Brew Day

I finally have an IPA going. I brewed up a batch yesterday with only one minor mishap which left my wonderful wife covered in sticky wort. Other than that, I am, as always, hoping for another tasty beer in 6-8 weeks. Here are some pictures from my brew day.

Specialty grains for steeping with my brewing partner.

Hops, hops, and more hops. The most hops I have ever used in a beer, 3.5 oz.

Required drinking material. Again with the torpedo, what I am striving for.

Outside on the burner with Garrett. No boil overs today. Garrett must have smelt something funny.

Cooling down the wort with my wort chiller and nature's own snow getting ready to pitch in the yeast and ferment.

Follow Up #2

Another follow up...I got the hop plants from my boss yesterday and much to my surprise, there were already lots and lots of vines! So I got them in the ground right away after splitting them up and am anxiously waiting for them to take up on my house. To celebrate my planting season, I cracked open a Torpedo Extra IPA from Sierra Nevada when I was done...yum. I love hops! (and Hopps for those in the know) Can't wait!

Follow Up #1

It's not new to many, but new to me. I haven't been on their website in awhile. As I mentioned a few posts ago, my favorite beer is from LB Brewing Co. in Hays. This is one of the many, many logos for their beers, which I think are very neat and just found not long ago. Even though Amanda thinks I'm crazy, it has made me not want to do labels for my beer because they will never live up. It's worth the time to check out the link if you are a fan of graphic arts.

Mystery Hop

One of my bosses came to me the other day and said, "I hear through the grape vine that you make your own beer." Clearly taken aback by this statement at 11:20 in the morning, my mind searched within a split second for the connotation of this statement. With none forthcoming, I simply answered with the affirmative. Upon hearing this she asked, "Would like to grow some hops? I have some hop vines that I will give you if you want." My previous surprise was overshadowed by the one I felt now, and my face stupidly lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Sure," I said with enthusiasm imagining all the beer I could make, "That would be great." And then I proceeded to ask about variety, and harvesting, etc. to which she replied, "I don't know...I just wanted something for the side of my house." Classic...now I will be growing a mystery hop variety. I can't wait for a Mystery Hopped Harvest Ale this fall hopefully.

Gella

My favorite bar? Lb Brewing Co. in Hays, KS. What a wonderful sight this picture is. All the brewing equipment right there in the back brewing the best beer I've ever drank. It makes me wish I still went to school out there. The visits are too far and too few in between. Luckily, we have a few weddings out there this summer. I will be taking my growler(s) with me.

Limericks!

In honor of Saint Patrick's Day, I thought I'd pass out a few Limericks.

At the window I stare out yonder,

As I sit in me chair and ponder,

How much work should be done,

Though not half so much fun,

As letting my mind just wander.

A day which comes but once a year,

Gives an Irishman reason to cheer,

With Saint Patrick as host,

We'll all raise a toast,

And drink down our pints of green beer.

There once was a brewer McMahan,

Who scoffed at beer from a can,

They called him beer snob,

But he claims he'd been robbed,

Once he tried beer made by hand.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Poladroid

I found a new program that I love, Poladroid (thanks Ryan). It takes any picture you have and turns it into a Polaroid-looking photo. I have only put it on my laptop, so the pictures are limited at this point, but I can't wait to apply it some more of my other ones.

Here are a few...

Silence Is (Google Tree)

Google tree - n: A form of poetry invented by Mr. Yang King. Start with a phrase of your choosing and type it into Google and then use either the phrase preceding or following the phrase you selected to piece together into a poem.

"Silence Is"

Silence is,
deafening,
a conversation without sound, a lack of sound,
here and now in this moment,
golden or not golden?, that is the question,
the most important question,
your being-ness silence is, Yoda said.
Silence is consent,
the virtue of fools,
an absence,
acquiescence, a compliance,
don't speak, see...hear,
between ears that don't work,
a word which is not a word,
God's first language.

Ivy Of Poison

Scratching, clawing, scraping,
Burning, inflamed devil,
Green to red fiery epidemic from hell.
So early in Spring?
Let three be...

What A Day

Have you ever had a point in the day when you are sitting in your chair, idly chewing on the end of your pen and you come to the realization that as you were leaning over in the bathroom earlier, that very pen fell out of your shirt pocket and onto the floor? Me either. However, should this ever happen, it is probably in your best interest to call it a day.


Story courtesy of BBE.

Take The Pledge

Too good...

...too true.

"Fresh" Air

The weather in Kansas has turned to quite pleasant the past few days. People are out running, walking, and getting ready for gardening season. I followed suit. Caught the weather bug if you will. Coming home from work the other day I rolled down my window and took a long, deep breath of nice, pure, Kansas...cigarette smoke. Damn of all the lucks, my first breath of Spring was stolen by some toxic pollutant in front of me. Worst yet, I had to follow the guy all the way to 11th street, cursing all the while.

Manly For President

One of my new old favorites...www.willmanly.blogspot.com...keep it up Will.