Rhonda Hensley.

The Basics

Where are you from?
Michigan

I’ve been a Lauter Day Brewers member:
Two years.

Do you have a homebrewing disaster you’d like to share?
Worst brew day ever: I was making a Watermelon Wheat Beer and using my new mash tun. The tun kept leaking from the spigot no matter what I tried. I transferred the mash into another cooler and while it was mashing, I took the tun to the Beer Nut where they kindly switched out the o-ring and put the spigot back on. I went home and put the mash back into the tun for sparging. I over sparged and after putting the watermelon in, the wort’s specific gravity was very low. I lit the flame on the turkey burner and went Salt City Brewing to buy a couple of pounds of DME. (Now I always have a couple of pounds of DME just in case). When I got back home, there was no gas in the propane tank. Fortunately, Home Depot is close by and I left a third time to get more gas. After paying for the gas I noticed a propane tank near the cages with a sign “Free” and I picked that one up too. Total brew day: 12 hours. Moral of the story: have extra DME on hand and an extra tank of gas.

Do you have any pets or kids named after beer styles or ingredients?
Only in my mind.

Do you have a good Homebrew club story you’d like to share?
I was voted the first HopBombshell of the Year, an honor I’m really proud of. They gifted me a 9-pound bag of specialty malt and I used that malt to make a SMASH beer, my first all-grain brew.

If you could serve your homebrew to someone famous, who would it be and what would you give her/him?
Robert Redford. Two Hearted Pale Ale Clone.

List some of the names you’ve given your beers. Which is your favorite?
My favorite name is Molasses Tsunami named after the Boston molasses disaster. I was trying to make a Gingerbread Brown for the holidays and added too much molasses to the wort.

Have you won any homebrew competition medals? If yes, what place and for what beer(s)?
Never entered a competition.

Are you a BJCP Judge? If so, what is your rank and how long have you been judging??
N/A

Brewing Experience

How long have you been homebrewing?
10 years.

What was the first beer you ever brewed and how did it turn out?
Nut Brown and it turned out awful. I didn’t let it ferment long enough and ended up with 48 bottles of marinade.

What is/are your favorite style(s) to brew?
IPAs, Porter/Stout, Fruit beers

What style(s) would you never brew?
Lagers.

Do you have a favorite homebrew trick or gadget that you’ve found to make your beer better/brewing easier, etc?
The Robobrew! I also use a flat furniture dolly to move the 5 gallons around without having to lift and carry.

What’s the most unusual ingredient you’ve ever used in a brew?
Rhubarb.

How I Brew

Describe Your Brew system
Robobrew.

How frequently do you brew?
About once a month.

Are you an indoor or outdoor brewer?
Outdoor.

Do you brew alone, with friends or with someone you live with?
Usually brew alone.

Do you have a favorite hop? If yes, what is it and why do you like it?
N/A.

Do you have a favorite malt? If yes, what is it and why do you like it?
N/A.

Do you have a favorite yeast? If yes, what is it and why do you like it?
N/A.

Anything else?
“Thanks to all the LDB members who have shared their wisdom with me and help me make better beer. Cheers!”