Got invited to my 20th school reunion by an ex school mate. It’s at Troegs Brewery and it’s $100, which isn’t bad for this day and age, which covers open bar, food, and live music from Corty Byron.

He still plays and while I haven’t heard in a while, about to listen on YouTube, he was great in High School.

My dilemma is that most of my ex school mates are married, have kids, or at least a partner. I have none of those and I think it’ll be awkward. For me that is.

I don’t talk to anyone from school except at work and that is when they come in for gas, drinks, lottery, or cigarettes.

I’m thinking of just not going and spending the night with my sister at a bar/restaurant.

Most I'll miss is seeing Corty play and he's around again so I can always go to another show.

name a better combo

Brewery Tours

Brewery Tours are a terrific method to discover brewing as well as enjoy tasty craft beer. With a variety of tours to pick from, you can find one that fits your needs and preferences. Learn more about this brewery, go here. These tours can be an enjoyable and academic experience that is best for the whole family members! Brooklyn, New York is the residence of some of the finest breweries in the nation. These breweries create some of one of the most popular beers worldwide, and also are well worth seeing. Find out for further details on this source right here. There are a few things to bear in mind when booking your brewery excursion, consisting of the following: # 1 What is Consisted of? Most breweries offer their own scenic tours, so make sure to look into the information of each scenic tour before making your reservation. This will give you a suggestion of what to expect from the trip, as well as whether or not it is something that you would be interested in doing. Some breweries additionally have a self-guided excursion course that lets you stray around the fermentation/filtration hall, top quality lab and also product packaging lines at your very own pace. Others supply guided scenic tours for a cost, which will certainly consist of a souvenir glass as well as some examples of their beers. This is an optimal means to see a brewery without having to bother with hauling your bags around or getting shed. These trips are readily available in a lot of major cities. They are a terrific way to get an intro to developing and also check out the history of your favored beer. Boston, Massachusetts is referred to as a hotbed of craft beer, as well as it has more than a few breweries to see. You can take a tour of Samuel Adams, America's first and oldest craft brewery, or go on the Grand Cru Trip to get an extensive check out developing. You can also go to Dogfish Head, which produces a selection of sour beers and uses a totally free hour-long excursion that includes 4 healthy and balanced tastings. They additionally have a Grain to Glass trip that educates you more concerning the craft beer process as well as consists of a thorough check out the distillery, where they generate vodka and rum. If you are looking for an extra laidback alternative, consider Troegs, which is complimentary and lets you explore the brewery at your very own pace. This trip includes a self-guided course through the brewery's fermentation/filtration, top quality lab, packaging as well as barrel-aging rooms. For those that are severe concerning their developing, you can likewise sign up for a tour at Sweetwater, where they have $12 trips that include a souvenir pint glass as well as six 6-ounce samples of their beers. These tours are supplied every half hour, as well as they are a terrific method to experience Sweetwater's brewing process at your own pace. Other than the cost-free scenic tour that includes four ounces of beer, Support Brewing Business additionally has an Early morning Mash-in Trip that gives you special access to experimental beers. These excursions are just offered twice a day, and also they are restricted to 15 tickets per week. One more prominent selection is the Pilsner Urquell Brewery Tour, which enables you to walk through all components of the brewery, from the components to the packaging plant. You will even have the ability to taste the renowned Pilsner Urquell beer from the tank. Please click this link https://www.ehow.com/how_5849666_brew-beer-kit.html for more info.

Described as “beautiful and balanced”, Tröegs Independent Brewing releases Nimble Giant Double IPA.

Press Release

HERSHEY, PA – Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the release of its beautiful and balanced Double IPA, Nimble Giant.

One of Tröegs’ most-loved beers, this once-a-year release rivals its iconic holiday ale, Mad Elf, for the excitement it generates each year.

Nimble Giant came up through the brewery’s small-batch Scratch Series, starting with an experiment with Mosaic hops. After about half a dozen test batches, the Tröegs brewing team hit upon a hop combination everyone loved – Mosaic, Simcoe and Azacca – and never looked back.

In the end, Nimble Giant is rife with notes of grapefruit, pineapple, and honeysuckle. Clocking in at 9% ABV, this deep orange double IPA is balanced by a backbone of pilsner and Vienna malt. It’s a big beer that goes down easy.

This fan favorite scores an ‘Outstanding’ on BeerAdvocate and consistently hits the top 10 trending beers on Untappd.

