I simply can't explain why the smell of a mash gives me so much pleasure. I wish i could have a mashtun beside me at work all day long. Also sometimes I like to sit and listen to the airlock go to town for inordinate lentgths of time. In some ways it's like watching a campfire to me. How about you guys? Any neurotic behaviors on your end?
In an old apartment, I used to ferment in a kitchen closet. It was located on the otherside of a wall from the headboard of my bed. Nothing like the gurgle of blowoff to lull you to sleep. My gf likes to kiss the starter before I pitch.
i'd say that makes you eccentric, not neurotic i stick my nose in a freshly opened package of hops like it's a new can of tennis balls.
Same here for the airlock, I could watch the entire fermentation from start to finish! I just switched to glass primary to be able to have a good look at it
I'd say it's probably both. It's the difference between "I LIKE the smell of the mash" and "I NEED to watch fermentation for an hour"
When I lived in Bamberg, Germany -- a town of 70,000 with 10 breweries -- the smell of decoction mash was more or less permanently in the air. Love that smell.
I love the smell of the mash and freshly open hop bags. I also think that watching the fermentation prosess is better than watching fireworks on Fourth of July.
I love the smell of freshly crushed/milled grains. After getting home from my LHBS with my fresh grains, I'll usually grab a small pinch and just chew on em.
