Dyrnwch

Deprived the much needed paint ball catharsis I was forced to redirect my energy elsewhere...to brewing, of course. And, as it happened, it was a fierce day over the kettle indeed. Last night I discovered that I am not the only brewer contributing to a party at the end of May. Another homebrewer has also been invited to contribute...a shrewd move by the host.

I would like to think I am equally committed to every batch; that I am giving it my all every time whether it's for the esteemed guests or my own lush self. When the result is good beer, it seems like anything less than my best effort is unacceptable. Things like monitoring the temperature, proper stirring, and boil-over avoidance should never be options. Criminal shortcuts like a fast sparge or an early flame out tend to annoy the gnome, and are therefore off limits completely.

But, in the heat of battle there seems to be some sort of intangible force working behind the scenes. It's like Sputnik beeping ominously over-head. Suddenly the mash temperature is perfect, the gravity, as predicted, and the clarity, brilliant. I am running through the same motions, but for some reason the fermentation is explosive and I come home to see krausen erupting through the airlock...next thing I know I'm on my hands and knees mopping up all the delicious wasted beer covering the floor. Not the worst problem to have.

I had that sort of experience today. The stars aligned somehow and I managed a batch that, if awful, can be attributed completely to my inexperience and lack of aptitude. I hate to admit I drop the ball sometimes out of laziness or carelessness with regards to something as important as beer, but I guess maybe I'll view it like a volume dial that goes up to 11 rather than a design flaw...I know it just won't shred as hard at 10, but sometimes that's just as high as it's going to go.

So, it was a long day brewing indeed, and I met my adversary in every ingredient, measurement, and taste test. There I stood like Dyrnwch the Giant over my cauldron ensuring a vigorous boil. The day may have been grueling, but I expect the reward to be sweet.