Nimble Giant is available on draft and in 16-oz. cans everywhere Tröegs beer is sold.

To learn more about Nimble Giant’s origins and to take a virtual tasting, please visit the Tröegs blog.

or read below

The path to Nimble Giant starts in the hop fields with Simcoe’s notes of creamsicle and mango, Mosaic’s honeysuckle and grapefruit, and Azacca’s intense pineapple.

And this deep orange Double IPA is balanced by a backbone of Pilsner and Vienna malts.

We taste: tropical fruit, pine sap and honeysuckle.

Clocking in at 9% ABV, Nimble Giant is a big beer, but it goes down easy. That’s why it scores an ‘Outstanding’ on BeerAdvocate and consistently hits the top 10 trending beers on Untappd.

Not surprisingly, Nimble came up through our small-batch Scratch System.

We loved our earliest trials with fruity and complex Mosaic hops. When we started dry-hopping with Mosaic and Simcoe together, we knew we were onto something. People started stopping our brewmaster out in public and raving about the Scratch batches.

After about half a dozen small test batches, we hit upon the finishing touch with the addition of Azacca hops. It’s an intensely tropical hop and helped us hit those vibrant notes of mango and pineapple.

Sneak peeks of Nimble Giant first landed at Rochester Beer Week and Philly Beer Week. Two great beer towns, and they both loved Nimble! After that, there was no turning back.

To this day, Nimble is second only to Mad Elf in the anticipation it generates. Everybody wants to know when and where they can #FindTheGiant.

But like summer, Nimble won’t last forever. Pick up some 16-oz cans or find it on draft wherever Troegs is sold. Find it near you at troegs.com/brewfinder.

Eats n Drinks - Tröeg’s Independent Brewing, Hershey, PA

Enjoyed an ice cold beer at Tröeg’s after a blisteringly hot day riding roller coasters and eating barbecue at Hershey Park down the road.

Peach Apricot Shebang: brewed with 22 pounds per barrel of fresh fruit. Frothy and sweet. Made with Hornindal Kveik yeast to add subtle notes of tropical pineapple to the notes of peach and apricot. And a hint of vanilla!

I made a poster for @TroegsBeer for the release of their once a year ale: Nugget Nectar! If you're in Baltimore you can join me on Feb 6th @joesquared for the release party!

@troegsbeer Mad Elf Grand Cru. I like regular Mad Elf, this version is not really an improvement to me. A little one note for me as the sour cherry dominates the whole beer. Nothing awful but not my thing. #photooftheday #beer #craftbeer #craftbeerlife #instagood #drinklocalbeer #microbrew #follow #beerreview #brews #troegs #madelf #grandcru #beerpulse #craftnotcrap #founders #instagram #beer #beerstagram #brewery Marylandbrewer.com

what are your fave breweries? how difficult is it to try craft beers from different regions?

hm mayhaps i should not have suggested this ask. but like, breweries that stand out to me are ones that are either 1. doing something different, or 2. are just really pleasant places to be at. for beer, i already said my favorite brewery is trillium (which is in the boston area and barely distributes, so i apologize if you’re not from around here) just because they’re so creative and their stuff is so unique while also being nice to drink and well balanced. then there’s breweries like hermit thrush (which is out of vermont, and they do distribute, but BOY are they expensive even by craft beer standards) and all they do is sours. which first of all takes ages, and second of all they do like, every style under the sun, but sour. that’s AMAZING. even if you don’t like sours you have to appreciate it. then there’s places that i like the beer just fine, it’s good beer, but i would say they’re among my favorite because of the vibe of their location rather than the beers they produce. the two that come immediately to mind are jack’s abbey (outside boston again, sorry) and troegs (hershey, pa) with an honorable mention to cigar city (tampa, fl), but honestly there’s a lot of hole in the wall breweries that also give off this kind of vibe. i think it would be easier if you gave me some particular areas, if you want like, actual recommendations for beer, but this is sort of my general answer

(also jesus i miss breweries so much this is all from the Before Times now i’m a lil sad)

okay, now, difficulty of trying beer from different regions. it. depends. it depends a lot. and it even depends a bit on if you mean beer as in type or beer as in beer from a particular place. so let’s start with beer from a particular place. you’re always going to have better luck finding beer from a particular brewery the closer to the brewery you are, sometimes meaning the only place you can get the beer at all is at the place they make it. i mean, this is USUALLY the case more with either small breweries or particularly sought after beers, but that’s not the rule. like, treehouse, which if you’re into beer is VERY popular and isn’t even particularly small, only sells out of their one location (yes i know about their original location and that they’re building more hush) and has no distribution. so there’s a lot of breweries that you’re just, not gonna have unless you go there or you have someone who can hook you up. so, in that way, it’s quite hard, depending on the brewery.

