Must… have…. IPA…

It’s been nice becoming forcefully reacquainted with the many other styles of beer in the world over the past year. I used to have a fridge stocked full of IPAs that would share some real estate with the occasional out-of-towner. However, the relocation of the brewing facilities from West to East Coast means that the copious amounts of IPA aren’t as readily available as they used to be and the ones that are available…. well let’s just say, the East doesn’t do West Coast IPAs. There are some exceptions to that statement but only some.

Ramblings aside, while I have enjoyed drinking styles I neglected for a few years, that empty place in my heart/belly/fridge could only be filled with an IPA. Match. Burner. Boil. Hops. Yeast. An IPA is born. Single hops and lots of them! See you in a few weeks!

Whirly Bird’s first keg

1.041 went into the carboy and 15 days later there was but 1.002 left. Everything went much quicker than I expected but I guess that’s what this type of yeast does (WLP565). First day of spring and Whirly Bird Brewing Co rings it in with our first batch of beer in a keg. Now the real waiting game begins… when to pour that first glass…

A farmhouse in the making

The match has been lit and the burner has once again come to life. Pilsner, Vienna, wheat, rye and aciduated malt are well on their way into making a Farmhouse Ale with the help of some hops and some yeast.

The goal is a sour-ish farmhouse (saison) and keg it but we’ll see how everything shakes out.