12/22/10

the last few months have been busy, and so i have not been brewing. it has actually been over four months since i last posted anything... so what's new?

-the hops i planted have been harvested, and yielded seven ounces (around twenty dollars!). they have been vacuum sealed, and put in the freezer with the intention of using them for my first all grain batch during late spring.

-i moved to a new house that is awesome, but i will have to transplant my hops the best i can come planting season.

-my new neighbor is also a homebrewer, and just an awesome guy. his wife is nice too!

-the oatmeal coffee stout i made months ago turned out awesome, but only a few bottles remain between my residence and jerad tomasino's.

this evening, with the help of close friends, i brewed what most would classify as a winter warmer. think, dark, malty, spicy, warm your heart like a fireplace sort of beer. spices included: ginger, nutmeg, allspice, a cinnamon stick, and juniper berries. the wort had a great spice profile, and i can only hope the fermentation lives up to my high expectations. if you plan on attending my birthday party january fifteenth you will be able to try some ON TAP! as i said before my neighbor is super cool, and is going to let me use his new kegging setup to serve this beer. cheers to you brent! i feel a lot of enthusiasm for the previously mentioned event, and can only promise good things.

on a side note i ran into jason payne of the lucky bucket brewing company earlier today while at the homebrew store. the amount of times i seem to run into him and zac triemert only deepens some belief in fate. if your a lucky bucket fan, expect great things this next year. though i may not get hours working at the brewery currently, i can only wish the company the best.

happy holidays to you and yours!

cheers,
-avb

p.s. pictures of the winter will come within the next few days...