61 Would-be extract recipe kits

When I worked for Muntons’ since closed US Sales Office, almost all of my efforts were to grow our presence in the craft beer market. I did exhibit and speak at some homebrew events, most notably Homebrew Con, but otherwise I didn't focus too much on the homebrew side of the business.

One homebrew-related project I spearheaded that never really got off the ground was a range of recipe kits for the American market using Muntons range of malt extract. As opposed to hopped extract kits, these kits are the type of recipe kits an American brewer would buy at a local homebrew shop. 

The "iconic" Red Can Range.

The kits would have included a mix of liquid and dry extract, most would included steeped specialty malt or grains for a partial mash, as well as hops and style-specific dry yeast. 

Brew Years Resolutions for 2025

The since-past 2024 was certainly an eventful year. The first four months of 2024 I barely had time to brew at all. I brewed one very mediocre all-grain batch and a couple no-boil batches. Coming up with New Beers Resolutions was the furthest thing from my mind. 

At the time I was freelancing for TBI Pro Brew Supply and slowly building up my book of business. If I gave it more time, I very well could have made it work. Right before I left I hooked a big account, but I also lost a big account when that brewery was bought out, so who knows. It was the grind from all of my side-hustles that broke me. I couldn't imagine doing Amazon delivery in the middle of July. Driving an Uber fare to Boston and having my engine start to misfire, which required a $1200 repair, wasn't fun either.

Exiting the beer industry and going back to insurance has been harder than I thought it would be. I joked with one brewer friend that I was the only person to leave the beer industry and make less money. Going back to insurance after seven years away I felt like a defrosted caveman. If my body wasn't frozen like Ted Williams' corpse, my career certainly was. Seeing where my former peers are at in their carriers seven years later and where I am now is something I try not to think about. The only reason to work in insurance is money and advancement. 

One silver lining is I do have my weekends back, which enabled me to focus on brewing again. I had a second-place showing at Ales over ALS and the North Shore Brewers Q4 in-club competition (post forthcoming). I also made a batch of cider I was quite happy with, and had a couple of misses as well.

Looking ahead to 2025 I already have half a dozen beers in the pipeline. After skipping 2024, here are my Brew Year's Resolutions.

12x12 Review: Jack’s Abby Winter Fest Variety Pack

12x12 is a new series dedicated to reviewing 12-packs of 12 ounce cans or bottles. Inspired by my guide to garage beer, 12-packs are often the workhorse of the beer fridge. The beer you bring to a cookout or grab on the way to a party. This series honors craft flagships, seasonal classics, and imported examples of classic styles.  

Beers included: House Lager, Post Shift Pils, Extra Layer, Dark As Hell

Purchased: 16 December 2024

Purchase Price: I forget 

Initial impression: Looking forward to circling back to two of Jack’s Abby’s core beers, two classic lager styles, and trying two new winter lagers  

How to properly stock garage beer

A recent social media trend or meme depending on your point-of-view, especially among elder millennial dads is the garage beer. Garage beers are often accompanied by the musical stylings of Creed. The Kelce Brothers have even launched their own Garage Beer brand. A critical element of the garage beer is the garage fridge.

As a homebrewer with a four tap keezer, I still buy a fair amount of commercial beer. I don’t have a garage, but I do have a mini-fridge for beer in my basement. That was a Covid purchase. Initially our basement fridge was filled with Trillium when they were doing deliveries during the pandemic. In the time since, I have honed in on the ideal way to stock your beer fridge.