Wow, congrats! I actually understand how hard and challenging that is cause my DD's husband brews beer.

Congrats. Always great to have a hobby and more so in reaping the awards. I had to chuckle though reading this. Reminded me of the Breaking Bad series when the brother in law messed up capping bottles and they started blowing up in the middle of the night. He's a detective and thought it was a shoot out.

LOL!!!! What channel is Breaking Bad on?

Congratulations. It's fun to watch a guy get "crafty" isn't it? All the better when they win a prize! :-) My DH has started to fiddle around with sourdough lately. He's a long way off from winning a prize but he's having fun. Results are mostly edible.

What a wonderful story! And the results of his craft are sure to be enjoyed in more than one way. (I love hand brewed beers).

My DH really came out of his shell when he started 'owning' a craft that he did himself and had tangible results. People love what he does and it made a big difference in his confidence level, and he's proud of himself. That is bigger to him than me saying how good he is. Like he knows his wife is going to think he's great, he needed to hear it from other guys.

Congrats to your DH!!

Oh my goodness! That is amazing! Please pass on a huge congrats from me-- quite an accomplishment!

You should send some to the White House for their next 'beer' mediation. Did he come up with a clever name for his brew?

Pesky - care to share your DH's hobby?

ttodd- I thinks we're in the same area- I'm just across the Betsy Ross bridge. If your husband enjoys beer have you been to the new Bierhall that just opened in Center City? My son is friends with the young couple who own it and he raves about the German beer on tap and in bottle. And he says the food is pretty good too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brauhauss Schmitz

He calls his beer Reynarden which is French for 'fox'. Our last name is Todd which also translates to fox.

His blonde style beer that one 3rd place he named Foxy Blond. Yep - he's a clever one!

And seriously - did what beers they had to drink really need to make the opening of the news? Alright well DH wanted to know.

There is a machine shop beside the property that we are buying that will be closing soon. DH has a dream of buying it and turning it into a little micro-brew. The young 20 something guys that I work w/ want it to be a beer 'n' bake brew place since I bring leftovers in to work for them all of the time!

I agree with your DH about announcing what brews they had. My husband wanted to know why they didn't serve US made brews if they were going to make such a big deal out of it. After all if the President is trying to stimulate our economy this might have been a great PR opportunity.

Very clever naming- as clever as a fox. OOH- forgive me, that was bad. I couldn't resist.

Great idea about the micro brew- some of my sons friends tried the home brewing kits. But they gave up because they just didn't have the time or the space in the apartments to dedicate to it.

Congratulations! Funny, we just had lunch with DHs college room mate from 40 years ago. (They haven't seen each other since!) He brought us a six pack of his home brewed beer. We split one and have 5 left, which we are savoring. The first time I've ever tasted home made beer. It was so good I was checking out how to brew it on the internet.

Sounds like a fun hobby. My DHs cousin is a brewer. Ever heard of Red Tail Ale? Yep, that is DHs cousin's business. It's all over our family get togethers.

That is so cool! Such a great feeling, to get the big dogs to notice you when you're just a new little dog (with big paws :)) Keep goin', mr. ttodd!

Very cool - winning contests as a newcomer to the hobby. Congrats to him!!!

Congrats to your DH! Hanging out with Rennies and hippies and Pagans (oh my) I'm no stranger to homebrew; although these folks will brew with about anything that can be fermented LOL they tend to lean more toward meads (you have not tasted revolting until you have experienced the travesty that was pumpkin mead). So I know it's not an easy hobby. Well, no, it's a really easy hobby, but producing something not just drinkable but good can definitely be a challenge.

Note to wannabe homebrewers, from my experience living with homebrewing roommates in college... unless you have a spare bathtub to work in, invest in a simple plastic kiddie pool to put everything in while the batch is fermenting. It once took me two solid days of scrubbing to get all of the residue of what would have been a peach stout off the apartment floor when the airlock thingy clogged and the fermenter ruptured. (The boys wiped up some of it with paper towels, ignoring that the floor was still as sticky as flypaper and the bugs were having a field day. The kitchen smelled like spoiled peaches the entire summer.)

McMann - I told DH about Brauhauss Schmitz and we will def. be checking it out!

Golddust - why yes I have heard of and had Red Tail Ale! Can't wait to tell DH when he gets back from church!

Johnmari - DH is brewing his 1st mead for me as we speak. I'm nervous. He's starting a batch of Chocolate Hazelnut Porter for me next wknd. and then on to the Fall Pumpkin Spice beer and a Hard Cider for me for the Fall. He also one 3rd place last year w/ the 1st Cider that he brewed.

Ever the decorator I'm starting ribbons wreath for both him and DS1's sports ribbons (they will each get their own). I'll get a grapevine wreath and wire the ribbons on.

This wknd. we are off to Long Island to volunteer at a Craft Beer, wine and barbecue event at some vineyard. Can't wait!

Ahhh, I miss hard cider. Here's hoping this batch comes out glorious. For about the last 10 years even half a glass of wine, um, bounces. Wah. Nothing like an ice cold cider or gin and tonic on a sultry afternoon. Before I had to quit bending elbow a friend was going to make a hard pear cider - aka an undistilled perry - for me, I'd only had it once and was very intrigued.

For those who think they don't like mead because it's too sweet (it can be mighty cloying), look for dry meads. (For those who don't want to brew it themselves, Bartlett Winery of Maine makes some very sophisticated meads, both sweet and dry. They also make the only red wines I can drink, as they're not based on grapes but rather blueberries! They don't ship out of state but Bartlett's is almost reason enough to vacation in Maine...) IIRC dry mead wants a lot longer aging in the bottle than an ordinary sweet mead so patience is a virtue. The better honey you use, the better result, so if he can get something tastier than the generic clover honey that has no taste except "sweet" his mead will improve dramatically - perhaps he might check to see if there are any beekeepers around who produce specialty honeys (lavender, fruit-tree, etc.) or even just particularly good mixed-wildflower honeys. Or so I've picked up sitting around listening to my friends geek endlessly about brewing. :-)

I adore cider!! Both hard (Strongbow!) and soft!

Tried bottled mead -- but I'll look for another variety -- this one was way too sweet. I'll look for a dry one.

My DH tried homebrewing in Calgary (great water there for the brew) and we ended up with over 200 bottles of beer (okay starting singing ....LOL!) and wine! LOL! Boy! did we have GREAT parties!

Many many congratulations to your DH! My DH drinks Guinness, Harp and other darker varieties. Except he doens't like them to be "too hoppy" For a taste experience -- try Blackened Voodoo! LOL! I don't drink beer -- just the ciders ..... EXCEPT for the odd cold Shandy now and then (thats beer mixed with ginger ale or ginger beer or even 7up -- its a grand drink for a hot summer day!)

Jan at Rosemary Cottage (no space now for brewing! And the water is not quite right ..... hard to explain ....)

Wow, a wonderful accomplishment.

OK ... party at ttodd's house! ;-)

(Congrats to your DH! That's very cool!)

I second the motion AJ!

Good luck to your husband.

Congrats to your husband on his wonderful accomplishment. Love the Foxy Blond moniker.

May there be even more success "a-brewin'"!

Hey - it ain't a party if AJ's not there, right?!

Mcmann - DH posted Brauhauss Schmitz on his Face Book page to tell his beer buddies. He's looking forward to checking it out.

A-brewin - LOL!

Hey - it ain't a party if AJ's not there, right?!

You know it! Break out that karaoke machine! ;-D