Batch #004

Each batch has gone consecutively better and better. We are really beginning to focus on fine tuning our brewing and I in particular am trying to focus on our brewhouse efficiency. What this means is that every pound of grain that we use has a certain amount of "potential" fermentables. Whether or not these are converted and also collected into the final boil is a question of how correctly we do everything. I think that this batch ended up being something like 45%... which is not great but really doesn't affect anything other that needed to compensate by purchasing just a little more grain. And once we are able to get it up to.. say... 80% we will be golden.

This last batch had only two problems the first I mentioned already and the second.. well, those little clips get slippery when they are covered with wort. I'll let the video do the explaining on that one. :-S


Every batch begins with water, the most necessary element for life on earth.



While we waited for the mash we had tea and coffee.



Our mascot is very helpful.



It may interest you to know that bullfrogs are not native to Washington and wreak all kinds of havoc on the ecosystem. They spread quickly eating other frogs, fish and even baby ducks and quickly deplete out native fauna. Little bastards! The Brewthers aren't taking it anymore! We got the gun and shot two!

Take that you Bullies!



The Ben "The Acolyte" cooked us up some lunch. Has anyone ever tasted frogs legs?



This batch called for amber and dark varieties of sugar comprising about 20% of the grain bill... here is half... zounds.



I built a bench so that we could all get up topside and look at the same time. Aren't we cute!!!???

Filling carboys is just as easy as filling a conical fermenter but aerating a carboy is about 700 times easier (See video). --Aren't you glad Brian is taking great videos now? This blog is about 700 times better now!



Like my shirt? It says "Past is Prologue" which is a great title for another more theological blog someday... You can get one here, a shop by ISO50 (yeah that's the same guy as TyochoMusic which not so coincidentally is great brewing music).



Ever heard that song "Look of Love" by ABC? ...Yeah.



This is exactly as fun as it looks... they don't have these at all in Sacramento.



Video courtesy of the zealot.

pour one for me,
the saint