Magic 8 Ball says: Signs point to yes!

After Saturday's Birthday Tasting, virtually everyone has said Batch 1 was too hoppy. As a hop-head, my instinctual refrain is "Really, it can be too hoppy?" In any event, Brew Deux is getting far better reviews. Despite the fact it was crafted to be an Oberon clone, neither I nor the 3 testers thought it tasted remotely similar. It does, however, both taste good and contain alcohol. As expected, Brew Deux wasn't fully carbonated after only 10 days, but I'd rather have a beer that's somewhat flat and tastes good than a foamy skunker...

As a side note, we finally visited our local brewpub Emmett's. I started off with a 1 A.M. Ale, and then moved on to the Victory Pale Ale. The 1 A.M. was decent, but the Victory was bar far my preferred brew. It was both exciting and scary to recognize the finishing hops used just by smell. My fellow diners were more scared than impressed. Amateurs I tell ya... I was disappointed to find their seasonal summer had already been emptied - if it's that good they really need to brew a larger quantity - it's only mid-July! In any event, Jen and I will defininely be returning to Emmett's for some tasty beers and curds (can't forget the curds)...

Bubble bubble bubble

Unlike the first batch, after 5 full days I still have a little bubble action happening, which means sugar is still being turned into alcohol. As I mentioned before, I think I killed most of the yeast in the first batch by adding it to the wort when the wort was way too hot. And I've also implemented a new strategy for keeping the bucket cool. Instead of leaving it in the spare bedroom, it now rests in a bathtub , with water filled up to the 3 gal line. Aside from toasting the yeast initially, I also think the fermentation temperature was both too high and too variable in batch 1. Brew Deux has been at a constant 70-73. When the water temperature reaches 73, I add a tray of ice cubes and/or add some fresh cold water. Both seem to do the job and bring the temp back down around 71.

In any event, she's still bubblin', and that's a good thing.

Annnnd...I'm back!

Inspired by Sarah and Brian, I've decided to give this blogging thing a whirl again. Upon reflection, I realize the problem with this blog in its initial run was that it lacked purpose. Effective immediately, can i make a suggestion? is now (mostly) about home brewing, and partially about sports, and partially about nothing. I have no delusions about competing with a nationally recognized work of art, but I hope regain at least a little readership and help at least one person avoid a home brewing mistake.

A little background - I began home brewing when Brian left on his cycling adventure about a month and a half ago. So far I've brewed one batch, to mostly positive reviews. I just finished Batch 2, or Deux Brew as Jen dubbed it, as we speak. Batch 1 was very flavorful, but I'm pretty sure I boiled most of my yeast because I didn't let the wort cool to the proper temperature. As a result, I have a very tasty non-alcoholic beer. I suppose that's better than a sour or skunked high alcohol beer, but not exactly what I wanted.

Deux Brew was made with select grains, Northwestern Weizen malt extract and 2 doses of Hallertau and Saaz hops. Unlike last time, I'm pretty sure I sufficiently reduced the temperature of the wort before adding the yeast. Moreover, I got a little wort on my hand and it's awfully sticky - that should make for a decent ABV. In any event, the hard part is over. If all goes according to plan I'll bottle before we go to Nashville in a week and a half. I let the first batch ferment a full 2 weeks, but I won't have that luxury this time. My friends at Perfect Brewing, namely Billy and John, assured me 10-12 days ought to be sufficient. I trust them. Mostly.

I'm also currently watching the first Cubs/Sox game of the season (on delay). I'm more optimistic and less cautious about the Cubs' chances than I have been at any time since I moved to Chicago. If the Cubs can go into the all-star break with a decent lead, I think they'll be ok once they get everyone back. This, of course, assumes Big Z isn't on the shelf for more than a couple weeks (which according to ESPN seems like a reasonable assumption for now). In any event, a strong finish into the break would be nice...

MO