Mother FUCKING Cradle of Civilization!!

Last week was crazy we brewed 3 beers. The three beers were an Orange Porter (this beer that will change the world, more on this later)- No Name Yet, American Ale - called The Pilgrim Ale (also more on this later, THE ANTICIPATION it burns) and also a Hefweizen- called The Founders Brew (made for the founders of the company Brian and I work for)

ANYWAY, the Orange Porter was an idea I had when talking to my buddy Chris about making a San Francisco Giants themed beer. I told him I wanted something Black and Orange, then it struck me an Orange Porter. We explained this to the non-Griz (aka the guy that won't yell at you or give you snarky comments) of the Brewcraft, he explained in the years he has been working there no costumer has ever spoke of this recipe, literally his jaw was on the floor. This makes me excited because if it actually works we could be brewing something that will be a cornerstone of the CCB.

Next was the American Ale we named The Pilgrim Ale in honor of the late Kurt Vonnegut. To celebrate his life we made an all American beer. Every ingredient was grow/made in the USA. We named it The Pilgrim Ale for two reasons, Billy Pilgrim of Slaughterhouse Five and Pilgrims founded what has become America. As Joe would say THAT'S A DOUBLE WHAMMY. Don't worry though France (Joe) was not allowed to touch any of the ingredients, this of course was for fear of contamination, mainly Francium. I digress we are hoping for a smooth taste but a little bite at the end, just like works by Vonnegut. On a side note Vonnegut was a thought provoking and truthful voice that will be sorely missed, I can only hope my children will pick up Slaughterhouse Five or Cat's Cradle and be inspired to read.

Here is a random thought by Charlie Bamforth, Professor of Brewing Science at UC Davis. This man is a genius!

"Beer is the basis of modern static civ­ilization," began Bamforth, Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Brewing Science at the University of California, Davis. "Because before beer was discovered, people used to wander around and follow goats from place to place. And then they realized that this grain [barley] could be grown and sprouted and made into a bread and crumbled and converted into a liquid which gave a nice, warm, cozy feeling. So gone were the days that they followed goats around. They stayed put while the grain grew and while the beer was brewed. And they made villages out of their tents. And those villages became towns, and those towns became cities. And so here we are in New York, thanks to beer." Another syllogism ended his address: "He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven. The logic is impeccable."

Link to full article-
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=E699E9C7-E7F2-99DF-38A7329520CF67D6&colID=15

mmmmmmmmmm beer.

I figured there should be a picture of the kegerator somewhere on here.







yeah...

CCB Beer Flight.

Honeyed Wheat, CA Pale, Amber, IPA, Spiced Scottish, Irish Stout.

(Harvest, unnamed, Red Mosquito, Misty Mountain Hops, Drury Lane, Number 9)

forward motion.

Homebrew + Nintendo Wii = Crazy Delicious

Tonight we enjoyed a wide variety of home brew, on tap and in the bottle, and bowled on the wii all night. Matt came over to partake. On tap, we had the CA Pale (which, now that its carbonated and has mellowed a little, is one of my favorite of our past brews. Its nicely hopped but not overly bitterly, very drinkable, and good for all occasions) and the Amber, which I'm still very happy with (though I do wish it was a little more carmelly, a little more malty, and more in the AltBier style. This is what I envision for Red Mosquito Ale, a deep red with a nice balance of maltiness for the initial flavor and hop bite for the end).

By bottle we sampled the Honeyed Wheat, a new addition to the lineup, and the Drury Lane, quickly becoming a staple in small amounts. We've already spoken about the Drury, but there's much to say about the Honeyed Wheat. It's actually a very crisp beer, unlike past things we've made which kind of consume your taste buds. It tends to finish clean with little aftertaste, and is nicely carbonated. I think this is largely because its a wheat beer, and so tastes less malty than other beers. The Honey adds a nice sweetness because it isn't completely fermentable, and gives it a characteristic to set it apart from other Wheat Beers. I'm pretty sure this is the perfect ale for warm weather, just kickin it in the back yard around a barbeque, throwin horse shoes and drinking beer on a sunday. By the way, next year we should spend a solid amount of sundays just kickin it in the back yard around a barbeque, throwin horse shoes and drinking beer. MAKE IT SO!

I still need to keg the Oatmeal Stout, which I'm hoping is nicely roasted like the Irish Dry was, but with a smoothness and fullness the oatmeal should impart. Kegging beer is amazing; few things are as awesome as pulling forward on a handle and watching delicious beer you brewed yourself pour into a glass. Also, some time this weekend I'm gonna start working on CCB Tap Handles, which I envision being carved out of a relatively light but hard wood, maybe a white oak or maple. First up, the Misty Mountain Hops handle, partly because I already have a vision of it, and because an IPA should be a staple brew. Then I'll move on to a general brand handle (non-beer specific), and maybe a Number 9 Stout after that (this is where I want a dark, chocolately, and 9 % stout to head, or maybe a porter). So that's my update. As always, long winded. Life is good.