Big Brew

The Lapeer Area Brewers brewed up a big IPA last month at my house (you know, the one that needs painting) and we are scheduled to bottle that rascal today. It has turned out quite well, if my few little tastings-done during the times the beer was racked into new fermenters or the gravity was checked-are any good indication. It should be an intensely hoppy strong (7%) American IPA.

Yesterday I brewed up a Northern English Brown Ale that is currently fermenting away in my dining room (which also could use a coat of paint). Brewing has become pretty automatic for me lately as I made my 27th All-grain batch yesterday.

On May 5th the American Homebrewing Community celebrates Big Brew, the main holiday of homebrewers. It is customary for homebrewers to brew on that day and to have a simultaneous toast at noon to the homebrewers of the world. Brewpubs and microbreweries all over the country assist in these celebrations, so find one in your area that does and go meet some homebrewers. Not all of them are like my suburban, "docker-clad homies" from Lapeer. They run the gamut of different individuals around the country, with one common characteristic: they love brewing and are happy to talk about it. The homebrewers I know are some of the nicest people you'll ever want to meet. So go do it!

Note: I looked at the photos from the last post and I don't see a single person wearing dockers. I also note that these people, with a couple of exceptions, aren't really suburban yuppie types, either. But, what do I know? Or care?

One final note. Tomorrow will be the second anniversary of this blog. I posted my first blog article on 4-15-2005! Boy, does time fly! I've kept up to my promise to post infrequently, at best, and I intend to continue that tradition.

Cheers!