but on top of that, it can be hard to find certain styles. never impossible, but more difficult. i’m gonna use new england ipas again as an example, just because it’s a bit easier to explain with it. like, you can find neipas outside of new england. sometimes they’re made by new england breweries and distributed, sometimes breweries in your area (or that just distribute to your area) make a version of them, but the likelihood is high that, if that’s what you want and you’re in the us, you’re probably gonna find something. but, because of my previous point, it might be difficult to find a top tier, or in some cases even decent, iteration of the style. so like, the complicated answer to your simple question is that. or, in simpler terms, it depends on what you’re looking for because not all beer is created equal.

PA Craft Breweries’ Strategy Shift

Throughout the past couple of years, craft breweries have become a newly forming trend, with different breweries popping up everywhere. Pennsylvania currently has over 350 Craft breweries which offer a space to experience many firsts, one of a kind beers, unique food options, and many times a behind the scenes tour of their operations. They have come to offer a great alternative to traditional bars, restaurants, and traditional beers. In these unprecedented times, craft breweries which are usually multifaceted businesses have been forced to strictly focus on their brewing operations.

Has the Pennsylvania market of independent craft brewing become over saturated? Will the COVID-19 pandemic be a pivotal moment for select breweries to make their lasting mark? 

Despite having over 350 craft breweries in Pennsylvania, there are a select few breweries that are household names and favorites among craft beer drinkers in the state. This past month, breweriesinpa.com featured their “March Madness Bracket” which received a total of 173,000 votes. There were 64 participants in the battle for PA’s best. The final four consisted of Troegs (Hershey), Dancing Gnome (Pittsburgh), Tired Hands (Ardmore) and Levante (West Chester). Troegs was the champion of this year’s bracket.

Under normal circumstances, Troegs is distributed regionally across the Mid-Atlantic Region. The brewery located in Hershey offers exclusive tours, various food options, and brewery specific beers called the “Scratch-Series” as an added advantage to their wide distribution system. During the pandemic, they will most definitely not face any issues due to their distribution system. 

However, the other three breweries mentioned have minimal or no distribution prior to the pandemic. They rely on consumers coming to the brewery, eating, drinking and buying beer to take home with them. The other three breweries all have their own strategy for during and it could have an impact after the pandemic. After? Yes after! Dancing Gnome is currently offering curbside pickup at its location in Pittsburgh (the least impressive). Tired Hands is offering state-wide shipping for a fee as well as curbside pickup. Most impressively, Levante, who came in second place for breweriesinpa.com’s bracket is offering free shipping with any order over $75. 

Personally, I believe the PA craft brewing market is becoming oversaturated. With 3 out of the 4 best craft breweries voted on are going above and beyond to reach the consumer, they will succeed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Craft beer drinkers in PA are not going to settle for lesser-known and lesser-quality breweries with easy access to 3 out of 4 top breweries in the state. Over the next couple years we will see a decrease in the amount of breweries in the state. Craft breweries must become more creative in reaching their consumers during these times in order to maintain their operations and market share after the pandemic. Maybe even more creative than Sanitas Brewing Company in Boulder, CO!

🧠 🧠 🧠 🧠 🧠

He prefers beer over wine and liquor.

Ireland’s favorite drink is Guinness, of course, but he feels ashamed to admit that he also loves ciders + fruitier drinks (malt beer), as his brothers mock him for that.

He loves-loves-loves STRONG IPAs, I’m talkin’ high in IBU. The higher the better. *obligatory weed joke* He loves being able to TASTE the alcohol content, he loves the taste of hops, etc.

He has a taste for most beers, though, except for shitty domestic/typical beers (Miller-Coors, Budweiser/Bud Light, PBR). Cause those taste like horse piss, of course.

When Ireland visits other countries, he usually makes a B-line for any sort of brewery or bar, especially if he can find a local brand. Troegs from Pennsylvania remains one of his favorite local breweries.

