And then.

The past two weeks have not been good for climbing. Transportation wise, I can get there on the bus, but it just takes so much time. Last week I seem to have acquired a slight cold, this week I have to be at work at 2ish three out of five days (which means leaving the house around 1230). Plus I am not feeling all that motivated.
I think the winter is getting to me. This year has just been cold and more cold. Our ten day forecast finally has a few days in or near fifty with lows in the high twenties, which means my hope of starting to ride my motorcycle again in a few weeks seems feasible. I am thinking I should have enough saved up by mid april to get something new.
Last time I mentioned the beer I had going had yet to start fermentation. Shortly after I wrote those words, it did. And boy did it ever. It was maybe the most active fermentation I have seen so far! Yesterday I racked it to the secondary, taking the specific gravity and having a taste. The sg went from 1.063 to 1.006 in six days. Right now that is in the neighborhood of 7+% abv. Taste wise, it was really good. Alot of those fruity esters you would typically find in a Belgian beer, some light tartness, and a light sour/funky aroma.
10 lb Pilsner malt
11 oz Wheat malt
5 oz Acidulated malt
2 oz Crystal pellets @ 90 min
.5 oz Crystal pellets @ 2 min
5526 - Brettanomyces Lambicus
Ferment at 78 degrees for one week, move to secondary and temperatures below 55 for 2-4 weeks. It is currently in my garage where I am sure the temps will fluctuate a bit, but should remain in the 40's.
I think when it gets warmer I am going to start riding my bike to work twice a week or so. I won't have to leave all that much earlier and I can start getting in shape.
I am also working on my application for CU. I still may be able to get into the fall semester, but we shall see.

Cont'd.

I decided that if I don't see any fermentation by tomorrow, I am going to grab a different yeast and see what happens. I think I will turn it into a saison.
Katie got a new job. It will be part time for the next month so she is still going to stay at her current job. After that I believe she will move to full time at the new place. They are opening a second location in Boulder so she would be part of the opening team. She got some really good references from past employers so that is good.
The weather this winter has been pretty crappy. Last year we had our fair share of warmer days (50deg+) during the winter, but this year is all cold. For instance, today and tomorrow we will be around 20 below our average. I was hoping to get out my motorcycle in a few weeks, but I am not sure when that is going to happen. It would be great not to have to take the bus again, though at least I don't have to pay for it.
And the snow. We haven't gotten bombed like those of you on the east coast (not yet anyway!). But we are getting enough in small 2-4 inch storms to be annoying. There is snow in the shaded parts of our yard that has been there since the beginning/middle of December!
Guess that is about all for now. Smell ya later!

Long time.

Wow, it's been awhile since I have written. Not really all that much to report. I keep hoping to get out on my mtb, but it keeps snowing. Not alot, but just enough here and there to thwart that idea. Been climbing pretty frequently. I have days when I feel great and strong, and other days when I don't feel so good. So it goes.
The porter that I brewed has been getting good feedback. With all the flavor additions, it seems like everyone gets something different. I have heard ginger, chocolate, juniper, and licorice from various people. Since then I have made a Belgian style strong ale (think Duvel) and a stout. I bottled half the batch of stout with coffee to make a coffee stout and half as is. I have tasted both stouts and they are good so far, but need a little more time in the bottle. The Belgian took a month to ferment fully and I am expecting a longer than normal time in the bottle to carbonate.
This week I started my first batch of all grain beer. It definitely took alot more time to make, but if you think the process though and plan it out, I don't feel as if it is any more difficult. It is fermented solely with a strain of wild yeast found in lambics called b. lambicus. It should be interesting, although I started it two days ago and have yet to see signs of fermentation.
to be continued....