About HomeBrewDoc | homebrewdoc

Hi, I'm Sam Atcherson from North Little Rock, Arkansas. I'm a typical guy with crazy hobbies. Homebrewing is one of them. I am the founder of HomeBrewDoc. HomeBrewDoc was established on December 24, 2015 as a way to give back to my community, and even to honor my father who is another fantastic homebrewer and Do-It-Yourselfer.

Why the name HomeBrewDoc? Three good reasons:

First, I'm a university professor with a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) in a field unrelated to brewing science, but I often use my skills developed in academia to educate (teach), to seek out and evaluate techniques (research), and to promote the hobby and volunteer my time (service) when it comes to homebrewing and craft beer. I have been homebrewing since July 2013. I'm an active member of my local homebrew club, Central Arkansas Fermenters (CAF), and have served as its secretary. During my time with the CAF, I have won a few homebrew awards, I have conducted brewing demonstrations, I've judged beers for local homebrew competitions, I've helped to organize a large beer festival, and I've made lots of friends within the homebrew and local commercial brewing community. Why not share the joy!

Second, let's look at the words that make up the name, HomeBrewDoc:

Home = A place of residence.

Brew = To concoct, mix, or cook a beverage (e.g., beer, wine, sake, kombucha, coffee, etc.).

Doc = Short for doctor. "Doctor" is derived from the Latin word "docere," which means "to teach."

Third and final, did you catch that last word, Doc? I believe that we are all teachers at one point or another. I am joined by fellow homebrewers who teach, and who engage in lifelong learning.

More About The Founder:

My journey as a homebrewer began indirectly in December 2012 when my father received a Mr. Beer kit as sort of a Christmas present joke from my two brothers. My family and I were visiting from out of state. We all helped him brew his first extract batch with plenty of mistakes and expletives flying around. It was hilarious and a sure recipe for disaster. For my father, however, that's where the hobby began as he took pride in his work and tried out more recipes in the coming months and years. He still brews to this day. A few short months after helping with that first brew, I broke down and ordered a Mr. Beer kit for myself. My first homebrew was the Aztec Mexican Cerveza, and I shared the first bottle among family and friends. It was terrible, but it was beer and it had alcohol in it. From there, my already scientific mind started began asking all kinds of questions. Here are a few I remember asking in those early days:

The wort just exploded in my fermentation vessel! Is my beer ok?
I forgot to santize a utensil! Is my beer ok?
Is glass better than plastic?
Is stainless steel better than aluminum?
Wait... There's more than one kind of yeast?
Is there a better way to control my fermentation temperature?
Where does malt extract come from? Can I make my own extract?
How much priming sugar do I need?
What's the best way to wash reusable glass bottles?
How do I calibrate my hydrometer?
What's the ABV of my beer?
What makes a pale ale different from an india pale ale (or a porter different from a stout)?
What do I need to get started with all-grain brewing?
What should my water-to-grist ratio be?
How do I start kegging so I can serve my beer at a beer festival?
Do I need a stir plate to grow my yeast?
What's wrong with my beer? It has a slight off flavor.
And so many more...

Whether you are a new brewer or have been brewing for years, there's always something to learn. If you haven't asked any of the above questions yet, you will. I laid out those questions from my earliest to most recent, and there are more to come. If you've read this far down, you've likely gotten bit by the brew bug. Welcome to HomeBrewDoc!