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Brew ha-ha
PHOTOS BY FAITH BURNS
Bill McMillian brews his own beer at home. Not only is it great fun, it can also save money.
This hoppy hobby is sweeping Sun City Texas
By Faith Burns two cities and was a great fit. They bought beer notes with his son in 2006 or 2007.
their home in 2006. They talked about many types of beer
Talk about a multitude of talent in that they liked, and eventually, his son
Sun City Texas. We have dancers, When Bill and I met the first day, he was mentioned the possibility of making their
singers, actors, crafters, painters, gathering his ingredients together: water, own. In Christmas of 2008, their son and
writers, photographers - and now we’ve yeast, grain and hops. As he worked, Bill his family gave Bill a homebrew kit.
found homebrewers of beer! They are Bill told me that he started out comparing
McMillian and John Watzke, who just so There are over 100 different styles of beer,
happen to share a neighborhood as well which are defined by their ingredients,
as a passion for beer. places of origin and fermentation
processes. These variables are responsible
Bill, a retired CPA, and his wife Rikki, for producing a beer’s color, flavor, aroma
a retired registered dietitian, checked and other defining characteristics. Bill
out Sun City before deciding where they began his home brewing adventures
wanted to live. They have children and primarily with porters and stouts. As
grandchildren living in Dallas and San Bill’s skills improved, he branched out
Antonio. Bill loves to ride bicycles and to making India Pale Ales (IPAs), which
wanted to find a place where, as he puts were his son’s beer of choice. After brewing
it, like-minded people like to do that. Sun IPAs, Bill found the results to be so good
City Texas is almost right between the
ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG
48 | SUNRAYS JULY 2017
