• About
  • Archive
  • Contact
The Greening of Gavin
  • Home
  • Our Green Shop
    • Little Green Workshops
  • Green Workshops
    • Cheese Making
    • Soap Making
    • Soy Candle Making
  • eBooks
    • Clay Oven eBook
    • Keep Calm and Make Cheese eBook
  • Podcast
    • TGOG Podcast
    • TGoG Podcast Archive
    • Little Green Cheese
  • Vlog
  • Cheese
  • Green Living
    • Chickens
    • Gardening
    • Soap Making
    • Recipes
    • Climate Change
    • Peak Oil
    • Solar Power
  • Resources

Beer Making Day with Amy!

October 26, 2013 @ 19:36 By Gavin Webber 3 Comments

I love passing on skills, don’t you?

Today I had the opportunity to pass on my beer making skills to my daughter, Amy.  Out of the blue on Wednesday, she asked me if we could make some beer on the weekend, and that she would help.  She mentioned that she thought it was about time she started to learn all the skills to start living sustainably.

I don’t know what possessed her to want to learn more.  Am I starting to look old and frail so that she thinks she better learn as much as she can quickly?  Maybe not.  I should have asked her.

Anyway, the first beer we made was my old favourite, Aztec Gold.  It is a kit beer which is very simple to make.  Firstly I showed her how sanitise all the equipment.  Then she boiled up the 2 litres of water and mixed the ingredients.  Aztec Gold is a light alcohol beer, usually coming in at about 2.8%, because you only add 500gm (1.1 lbs) of Dry Light Malt to the kit.

Then Amy stirred the wort to make sure it was mixed thoroughly.  Love the smile.

I then topped it up with water to 23 litres, screwed on the lid and fitted the airlock.  On to the next batch of beer.

This time we made our own type of beer.  We added a can of Coopers Real Ale, and a can of Morgan’s Caramalt amber liquid malt.  This adds body and flavour to the beer, whilst decreasing the bitterness.

Same procedure as before, but this time Amy did it all.  I find that by showing the student how to do it all first, then letting them perform the entire procedure, they learn the skill much better. After dissolving the two liquids in 2 litres (2 qts) of boiling water, Amy topped it up to 23 litres.  She then screwed on the lid and fitted the airlock, and checked for a seal.

So because this was a new beer, never before made in the house of TGOG, it needed a name.  After all, the other beer is called Aztec Gold, which is very cool, so we needed a snazzy name for this one.  After a few silly names, Amy came up with ‘Sweet Matilda Dark Ale‘, after the sweetness and caramel flavour of the wort.  I like it.  Kind of catchy.

Now, my philosophy regarding beer making is that you can’t make beer if you don’t have a beer once it you have put it into the fermenter.  So that is exactly what we did.  Here is the beer master and his student enjoying a drop of my Fat Yak style beer that I made over two years ago.  It still tastes as good as the first time I tasted it.  No, I tell a lie.  It actually tastes ten time better, now that it has matured.

What lovely Father/Daughter time we had.  It was a pleasure teaching my daughter this essential sustainable/simple living skill!

Have you passed on any simple living skills to your kids this weekend?

Will this article help someone you know? If so help them out by sharing now!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket

Related

Filed Under: Beer, Family

← Coal Seam Gas Twisted Truth Campaign How To Find All My Recipes →

About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber's daily goal is to live a more sustainable lifestyle, in an effort to reduce his family's environmental footprint so we can all make a difference for our children & future generations to come.

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  1. rabidlittlehippy says

    October 27, 2013 at 07:08

    My kids (aged 5, nearly 4 and 2) aren’t too interested in learning the skills I hope and want to teach yet as they’d much prefer to jump on the trampoline or run around like crazy things. 😉 They do however know how to get a plant out of its pot to plant in the garden and they are both good at planting some of the larger seeds that their fingers can handle. I will hopefully be able to encourage them to plant out some pumpkin seeds with me today in my hugels.
    They do however have plenty of routines in their lives that are sustainable. They dn’t know about turning on a heater but they do help bring in wood for the fire and Jas loves to help empty out the ash when we have ascertained that the fire is indeed completely cold. They helped pick tomatoes last Autumn when our bushes were hit by the frost at the end of the season. They help cooking both on the conventional stove/oven and the woodfired one. Jas is a pro at cooking bacon on Ignisa for jacket spuds or getting bread out of the conventional oven (under heavy supervision and with heavy protection against burns).
    I am sure as time goes on they will all learn more and spend more time with us both, learning how to live sustainably and ethically upon our planet.

    Reply
  2. MOC says

    October 27, 2013 at 16:05

    Mine have picked up a few things but they’re not really interested at the moments. Although, sometimes they surprise me with examples of some of things they have picked just by exposed to it all.

    My favourite homebrew is a brewed “Black and Tan” Half ale and half stout. Very nice drop. I haven’t made any for a long while so I should get into it again.

    Cheers

    Reply
  3. MOC says

    October 27, 2013 at 16:26

    Mine have picked up a few things but they’re not really interested at the moments. Although, sometimes they surprise me with examples of some of things they have picked just by exposed to it all.

    My favourite homebrew is a brewed “Black and Tan” Half ale and half stout. Very nice drop. I haven’t made any for a long while so I should get into it again.