DRINKING HV THIS WEEKEND ONWARD! 11/14

THIS WEEKEND!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14TH Serene Beverages hosts Trivia at Uno Pizzeria & Grill in Central Valley at 7pm! Rare Form Brewing in Troy has  Candy & Beer Flight Pairings 4pm - 10pm!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15TH Mohawk Grill & Taproom in Scotia has a KCBC Tap Takeover 4pm - 11pm! Catskill Brewing Co. in Livingston Manor has a  Black Current Foeder Release 3pm - 8pm!

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16TH The Beer King in Middletown has their 4 Year Anniversary Party (Free samples from 20+ Breweries) 1pm - 5pm!

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17TH Mistucky Creek Homebrew in Pine Island hosts Learn To Brew Craft Beer 10am - 2pm!

ONWARD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 20TH Mohawk Grill & Taproom in Scotia has a Night with Burley Oak 5pm - 10pm! Albany Ale & Oyster has a Burley Oak Brewing Co. Tap Takeover at 5pm!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21ST Captain Lawrence Brewery in Elmsford hosts Beer School: Craft Beer in America 6:30pm - 8:30pm! Nighthawks in Troy has a  Stella Artois Midnight Lager Samplin 5pm - 6:30pm!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22ND DeCicco & Sons in Brewster has An Evening with Nod Hill Brewery 5pm - 10pm! Thrifty Beverage in Poughkeepsie has a Piels Tasting 5pm - 7pm! Newburgh Brewing Company has their 2019 "Angry Eggbert IPA" Can Release 4pm - 12am! DeCicco & Sons in Brewster has An Evening with Nod Hill Brewery 5pm - 10pm!

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23RD Thrifty Beverage in Poughkeepsie has a St Bernardus Tasting 1pm - 3pm! Thrifty Beverage in Poughkeepsie has a Warsteiner Tasting 4pm - 7pm! Beer World in Middletown has their Grand Opening Party 1pm - 6pm!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28TH Twisted Vine Wine & Tap in Delmar  4th Annual Draughts & Doughnuts 9am - 12pm!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29TH Pine Island Brewery hosts Black Friday Brewfest 12pm - 8pm! DeCicco & Sons in Brewster has a Goose Island Bourbon County Release 2019 10am - 5pm!

FRIDAY DECEMBER 13TH Thrifty Beverage in Poughkeepsie has a Troegs Tasting 5pm - 7pm! Rushing Duck Brewing Co. in Chester has Goodbye Duck Out 12pm - 8pm!

SATURDAY JANUARY 11TH Cousins Ale Works in Wappingers Falls has their Bi-Annual Home Brew Competition 6pm - 8pm!

SATURDAY JANUARY 18TH New Paltz Brewing Co.  in Wawarsing has a  Homebrew Competition -German Style 2pm - 9pm!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 22ND Dutch Ale House in Saugerties has A Beer Pairing Dinner with Arrowood Farm Brewing 6:30pm - 9:00pm!

SATURDAY JUNE 27TH The City Squire in Schenectady hosts their 1st Annual Block Party 3pm - 10pm!

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 8TH BREWMAGEDDON 2020: The Northeast Invitational Brewers Festival is at the  Schenectady Armory Center 2pm - 6pm!

Troegenator Doublebock Beer by @troegsbeer . Malty goodness! Sweet notes of caramel, a great dopplebock out of PA. One of my favorite breweries to visit as well, great place with great brews! . Monks had fasting figured out. No food? No problem. Just drink a Double Bock. Thick and chewy with intense notes of caramel, chocolate and dried stone fruit, ‘Nator (as we call him) serves as a tribute to this liquid bread style. . #beer #Beerstagram #Instabeer #Beerporn #Craftbeerporn #beerpics #beers #Beertography #productphoto #beerphotography#beerphotos #Craftbeer #CraftNotCrap #BeerGeek #Beerlove #Beershots #productphotography #beercans #troegs #belgianbeer #doublebockbeer #doublebock #productsunderlights (at West Hartford, Connecticut) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdj2y4Rtmmt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

@troegsbeer Mad Elf Grand Cru. I like regular Mad Elf, this version is not really an improvement to me. A little one note for me as the sour cherry dominates the whole beer. Nothing awful but not my thing. #photooftheday #beer #craftbeer #craftbeerlife #instagood #drinklocalbeer #microbrew #follow #beerreview #brews #troegs #madelf #grandcru #beerpulse #craftnotcrap #founders #instagram #beer #beerstagram #brewery Marylandbrewer.com

From Tröegs : HERSHEY, PA – Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the release of Lucky Holler, a hazy IPA inspired by the brewery’s a...

