Have you ever had a problem with the boil over? I remember my very first batch, I used a pot that was WAY too small, and I didn't leave enough room at the top for the boiling foam to rise. My entire stovetop was caked in burnt, carmelized malt extract, and the kitchen was full of smoke. My roommates just left, but in the end, even that batch somehow tasted delicious (I've had some other problems with boil over in the past that are mostly my fault for not paying attention. Happened a bit the other day with my Belgian Double IPA, but that seems to be going well so far!)

I can only hope my dad feels this way when I share my homebrews with him. We don't brew together, but still. Also, as a veteran brewer, a word of advice -- I've found that the smaller the brewery, the harder it is to get the labels off when you're soaking/sanitizing. I live about a half a mile from the Sam Adams brewery in Boston, so most of my bottles come from there, and the labels practically slide off if you just lick your fingers. Same with Red Hook. Dogfish Head? Flying Dog? Yeah, good luck with those labels! (wouldn't you think they'd try to save money by buying cheaper glue? I don't know). Hope it tastes great! I've got a ton of recipes (and Beer Review Haikus) I can share, too.

I, for one, have no regrets about hooking up with Katie Laskin at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance.