Okay, so I moved my first-ever beer from primary to secondary fermentation over the weekend.  It’s a bourbon barrel porter that has been fermenting for two weeks.  It will now spend another two weeks in secondary and then 10 days soaking with bourbon and oak chips. I used the beer thief to grab a sample […]

It seems extremely early this year, but Sunday at 2am is that magical moment where we trick mother nature into giving us one more hour of daylight each day.  The price we pay for this is a hefty one – an hour less in our weekends.  What’s worse, an hour less to enjoy our favorite […]

So my bourbon barrel porter is doing well.  The bubbling has slowed after a few days of rowdy gurgles and the amazing yeast cake on the top of the carboy is slipping into the murky depths.  Soon it’ll be time to siphon the beer to secondary and then add the whiskey and the oak cubes. […]

Okay, so Sunday’s Brew Day and I’m wondering when I should taste what I’m making.  When I cook, I’ll take a little taste now and again to see how things are coming, and add a dash of this or that to get the flavor on course.  My wife on the other hand is big on […]

When I first discovered the world of craft beers, I wanted to try everything all at once.  I started with Belgians, and I’d uncork a big bottle just about every night to experience the uncharted (for me) wonders contained within.  After a few weeks, I realized I probably need to pace myself, and started spacing […]

It’s been a rough one for me, but I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve been sick as a dog (or perhaps a pig) all week and work has been crazier than usual to boot. But the weekend is here and I’m starting to feel like myself again. I’m looking […]

A libation revelation is a simple but magnificent event, when you have the perfect drink under the perfect circumstances. When this occurs, you taste the beverage in a new and wonderful way, and your newfound appreciation carries forward to every time you have that drink. I’ve had a handful of these moments over the past […]

It occurred to me this weekend how lucky I am to have a wife who loves great beer just as much as I do.  She never complains about what I spend on beer.  She never turns up her nose at something new.  She’ll finish stuff that I don’t really like.   She does tastings with me […]

Every time we’re at an average restaurant and I order a beer, I give my wife the first sip. And every time she takes that sip, she wrinkles up her nose and says, “you’ve spoiled me!” You see, we only drink really great beer at home and I’ve turned her into a bit of a […]