My Bottlecap Collection

I save all of my bottlecaps. I don't know why I do that. I suppose its like my History Channel for beer drinking. My granddaughter loves to play in the caps. I reckon there's a couple of hundred in there. I'm hoping to have the bucket filled someday. My kegerator slows my progress, however.

Here's my bottle opener above the cap bucket.

Black Yeast

You've all seen my video of my airlock bubbling while my yeasty friends do their thing. In case you missed it, here's what happy yeast looks like outside of the fermentation vessel

But under the lid, that's where the action is. Check out the yeast action under the lid of my Black Chocolate Stout while at the high krausen stage. Oh, if only you could scratch and sniff...

My target gravity was a little low at 1.080 (I had hoped for 1.090) but I'm still hopeful that I can get 10% ABV out of this batch. Try to get that in your Louisiana Coors Lite!

Stay tuned for final gravity results.

Hey Ralph - how was your interaction with the man?

Next Brew

I ordered my materials to brew a batch of Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout next weekend. If I was Ralph, I'd be camping at Garrett Oliver's doorstep every day, begging him until he brought me some of his sure-to-be-delicious 2008 vintage. You can't buy it here in Louisiana. As a matter of fact, I'm probably the only one in the state who has ever tried it. That will change in a month or so. Stay tuned for more...

Cheers!

My Bigger Sunday

Today was even bigger than yesterday, because today, I got me a new beer drinking buddy. In about 20 years, anyway.

Meet Eric David Phillips - my first grandson, born today in Lake Charles LA. I'm so proud. I can't wait until he can lift a 7 gallon pot of sparge water for me.

Since he has my first name, we need to find him a nickname. My son is thinking Bubba. I'm thinking Racer 5...

My new pal

My gal and my pal

Sis, mom, and the new addition

My Big Saturday

I went by my favorite beer store in Lake Charles - Homsie's. Homsie doesn't have a website, but he's got an incredible beer selection for this part of the country, and he makes great boudin.


I was looking for some Celebration Ale, as my beer instincts were telling me it was that time of year again. I first tried this beer in Seattle after my first granddaughter was born while visiting my son-in-law Todd and my buddy Andy, and I always like to drink it with great memories of that weekend. I just kegged my own homebrewed version of Celebration Ale, and I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison. Much to my chagrin, there was no Celebration Ale to be had; it hasn't been received from the distributor yet. Head hanging, I thought I was going to have to go home empty handed. As I perused the aisles on my way out, I spied what looked to be some Bear Republic offerings in 22 oz bottles. There was Hop Rod Rye. XP Pale Ale. Red Rocket Ale. And lo and behold...a few bottles of my new fav - Racer 5! So I snatched a bottle and went home for some great beer and some California dreamin'. I'll get the Celebration Ale next Saturday...

The 22 oz offering in one of my favorite beer glasses (thanks Liz)

Racer 5 - Check!

My son-in-law does an excellent job of taking care of my beer needs when I come to visit him. He can even teach my buddy Andy a few things about taking care of one's guests. While I was visiting this past weekend, I tried a Racer 5 from Bear Republic Brewing Company. It quickly became my new favorite beer. I told Liz I'd have to try and find the recipe for a clone version when I returned home.

As a homebrewer, I've been subscribing to Brew Your Own magazine since 2000. I save most of them. Surely, I thought, there would be a recipe for Racer 5 in one of my past issues. I wasn't disappointed.

I went to the internet and somebody mentioned the 2004 September issue. I went to the garage and plowed through my tomes. I probably have 50 issues. There in volume 3 was the target issue. On page 40 in "Attack of the Hop Clones", right between Hop Rod Rye (also of the Bear line) and Pliny the Elder (Russian River Brewing) was the Holy Grail. I'm in business baby! I'll be making a batch this winter (after I work my way through the Celebration Ale I just made and the upcoming Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout). A man has to have a plan.

My collection. Each blue binder holds 18 months of issues. I need more binders. Also note the homemade counterflow heat exchanger and the cool growler from Goose Island Brewery in Chicago (thanks Liz)

Here's the recipe if you're into it:
· 11.25 lbs 2-row malt
· 1.66 lbs wheat malt
· 0.625 lbs crystal 15 malt
· 0.21 lbs Carapils malt
· 0.42 lbs dextrose
· 6.1 AAU Chinook hops for 90 minutes
· 8.7 AAU Cascade hops for 60 minutes
· 0.3 oz Centennial dry hop
· 0.3 oz Amarillo dry hop
· 0.2 oz Cascade dry hop
· 0.2 oz Tomahawk dry hop
· American Ale yeast (California V)

OG should be 1.071; FG 1.015; yielding 7.2% ABV; SRM = 10
IBU is actually lower than I thought at 60, but it gives it a really nice balance without being a hop bomb.

