Earthquake Honey Ale

Okay, this one started off good. We had the cleaning and sterilization down and we knew the procedures better. But, since we knew the procedures better we realized we did a couple of things wrong the first time around. So, we fixed them this time, and that meant that the wort took longer to cool down (no lifting of the lid this time). But, we did everything as best we could and tried a liquid yeast. Okay, looking back and reading more I realize now that even though the packaging says we can pitch one vial for 5 gallons, we really should not have. We should have made a starter. It took over 24 hours for our fermentation to start. That, and we are doing it at cooler temperatures this time as well. We bought a large bucket and have put in water, ice, and a black t-shirt around the carboy. It's a lot cooler than last time :-) But, we've already bought the ingredients for our next beer (a nut brown ale), and again we're using a liquid yeast. So, I read up on making a starter and I ordered the necessary items to do that. It looks like as long as you have good sanitary procedures it should not be too hard. It just requires a little more planning ahead. But we think it's worth it! Also, we tried our pale ale after a week and a half (we put it in the refrigerator for 2 days), and it was pretty good. Still a little green and needs more carbonation, but it's a decent ale! I can't tell you how excited I am about all of this!! And here, for good measure, is a picture of our newest earthquake honey ale fermenting (it's called earthquake honey ale because we had the 5.4 earthquake just two days after it started fermenting!).

Oh, and I'm still running and working out! Okay, the gym is down to two days a week, but I plan on increasing that as possible. But I'm still running. I need to - it not only helps my physical health, it helps my mental health as well!!

Beer bottling day!

Just a couple of pictures from our beer bottling day!

More Beer!

Okay, things are progressing really well with the beer. We've gone through the first and second stages of fermentation; taken our hydrometer readings; and are at the point that we are going to bottle tomorrow morning (my daughter wants to help and she had to work today). The bottle have been sterilized and capped with foil and I'll be sterilizing the bottling bucket and all equipment in the morning. As well as getting the corn sugar ready (boil water, add, cool down) and such. I'm rather excited about the whole thing. For for the last two hydrometer readings we tried the left over beer, and it tasted like a decent beer that was left out too long (warm and no carbonation). So, I think (knock on wood) that it's going to be a decent beer! Hopefully I'll be posting in the next 2-3 weeks after we try our first one :-)

Beer!

Not only have we made cheese (twice) since coming back, but we started our first batch of beer! I think it took us an hour just to clean and sanitize everything; a good 45 minutes to bring the water up to a boil (we started off too slow with our grain, worried it would heat up too fast); cooked the wort for an hour, adding the hops at the proper time; cooled it in the sink until it was cool enough to put in the fermenter (oh yeah, and started the yeast before that time), topped off the wort with fresh water (not tap) and when it was cool enough we added the yeast. Put it in the pantry in the middle of the house and turned the air on so it would be below 75 degrees in that room (which we may need to cool more. We'll figure this all out). Anyhow, a day later it started to foam and work! It was cool to watch the progress. The wort was churning, the foam was coming up on the top, and the airlock was working away! Now it's been three more days and it's been fairly quiet, but I see a pop now and then. We took an original hydrometer reading before adding the yeast (it was a lot lower than we expected) and we're set to take our next one this weekend. I'm quite excited about all of this and hope it will turn out okay. I ordered enough 22 ounce bottles to bottle it, but I've also been saving good 12 ounce bottles. I plan to wash and sterilize those this weekend (and make some more cheese)!! And my husband and I had so much fun doing the first batch, he already ordered the stuff for a second batch! But we agreed not to start that until we've had a chance to try our first beer and see where we need to improve our technique. In the meantime I've also been doing the mozzarella cheese. And I ordered supplies to make a couple of other kinds of cheese. If that works out, and I hope it does, then I'll be buying the pattern to make a cheese press and trying my hand at some hard cheeses as well. But also, I need to make room for some more toys in my garage so I've been going out there and cleaning up a bag of trash every other day. At this rate, my part should be done in a couple of weeks and it's just a matter of my husband cleaning up his tools (I will put them all close to or on his work bench) and him and my daughter cleaning up some of the car parts that I can't move. I'm rather excited about it all.

Oh, and a new Belgium Pub opened up in our town in a little alley by the theater. We've gone there the last three weeks and enjoyed some very good ale and then twice went to the movies afterwards (my husband loves the movies)! I'd have to say that I've been enjoying myself :-)

Now, if the beer turns out any decent, I will also put up a few pictures along with my comments!

Pictures!

Finally, some pictures from my trip. . . and the week after!







Here is Dee in Trinidad looking at the sea lion!









Here is a road we rode bikes on in Myers Flat!





This is the path we took in Fern Canyon. I would have more pictures of this place, but my camera battery died! I think it was my favorite of all places we went!









And when we got back my cheese kit was waiting. . . so we made some fresh mozzarella cheese! We did a few things wrong, but were careful with the cleanliness of it all and the cheese turned out fine. We'll be making more this weekend. And more bread, and beer. . . and I'll be posting later about some of this stuff!!