A quick note not related to beer...

Locking one's keys in one's car is a great way to bring plans to a screeching halt...I need a homebrew!

Cloudy Scotsman

This beer won't hunt...

Really, it won't clarify. I finally gave up and carbonated 1/2 the batch and tasted last night. Not bad, but definitly not very good. Much like the NFL Colts my confidence has grown shaky. In fact, since I switched to the new pumping system I haven't brewed a truly GOOD beer*. Everything has been mediocre at best, and nasty at worst. Based on the outcome of the two beers I brewed last week I will decide whether to fall back to the original version of the RCBC.

Hopefully this will work out and it will be contamination and bad recipes instead!

* Exception being the BVIP for the BBG. I tasted while transferring to kegs this past weekend and DAMN it was GOOD!

Brew-30...

Brewing today. Irish Red Ale recipe adopted from one of my BBG peers. I hope it comes out good since I hope to have it for my holiday 4-pack. Right now:

1 - Brown Ale
2 - Irish Red Ale
3 - Scottish Ale
4 - Amber Lager

Hopefully enough goodness for the holidays!

Of Monkeys And Footballs...

Last night I helped DT(DrankTank) brew his first all-grain last night, only he didn't check is grain order before we started and ended up 4.5lbs short on base malts. We salvaged the brew by using DME to boost the gravity to a respectable level (thanks to promash!). It was my favorite brown ale recipe, but we will have to see how it does with extract and grain.

Every time I brew with him it is an adventure!

Update

You would think that I would have more time working part time, but quite the contrary...I did get the Highland amber brewed and got the O'fest lagering. Drank Tank and I transferred the mead, and it is already about 17% ABV. Still too sweet, but hopefully a little more time will yield the gravity we want.