Take a good long look at this picture. God willing it will be the last time you see Jeff, MNB brewmaster, holding a bottle of Coors Light. We unsuccessfully attempted a hop-tasting experiment last night by infusing tasteless Coors Light with different strands of hops. Jeff painstakingly crushed the pellets, unscrewed the Coors bottles, dumped [...]

Despite rumors to the contrary we will be brewing tonight in our limited facilities. Plan for tonight is:
Brewing (starting this week)- 5 gal. batch of the Drafty Kilt
Transferring (from primary to secondary fermentation) - 10 gal. Hoo Brew
Bottling - 10 Gal Swashchuckler
Consuming - Bog Monster, Swashchuckler, Drafty Kilt, CowTipper, Base Jumper
On Tap - Casserole [...]

After listening to an episode of Basic Brewing Radio, Jeff came up with a genius idea. We’ve been wanting to get a better feel for specific hop flavors/aromas and what they add to a beer. Instead of actually brewing beer to perform a controlled experiment, we’re going to do the next best thing… drink Coors [...]

I should have known that our trip to Costa Rica would be maravilloso when our hotel concierge (I use that term in the loosest possible sense) cautioned us away from the expensive, “new car” rental agencies and instead recommended that we rent a car from his friend Jose. Yes, “Jose”…I would not kid our [...]

Not to be outdone by Jeff, I have made a few book purchases of my own to add to our ever-growing Beer Knowledge Library (ribbon cutting ceremony this August). First, Fermenting Revolution by Chris O’Brien. I became interested in the book after stumbling upon Chris’s blog, dedicated to “drinking beer and saving the world.” I’m [...]

My company took us to Sweetwater Brewery for a VIP drinking session and tour yesterday (a mandatory monthly social). Obviously I was as giddy as a schoolgirl. Unfortunately, all of my pent up expectations were soon dashed against the rocks. Perhaps that’s a little harsh.
I’d never had the highest opinion of Sweetwater, but after asking [...]

My Amazon.com Visa card is finally paying dividends. I got a $25 Amazon gift card in he mail the other day for spending a lot of money, and just ordered two more brewing books to add to the collection - “Radical Brewing” and “Brew Like a Monk“. “Designing Great Beers” continues to [...]