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About

 

Hello!

I'm Jonathan, and I run the Hop of the Month Club! That's me on the left. Thanks for stopping by.

 

I started homebrewing in 2007, and made the jump right into all grain. I wrote the first recipe that I ever brewed using the recipe development chart in Randy Mosher's book "Radical Brewing" that I'd checked out from the Denver Public Library. 

That batch was a bit over the top (used a bit too much cardamom and got an imperial version of the porter that I was shooting for) and over carbonated (bottles were opened outside only). It also hooked me. 

I found a good homebrew store, and got some good advice on calculating priming sugar. And I learned to put a recipe together using the same trial methods and principals that I learned when I had attended Culinary School. 

I kept brewing over the years, reading as much as I could. Brewing as often as I could, and brewing with fellow homebrewers when the opportunity came up. 

If you want to know about how the Hop of the Month Club got started, check out this blog post: Origin Story Blog Post

Since you're still reading, here are 5 things about me that you might not know:

  1. The beer that got me hooked on craft beer was the St. Bridget's porter from Great Divide. I had had craft/microbrews before. Liked some, but the St. B's was the beer that made me sit up and take notice. I had the Yeti Stout from Great Divide in the same session, it's also fantastic.
  2. I brew the same recipe, or variations on the same recipe a lot. Since I know what to expect, this allows me to test new ingredients and get an understing of what the component under scrutiny adds to a beer. The recipe that I brew most often, is one that I've been brewing since about 2009. Under the 2008 BJCP it was an ESB, under the 2015 style guide, it's an American Pale Ale. 
  3. I think of beer as a food. Both in terms of recipe development and in how I consume it. 
  4. I tend not to stick too closely to BJCP style guidelines. If I can find a beer in the store, I'm not likely to brew it. I like crossing styles, borrowing techniques and fiddling with guidelines until the beer suits my own personal taste. 
  5. I no longer work in kitchens professionally. Which is great, since I now have time to brew on a regular basis!

Anything else you want to know? Ask me at Jonathan@HopoftheMonthClub.com

Cheers!