Some time ago, I made the decision that at some future point in my life I want to be a craft beer brewer. For reasons this has not yet transpired but the dream still remains and recent plans to relocate to rural Japan in 4 years time provide potential opportunity for the wheels to be put in motion.

以前からずっと、将来ビール醸造者になりたいと思っていました。まだまだ夢の段階ですが、4年後ぐらいに日本の田舎に引っ越す予定なので、達成可能な夢だと思います。

My only experience thus far of brewing was when a few years ago, a friend invited myself and a few others to the Stewart Brewing Craft Beer Kitchen where under the guidance of a resident brewer we had a fairly decent go at making a milk stout. The day in the brew kitchen was excellent and really encouraged me to learn more about the process.

今までにビールを作ったことが一度だけあります。その時は友達と一緒にStewart Brewing Craft Beer Kitchen(スチュワート・ブルーイング・クラフトビール・キッチン)でビール醸造者からミルクスタウトの作り方を学びました。それはとても面白い経験だったので、ビールの作り方についてもっと学ぶように励まされました。

As it stands, in a room which was formerly a garage but hasn’t quite finished it’s conversion into anything resembling suitable, sits a Grainfather All Grain Brewing System along with a conical fermenter, a large urn and various other brewing paraphernalia. All as of yet, still boxed and awaiting their inaugural run. I have a few other pieces to “invest” in before I’m ready to start brewing but the main barrier has been the unfinished room.. which will hopefully be finished soon.

残念なことに、「Grainfather(グレーンファーザー）」というビール醸造機や円すい発酵槽、その他のいろいろな醸造の機器を買ったにもかかわらず、私はまだビールを醸造していません。できれば近いうちに最初のビールを作りたいです。

I’ve been a member of the Beer52 craft beer club since a month after its inception (I think) and have sampled many craft beers from around the planet and each month I learn a little more. I initially started a paper journal, just recording the hop choices and tasting notes for the beers I was getting delivered, however that soon became tiresome and primarily delayed the drinking of the beer so I stopped. I still have a lot of learning to do and am hoping that recording my drinking and eventually brewing experiences will help me in this process.

「Beer52]というクラフトビールクラブが始まってすぐの頃から、私は会員です。毎月いろいろな世界中からの新しいビールを試飲する度に、ビールについてもう少し深く学べています。でも、まだまだ勉強するつもりです。

So, the purpose of this blog will be primarily self-education and note-taking but I hope that it provides some interesting reading for fellow enthusiasts who like myself don’t necessarily have all the jargon knowledge of more seasoned professionals.

このブログでビールの試飲や醸造の記録を書きながら、ビールの作り方について学んでいこうと思っています。このブログで他の方と興味を共有できれば幸いです。

I’m categorising this journal under brewshido.. Bushido is the Japanese term for “way of the warrior” and I previously had a blog called bushidodreams (which can be found on this site).. so I’m coining the term brewshido to mean the way of the brewer.

I acknowledge that neither my brewing nor my Japanese language knowledge are of a sufficient level to warrant the brashness of coining a new word in my second language but it is what it is!

ところでビール醸造以外には、武士道と日本の歴史に興味があります。それで、Brewは「醸造」という意味なのです。でも私の日本語もビール醸造のレベルはまだまだですが、侍もビールも好きなので、ブログの名前をbrewshidoにしました。