I'm on it! Anybody have any ideas for a clone name?

The September 2004 Cover

The Holy Grail

Babs and my neighbor Pete on his Soft Tail right before we evacuated for Hurricane Gustav. Don't you think I should get a Harley?

Happy Birthday Little Bits

Can't wait to drink out of blue folding cups with you next week...

When the Going Gets Tough II, the Tough...

...install a cold air intake on their pickup truck. I should get better mileage and more horsepower. Mine's actually what is called a short ram, manufactured by AEM. My buddy installed one on his truck with good results.

Today we're waiting for hurricane Ike. We decided all of this evacuation business wasn't all it was hyped up to be. So we're hunkered down and waiting. We've got a generator, plenty of rum, and a kegerator full of homebrew. It's supposed to get rather windy and wet tonight. Stay tuned. Until then...cheers.

You can see the leading edge of the new intake filter just below the Spanish Peaks Pale Ale

Brew Beer and Be Somebody!

Maybe someday I can be President of the United States. Or perhaps one of my great, great, great grandchildren will have a shot at it after my brewpub gets established.

America...you gotta love her for the possibilities...

Click here for the story.



Until I'm elected to a higher office, cheers!

Another Reason to be an AHA Member

Man, I wish I lived closer to Kalamazoo... these rallies are some of the major highlights of a homebrewer's year. Check out the benefits for this event:

• $33 One-Year Membership to the AHA (reg. $38)
• Meet Bell's brewer and founder, Larry Bell
• Meet AHA Founder Charlie Papazian (one of my heroes)
• VIP Brewery Tour
• 11 beers will be on tap, including a SPECIAL RELEASE - wow!!!
• Everyone gets a Bell's Brewery, Inc. pint glass filled with goodies and a 1oz sample of hop pelletes!

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough...

...brew beer.

There's a hurricane evacuation in place here. People are already fleeing town, for something that is 3 days away with a 20% prediction accuracy. I didn't quite know how to react. So when in doubt - relax, don't worry, have a homebrew...and brew! I'm brewing a Saison today. While my neighbor cuts his grass again. Right now I'm in the final 10 minutes of my boil, so I need to get back to the garage.

In the meanwhile, we'll see how things look tomorrow. If we have to hook up the trailer and leave, I hope I can keep the beer cool during fermentation...

I'm looking for cool names for my new creation, please. It should have the word "Gustav" or "Hurricane" or something similar please.

Until the Front Porch evacuates...cheers!

Kalamazoo Konnection

One of the biggest highlights of my brewing hobby is that one special day, about once every month, that I crack open my first beer from the batch I brewed the prior month. Today was that day. I couldn't wait to get home and try my first-of-the-batch Two Hearted Ale; a clone I made of a beer of the same name from Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo Michagan. Yesterday, I carefully placed my little babies in the kegerator in preparation for today's unveiling. I thought about them all day; little work got done as I dreamt at my desk of Amarillo and Centennial hops wafting from a glass of the clear, pale nectar of the gods. I wasn't disappointed. It was perfect - the balance; the hoppy nose, the bittering flavor of some of the finest agricultural products ever to come out of the northwest. Ahhhhh......I can't wait for the keg to be ready by this weekend.

Note the clarity and the the really great glass that my daughter gave me. The head is a little light, as the beer is actually still conditioning. I haven't the patience to wait for it to finish...

Even the Pope Drinks Beer

I had one of these this summer, albeit in Louisiana. It was pretty tasty. Now, I'm feeling even more enlightened by my imbibement...

Cheers!

The BIG Ad

I watched this in 2005 when it came out. It is the most amazing marketing for beer I've ever seen. Check out the story here if you like.
Turn your speakers up...

I suppose that I should try a Carlton Draught...

Ever Had a Tui?

If their beer is half as good as their marketing, somebody's got to try one of these and let me know how they taste...

