I brewed last night – tried a new method – a partial mash.
It was a weird experience – well not the brewing but the brew store. You see, when I talk to Mike, he usually creates a recipe off the top of his head for me.
Well, Mike is pretty much retired so I was talking to the guy who was working on Sunday and got things like ‘What’s your favorites hops?’ Well, my experience is mostly with Hallertaur, Fuggles and Saaz, but a favorite? Never really contemplated a favorite…. the who conversation was like that… so this beer is a total experiment. I am going to call it Bass Ackwards Ale.
I spent money on a beer refrigerator, so its necessary for me to increase my brewing frequency.
As I was at the foam break last night, I recalled an earlier entry I had made and will now quote from it:
“For a brewer, this is always an interesting time. When the wort just starts to boil, it foams up. The brewer must then remove the wort from the heat until it subsides and return it to the heat. The wort will usually foam up again, and so this process is repeated until the wort boils without foaming. This game of heat and cool is known as the foam break.
Waiting for the foam break is an anxious time for a brewer. If you do not catch it quickly, the wort will foam over and leave a sticky mess on your stove which you will need to clean off with a putty knife. So, you need to watch the pot very carefully. This of course is in dead conflict with the ancient knowledge that a watched pot never boils. So, the brewer spends his time trying to avoid letting the pot know it is being watched, while at the same time watching it very closely.
Personally, during this time, I tend to do a bunch of things. I go and stare at the dogs for a few minutes not daring to touch them as if I do the moment I get dog dander on my hands the wort will foam. I will watch the fish, trying to catch a reflection of the pot in the aquarium. I will walk circles around the kitchen. Never overtly watching the pot but never quite turning away either.”
No boil over last night. Phew!
All packed for the ride to Cincinnati. Tommy & Elizabeth are getting married on Saturday, so Dug, Nancy & I are driving up tonight. Depending on which map site you use, it ranges from 8.5 hours to 11.5 hours. Of course, they all use different roots because, ya can’t get there from here. At least not in a semi-straight line.
Awaiting a vendor – they are having a team come out from the west coast to brief my director who informed me this morning that he cannot attend. Oh well, my manager and I will have to summarize.
The Travel Yup likes exotic and adventurous travel, but prefers big cities with fast paced life. He has a keen interest in other cultures and always brings home a few souvenirs. 
