Irish Red to the Secondary

I know it's not that big of a deal. The beer moved from the primary to the secondary. But this time is a little different. This will be the first batch I dry hopped with whole dried hops(1oz.). These Fuggle hops have been stored in my freezer since last falls harvest. In addition to dry hopping with them they were also included in the wort boil. I like the taster of the red I had this evening. This could be a winner.

The Hops are Planted

I finally got around to getting the trellis up and the hops planted. The trellis looks kinda bare and weird right now. I wonder what my neighbors think of it? Well there are 3 varieties in the ground. Cascade, Willamette, and Nugget. Chicken wire has been placed around them, so the rabbit Ben can't catch wont eat them. I have my fingers crossed that these things will grow.

Brewing and Tasting

I had a little brewing and tasting at my house last week. My cousin Sean and friend Tom came over. We cooked up a batch of Irish Red Ale. This was the first time either of them have been through the brewing process. It was a lot of fun to explain the how and why of brewing. We tasted some great beers while the boil was going on. Titan IPA-Great Divide, Corsendonk Xmas Ale, Unplugged Imperial Weizen-New Glarus, Horn Dog Barley Wine-Flying Dog, Mild Ale-my homebrew, ect. I think that we all benefited from this. Sean is totally new to the craft brew world so we completely overwhelmed his taste buds and brain with beer knowledge. Tom has an extensive knowledge of wine and with that had some fantastic adjectives for flavors that I would have never thought of. I just had a good time drinking and talking about beer.

Happy Holiday-Enjoy the PEEP Show

Flying Dog-Double Dog

Whooo. Don't know what I was expecting this beer to taste like, but my preconceived notions are were all wrong. It weighs in at 11.50%, so there is no question it will knock you on your ass. This is a Double Pale Ale, witch is a style that I don't think I've ever had. The beer smells of citrus, hops, and a little malty. It tastes complex. There's a strong bitter hoppyness with some malt and a slight fruitiness. The finish is bitterly rough. I wouldn't mind trying another one sometime, that is if I didn't need my taste buds after.

Dogfish Head-Raison D'Etre

I picked this up in one of those mix and match 6pks. It has a strong sweet aroma with notes of raisin(of coarse) and malt. The brew is nice and medium bodied. The taste resembles the smell but has some light hints of coffee and is quite malty. Overall not one of Dogfishes greatest beers, but not bad at all.

The Hops Are Comming

I put in my order for hop rhizomes. Rhizomes are little hop roots that you plant and hopefully will sprout. I have Willamette, Nugget and Cascade variety's coming. They should ship within the next week or so. The trellis poles have been built and the holes have been dug, I just need to cement them in and screw everything together. The pic doesn't do it justice. But is should look great when done. Spring cannot come soon enough.