Mulate's

We went to Mulate's the other weekend. After the alligator tour. If you want cajun food and authentic, jammin', play that fiddle faster, what did he say in French, momma's got a squeeze box, I can't stop my feet from dancin' live cajun music and you want to bring the whole family, Mulate's is the place to go. Live Cajun music 7 nights per week! And fried catfish. Check out their website for their rich history. If you're ever in Breaux Bridge call us; we'll drop everything and meet you there!

Be sure and leave your business card on the ceiling. I'm not sure if you have to bring your own thumbtack. I kept looking for a yellow card...

The bad news, no micros. We had Heinekens.

Cheers!

Thinkin' With the Left Side of My Brain...

I purchased a sixer of Eel River Pale Ale at Homsie's the other day.

My son-in-law gave me a Boonville beer glass last year.

I thought: Why not combine the two?

What a beautiful photo.

Just think...in about 70 days I can do them both fresh, with oysters...

Where There's a Will, There's Beer...

Mayor Letch is my new hero. Check out the video.
Hey Tracy - he's a Stella man!

Cheers to Frank Letch!

Can You Spot the Gator?

Babs and I visited Avery Island this weekend. You may recognize it as home of Tabasco Sauce. We found out that it has a lot more than that; from the worlds biggest salt dome to egret habitat to a 26 room house that the McIlhenney's lived in after the civil war, to gators. Yep, they got alligators in them south Louisiana marshes. They are the ultimate maters of disguise. check it out below:

It looks like algae, but the swamp here is actually covered by millions of tiny little leaves from tiny little water plants. The gator uses these plants for cover from his unsuspecting prey.

And there he is!

More tiny plants...

And there's another one!

These guys weren't worried about hiding

They actually had signs that read "Please Don't Feed the Alligaotrs". I wonder if alligators have signs that read "Don't Eat the People"?

Two Hearted Ale in the Pail!

Brew day started early in order to avoid the afternoon heat. I started heating the water at 0615 and was mashing by 0700. It was already 82 degrees in the garage. I moved my propane rig outdoors in order to keep the heat from building in the garage.

10 lbs 2-row; 1/2 lb Munich; 1/2 lb Crystal 20L; 1/2 lb Carapils

Heating water for the mash. I mash in the 5-gal coolers

I started with 10 gallons of water from the local market Culligan dispenser; I still need to get a water analysis from town before I’m comfortable brewing with tap water without any adjustments.

The first thing I noticed with my supplies was that there were no Centennial hops. Two Hearted ale is made with 100% Centennial hops! Due to the hop shortage, my supplier had substituted Amarillo hops for the Centennials. Being a forward thinking kind of guy, I had purchased several packages of Centennials some months ago and stored them in my freezer, anticipating their shortage. So I decided to do a mixture of Amarillo and Centennial, saving some of the remaining Centennials for another batch of brew later this year. I used the Centennial for bittering and aroma and used the Amarillo for flavor and dry hopping. It will be an interesting experiment.

These babies are like gold nowadays

Reheating the first runnings

Daddy's little helper

Boil in process

The sparge went quickly, too quickly actually. My final gravity came in about 20 points low and I noted a good deal of residual sweetness still in my spent grains. I should have held the sparge in the grain bed longer in order to rinse all of the sugars. Next time I’ll slow it with a clamp on the outlet of my sparge hose.

I used my counterflow heat exchanger in series with a copper coil immersed in an ice bath in order to get the wort from boiling to pitch temperature in one pass as quickly as possible. Tap water at summer temperatures won’t do the trick. It worked well; I measured the wort at 75 degrees and the waste water at 125 degrees. I collected the waste water and used it to water the plants.

$2.50 gets me 32 lbs of ice at Twice the Ice!

See if you can trace my cooling path (hint: the cornie is just to support the heat exchanger)

These copper coils were covered in ice when I started the cooling process

As stated, my final gravity was a bit light at 1.040. I added some Beano tablets to the secondary today in order to convert some of the residual complex sugars and get a bit more alcohol out of the beer. By the way, the Beano really works – you can watch the yeast come back to life after a day. I’ll leave the Splenda out this time, I used way too much last time and had to dump my beer:(

There’s 5 gallons in the secondary as I type. Preliminary tasting shows it to be a great, hoppy start to a great pale ale. I’ll let it condition for a couple of weeks, then rack half of it to my kegerator and half to bottles.

If you swirl your wort before you open the valve to drain it, the hops will mound in the center of the pot and not get mixed into your liquid

A perfect 5 gallon measure into the primary

My neighbor Brian, who chose to cut his grass with his new mower instead of helping me

A bubbling airlock the next morning signals a successful brew session!

