From the Editor

Republished from BrewingTechniques' May/June 1993.

While hundreds of beer lovers milled around in the hot summer sun sampling some of the microbrewery festival's finest fare, a crowd of more than a dozen people pressed together in an obscure corner of the grounds, straining to hear a conversation. The focus of their attention: a brewmaster and a local home brewer who had been persistent -- or lucky -- enough to get the brewer' s ear with the first question. They were talking about sparging methods. The home brewer, understanding his good fortune, poured out a steady stream of questions and follow-up questions, as if a reservoir of curiosity had finally burst through a dam of isolation.

The conversation lasted only a few minutes. The sparge was complete, and the brewmaster returned his attention to preparing the demonstration booth's wort for the boil. The home brewer who had been lucky enough to secure five or ten minutes of the brewmaster's time returned to the tent to sample another beer, his face serene with satisfaction. Others seemed disappointed that they had not heard more, had no chance to ask questions, had not understood some of what was said.

I shared that mix of frustration and longing. Like the other onlookers, I had countless questions that didn't get asked. And as I probed the publications market, I found a general shortage of accurate, reliable information on the technical aspects of brewing. As a magazine editor and passionate home brewer, I decided to address this lack. BrewingTechniques is many things, and probably different things to different people. As a clearinghouse of technical information on small-scale brewing, the magazine offers articles that are rich in technical detail and that provide a degree of reliability that is possible only when manuscripts are reviewed before publication by recognized experts. As a forum for discussion, BrewingTechniques provides a medium for less-formal communications and problem solving among readers -- expert and nonexpert alike. And as a national magazine for dedicated small-scale brewers, it offers timely news, reviews, events information, and access to suppliers all over the country.

Given this rich diversity of material, readers will find a variety of writing styles and varying levels of technical detail in BrewingTechniques. As a passionately reader-oriented editor, I thrive on feedback about how well the magazine keeps these variables in balance. I welcome, rather I encourage your comments, suggestions, and requests.

The first issue is being sent free to many of you on the faith that enough are serious about their brewing to support this effort. If you are one of those who appreciate this publication, support it with a subscription, and I'll keep providing you with more and better information in issues to come. Your support is appreciated and is reflected directly in BrewingTechniques. This is, in many ways, your magazine.

This first issue is the result of much support, both professional and personal. The BrewingTechniques Editorial Advisory Board has been extremely supportive and helpful during these early days. I especially thank David Newman for his insights, moral support, and practical help in the publishing venture. Thanks also to Cornelia Bremer for her creative contributions to the magazine's design, and to Associate Publisher Joachim Schulz for helping to make this magazine a reality. Most of all, I dedicate this first issue to my family -- Trixy, Luke, and Kalaija -- without whose support and patience this project would never have gotten off the ground.

Send letters, send manuscripts, send questions to The Troubleshooter. BrewingTechniques is an open forum for the betterment of beer.

Cheers,

Stephen A. Mallery
Editor, Publisher