Happy New Year!

Some of us have to work the holidays, so this Happy New Year wish is a day off...

Hopefully the holidays were good to you. I managed to spend some time in Warren, Michigan (northern suburb of Detroit) at Dragonmead with a few other brewers, enjoying their expansive tap list. Drinking with other brewers, even ones you've never met before, carries a comfort that just isn't possible with strangers otherwise. It's like putting on an old pair of shoes. Comfy, familiar.

Here it's life as usual. Work, brewing here and there, and enjoying a beer or two. I need to catch up on a few Beer Appreciation 102 beers now that I'm back in town. My Oatmeal Stout is carbonating and I'm patiently awaiting ingredients to brew a Best Bitter---time to celebrate 6 years of brewing! 6 years ago I was boiling wort on my kitchen stove, making a pale ale with a Brewer's Best kit and wondering what this was all about. Here's the recipe:

Brewing Date: Sunday January 12, 2003
Recipe: First Ever Pale Ale

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Extract (Lbs): 5.80
Anticipated OG: 1.045
Anticipated SRM: 7.9
Anticipated IBU: 13.3
Wort Boil Time: 30 Minutes

3.30 lbs. Muntons LME - Light
2.00 lbs. Muntons DME - Light
0.50 lbs. Crystal 60L

1.00 oz. Cascade (Pellet, 5.30% AA) 30 min.

Danstar Nottingham yeast

From what I remember it actually turned out pretty well. The second batch...well, we won't get into that right now.

Brewing will at least keep me occupied and kept from thinking about how dreary and underwhelming January is---no holidays, cold, dark, naked trees. Rock-hard ground. Time to brew some Maibock and Pilsner for Spring!

At any rate, Happy New Year to you and yours!