5 1/2 month anniversary!

I realized today I've had this blog for 5 1/2 months. I'm happy to report that through Twitter, placement on the beer sub-Reddit, and a lot of posting, I have two regular readers: my girlfriend, Pattie, and my friend Mary. I guess it doesn't matter since this was meant to be a personal document as I explore my state's craft brew scene, but I think in the near future I'll work to get my numbers a little higher. 5, maybe.

I've got a lot planned this year, especially in terms of home brewing. I plan to move to smaller batches, probably 3 gallons, so I can make stronger beers and be more experimental. I want to start all-grain batches, and I plan to move my hop garden this spring to a huge trellis attacked to the back deck so my plants can grow higher- at least 10 feet up.

And there's plenty in my own state I haven't done. Never been to 3Tides or Ebenezer's. Never toured Atlantic or Bar Harbor breweries, even though they're two of my favorites. Never been to a beer festival. Lots of ground to cover in 2009.