I would like to thank Ted at Ted’s Homebrew Journal for hosting the fermentation Friday topic for the month of May. And Adam over at Beer Bits 2 for starting Fermentation Friday to begin with.

Ted has posed a two part question,

a. What part of the your brewday brings you the most JOY?
b. What part particularly brings out a good deal of STRESS?

Both excellent questions, for the first part the act of brewing itself, from milling the grain, to mashing in, the knowledge that I am performing the act of brewing makes me happy. Sounds a bit funny but its true. I feel joy that I am brewing.

And for Stress, it can come when things go wrong, I run out of propane, my drill breaks, my mill is working properly etc. A lot of stress has very little to do with the act of brewing but I often find my frame of mind has an incredible impact on my brewday. If I am having a bad day for whatever reason, I am more stressed brewing, I make more mistakes and therefore become more stressed.