November is a month to be thankful, and let’s face it – we have a lot to be thankful for in this country. We here at Great Fermentations are thankful for a great deal of things, but especially our fermentation hobbies, and the many people and things that make it possible. Here are some people and things in the world of homebrew/winemaking that we are thankful for this month (and all months to be honest). So, what are you thankful for?

• Charlie Papazian  for writing “The Complete Joy of Homewbrewing” (also known as the home brew bible), which has inspired so many home brewers throughout the country.
• Louis Pasteur for his work on pasteurization, especially in the wine and beer industries.
• The Auto Siphon. Perhaps the handiest gadget a brewer/winemaker can have.
• For Gas/Propane Burners. Without them, our brew day would last a weekend.
• Robert Parker for creating a rating system to tell us which wines to buy.
• Fritz Maytag who bought the Anchor Brewing Company, and proved that craft brewers could survive and thrive in the US, and helped start the craft brewing revolution.
• That guy Cornelius who gave us corny kegs.
• For Potassium Metabisulfite, the compound that preserves and protects wine.
• For PBW          (I had written something in that blank space, but the PBW wiped it out. Gees!)
• For Hydrometers so we don’t have exploding beer bottles and popping corks.
• Wisconsin Senator John Blaine who sponsored the Blaine Act that initiated the repeal of the 18th Amendment (Prohibition). This repeal was formally adopted as the 21st Amendment to the constitution.
• Øjvind Winge for his work isolating suitable brewers yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) and then developing a simple machine for yeast propagation. This yeast is still the basis for lager yeasts today.
• John Blichmann, the gadget guy that made brewing (and winemaking) much easier and of course flashier.
• Cows and Goats. What would the world be like without cheese???

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!
Anita