DRINKING HV THIS WEEKEND ONWARD! 9/28

THIS WEEKEND!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH DeCicco & Sons in Armonk hosts Gueuzeapalooza: A Celebration of Spontaneously Fermented Beers 5pm - 9pm! Hunter’s on Jay in Schenectady has their 4th Anniversary Party at 8pm!

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH DeCicco & Sons in Armonk has a Twin Fork Tasting 12:30pm - 3:30pm! Wolff’s Biergarten in Albany has their 10th Annual Oktoberfest Block Party11am - 7pm! Roscoe Beer Co. has their Oktoberfest 11am - 7pm! Village Beer Garden in Port Chester hosts Oktoberfest Port Chester 2pm - 6pm! Half Time Beverages in Poughkeepsie has a Free Fall Beer Tasting 1pm - 4pm! Hudson Ale Works in Highland has their 2nd Annual Wurst Weekend in September 12pm - 11pm!

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30TH Village Beer Garden in Port Chester hosts Oktoberfest Port Chester 2pm - 6pm! Hudson Ale Works in Highland has their 2nd Annual Wurst Weekend in September 12pm - 6pm!

ONWARD!

TUESDAY OCTOBER 2ND DeCicco & Sons in Armonk has a Beer Education, Cooking Demo, and Tasting - Oktoberfest Edition 5:30pm - 7:30pm!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 5TH Hudson Valley Brewery in Beacon has their Catoberfest 2018 6pm - 10pm! The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park hosts Brew U at CIA: A Beer, Food, and Education Festival 2pm - 5pm! DeCicco & Sons in Brewster has their Oktoberfest 5pm - 10pm! Hudson Valley Brewery in Beacon has their Catoberfest 6pm - 10pm! Drink Albany 2018 - At the NYS Museum is from 6pm - 9pm! The Ruck in Troy has a Peekskill Brewery Tap Takeover - 10th Anniversary Celebration 4pm - 10pm!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 6TH Growler & Gill in Nanuet has a Pumpkin Beer & Cider Tap Takeover 12pm - 11pm! Chatham Brewing hosts Chatham OctoberFeast 2018 11am - 6pm!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 7TH Growler & Gill in Nanuet has a Pumpkin Beer & Cider Tap Takeover 12pm - 8pm!

THURSDAY OCTOBER 11TH Growler & Gill in Nanuet has a Platform Tap Takeover 6pm - 9pm!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12TH Peekskill Brewery has their 10th Anniversary Grand Tasting 7pm - 11pm!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 13TH Westtown Brew Works has their Westtown Brew Works Is Turning “4-ish” event 12pm - 9pm! The Band BBQ & Beer Festival is at Hemlock Hills Farm in Cortlandt Manor 11am - 5pm! Yonkers Brewing has their Yonktoberfest 2018 1pm - 8pm! The 6th Annual Craft: Beer, Spirits & Food Festival is at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts 1pm - 5pm! Peekskill Brewery has their 10th Anniversary Block Party 3pm - 1pm! Hudson Brewing Co. in Hudson has their Oktoberfest 6pm - 9pm!

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 17TH Liberty Street Bistro in Newburgh has a Newburgh Brewing Pairing Dinner 6pm - 10pm!

THURSDAY OCTOBER 18TH Fort Orange Brewing in Albany has a 2019 Theme Reveal Party 5:30pm - 8:30pm!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19TH DeCicco & Sons in Brewster has a Night of Variants comparing two versions of the same beer 5pm - 10pm!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20TH Fort Orange Brewing in Albany has their One Year Anniversary Bash 2pm - 10pm! The Boos & Brews Festival is at Barton Orchards in Poughquag 9am - 6pm! Pine Island Brewery has their 3rd Anniversary Party 12pm - 8pm! The Inaugural Hudson Valley Beer & Belly Tour leaves from Croton Harmon Train Station at 10:30am! Half Time Beverages in Poughkeepsie has a Free Fall Beer Tasting 1pm - 4pm!

SUNDAY OCTOBER 21ST Newburgh Brewing Company has a Fund Raising Party for Baby Steps Baby Pantry 1pm - 4pm! The Boos & Brews Festival is at Barton Orchards in Poughquag 9am - 6pm!

TUESDAY OCTOBER 23RD Great Flats Brewing in Schenectady has a BBQ & Brew for Brown School 6:30pm - 9:30pm! Heritage Food + Drink in Wappingers Falls has a Sloop Brewing Co Beer Dinner 7pm - 10pm!

