Published: 03/06/2012
After weeks of waiting, my second home brewed beer, Blueberry Bock, is finally ready to crack open. This home brewing thing is really making me learn self-patience. I hate waiting.
First impressions is that it’s pretty good. I was expecting a bit more blueberry flavor, nothing that I was going to be knocked over by, but figured it would be relatively noticeable. It’s a pretty subtle blueberry taste, though. If i didn’t know what was in it, I probably wouldn’t be able to pick blueberries. Still, all in all, pretty good.
The nice part is that the bock is bottled in pint bottles, as opposed to the quart bottles that the Pale Ale was bottled in, so it’s a little easier to have a beer and not commit myself to having to drink two pints. I think that when I bottle the Witbeir, I’m going to bottle a couple in quart bottles, but most in pint bottles.
Published: 02/20/2012
It’s been a while since I posted an update on the home brewing adventure, so I though I would take a few minutes now and do so.
The pale ale is completely finished, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out. It’s much better than I thought that a first attempt at brewing my own beer would be. Unfortunately, it’s about half way gone, and the next beer, the blueberry bock, is still in the process of carbonating and still needs two weeks of lagering, so it won’t be ready for about three more weeks.
I’ve also ordered the fixings for the next two beers, which are going to be a witbier and a good-old, American lager. They should hopefully be shipped in the next day or two. Trying to get a little bit ahead of the seasons so that this summer, I can brew an Oktoberfest and a hard cider that can both be ready for the fall.
Published: 02/11/2012
One month into my “Twelve for Twelve” (plus 11 days), so I guess it’s time for an update.
- Go Zip Lining – Not yet, but give me a break, it was January. I want to do this when it’s warm and I’ll actually enjoy it.
- Run 500 Miles – I’ve run 2.42. It was January, I was sick have the month, and the treadmill’s speed control is all screwed up, so I can’t use it. In fairness, I tried to run one other time, and the treadmill took off at full speed when it was off and threw me.
- Release 12 Premium WordPress Themes – Ok, none actually released yet, but I’ve been working on the first, so a little progress.
- Learn AJAX – The fact that I actually thought about starting to learn AJAX made me feel better about not starting to lean AJAX.
- Try out Drupal – See #4, Learn AJAX.
- Post to Blog Twice a Week – I owed you 9 blog posts in January, and you got three. Got to do better here.
- Take Julie and Shannon Camping – Ok, I’m starting to feel like I didn’t do anything in January. Then again, this is a summer goal.
- Complete 100 hours of Pro Bono Web Design – Ok, this one wasn’t actually my fault. I did approach two different non-profits, but neither were interested. Bah!
- Say “Thank You” to Anyone in Military Uniform – Ok, I hit a home run on this one. Not a single person left my area wearing a uniform that didn’t get a thank you. One guy I actually chased down.
- Brew Five Different Beers – Good stuff again! The West Coast Pale Ale is done, and I had the first two pints of it yesterday, which is why I didn’t write this post yesterday. Quite good. Also, the Blueberry Bock has been bottled as of yesterday as well.
- Hike a Total of 30 Miles – Again, it was January.
- Watch the Sun Rise over the Ocean – Yeah, January.
So, as best as I can tell, I’m about 4% complete at the end of January. Baby steps through Twelve for Twelve.
Published: 01/08/2012
It’s bottling day! After almost two weeks of sitting and watching my West Coast Pale Ale bubble and bubble (and bubble), bottling day has finally arrived. I’m hoping that everything went alright with the fermenting process, being as this is my first batch I have no reference as to if I did everything right or not. At the very least, the bit that I tried today tasted like flat, warm beer. (Flat, warm, good beer, actually.) So, now it’s all bottled up and hopefully working away at carbonating.
For my next trick, or at least my next beer, I’ve decided on a Blueberry Bock. In fact, I just ordered the fixings.
After weeks of waiting, my second home brewed beer, Blueberry Bock, is finally ready to crack open. This home brewing thing is really making me learn self-patience. I hate waiting.
It’s bottling day! After almost two weeks of sitting and watching my West Coast Pale Ale bubble and bubble (and bubble), bottling day has finally arrived. I’m hoping that everything went alright with the fermenting process, being as this is my first batch I have no reference as to if I did everything right or not. At the very least, the bit that I tried today tasted like flat, warm beer. (Flat, warm, good beer, actually.) So, now it’s all bottled up and hopefully working away at carbonating.