Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Time flies...
Wow. Two weeks since I've written an update. Must mean I've not been doing much, right? Heh. Well, I've been busy, and have a basement full of beer to prove it. I've got 20 gallons to get into kegs this weekend - 10 gallons of amarillo, 5 gallons of oak-aged vanilla porter, and 5 gallons of mango witbier. In addition to that I've got 5 gallons of oak-aged vanilla porter to put into bottles and 10 gallons of saison that will probably stay in the primary for another week or so...
Tonight I counter-pressure filled the last of my Bourbon-oak McBride's Strong Ale clone as well as 14 or so bottles of Hopocalypse, both of which will make a showing at this month's meeting. I'll also probably bring a growler of Hell's Bells Belgian Pale, which is actually more of a summer quaffer than anything. Hopefully folks will enjoy it.
I believe we're also going to have a counter-pressure filling demonstration, so if you want some of your kegged beer in bottles, bring an clean, empty six pack and your keg of choice. I'm going hopefully work out the details with our host, Mike, in the next day or so.
We've been playing with our new smoker - so far I've mesquite smoked three chickens, with a hickory bourbon turkey on the near horizon. What does this have to do with brewing, you ask? Smoked malt, of course!!! Yep, you got it - I'm going to try to home-smoke some malts and make some killer smoked porters or something. Not sure when in my schedule that'll happen - I've already got like 6 or 7 batches lined up in the near future.
Which takes me to my last point - I'm at 140 gallons for the year so far. I am right on target for hitting (or maybe exceeding) 200 gallons in 2006. Where the hell does it all go?!??! Oh yeah.... friends and family. I wouldn't have it any other way though.
Tonight I counter-pressure filled the last of my Bourbon-oak McBride's Strong Ale clone as well as 14 or so bottles of Hopocalypse, both of which will make a showing at this month's meeting. I'll also probably bring a growler of Hell's Bells Belgian Pale, which is actually more of a summer quaffer than anything. Hopefully folks will enjoy it.
I believe we're also going to have a counter-pressure filling demonstration, so if you want some of your kegged beer in bottles, bring an clean, empty six pack and your keg of choice. I'm going hopefully work out the details with our host, Mike, in the next day or so.
We've been playing with our new smoker - so far I've mesquite smoked three chickens, with a hickory bourbon turkey on the near horizon. What does this have to do with brewing, you ask? Smoked malt, of course!!! Yep, you got it - I'm going to try to home-smoke some malts and make some killer smoked porters or something. Not sure when in my schedule that'll happen - I've already got like 6 or 7 batches lined up in the near future.
Which takes me to my last point - I'm at 140 gallons for the year so far. I am right on target for hitting (or maybe exceeding) 200 gallons in 2006. Where the hell does it all go?!??! Oh yeah.... friends and family. I wouldn't have it any other way though.
