This year started off so good really. My first grand-daughter turned 1 & another one arrived on the scene. Both of them lovely little ladies. Gained another daughter as well - well nearly anyway! Welcome to the family, Jen, I hope you survive the trip! Started my REAL retirement this year as well. Then this month arrived with a bang. Apart from Rossi, Johan from the Bistro Blues had another prang - apparently T-boned by another vehicle & sounds like he may be a bit paralysed. Still don't know the full story but, hey that family has had enough shit to last them a while! Then I hear old Soeties, a local drunk & beggar & a real PITA (pain in the ass) when he is pissed, fell in a dam the other night & drowned. Shit way to go for anybody. Hell, this is starting to sound like a real agony column! So, let's change! :o)
Beer! Corripe Cervisiam, I am told means "Seize the Beer!" I can live with that. Busy with a new effort at the moment as I said in the previous blog. It could be "Boil in a Bag" or "Partial Mash". Whatever, I am trying something new. Got the grains, mashed 'em, boiled the wort, chucked in some hops, coffee & molasses & a bit of medium liquid malt extract. Dropped some cold pass water into the fermentor & then the still hot wort into that via a filter. Did it like this 'cos I don't have a chiller - yet. Bunged in the dried malt extract & coopers brewing sugar, topped up to about 22 liters, chucked in the fish-tank heater (thanks Lawrence) set on 24'C & sat back. Still another 8 days to go before bottling & then another 2 weeks before the first taste (bummer). They say one should only taste after about four weeks - sod that! I've only waited, at the most, two weeks before tasting. The first one I did was within a few days.That was maybe the wrong choice - it tasted a bit like something you would not like to taste. Did get better tho'. I've done about 3 different stouts 'till now & they have all been pretty good. Here's a Real Ale that was a bit too potent & had a bit of a flowery taste cos I dry hopped with East Kent Goldings for 10 days in the secondary fermentor.
And then you have the view to sit & look at while you sup that back!
And one last one of Rossi & the missus having a Sunday afternoon kip!
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