Hi, do you serve beer here?

[Sonny]

Hi Guys (Girls?), and Oliver and Geoff. I couldn’t locate the Intro pages so I came straight to the General Discussion room to introduce myself.
My middle name is Sonny and I prefer being called that , yet I do get called other stuff too.
Brand new brewer, third batch racking at present, only as I don’t have enough bottles. Though now I'm really thinking about a keg system.
1st was a Coopers Dark with the recommended extra malt, same went the Coopers Real Ale and now maturing the English Bitter. Yep, I am drinking them too soon. Who can bloody wait?

So it’s the kits I’m into at present and I think I’ll stay there for a while. Too damn easy, fun, cheap and time efficient.
I have recently visited my local shop at Thornleigh, and well I must say I can’t wait to do an Old with extra dark malt and stuff in it. Yep, I am addicted to this brewing thing.
I haven’t read the forum rules at all, so I have no idea about which swear words and naughty pictures I am expected to post, but I’ve sussed out the website and Oliver and Geoff you’re keeping it very real. Onya!

Well I’m in Epping, NSW. Married with two boys and ride a BMW R1150RR too damn quickly everywhere. I love country music, my beer, favourite being ‘Tooheys Old’ but now I want to do it better myself. I also enjoy camping and heading away from the big smoke.
I actually quit smoking some months ago probably a reason I got into brewing. Because I now have the sense of taste.

Malty, toffee, coffee, maybe wheaty, but all these yummy types of beer I want to make. It’s the recipes that you guys have posted here that intrigue me, your passion really is infectious.
Well I’m here to laugh and learn, pick up tips, maybe even attend a social event if you do that, so do carry on.

[warra48]

Hi Sonny,

Welcome to the forum.
We're pretty much a friendly lot, and do what we can to help each other and improve our beers.
Any questions, fire away, and we'll see whether we can answer you. If we can't, we'll also let you know.
Tooheys Old is a nice beer, my favourite Tooheys product, and really the only one of theirs I'll drink at my golf club.
Nice bike.

Cheers, Rob

[bullfrog]

Welcome aboard, Sonny.

I was like you when I started out; happy to stick with kits. Only ever got two kit brews done before taking the next steps to now be brewing All Grain. It's a slippery slope, this brewing caper of ours.

As Warra mentioned, post up any questions that you've got. There's a great wealth of knowledge on this site and people here are always really helpful.

Cheers

[lethaldog]

Welcome sonny and just to add to the comments, you will be brewing beer alot better than the ones you mentioned in no time if your not already, i came to this forum a few years ago and my brewing changed and got better 10 fold...

[rotten]

Be careful mate, I too was purely kits before joining these band of brothers. Now AG and no going back, the dark side awaits.
Welcome and enjoy!!
Cheers

[Bum]

Hey, Sonny.

Ignore some of these guys. Nothing wrong with kits - especially when you're enjoying them and the process. No reason you can't make a tops beer with kits and some extras. Happy brewing, fella.

[rotten]

Which ones should he ignore bum?

[Bum]

If my point is unfair I will retract it.

I don't think it is, however.

[rotten]

No need, smilie face was missed.

[bullfrog]

Don't think anybody was speaking badly of kits, just that it is a slippery slope to buying ridiculously big and shiny bits of gear as the obsession grows.

[rotten]

I happily brewed kits for 3 1/2 years, then I joined this forum. 6 months later all grain. Very obsessive, slippery slope.
Cheers

[Bum]

I'm not going to turn Sonny's introduction thread into a semantic debate (sorry, dude, totally my fault) but there's no reason to tell him he'll change his mind when he has stated his intentions. Maybe he will, maybe he won't.

Good beer to you either way, Sonny.

[Wassa]

Sonny,

Welcome to the forum!!!

There is nothing wrong with doing kits, I've been brewing them for ages, and with specialty grains, hop additions and specialty yeasts you can produce some really nice brews.

If you are a Tooheys Old man like myself, then have a look at my thread "Wassa's Honey Porter". This is an excellent brew, not only according to me, but by everyone who has brewed it and it is only a simple kit based brew.

