Hello there.

Welcome to Chill Haze, my new home on the web. Born in Reno, I spent most of my life in Southern California and have recently moved back. The beer scene here isn't as active, but I'm hoping to change that. Reno is an exciting place for craft beer lovers and homebrewers alike. There has never been a better time to be a lover of great beer. Last week, the AHA posted that they have crossed the 30k mark for membership, and today the Cicerone Certification Program posted that they have issued to 10,000th Certified Beer Server certificate. Lastly, as many craft fans have likely noticed, the increase in traffic at BeerAdvocate.com broke their forums and took down the site for a couple days.


Clearly, the craft beer movement is growing at a rapid pace. It is only logical, then, that Reno should take part in the movement and celebrate the beer heritage it already has.

With 3 brewpubs already operating, and another to open later this year (but that's a story for another post), Reno is poised for growth, like many other places in the country.

This blog will serve as a collection of photos, musings, and anything else related to brewing, cooking, or art, as well as a focal point for news of happenings in the local beer scene.


Why the name? Apart from the pun, it was mostly inspired by my first day after I moved to Reno - brewing in near-0°F weather can be quite chilly indeed.

Anyway, here's a few photos from my first brewday here in the Truckee Meadows. I brewed a Belgian Enkel (single in Flemish) - it's sorta like a lower-ABV Belgian Pale Ale, and is, outside of a few monasteries, an extinct style.

Set up and ready to brew.

Starting the boil.

Bittering hops - 1oz of whole-leaf Crystal hops.

Racking to primary.

1.041. Ended up around 4% at the end of fermentation.

I lost some supplies in the move and the LHBS was closed, so I had to improvise.