Until I rack to the kegerator, Cheers!

Beer Drinking Birds

These would make great pets. Especially if you could teach them to drive you home from the pub...

Cheers!

PS - here's a little related item for the Dr. Macs of the world...

Schlitz Makes a Comeback!

I haven't had a Schlitz since high school, when we used to get the seniors to drop off a case in the woods on Friday nights. I was 15 when I had my first beer - a Schlitz. It was probably the bad stuff they detail in the article, but hey, I was 15 and it was beer! Maybe I'll give it another try, but I doubt if I'll travel to Milwaukee...



Cheers!

Fat Tire News

It's official; you can now get your Fat Tire in aluminum cans (according to my latest Aluminum Association periodical). I prefer bottles, but I suppose now you can take your New Belgium poolside.

Cheers!

Beer Wisdom

My best friend Jack Dayley pointed me to this link of beer wisdom and one liners. Jack had an epiphany of his own on Saturday night, and it now appears atop this blog...

BTW - my buddy Jack is quite an accomplished movie producer when he's not being the best and highest paid safety professional on the planet. Jack made a video of he and I and our beer bond that we established while working together in Maryland that is a classic. Check it out here. Another fav is Leesburg, Friends, Food and BEER , as well as Virginia Wine Festival. Check out the other movies while you are there also; there are some awesome flicks Jack made of kayakers in the rivers of the northwest.

I miss Jack. I can't wait until our next movie...

A Little More New Orleans

Here's what the old Jax Brewery looks like now; it has been converted into a shopping mall. This makes me sad.

A typical New Orleans Porch

Roddy and the Tuba Man

The old and the new

A typical New Orleams street jazz band; check out grandma on the clarinet!

It Will Be…Two Hearted Ale

After considering your very limited input, I have decided to brew a pale ale next weekend from Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo Michigan; Bell's Two Hearted Ale. My son-in-law, aka Big Blue’s Driver, turned me on to this excellent American craft brew when we were visiting in Chicago many years ago. It is a very well balanced beer, abundantly hopped with 100% Centennial hops. You can taste them and smell them from the first sip to the last. I ordered my ingredients today from Austin Homebrew (where shipping never costs more than $6.99) and expect to have everything ready for an early Saturday morning brew while the temperature is still in the 80s. I’m going to name the creation Unclean Spirits, in honor of my granddaughter Claire’s baptism today. It was more like an exorcism; I think the unsuspecting priest got ‘em all out of her, one unclean spirit at a time. Never wait until your children are two to have them baptized…

Until Saturday…cheers!

Babs and Rik in the Big Easy, Part II

The 1st Afternoon

The women started shopping right after the beignets. Rod and I made a break for it. We went by the Tourist Bureau and discovered that the Crescent City Brewhouse was within walking distance; six blocks away on Decatur and Toulouse. We went for it.

When we got there, Heath was applying lacquer to the exterior wooden doors. Heath is one of the brewers there. When he heard me mention my membership in the American Homebrewers Association, we immediately struck up a conversation (I didn't tell him the bumper sticker secret; I don't know him well enough for that yet). Anyway, when Heath isn't brewing he's doing maintenance work. Makes sense to me if you are trying to control your costs. Heath told us that they pretty much brew only lagers, and one wheat ale. They have a 17 barrel system and will probably brew 60 times this year (that’s about 2000 gallons). The facility is four stories tall, and they have a lot of cold conditioning tanks and equipment on the 3rd floor.

Then he told us the bad news – they didn’t open for another hour. What’s going on here; no beer in the big easy at any hour? Oh well, that meant we had to find a ‘tween place to sip some suds and wait for the noon opening. We walked up the block and discovered The Beer Fest International Beer House.

They boast 48 taps, but most of them were out of order due to pressure problems. The bartender had hot pink hair and didn’t seem mechanically inclined, so we had to deal with the limited selection. They had a Longhammer IPA from Redhook that I’ve had in bottles but never on draught, so we tried that. It’s a moderately hopped pale ale with a great citrusy flavor and a nice hoppy nose and finish. It was served at the perfect temperature, which means they were also having problems with their refrigeration system, as these Cajuns like their Coors Light very cold. Their loss; my gain. We finished our beers, went and gathered the women, then went back to Crescent City for lunch.

What's wrong with this picture?