    Cheers

    Reply

Comments build lively communities. Let me know your thoughts, but keep it clean and green! Spam is removed instantly.Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search This Blog

Follow my work

About Gavin Webber

About Gavin Webber

An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

Delve Into the Archives

Visit Our Online Simple Living Shop

Little Green Workshops

Latest Podcast Episode

Subscribe on iTunes

Top Posts & Pages

Black Aphids On Garlic
Broad Bean Rust
2 Fruit Marmalade
Outdoor Solar Shower
How To Remove Scaly Leg Mites
African Horned Melon
Hot Chilli Chutney
Dripping at the Co-op
Repeat After Me. I Will Never Plant Potatoes With Pumpkins Again
Feta Cheese Tutorial

Recent Awards

Recent Awards

Local Green Hero

Categories

Favourite Daily Reads

Debt Free, Cashed Up, and Laughing

The Off-Grid Solar House

Greener Me

The Rogue Ginger

Little Eco Footprints

Down To Earth

Surviving the Suburbs

Little Green Cheese

Eight Acres

The Witches Kitchen

TGOG Readers On-line

Podcast Reviews

  • Always inspiring and entertaining!
    August 4, 2016 by floriographer from Australia

    I've crowed about Gavin's podcast before but I just have to recommend it once again - I love that he shares his learning as well as his successes - it helps the rest of us try try try again! Thanks Gavin!

  • ms
    July 22, 2016 by Ketaea12 from New Zealand

    I really enjoy listening to Gavin, he has a kind lovely voice. He covers some great relevant topics for the everyday greenie. With lots of tips or how to or what not to do. Thanks Gavin, love it!!

  • Well worth your time to tune in
    October 23, 2015 by A Vision Splendid from Australia

    I can highly recommend Gavin’s podcast ! I have followed Gavin’s blog since the very beginning and have loved to see his journey unfold. Gavin has a lovely speaking voice so this podcast is always very easy to listen to. Gavin has a very authentic approach to his green living lifestyle. He shares the ups and downs but always provides motivation and practical steps that we can all implement.

  • very good
    June 28, 2015 by Scared pax from United Kingdom

    This is a great podcast if you want to improve your life in so many aspects and become a more sustainable person. I love the soothing voice, the good pace, and it contains lots of useful information. Recommended!

  • opened my eyes
    May 25, 2015 by Gorn4lyfe from Australia

    A wonderful show!

  • Inspiring
    April 30, 2015 by Alan Whelan from Ireland

    This is a great podcast if you're looking for practical info on saving money by living more sustainably from someone who's made that journey over the last few years. Told in a nice, easy conversational style

  • Green Living, inspiring and practical
    January 8, 2015 by EliseMac from Australia

    Thanks Gav for sharing what has (and hasn't) worked along your journey for living a greener lifestyle. Inspiring and achievable for anyone, I look forward to this podcast weekly.

  • Local food equals less waste
    December 27, 2014 by allotmentadventureswithjean from Australia

    Another brilliant podcast from Gavin Webber encouraging us, and showing us how, to cut down on food miles, growing our own food, and cutting down on food waste. Gavin is a really interesting speaker, showing us how to eat better, growing our own food and how to live more sustainably.

  • Honestly australian
    December 15, 2014 by HodgepodgeOz from Australia

    Fantastic podcast, with a wide variety of well thought and researched topics. Gavin is a honest, forthright pod aster with a genuine interest in helping others get green. Like a day alongside is a day wasted, so too is a week without listening to Gavin. Highly recommended for people starting out, or those in the midst of their new lifestyle. Keep it up Gavin, wish there were more great reviews! Kimberley

  • Morning motivation
    December 8, 2014 by Bunnyworm from Australia

    Gavin has a great passion for living this greener lifestyle that motivates others to do the same. The podcasts are always interesting and informative. :)

  • Passionate Advocate
    October 18, 2014 by BoomOpGirl from Australia

    Gavin's enthusiasm and passion for creating a more sustainable world is nothing short of contagious. Thanks Gav, you are my weekly source of motivation for living a sustainable life! :)

  • Gavin speaks from the heart
    October 13, 2014 by Green gavin from Australia

    Gavin's podcasts are required listening for anyone planning to live a more sustainable life. He doesn't preach, but tells you his story from the heart. You'll laugh, smile, share in his concerns and along the way you'll pick up some great tips on living a simple life.

  • Green thoughts, so well iterated
    October 9, 2014 by Kwasikwami from Australia

    This is a wonderful podcast. Not only does Gavin talk knowledgeably on a range of sustainability topics from gardening tips all the way to the issues facing humanity as a whole, but he does so in such a wonderful voice, it's like listening to my Dad, love it!!

  • Easy listening inspiration on being green
    September 24, 2014 by Broomedy from Australia

    Gav knows how to share his journey to a more sustainable life in a manner that shows just how easy it really is. Not to mention healthier, economically beneficial and generally rewarding. The podcasts are an easy way to absorb Gav's great lifestyle. I recommend to anyone.

  • Thanks Gavin!
    August 31, 2014 by Honeywoodmilk from Australia

    Great practical advice for a greener lifestyle. This podcast is for anybody interested in growing their own food in suburbia, saving electricity, brewing beer, making cheese, all that wonderful business and most of all, saving money! Thanks Gavin, love the podcast mate!

  • Enjoyed those ideas for staying warm
    August 15, 2014 by enduringdragon from United States

    Like you we are having winter here in Chile—brrr! Every bit we can save on heating we will.

  • Green Podcasts
    July 26, 2014 by Carneu from Australia

    Excellent podcasts, which are full of information to help get started on a sustainable lifestyle.

  • Practical ideas and inspiration
    July 19, 2014 by HeathrowHeath from Australia

    I highly recommend Gavin's podcast and blog. Down to earth, entertaining and inspirational. Thank you.

  • Interesting & easy to listen to
    April 27, 2014 by Velocity3 from New Zealand

    Gavin & his guests make this green journey lots of fun.

  • Great green listen
    April 18, 2014 by Obscurenickname from Australia

    Gavin is a great down to earth, tell it like it is aussie with a passion for sustainability and growing food and making cheese

Carbon Offset website

Copyright - Gavin Webber © 2025