I cracked open my last Summer Beer. I had been saving it to send to friends back East.....sorry Brent, but we are now closer to next summer than last....I will brew more. Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. It is the holiday that I believe in and the day that I celebrate....well, that and Festivus. It is my Christmas and New Year's rolled into one.
It is the day that I like to crack open a high gravity beer and think about stuff. I have one of our Holiday beers from 2009....but I am saving it for my brother in law....he helped craft it last year in the bitter cold, I figured he should at least get the spoils of a well aged beer. I will go buy myself something appropriate from the liquor store....perhaps Delirium Nocturnum or Noel, perhaps a St. Bernardus, or an appropriate Christmas Ale.
I didn't get the chance to brew as much as I would have liked, but as with each new year comes a renewed hope for brewing the perfect pint. I am looking forward to a few things. I have a couple of projects sitting waiting for me including remounting my pump in an enclosure, and installing a false bottom in my boil kettle. I have already purchased everything. In February, I should take delivery of a new Hot Liquor Tank from Stout Tanks giving us a three vessel system. I may be interested in attending the AHA National Conference in San Diego. I am highly considering jumping into kegging....and will have to make modifications to my fermenting chamber to accept both that and kegerator duties. If I can brew slightly more than in 2010, it will be a victory. I may even start some thought into a brewery name and branding....I have some leads and connections....
Oh, and I really need to make repairs to the man cave-garage-brewhouse (aka the decrepit building where we brew when at my house).
If you were wanting to make donations to my fictitious and non-profit brewery as yet to be named.....for this Solstice, I am wishing for a 100' potable water hose, a stir plate, an eremyer flask or three, jacketed 1bbl or larger conical fermentors, any large capacity tanks or kettles, a 3bbl brewing system (from Stout or other) or an automated system (or anything from Sabco), an in line whole house water filter, a lifetime membership to the AHA, or better yet, a 1 year membership to the BA, any length of silicon hose, any equipment or funds towards my kegging system, tri-clamp fittings, brewers gloves or brewers boots, a floor drain or about 100 square foot of warehouse space (with a floor drain and a roll up door).
Happy Darkest of Days.
No comments:
Post a Comment