Summer heat is beating me down! Did get two more brews done, brown and (almost done) my first pale ale. We shall see how it turns out! Anywho, Drank Tank and I worked out a beer run through Greensboro. 5.5mi through the blazing hot sun and 4 bars (plus a homebrew at Derick's). Successful save the closed dive bar, but we adjusted fire and made it to the next place. Good times!
This weekend is a special one. I won't be brewing for the first time in a while. Actually, I might still brew, just not sure what it will be. I'm thinking a hickory smoked stout if it works out that I have the time to smoke some malt by this weekend...
Bottling the Glacier Wolf is this afternoon, might even get a visit from Jon (Wolfbeer Co. Pres) if he's available. We will see. Otherwise it's a little over carbonated, which works out well when bottling with a beer gun.
Bo Pils is great (already emptied one keg), and the cream ale is carbing. I actually might need to do another run of it for the Summertime Brews Fest (Chocolate cream ale concept). We will see!
As you can tell from the lack of posts, I've been very busy this spring. Between tennis, gardening, and training for the CPAT(fireman exam) I just haven't had a bunch of free time. I have found plenty of time for brewing, though. Currently either on tap or conditioning I have a Bohemian Pilsner, Octoberfest, Brown Ale, and a Cream Ale. I also have a "Glacier Wolf" test run that I did for a friend that runs Wolf Beer Co. It will be bottled this week and sent to him to see if the recipe (we designed together) is good. I personal dig the beer because it falls between a N. English Brown and a Scottish Ale. We will see how it tests.
I finished the 4-tap tower and continue to work on new ways to organize the brewing room. I need to build some shelves and get rid of some plastic shelves to make for more floor space, and get some containers for storing bulk grain.
Hops have already been harvested...yes, I said harvested! Well, at least the first round of cascades have. Two plants yielded about 14oz of wet hops, and I expect that will work about to about a 1/2lb of dry. I plant to do some dry/flavor hopping on an APA later this month with them. I also expect the plants will yield more as the summer progresses.
Finally, there are some interesting things going on in my brewing world that I can't discuss, but needless to say that if/when they pan out I will definitely have something to blog about!
