A Return to Common Sense Home Brewing

It's time.  In fact, it is long past time for a return to common sense in home brewing.   It is time for a focus on the things that actually matter.  I understand this is a weird way to start a blog entry, but it sums up where I am with this hobby I love.   It is my core philosophy, and it was inspired by a conversation I had recently when getting ingredients at my LHBS.  The conversation went something like this

Me: "hey brewer X, how have you been?"
X: "good good, times are a little tight, you know we have 2 in college, and the oldest just had a baby..."
Me: "that's awesome congratulations"
X:  "Thanks,  so yeah, I have to brew up some cheap beer for a while"
Me: "How are you brewing now? all grain?  Do you still have your gravity system? Did you put your eHERMs on hold?"
X:  "No No... the Basement brewery is all tricked out... eHERMs,  super grain crusher 2000, ceiling crane for grain removal, even put up subway tiles... you should come check it out... I've spent a fortune on it lets brew sometime"
Me:  "yeah, sounds like fun"
X:  "so how are you brewing now?"
Me: " Still doing partial mash split full volume boils in the kitchen"
X:  "I don't know how you can do that man... doesn't that take forever?"
Me:  "about 3 hours"
X:  " Oh...uh... really?  3 hours? that's not too bad..."

Times are tight, and the guy just spent 10-15K on a home brewery.  To my knowledge he has never won a single award, and although his beer is very good, it was very good before he built the basement brewery.

PEOPLE LISTEN TO ME.  YOU CAN LITERALLY SET UP A 2 BBL BREWPUB BREWERY FOR LESS THAN THESE GUYS ARE SPENDING ON THEIR HOME RIGS.  AND BSG OR WHOEVER WILL COME SET IT UP FOR YOU.

I will proudly stick to the things that matter.  Full Volume Boil with common sense.  Correct Mash temperatures.  Correct Fermentation Temperatures, Correct Pitch Rate of Yeast.  I will proudly avoid weird grain or hop bills.   I will comment on each of these thing in days to come.