Participating in Creation - Homebrewing

Everyone needs a hobby.  Everyone needs a passion.  Some people are into motorcycles.  Specifically, some people are into Harley's.  This could be that a Harley comes with the assumption (or the wishful assumption depending on what your day job is) that you are a bad ass, gun running, and drug deal member of the SAMCRO. Some people find their passion in running.  Now  I consider myself a runner, but my passion is not running.  Passionate runners run more miles in 1 week than I drive in 1 day.  They go through running shoes like a fraternity house goes through cheap beer on Homecoming weekend.

Passions run deep. My wife for example has a passion, and I mean a deep passion for fine art.  The word "artsy" sends her into a level of pissed off that the world should never have to see.  She has found a way to not only make a career our of her passion but to also share that passion and pass it onto others.

My passion, similar to my wife's, is that I love to create, but rather than works on paper or graphic design, I create beer.  My name is Teer Hardy, and I am a homebrewer.

Homebrewing often comes with the assumption that you create your beer in a bath tub, store it in a clay jug, and have a passion for getting plastered on days ending in 'y'.  That couldn't be farther from the truth.  My experience in homebrewing has caused me to take a closer look at what I consume, how I consume it, the implications of my consumption, and what my consumption says about me.  The entire process of homebrewing is an invitation to actively participate in creating, not only something that can sustain yourself and others, but an invitation to think critically and systematically about how/what you brew, and what the end product will be as a result of your decisions.  Homebrewing is also an invitation to participate in creation.

"And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden" - (Genesis 2.8)

Creation, all the way back in Genesis, out of nothingness and the building of the earth, solar system, and universe is not too different from how homebrewing takes form.  Out of nothingness humankind was formed and shaped. Out of nothingness water sprung up from the ground, the grasses and grains began to grow, and the world as we knew it today began to take shape.  By taking the very basic elements that were some of the very basic and first elements of our world (water, grain, hops, and yeast) homebrewers are able to create out of virtually nothing a unique and living thing.

The type of water you use affects the taste of your beer.  The variety of hops and timing of their addition to your boil affects the bitterness, flavor profile, and aroma of the beer.  The style of yeast chosen affects the overall flavor, as well as the rate at which the beer ferments.  All of 4 of the basic ingredients have the ability to change the entire beer, and just as God ordered creation in the beginning and continues to order it today, the homebrewer has the ability to order their creation dwelling the brew kettle and fermentor.

What other ways does homebrewing invite us to participate in creation?  I'd love to hear from you.  Comment below, send a message through the Speak Pipe, or shoot me an email.

Cheers!