Anyway enjoy your brewing, don't be afraid to ask questions and above all have fun!!!!

[Sonny]

Debate? you two sound a bit fiesty. Though I am sure there is no man-love lost. Thanks for the big welcome, I expected a friendly reply after reading some of the forum, it's got that feel to it. I do want to pull from the wealth of knowledge and will throw some questons up as they come.

Yeh Warra, Tooheys Old is the only beer of theirs I can drink too. I'm wanting to do something like Wassa's Porter, something with dark malt ,maybe choc, big head and creamy texture. Mmmm.

.................to buying ridiculously big and shiny bits of gear as the obsession grows.

The above is always a problem, I like toys too. Although I don't have a lot of space for a full brew kit, so for as long as I can I'll be hanging with the kits. Though this mash thing will intrigue me and I'll have enough time to read and understand before I get anywhere near doing it.

My father in-law used to go the whole mash, apparently it is very time consuming. That's something I don't have much of. This 2 day off thing a week is still something I struggle with. It just don't make sense, 7 days, work 5, take 2 off? Nah, never will get that.

So do you guys do any social, try mine and and try your events? .......and what clubs are around if any?..............are forums the new Club?

Thanks again fella's, (is there no girls here? ever?) Chicks dig beer too ya know.

[Sonny]

If you are a Tooheys Old man like myself, then have a look at my thread "Wassa's Honey Porter". This is an excellent brew, not only according to me, but by everyone who has brewed it and it is only a simple kit based brew.

Thanks mate, you read my mind. Amazing!

[RUM57L]

G'day Sonny,

Welcome to ya, I'm reasonably new to this place also and let me tell ya there's alot of interesting reading and helpful hints to search.

How is your english bitter going? I have one brewing at this very moment.

Ben

[RUM57L]

G'day Sonny,

Welcome to ya, I'm reasonably new to this place also and let me tell ya there's alot of interesting reading and helpful hints to search.

How is your english bitter going? I have one brewing at this very moment.

Ben

[bullfrog]

.................to buying ridiculously big and shiny bits of gear as the obsession grows.

The above is always a problem, I like toys too. Although I don't have a lot of space for a full brew kit, so for as long as I can I'll be hanging with the kits. Though this mash thing will intrigue me and I'll have enough time to read and understand before I get anywhere near doing it.

My father in-law used to go the whole mash, apparently it is very time consuming. That's something I don't have much of. This 2 day off thing a week is still something I struggle with. It just don't make sense, 7 days, work 5, take 2 off? Nah, never will get that.

So do you guys do any social, try mine and and try your events? .......and what clubs are around if any?..............are forums the new Club?

Thanks again fella's, (is there no girls here? ever?) Chicks dig beer too ya know.

We don't tend to do much by way of social events on this site, as everyone tends to be from vastly different areas. If you wanted to make the short drive from Epping to Richmond though, I could show you a quick, easy, space-saving way to do an all grain batch. I learnt the most from demonstrations, rather than by reading, so the offer is there if you'd like.

Oh, and we do have one girl on the site, but she seems to have been very quiet for the past couple of weeks.

[Sonny]

How is your english bitter going? I have one brewing at this very moment.
Ben

In the racking bin Ben, picking up some home home brew 500ml bottles Sunday arvo from a mate.

............. make the short drive from Epping to Richmond though, I could show you a quick, easy, space-saving way to do an all grain batch.

Mate, yep sounds good. I'm a bike rider, I go past there when I go riding. Send me a PM with your home number and I'll give you a call hopefully soon. First visit don't need to be a boil up, but a quick demo of your gear. When we both have enough time I'd be more than happy to be on hand.
I say this as I expect there is some work involved, tell me if I'm wrong.

As for my beer, I have the primary empty now so I am going to get as close as I can for a Wassa Porter and lay it down this weekend!
You buggers are egging me on.

[rotten]

Hello Sonny and others. My comment was in jest, I thought I was returning a welcome that I was privy to when I was warned about all grain.
Have fun with it, you sound like you will, and welcome once again.
Cheers