We ordered lunch and I had the sampler; a collection of their four beers. I had some food too. They make a Pilsner, a Red Stallion, a Black Forest, and a Hefeweizen. The pilsner was probably the best beer; it had a nice balance and a clean finish that was not too bitter. The Red Stallion did not have a very rich color, and the Black Forest was more red than black. Shiner Black Lager is a better beer than theirs, if you ask me. The Hefeweizen was interesting; I think I detected Belgian yeast undertones, but all-in-all they were just average beers. I’d rate the beers a 6 on a scale of 10. If they would have had an IPA I would probably have bumped them up to a 7. The food was good, and the prices were reasonable.

The Sampler

Behind the Bar is the Brewing Equipment

We spent the rest of the day touring and taking in the local culture. We had dinner at Emeril's that night, the one on Tchoupitoulas St., which I would highly recommend to anyone. Bring your big checkbook. I’ve never had four servers put dinner out simultaneously to four people before; it was like each course just appeared before everybody at once. Then our main waiter would explain in detail what each dish was comprised of. We actually had three waiters attending to us all night, and the four course meal that we had was magnificent. I also had an Abita Jockamo IPA to sate my IPA urge for the evening. Be sure and check out the link for some very interesting reading on the origins of the name.

We ended the night with a walk down a very loud and bustling Bourbon Street. Painted, bare breasted and rather oversized maidens were throwing beads at us from balconies above. There was loud music coming from every direction, and more tattoos and body piercings than you could count. I picked up the beads for my granddaughters as Babs ran away from the madness and the crowds. We ultimately made our way to Antoine’s for yet another dessert and coffee. Antoine’s is the oldest family owned restaurant in America (circa 1840) and is the home of Oysters Rockefeller. Again, check the link for some great history reading.

On Saturday, we went to Commander’s Palace for brunch. Hey, I told you I went for the food! I finally got my turtle there, but that will have to wait for another day. Check the link for a preview

Until then, cheers!

There's always this for beer too...

Babs and Rik Travel to the Big Easy

New Orleans – The 1st Night

Babs and I went to New Orleans this weekend with some old friends of ours, Rod and Christine Holcombe. Babs went for the shopping. I went for the food and in search of that elusive Louisiana brewbub. The first night we went to Preservation Hall and listened to a brass jazz band. Two saxophones, a trumpet, a trombone, a tuba, some snare drums and a bass drum. It was awesome music. It was musty and dark and hot and must have been just like it used to be "in the day". That's why they call it Preservation Hall; it is the effort of many people to maintain the original style of jazz that was slowly disappearing that made New Orleans famous. They played great songs like "I Got a Hole in my Bucket" and "Hold that Tiger" and "When the Saints Come Marching In". Lots of Tiger Rag, too. I got there in time for the last set that started after 10:00; Rod had been standing in line since 6:00PM to make sure we got good tickets. We had a great time, and afterwards went for refreshments next door at Pat Obrien’s. I had a Hurricane, consummating once again my love affair with rum, followed by an Abita Amber Ale, made in one of Louisiana's few craft breweries. Babs had a mint julep. Being true tourists, we bought the glasses and brought them home. We made it back to our hotel, The Provincial, a hotel I would highly recommend in the heart of the French Quarter, after 1:00AM.

The 1st Morning

I knew that if I was to go searching for the elusive microbrew, I would need to start my long day with some good New Orleans coffee, complete with chicory. Babs would want some beignets with hers. Café Du Monde is the place for that. I think I paid $1.50 for a cup of black coffee that is "seared black". It was great. While sitting there, I watched people eat their beignets. They were buried in confectioner's sugar. I mean buried! I've never seen so much sugar. You get about a half dozen beignets on a plate and then they throw what looks like a shovel full of sugar on them. The sugar covers your lap, the table, and the floor. It is impossible to eat them without making a powdery mess. While we were there, the sugar truck pulled up. I watched them load 50 lb bags of confectioner’s sugar onto their cart. Five bags. Ten bags. Thirteen bags. Another cart. They brought 16 – fifty lb bags of sugar inside. I asked the guy if that was a normal order. He said no; today was a light day. They usually get 20 bags per day. That's 1000 lbs of confectioner's sugar every day! And most of it winds up in your lap and on the floor. Oh well, they do grow a lot of cane sugar around these parts. I guess that's how you support your local farmers.


Have some beignets with your sugar


Have some sugar with your cafe


Seen on a street in the Garden District

Stay tuned for the first afternoon and the beer saga...

It's a Done Deal!

