beer for Christmas, and if you are one of those people who turn up their nose at Mr. Beer, that's fine the world needs narrow minded stuck up a$$holes. Im not sure what the world needs them for but then that is neither here nor there. So i have spent the last month and half with something in the MR. beer constantly. and I have gotten to drink a surprisingly small amount of beer.

This must be remedied.

After all I have standards to maintain.

Still what got me thinking about this is just how similar this hobby is to my cycling hobby, and perhaps this is a common factor in most hobbies but it seems like all spring, summer and fall I always had that one more thing I needed to buy. just one more tool, one more part. one more brake cable/innertube/bottle of lube. I kept telling myself that I would eventually achieve a critical mass of sorts where I wouldn't have to run out to the LBS everytime I wanted to do anything with my bike.

That Never happened.

Still now as I go about switching watt output and gear ratios for Specific gravities and IBUs I find myself facing the same creeping problem. Just like in the summer when I couldn't walk past kraynicks without being sucked in and spending about 20$ more than I had planned, 'discovering' that i just had to get that left handed penny farthing spoke tightener 'just in case'. I now find that my new cash flow nemesis is South Hills Brewing Supply. Bottle capper, bottles, oak chips, yeast energizer (think red bull for a fungus) hydrometer refractometer eleventy dozen little bits of plastic can upon can of sticky stuff (I think you get the picture)

Of course after reading what I just wrote I'm not sure if this a common factor of the hobbies or is it just me?