Bar work, beer bottling and everything in between

The enemy of success.... procrastination. Now everyone I know thinks they are the best at procrastination. It is something we all do. I once heard that the best way to beat procrastination is procrastinate procrastinating... procrastinate later. What does this have to do with anything? Well I have been procrastinating doing my latest brew, too busy, don't have the right ingredients, can't afford some of them right now, my stupid fermentors are leaking etc, etc. But on the other hand dammit you just need to relax sometimes.

Take for example Friday night after the day jobs (2 weeks to go from last Friday). I worked a shift at the Malthouse as they were short staffed. The new manager of my future job told me that I need to relax, don't worry that I don't know were everything is because I'm new. He was right, that first hour I was a bit flustered and worried. I even heard a customer say, I bet it's his first day, I don't give him long. Well after that I relaxed and chatted to customers while serving. I really started to enjoy myself after that. I only took a less than 10min break to get some subway because it was more interesting behind the bar on a Friday night. Having a quite pint after my shift and talking to a customer (who happens to be an American who is selling fighter planes to the NZ air force) I decided the social aspect of this job is definitely something I will enjoy.

On Saturday I bottled my Bob the Builder pale ale. Brewed for my little brother who is about to turn 21. Then Sunday I bottled my Green Tea Pale Ale, brewed with 2 types of green tea I got from Japan. The problem with these bottles is that I used gelatin to try and get rid of sediment, but the improvement in Wellington weather has seen it not settle and set properly. I hope this happens in the bottle or I may have chunky beer on my hands... eeek

Saturday there were a couple of flat warming and some cool people, I had a great time, even if there was a mad drunk guy at the second party trying to hurt people badly.... another story that one is.

So the everything in between part is Wednesday night, my friend Lucy's birthday byo dinner, I had already eaten but I rocked up with a bottle of red wine, trying to forget my sorrows relating to my last post.... was a fun night got to hang out with an awesome group of people but work training day the next day was not so much fun.

Stick to beer, you will be in the clear. Red wine can be tasty... but beware!

Spring in a few days! :)

Andrew

Lessons learnt, usually the hard way. But on a lighter note - Garage Project!

Writing this early in the morning but not so early that I will make it to the office on time. Go flexi-time.

So I figure complete honesty makes for a good blog, despite the name of the blog. Yesterday I had to face the fact the old saying don't screw the crew (or fall in love with one of them) may be good advice. Everyone knows this is good advice but all too often you have to learn these lessons yourself. Said girlfriend and I broke up a few weeks ago, but learning that she is seeing someone else is more than I can handle. So I talked to her and said I can't talk to her or try and see her for a while. In that respect I am pretty happy I will not work there in a few weeks time :) Hitting the gym at lunch helped a little, but what helped more was a nice golden brown ale by Garage Project at HZ! great roasty malty flavours with a roasty finish with the hops lingering on the back of the tongue and a decent mouth feel, tried a couple of Quebec beers on offer too, very interesting if not both a bit sweet, doppelbocks usually are. Met Pete and the boys from Garage project, great guys, inspiring the work they are doing :) look forward to going and checking out their set up..... plans for a fish curry afterward turned into heavens $10 pizza and a fat yak pale ale.

Also I recommend checking out the TV show breaking bad, it is awesome!

Andrew

Handing in the notice, It becomes official!

Today, I have 3 weeks left as life as a policy analyst. I handed in my notice at around 9:30am, it felt good, dam good! I then had a great phone call with my dad (2 of them actually). Of course both my parents are apprehensive about such a huge career change. I plan to prove to everyone that it is not just a passing interest but one day I will look back on this decision and realize it was a great one to make. Does this mean that I regret my past jobs and experience? no. This just means that I have gone through some life experiences and those have let me on the path of what I want to do with my life. That for me has been the hard part, now is that part that will be hard work, but fun! 

Funny thing about work, if you really like doing it, it feels a lot less like work.  Now for some beer talk, currently drinking a Yeastie boys Motueka Warrior. Big syrupy stone fruit hoppy characters with a long linger, its is rather pleasant but big alcohol so would have it sparingly... nice to sip on slowly. Went for a run up Brooklyn hill after visiting my little brothers new place around the corner, will hurt tomorrow. Hopefully I will get to brewing the "old man's mocha porter" after work tomorrow.

Chow for now,
Andrew

You are only what you put your mind to - A fresh start

Hi Everyone

I am Andrew Childs. I am 27 and live in Wellington, New Zealand (in case anyone reading this did not already know. I am about to embark on a great new adventure. I am going from being a Policy Analyst for a large New Zealand Government Crown entity to being a bar-tender and hopefully sometime assistant-brewer in Bond st here in Wellington. It is going to be a huge change in life-style, from 8:30am-5pmish to well I don't know what the new hours will be! But is exciting. Since I am a qualified lawyer I get a lot of questions asking, why did I do this, what drives you to take a 50 percent pay cut. Well to them I say you have to do what you love. Do I want to be a bartender forever? no. I want to create something that I will love, that others will love. Be that beer, a place that people will come to and enjoy themselves and hang out with friends or meet new friends, this would make me happy.

I had to come to realize what I want in life, what is important to me, what I am passionate about. All signs point to beer, good beer!

I have come along way from drinking $5 jugs of tui at the Victoria University, I have tried many beers from around the world, have developed a taste for what I like and what I don't. Come for this ride with me... While I take you through my life. It will not be all beer all the time, I like to think I am much more rounded than that, but it will defiantly be the major theme of this blog. It has taken me a long time from being a facebook addict to getting to this blog. So I shall try and inform and entertain all of you who are cool enough to follow me in my adventure, any feedback or comments would be awesome, and I will make sure I get pictures and stuff on here soon.

Before I go a couple of thank yous. Thank you to Stella for the idea for the blog name, thanks to Paul for getting me into homebrewing and paying for my craft beers as a poor student, Ben for inspiring me with his blog and to you all for reading.

Chur and talk to you all soon

Andrew