How did you start in brewing?
I have always been intersted in "making my own" anything... being Italian, family members, friends, and friends of friends were always making wine and gifting it for holidays. I met a friend in college who made wine often and explained that the proccess was not as mysterious as I once thought. I visited my first homebrew store soon after to get some info about making wine and price equipment out. Right around this time my friend's father started making beer. He had me over to try some of his brews, which did not taste too great, but I was intrigued by the proccess. He invited me over to help him brew, but I never made it.
My birthday came along that year and I couldn't think of anything I wanted... then I remembered brewing! So, i went out and bought my kit for myself now that I finally graduated and could afford to. I had every intention of making wine until I went to the brew store to buy my first kit...something came over me and I impulsively bought a Hefeweizen kit. It made sense... I love beer... way more than wine. I was the guy at school who would bring my craft brewed $10 6 pack to a party so I didn't have to drink the Keystone Light from the keg
My dad made beer and wine for as long as I can remember. As a teenager I would go visit him for the summers and was always in awe of everything that went into it. I remember drinking budweiser and the like when I was young but at the time really didn't like it at all. Then my dad finally let me try the good stuff. I remember my very first home made beer was a honey porter and I loved it. I've been into "kind beer" ever since. About the time I was twenty or twenty-one my dad pretty much grew tired of making beer and fully concentrated all his efforts on wine. So naturally he gifted me with all of his beer supplies. Started out slow just making three or four batches a year with his guidance, but in the last year or two it seems to be all I want to do.