You too, can become the world's largest brewer if you only have $52 BILLION!
That's 52 followed by NINE zeroes!
How much beer would I have to brew and sell to gather that many zeroes?
The King is now a prince...
Check it out here.

August 2nd is Brew Day

I haven't brewed since June 8th. I have the date circled on the calendar in my brewshop. I haven't even changed the calendar to July yet. It's there to remind me that I'm behind schedule again; I normally like to brew once per month. I'm so far behind on brewing that my brewshop has become home to my new zero-turn Gravely mower. She's a beaut, and can do in 45 minutes what used to take me 2 hours of pushing. I love her, but I love beer more. She'll be motored outside on August 2nd and beer will be brewed in her space!



The Gravely and the Kegerator sharing space (notice the cool boot on the wall)

It will probably be 100 degrees outside, which makes for a tough heat exchange from boiling to pitch temperature, but I must do this for America's real beer drinkers. Besides, there's always the pool, which will be a cool 92 degrees by then. I also have to get it done before the Plecia nearctica show up again in September. They come every May and September. Last year they kept dive bombing my wort. I figure they provide interesting flavor that you can't get in the Northwest, though.

Anyway, back to brew day. Since this is an interactive format, I'm looking for suggestions on what style of beer to brew. Please pass along your wishes. Remember that what I brew in August will be ready to drink in early fall, when the temperatures cool back down to the mid 90s and the leaves start to turn color (brown). I like to brew my beer in season. For instance, you'll never catch me drinking a stout in the summertime – never! I still have a bottle of Cappuccino Stout in my beer fridge that my son-law bought me last December that I'm saving for a cold Louisiana winter night. I can't wait for that night to get here! Anyway, summer is for wheat beer and weizens...nectars of the gods. I'll consider your responses and let you know what I decide.

Be expeditious with your advice; I'll probably be buying ingredients next weekend on my way back from New Orleans. The wife says I have to take her to Preservation Hall to listen to jazz, and we have reservations at Emeril's on Friday night at 1900. Reckon Emeril has some decent beer on draught? I'm for sure gonna eat a turtle in one fashion or another. What beer goes with turtle?

Surely there's another homebrewer with a shop between here and New Orleans...

Until I hear back from you...cheers!

The Unpublished Benefits of Being an American Hombrewer Association Member

I am a dues paying member of the American Hombrewers Association (AHA). It is a great venue for homebrewers to learn about making great beer. As part of my membership I get several magazines per year, daily newsletters, discounted beer at participating microbreweries, and plenty of educational material related to the hobby. I also received a free bumper sticker that says "Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Homebrew...". I put it on the back of my truck, much to the wife's dismay. I'm very proud of my little truck decoration. Little did I know that it carried an extra benefit that isn't published in the AHA material.



While driving through one of my local Louisiana towns, trying to learn to sing Panis Angelicus (almost like Pavarotti) with my head in the clouds, there I spied one of the local law enforcement officials, cleverly concealed behind a tree, clocking me at 45 in a 30 mph zone. I gripped the wheel and assumed my best driving position, immediately slowing down (as if that ever does any good) and looking forward, hoping that perhaps he was looking for someone younger and faster. It was not to be; he pulled out, got behind me, and flipped on his party lights. I pulled over and did some quick housekeeping so as not to reveal any past and recently empty indiscretions from the weekend's camping trip. I gave him my license and insurance card and waited patiently for my sentence while he walked back to his cruiser. He returned shortly.

That's when it happened; when I realized what the unwritten rules of membership. "Are you a homebrewer?" he asked. I replied to the affirmative, of course. He said "So am I". I was shocked; I thought that I was the only human being stuck in homebrew limbo around this Coors Light culture. That began a wonderful 10 minute dialogue on the benefits and wonders of homebrewing. We talked about who we buy our materials from, the differences between all-grain and partial grain brewing, how to best cool wort in these hot climes, the hop shortage, our favorite styles of beer, kegging versus bottling, various types of equipment and expenses, and so on. I got his name and told him where I lived (as if he couldn't have figured that out) and he told me to come by the station to visit anytime. I told him that I'd give him a shout the next time I brewed. When it was over, he handed me my cards and told me to have a nice day. Not even a warning ticket or lecture! I figure I avoided $100 in fines, and I met a fellow homebrewer.

I can't wait until my membership expires and I get a nice new bumper sticker for the wife's car. I hope she doesn't get pulled over by a tee-totaling recovering alcoholic cop with an attitude...