Last Friday, we brewed some beer.
The goal was to make an English ale using the extract + grain method.
Here are my notes.

Started the mini mash at 125F for one hour for a Protease rest:

2 lbs Morris Otter
1/2 lb Crystal 60
1/2 lb Munich
1/8 lb Red Wheat

Reserved about a cup of grain and toasted it in the oven at 350F for 10 mins
I added that to the mash at the hour mark and brought the temp up to 145F for 35 mins (Beta Amylase)
Next, brought the temp up to 160F for 15 mins (Alpha Amylase)
Then I ran it up to 180, shut it off and started screening out the grain.
Sparging was minimal. It made a nice, sweet extract.

Added the grain tea to 7 lbs of extra pale extract
Got a nice rolling boil using a propane turkey fryer and boiled the wort for 1 hour and 15 mins

1 oz. of Challenger hops right at the start for bittering,
1 oz. of First Gold 15 mins before the end.
1/2 oz. First Gold 5 mins before the end.
1/2 oz. First Gold 2 mins before the end.

We chilled the wort very quickly in a big tub of water and also used a homemade immersion chiller (20 feet of coiled 3/4" tubing).

The wort was about 75F, and well aerated, especially after screening twice.
Pitched English Ale yeast and let it ferment.

This yeast is very fast and it floculates like crazy so I stirred it on Tuesday. That got the yeast going again and it still settled really well.

Today is Saturday, day 7. I just racked it to a carboy and dry hopped with 1/2 oz. of Fuggles.

Of course I had to try it... It's awesome, even before carbonation.
I plan to bottle it for carbonation in 5 days.
I have a feeling this will be some really good beer.

Entry in a diary
They had a lovely day
It doesn't hint about
it simply says
I get distinct impressions
It could go on all the way
Doesn't hint
Doesn't say

http://skatterbrain.org/2007/11/my-favourite-wet-wednesday-afternoon.html

Welcome, Matt Bernardo, and please don't delete my account.

Never buy overseas DVDs and expect them to play.
A CD will generally play, but not a DVD.

At Wink tonight,the chatty bartendress was extra colorful in her descriptions. It was comical.

oak life
builds a hard, solid crust
capped and plastered layers of rock
somewhere inside lives a tender thing
pushing and reaching
feeding on light it never sees
far above and below, it reaches
perhaps the layers are alive
but they are rock
chorophobic, rigid, yet swaying
and spelling out a miracle


the crowd sings outlandish songs in a huge stadium you've never heard of
like a vast foreign army camped under strange skies
they reel and they cheer to indecipherable signals
and could sweep you along in their thrill of the game
if you could have passion for what you don't understand
but you don't

This evening, I changed a tire for a stranded motorist who was obviously incapable of doing it.
I was already in gym clothes so it was no big deal. Then I went to the gym.
I saw Stephen Malkmus last night. Great, great show!
Yesterday, I gave Boo-bee a bath, took both dogs to the park and cleaned out keg lines.
On Saturday, I did rear brakes on the Mini.
Went to Roy's on Friday. Awesome.

England was a hoot. We went to the greatest pubs, toured the greatest ships, saw the most beautiful countryside, hiking the cliffs of the Dorset coast, saw incredible museums, castles, ancient churches etc. Then there was a big, crazy party in Houston when we got back. It was just a super vacation all around.

Princess Sparklepony: http://sparklepony.blogspot.com/

I'm trying to buy a new place. Made an offer today and won't know until tomorrow.
As of this coming weekend, I'll be going on vacation for 2 weeks. I'm going to England with Dad.
It should a lot of fun since we enjoy similar things. We're going to Portsmouth to check out the H.M.S. Victory and Warrior. Then I think we're going drinking. I'd like to go to Glastonbury.

in lavendar gardens of the Andrech
dropping sausage into cups of wine
or porcelet in brandy
somewhere far away they dream of you
you swirl around the bar stools
you carry over the fields
in a soft way
running down city streets
lost in the steely night
dancing round the shuffling of a broom

I haven't updated since before Christmas. Hmmm, what happened? Well, I went to Minnesota and saw lots of family. It was very cold. We got to go ice fishing.

I just finished getting my confusing tax stuff together tonight, much earlier than usual.

For upcoming shows this month, we have the Scots Guards and then a couple of days later, Maceo Parker. Yay.

We had yet another re-org at work and more layoffs. It's pretty much continual terror and confusion.

The local TV station, Fox-7, is running a show tomorrow bashing Kambucha and the title is, How Gross will You Go? Hmmm... I rather like the Gingerberry. You'd think they could find more news since tomorrow is Super Tuesday.

Tombstone Blues
The sweet pretty things are in bed now of course

The city fathers they're trying to endorse

The reincarnation of Paul Revere's horse

But the town has no need to be nervous

.

The ghost of Belle Starr, she hands down her wits

To Jezebel the nun she violently knits

A bald wig for Jack the Ripper who sits

At the head of the chamber of commerce

.

Mama's in a fact'ry

She ain't got no shoes

Daddy's in the alley

He's lookin' for food

I'm in the kitchen

With the tombstone blues

.

The hysterical bride in the penny arcade

Screaming she moans, "I've just been made"

Then sends out for the doctor who pulls down the shade

and says, "My advice is to not let the boys in"

.

Now the medicine man comes and he shuffles inside

He walks with a swagger and he says to the bride

"Stop all this weeping, swallow your pride

You will not die; it's not poison"

.

Mama's in the fact'ry

She ain't got no shoes

Daddy's in the alley

He's lookin' for food

I'm in the kitchen

With the tombstone blues

.

Well, John the Baptist after torturing a thief

Looks up at his hero, the Commander-in-Chief

Saying, "Tell me great hero, but please make it brief

Is there a hole for me to get sick in?"

.

The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a fly

Saying, "Death to all those who would whimper and cry"

And dropping a barbell he points to the sky

Saying, "The sun's not yellow, it's chicken"

.

Mama's in the fact'ry

She ain't got no shoes

Daddy's in the alley

He's lookin' for food

I'm in the alley

With the tombstone blues

.

The king of the Philistines his soldiers to save

Puts jawbones on their tombstones and flatters their graves

Puts the pied pipers in prison and fattens the slaves

Then sends them out to the jungle

.

Gypsy Davey with a blowtorch, he burns out their camps

With his faithful slave Pedro behind him he tramps

With a fantastic collection of stamps

To win friends and influence his uncle

.

Mama's in the fact'ry

She ain't got no shoes

Daddy's in the alley

He's lookin' for food

I'm in trouble

With the tombstone blues

.

The geometry of innocent flesh on the bone

Causes Galileo's math book to get thrown

At Delilah who's sitting worthlessly alone

But the tears on her cheeks are from laughter

.

Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill

I would set him in chains at the top of the hill

Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille

He could die happily everafter

.

Mama's in the fact'ry

She ain't got no shoes

Daddy's in the alley

He's lookin' for food

I'm in the kitchen

With the tombstone blues

.

Where Ma Raney and Beethoven once unwrapped a bedroll

Tuba players now rehearse around the flagpole

And the National Bank at a profit sells road maps for the soul

To the old folks home and the college

.

Now I wish I could write you a melody so plain

That could hold you dear lady from going insane

That could ease you and cool you and cease the pain

Of your useless and pointless knowledge

.

Mama's in the fact'ry

She ain't got no shoes

Daddy's in the alley

He's lookin' for food

I am in the kitchen

With the tombstone blues