Today was an exciting day for me as I got to finally bottle my first beer!!! I brewed it on Christmas day after opening presents but before the mess was picked up. Fortunately for me, I found the best beer forum on the net (www.mrbeerfans.com). If it had not been for them, I would have certainly tried to bottle after only 1 week of fermenting versus the 2 weeks.
Yesterday, I made several stops in order to make sure I had everything I needed (made a list of course). Picked up some supplies at my Local Homebrew Supplier (LHBS), some tools at Home Depot, and some labels at Wal-Mart. Stayed up late last night making sure I had everything in order.
Woke up, prepared a sanitizing solution and got to work! Bottling went without a hitch and I have 22 beautiful babies sitting in my closet for another 2 weeks of carbonating. Boooooooo! To top it off, I have to wait 2 more weeks after that (cold conditioning) before I can call it "done."
Since I had the sanitizing solution already made up, AND I had a new keg leak checking downstairs (after a successful spigot mod), I figured I would start batch 3. Man! I'm addicted to brewing already!
Made a Cherry Wheat beer...now I gotta name it. Hmmmm....... We'll figure it out. Got to use a hydrometer for the first time and I used a thermometer, too. I wanted to make sure the yeast was pitched at the right time!
Lesson learned today?
1. Brew and bottle at night. Those UV rays are dying to kill your brew.
2. I love this hobby (thanks mom).
3. It ain't over til it's over. Don't put shit in the sink 'til you're done. Go ahead, rinse it off, and put it back in the sanitizing solution.
I'm brewing again tonight (Cranberry Maibock)
Mike
First Blog
Ok....Here I sit. In this chair my mom got me for Christmas a few years ago. Pretty comfy. What do I write? What do I say? It's my blog, right?
I was looking at some pictures on myspace today of my cousin Susan (Step-Cousin which is no longer valid due to my step-mother's death 12 years ago). One of her pictures she is sitting on a hammock with her family and in the background I see the familiar sight of the Tennessee forest. Brought back some memories and I wondered: what if they never leave?
Could have gone to UT. Could have traveled the world. Could have continued to get to know the landscape, the smells, the sights and sounds of my Alma mater. Could have taken for granted the grassy slopes, the towering mountains, and the Dogwood trees. Could have ran moonshine again. Could have picked blackberries every season and made fresh cobbler. Could have still been eating pinto beans and cornbread with every meal. Could have shown my children where papaw was raised. Could have let them experience the outhouse, the pump house, and the barn. Could have taken them to the hayloft where my brothers and I would buck hay on the weekends. Could have taught them how to milk cows and gather eggs like we did. Could have shown them where I used to sit and wait for the doves to come back so I could shoot them again. Could have stayed in church...the little Baptist Church down by the creek where papaw would wear his GOOD overalls...he was a deacon, after all. Could have shown my kids how to throw big 'ole rocks into a fresh cow patty. Could have shown them where me and my brothers used to fish for bream, just below the barn in the backwater. Could have been there wishing I was somewhere else. Could have taken for granted the life I had.
Instead I....avoided going to jail by joining the Marines. Went to Parris Island and learned how to be disciplined for the sake of others around you. Learned how to kill. Traveled the world on a ship. Saw the world from the open window of a helicopter. Learned how to be scared and not let anyone know. Learned how to keep others distant so I could let them go more easily. Practiced promiscuity. Moved to AZ. Made a family. Embarked on an educational journey.
Who knows where life takes us. We can only tag along.
Mike
I was looking at some pictures on myspace today of my cousin Susan (Step-Cousin which is no longer valid due to my step-mother's death 12 years ago). One of her pictures she is sitting on a hammock with her family and in the background I see the familiar sight of the Tennessee forest. Brought back some memories and I wondered: what if they never leave?
Could have gone to UT. Could have traveled the world. Could have continued to get to know the landscape, the smells, the sights and sounds of my Alma mater. Could have taken for granted the grassy slopes, the towering mountains, and the Dogwood trees. Could have ran moonshine again. Could have picked blackberries every season and made fresh cobbler. Could have still been eating pinto beans and cornbread with every meal. Could have shown my children where papaw was raised. Could have let them experience the outhouse, the pump house, and the barn. Could have taken them to the hayloft where my brothers and I would buck hay on the weekends. Could have taught them how to milk cows and gather eggs like we did. Could have shown them where I used to sit and wait for the doves to come back so I could shoot them again. Could have stayed in church...the little Baptist Church down by the creek where papaw would wear his GOOD overalls...he was a deacon, after all. Could have shown my kids how to throw big 'ole rocks into a fresh cow patty. Could have shown them where me and my brothers used to fish for bream, just below the barn in the backwater. Could have been there wishing I was somewhere else. Could have taken for granted the life I had.
Instead I....avoided going to jail by joining the Marines. Went to Parris Island and learned how to be disciplined for the sake of others around you. Learned how to kill. Traveled the world on a ship. Saw the world from the open window of a helicopter. Learned how to be scared and not let anyone know. Learned how to keep others distant so I could let them go more easily. Practiced promiscuity. Moved to AZ. Made a family. Embarked on an educational journey.
Who knows where life takes us. We can only tag along.
Mike
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