Agora Fest 2013

“A main motivation for settling down and domesticating crops was probably to make an alcoholic beverage of some kind,” reports archaeologist Patrick McGovern. “People wanted to be closer to their plants so this leads to settlement.”

It may come as little surprise that the seeds of civilization sprouted from the desire for inebriating beverages. What superior reason exists to arise daily by noon? What greater motive could have prompted our ancestral neighbors to collaborate in the arduous cultivation, malting, and brewing required? None, of course, except the rational desire for uninterrupted access to sweet beer, and the time to drink it. And, while civilization continues to boast this agreeable advantage, its scope has expanded dramatically beyond this original legitimate purpose. Yes, from the froth on the stein of civilization emerged a maligned class of political savages; a species of inebriates whose thirst for power has left them little time for civil society, other than to conspire in its destruction. They grow in ranks by the fallacy that force can defeat them, or rhetoric, or political knavery. Such efforts, of course, are in vain. Beer has caused this disease, and beer is the only known cure.

With sufficient variety, quality, and volume, we can fortify the future of human civilization one carboy at a time. Join me for an adventure of brewing proportions as we face the onslaught of sobriety, and preserve for posterity the defining characteristic of humanity itself...the freedom to peacefully drink ourselves silly with large quantities of delicious home brewed beer.

This will be an actual demonstration of a full grain brew - if you want to see all the steps the approximate times are:

8:45 - Start mash
9:45 - Mash out
9:55 - Start lauter
10:45 - Start boil
11:00 - Do session during boil
11:55 - Start chill