Fall is right around the corner

I just got the news that I will have to move from the house I love.

I will miss you basement that holds all my carboybies. I will miss the covered back deck that sheltered me from rain, snow, wind (ok not so much the wind) and other stuff that falls from the sky. I will miss the chickens most of all. I don't think I can go back to store bought eggs.

I'm spending the week packing up my books, clothes, and beer equipment and racking beer into kegs and less fragile carboys. I'm going to keg and then cold condition the the American lager I was making in Joe's fridge. Among the list of other things I have to do in the coming month besides find at least a part-time job, is plan a more consistent brewing schedule, beyond the brewing I do at Coalition.


I did manage before I moved to rack my first ever lager and put it in the fridge. I'm hoping it will settle out a bit more and clear up. I can drink a little of it but I get that itchy throat afterwards. So this will be strictly a giveaway beer.

Haitus: A needed break or just plain lazy?

The last time I checked my blog I had just finished the Pineapple Kolsch and was getting ready to send it in for the Collaborator and the Fruit Beer competitions. Since then I brewed the Pineapple Kolsch at Coalition and it was a great hit and have steadily been working my way through some other beer styles. I brewed a braggot with rose hips and hibiscus that made leather-clad bikers smile and say "Cheers!" I helped design and brew up the LOLA Hibiscus Pale Ale for the event at Saraveza on July 23rd and pleased as punch when the piece in Brewpublic came out and I was quoted. Here it is!

I did a demo brew at the Oregon Brewers Festival at the Oregon Brew Crew booth and was pleased by the McGuyvering that I managed to accomplish with the help of strangers and my brewing partner, Joe. Joe spent a good portion of the time blowing bubbles and repeatedly trying to steer people to me, the point brewer on the batch. He thought it was great fun to tell each person who asked him what he was brewing, a different beer style.

I've been organizing the Coalator program at Coalition and brewing up some amazing beers with homebrewers. Coupling that with all the festivals and beer tastings around Portland and I can forgive myself for not being more diligent about writing in my blog. Time to turn over a new leaf before they all fall off the tree. The procrastinator in me wants to wait until September 1st and then start fresh but honestly, we (all the voices inside and outside my head) all know that I'll just blow that deadline off when it rolls around. So I will just play it by ear and bookmark the webpage on my browser and try to be more intentional in my goal to write more.