April Update: For Lack of a Better Title

Kegged it and enjoyed.

Trying to get more brew time but work has picked up. That's good though. I feel very fortunate to have a job that keeps me busy during these tough times. Summer is right around the corner and spring has been busy since February. Lots of field time, lots of data.

Scored some brewing equipment from a friend and will be stepping it up with a 10 gallon batches and a small kegerator.

Kegging the Scottish and Stout

It's been 6 and 5 weeks since we racked the Scottish Ale and Oatmeal stout, respectively. A buddy of mine told me that I didn't need to wait so long... 3 weeks in secondary is what he recommends. But I'll tell you what, I've used 6 weeks as a standard. As Steve says, "It gives the flavors a chance to blend and mellow."

The Scottish Ale turned out light, as we planned. Even without carbonation it has a crisp smooth start and almost no aftertaste. I have to admit that it's a bit lighter than I had hoped. But next to the stout, anything would seem a bit transparent.

The Abby Road Oatmeal Stout is a winner. This beer is the best we've brewed. A rich brew with toffee and butterscotch undertones, this beer is dark and full bodied and has a high gravity. A day with in the fridge with the CO2 and wha-la!

Abby Road Oatmeal Stout Update

Steve and I racked the stout to secondary today. We measured the gravity at 1.025. Given our original gravity measurement of 1.06, it looks like we're on our way to an oatmeal stout with about 4.8% alcohol by volume. Not bad for the first time around. Here are our first impressions on this new recipe:

Aroma: Mellow, malty aroma.

Taste: Very low bitterness with a sweet (toffee-ish), malty finish.

Appearance: Overall clarity is excellent. Looks like the addition of whirlflock during the last 10 minutes of the boil paid off. Rich, dark coloration almost like blackstrap molasses.

Finish: Sweet, malty aftertaste.

Overall, we're pleased with the progress of the stout. I can't wait to get it in the fridge.

Prost!

Superstitions

I'm not talking black cats or walking under ladders here folks. I'm talking the Superstition Mountains! Right now I'm sitting at the base of the Mountains where I'm lucky enough to have a good pal with a sweet pad. I woke up early and sat in the back yard to gaze upon the mountains. So now I'm planning a quick hike up to Weaver's Needle. I'll head out early tomorrow.

Social Media

I am really excited about the opportunity to share photos, stories, and memories with my friends... both new and old! The potential of social media to open up new lines of communication within our social networks is really fascinating. I'm working on a number of projects to re-connect myself to the growing circle of people looking to get in touch and be in touch. Keep your eyes pealed for some of my upcoming projects, the most exciting of which will be brewmeister.tv... My brew partner Steve and I will be bringing you closer to one of our favorite hobbies... homebrewing. It's easy! We'll show you just how easy it is. Hey, if we can do it... so can you!

Family Fun: Christmas 2008

End of 2008 Already!

Wow. Where did the year go?

I can't believe that we're almost ringin' in 2009.
I've been spending the day with family in Duluth, talking over the past year... trying to remember what we all did to fill the time. It was a seriously wild ride.

I spent the majority of the summer working - probably more than I ever have in the past. The only thing was... I loved (almost) every minute of it! Most of that work revolved around the tortoise projects that I'm working on. In general, these projects involve assessing and mitigating the impacts that roads have on desert tortoises. Briefly, this work entails hundreds of hours walking across the desert looking for tortoises. Then, once found, we track a sub-set of these tortoises using radio-telemetry and GPS. We assess habitat use, attempts (successful or not) at crossing roadways, and the efficacy of mitigation strategies to reduce animal-vehicle collisions.

It's rewarding work for sure!

Other than that, I did a fair amount of hiking in southeast Arizona... took a trip to see my sister and husband in Ohio... and now I'm home (in Duluth) for the holidays.

But looking back, I cannot believe that we're closing in on 2009. I hope you've had a great 2008. And good luck in the new year!