Big Brews and Good News

Man, oh man! My brewing addiction...errr...hobby ;).... has really taken off. Over the past 5 months, I have lived, breathed, dreamed about, and of course practiced the art and science of brewing beer. Zymurgy has become a way of life for me and while my beers have been exceptional, I'm still looking for more knowledge. MORE MORE MORE!!!!

Since I made that step to all grain brewing, my beers have been absolutely outstanding! Sure, I'll probably not win any competitions real soon but I have not tasted a beer that I like better than my own....honestly. My Bitter Bitch Ordinary Bitter....Black Nipple Milk Stout....Crack Attack Amber Ale....House Hefe Weizen..... Delicious! What I'm doing now is practicing the now defunct Reinheitsgebot (Germany Purity Law). Although it is not the law any longer, many brewers still claim to brew this way as a testament of pride. What is the Reinheitsgebot? When it was first established, it stated that beer could only be brewed using Malt, Hops, and Water. That's it! At the time, they relied on wild yeasts (they didn't know what it was yet) and their beer was undoubtedly sour and just plain RANK! But it was more sanitary to drink than water, believe it or not...and that's why they brewed it. Then when Pasteur discovered the fermentation properties of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the specific yeast was added to acceptable ingredients for beer int he Reinheitsgebot.

So, yes....that's how I brew. Malt, hops, water, and yeast. That's it.

Good news? I finished the semester with a somewhat decent finish. I had a semester GPA of 3.77 which brings my cumulative down to a 3.93. Hopefully, I can bring it back to a 4.0. Of course this IS possible because at ASU, an A+ (98% or better) gives you a 4.33 in that class. I need some more of those.

More good news? Me and the wife are going to Germany in 6 days from now, as I write this blog. I can't believe it's that close to our departure. I loved Europe... you know...the birthplace of white folk? My times in Europe as a younger man were undoubtedly some of the best days of my life. The people there do not live in a world of "watch what you say or I'll sue." No, they live in harmony with each other and take things a shit-ton easier than we do. I would live there if I had the opportunity.

So, it's 10:41 and time for bed.