TUESDAY OCTOBER 30TH SUNY Schenectady County Community College has a Rare Form Brewing Company Beer Pairing Dinner 6pm - 9pm!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 2ND Holy Smoke BBQ in Croton-on-Hudson has a Troegs Brew Master Dinner6pm - 11pm!

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3RD Growler & Gill in Nanuet has their Anniversary Party 7pm - 11pm!

Bottle Day!

So I made it to bottle day! Man, three weeks is a long time and now I have to wait two more. At least I can’t do anything more to ruin anything. Not that anything is ruined, just overthinking things and made some decisions in the last two weeks that I probably won’t do again.

That’s me on the capper.

Let’s see if I can remember all the things that almost went wrong.

My original plan was for two weeks in primary fermentation and two weeks of bottle conditioning. That’s the schedule in the directions that came with the extract kit from Northern Brewer, all done, beer in the fridge in four weeks. HOWEVER, the label on the recipe kit box says six weeks. WTF? So there’s a second, five gallon carboy in the “Brewery in a Box” kit (also from Northern Brewer). So I start researching secondary bulk fermentation and I stumble across a wonderful website, howtobrew.com based on John Palmer’s book (that I’ve had on my list to buy for years). He has a good article about secondary fermentation that talked me into transferring to the second carboy. I see that secondary can really help with clarifying your beer. Less cloudy and less sediment sounds like a good thing to me. At that point, I decided I’d do one week in primary, one week in secondary, and two weeks bottle conditioning.

I transferred the wort to the smaller carboy, added the last of the dry hop additions, and put a clean airlock on. Then later in the week, I read more about secondary fermentation and found a couple writers, including John Palmer, who said that there’s really no point in doing secondary if you don’t do it for at least two weeks. So, I’m like, well crap. I just added another week until I can drink my beer. But I already noticed the fermenter starting to clear, whether that was going to happen anyway due to fermentation slowing down or if it was because of the transfer to secondary, I have no idea. I continued to watch the airlock bubble for a few minutes everyday and monitor the thermometer sticker on the side of the carboy. 

Temperature was the next thing to overthink. The sticker consistently read 64/66 there’s no 65 so 64 and 66 having color means 65, right? And 65 is the minimum temp allowed for good fermentation. Thermostat in the house is set at 68 at night and 69 during the day which is warmer than we usually have it because beer. I also have a cheap room thermometer sitting right by the fermenter that consistently read 20-22 C (why did I buy a thermometer that only reads in Celsius? Good question) which is between 68 and 71 F. Still good so I figured the sticker is slightly off. No big deal but I’m keeping an eye on it.

It’s finally almost two weeks in secondary so I start taking hydrometer readings because I saw on some brewing message board that daily hydrometer readings are the best way to tell when fermentation is done. I pull a sample. I kind of made a mess trying to figure out the best way to use the sample thief and get it in the test cylinder. Beer on the carpet (not the first time, obvs). I float the hydrometer... Is that 1.060? I can’t tell because the lines are too close together. I start sweating. 1.060 is a normal reading for the START of fermentation. What happened!?

I’m freaking. Was it too cold? The basement is really cold and the fermenter is on the floor of the ground floor. How much longer is fermentation going to take? Did I kill it with the transfer to secondary? I look up support at Northern Brewer and send a panicked email. Nate (guy at NB) says, “that’s really strange.” and asks, “are you sure you didn’t fuck this up somehow?” only much nicer. Anyway, I read the hydrometer wrong. I spent too much time trying to see through the bubbles in the test cylinder to see which line the level was at to notice that the BIG lines are the hundredths place and what I was actually looking at was a 1.006 gravity reading. Right where it’s supposed to be. Fuck me. LOL

Anyway, it stayed right at 1.006 for the next two days so I bottled today. I made a mess. Spilled beer and cleanser on the floor. Broke a bottle. Yelled at the cats to gerrouttahere! But at the end of a longer afternoon than I had planned, I have 44 12oz bottles of “Fresh Squished IPA” sitting in Troegs Brewing boxes right where my fermenter was. I could have probably got another 2ish bottles but my hand was cramping from holding the bottle filler wand and I was starting to see free hop leaves floating down the filler tube and I was just ready to be done.

Not sure how I feel about bottling. It’s a lot of work but a keg system isn’t in the covid financial plan right now. I have a few friends who report not great success bottling so we’ll see.

Two. More. Weeks.