Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Well it's done but not finished Part Deux Calling all drinkers

Well I was unhappy with my last posting so I thought I would write a sequel that would answer the unsolved mysteries that may have been left out in the first round. In the last post I might have dug a little to deep into the english major part of my brain and in doing so produced a some what of a cheesy description of my beer. To summarize my last post, my beer was good but not what I was going for. It has this great hop aroma and flavor but it's missing that malt balance that I really wanted. Its insanely light with only about 3.25% alcohol which means you can drink a lot of it and thats good because there is a lot to drink.  I am closing this entry with a sort of call to arms for my beer drinking friends to come over and drink my kegs until they are dry so that I can brew again before the spring is over.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Well it's done but not finished

Well it’s done… My own attempt at a blonde ale. This is the first time I have dared to venture into this style of beer. For a long time I have been nervous about trying to create them but I finally decided to go for it and here is the result:
It has a light yellow color that to the untrained eye would seem flavorless but that thought is immediately thrown away the second you smell its hoppy aroma.  I nervously poured the drink into my mouth and as it touched my tongue it danced and with every step a new hoppy flavor tickled my senses. Dare I swallow; if I do this flavor, this sensation, this exotic dance would end and then what. I swallowed; and once I did the dancer that was once there left a new taste, this one different but equal to its predecessor. As good as it was I was left unsatisfied, where was the rich malt flavor that I had hoped for? Yes the dance was nice but it lacked a certain sweetness to balance its many steps. So I am left to do only one thing and that is to drink until it is gone so that I may brew it again only this time with the sweetness that I so desire. 

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Why I love Blondes


Blondes are pretty. They are simple and yet their bubbly nature brings out a complexity not found elsewhere; they are light but deep and rich in character. When one passes by my nose it is their fruity scent that makes my mouth water. When one touches my wet lips my eyes will roll back as a waterfall of flavors are tantalizing my senses. They are seductive. With every look and smell and taste and desire not felt for the other breeds I cannot help but ask the bartender, “may I have another?”

Monday, May 3, 2010

Widmer why not?

Last Friday I got the opportunity to take a private tour of Widmer’s brewing facility and what a facility it is. From their tanks that stretch from the basement of the building all the way up to the roof tops; from their bottling plant where they can bottle 300 beers a minute to their brew kettles where the magic happens I saw it all. Alan Taylor is one of the brew masters and he was the one giving the tour. Alan went to a brewing school in Germany before coming back to Oregon and working for Full sail then Widmer. The most interesting (and also one of the most gratifying) things about the plant was that the process of brewing was the same as the one I do at home. 

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Ich bin ein Bier

It’s all about beer! I am writing this because I have a love for beer, my love for beer is so great and vast that there seems to be no end for my search on new and exciting information about beer. Why do I love beer so much you might ask? Well first of all it’s the one thing that connects everyone around the world. There is not a civilization in the world or in history that hasn’t brewed some sort of beer you might say it is human kinds oldest beverage next to plain old water.

On top of being a wealth of historical beer knowledge I am also a home brewer. I began home brewing five years ago and have made some delicious beer (and some not so delicious), one of which received second place in the Clark County Fair. My enthusiasm for home brewing has brought me to one final conclusion, to open my own brewery. So I did, and hopefully Rainy Day Brewery will open its doors sometime next year.

In this blog I will report on events going on around the Portland area as well as some national events related to beer. I will also keep you all updated on what beer I have on tap (I just brewed a Blond Ale so I will keep you posted on that) and other miscellaneous beer news. This Friday I am going to Widmer Brewing Company to assist in brewing a batch a beer and I should be posting my happenings next week.

-Till then keep drinking