I love pitching a big starter. Pouring in all those healthy hungry yeast cells feels so good. It’s just a great fruition of a long, good brewday.
Merry Christmas.
Two times - the night before when I set up by rolling out the brewstand from its storage spot, putting the strke water in the mash tun with the bucket heater on a timer and the sparge water in the HLT with the same set up, then the following day when rolling my brewstand back into the spot I store it in after cleanup and pitching the yeast - it’s always a great feeling to know that another batch is on its way!
I have always loved the process of brewing. Love being up at the crack of dawn on a crisp morning just as the sun is coming up over the mountains with a cup of coffee in my hand and the roar of the burner heating up my strike water. I love the smell of the wort as it comes to a boil and especially after the first hop addition.
But I especially love the feeling of satisfaction after a long successful brewday as you put the wort away in the fermentor safe and sound, clean up and pitch yeast. It’s that satisfied feeling of accomplishment I have always really loved, kind of like sitting down on the lawnchair with a glass of lemonade after mowing the lawn. For me it is a very deep feeling of accomplishment. Especially when I just now that one is going to turn out just right.
Major pretty much summed it up. I love getting everything layed out the night before, hops weighed (and re-checked next morning), hitting my target mash temp head on, and the smell of the first runnings out of the mashtun. Hitting a target gravity is pretty satisfying too.
+1 this exactly how I feel. 
Does anyone else detect a certain innuendo in this? 
This. Minus the mountains as I live in KC. Also, I love doughing in. Makes me feel like I’m cooking, which I also love.
I love brewing outside, especially when it’s cold. Standing at the brew pot in a heavy sweatshirt with a cup of coffee is very zen for me.
Crisp morning sunlight and snow on the mountain
Filling my mash tun attaching the propane
Striking the fire then getting my grain pail
Weighing gypsum
Weighing chloride
These are a few of my favorite things
I would say mashing in is my favorite part. I love the smell when you first add the grains, especially in dark beers. That might be the reason I brew. And the feeling of accomplishment after pitching the yeast and getting the fermentor in the fermentation fridge is really nice too. Or maybe it’s that first beer after I get things cleaned up. Brewing is truly a great hobby.
I think Keith summed it up well.
It’s the process that really does it for me. It’s not one or two things, but the whole process from rolling out the brewstand to finally drawing the first pint of the “liquid of your labors”. It’s very gratifying to produce a fantastic beer to be shared with friends. Brewing brings great meaning to the old adage that “you reap what you sow”.
Although, bottling is a real PITA. I much prefer kegging my beer.
One of my favorite things on brew day is having a hot scotchy (although I usually use bourbon):
I normally hold off any drinking until the beer is in the fermenter, but I do make an exception for this. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend it - it is especially memorable with the first runnings of a big barleywine.
+1 to that. Very, very tasty !
This might be the most important thing I have learned all year. Thank you for that. Will try it next brew session.
My friend is a pretty good homebrewer and made a couple for us one cold brewing morning using scotch. The first sip took away my skepticism in a hurry. It’s damn good ! Kind of a homebrewer’s hot toddy, only better.
I also love waking up at 2 am and staggering into the brewlab ( guest bathroom ), and seeing those first bubbles starting from the blowoff tube.
My wife loves doughing in, says it smells like grape nuts.
I will definately be trying the hot scotchie next brewday…wish I knew about it yesterday. Cheers.
This is truly inspirational. Just when you were wondering how brewing could get any better. BAM!
I’ll be trying the bourbon varietal.
Certainly a strong fertility reference. Ninkasi would be proud.
So very true, there is nothing like firing up the burner to heat the strike water. Always brings a smile to my face…
Cheers!
Mike