I was inspired to start writing about beer when, with my friends Tom, Shawn and Garry, I set up a homebrewing operation in my basement here in Toronto, Canada.  It’s both surprising and encouraging that all four of us have quickly taken a keen interest in all-grain brewing.  In just a few short weeks we’ve progressed from brewing our first beer (an IPA) to constructing our own equipment (the homemade mash tun pictured above).  These days much of our conversation now revolves around yeast strains, hop varieties, specialty grains and how we can use Tom and Garry’s technical know-how to maximize our efficiency and build new homebrewing equipment.

So will the focus of The Beer Beat be restricted to our adventures in homebrewing?  No.  I’m looking forward to writing about beer events in and around Toronto, sharing my opinions on commercially brewed beers and generally spewing forth about all things beer-related.  I might even write the occasional beer book review no that I’m starting to amass something of a beer library.

I’m going to leave this welcoming post up for the next few days while I get the word out that I’ve started this blog.  After that I will be adding new posts on a regular basis.  I’m hoping to hear from fellow beer lovers and I encourage you to share your thoughts.  I’d especially like to get feedback from other homebrewers willing to share their experiences.

Cheers!
Kyle