…and none of that really upset me…I’m not really an angry person… It takes quite a bit to get me riled up nowadays…

BUT I’M PISSED!

It probably has something to do with my efforts to quit smoking.  I’ve only bought two packs in the last two weeks or so and I was a pack a day smoker so I feel like I’ve done pretty good.

An ex girlfriend, the one that was the inspiration for my FML cyser, and one of my roommate’s best friends, stopped over a few days ago and we had ourselves a little three day bender full of drinking rum, whiskey, and lots and lots of homebrew.  So much homebrew, that the bottles would no longer fit on the counter and leave enough space to make even a sandwich.  The light rye was a hit, the browns were going down, my possibly peculiar was palatable enough for a few bottles to be quaffed.  I found a stash of edwort’s pale and yooper’s pale that a good friend of mine made.  They all quickly found a home in our bellies.  All in all, we had a really good time.

I placed the bottles in the hallway leading to the basement that I share with a family of ten living in a two bedroom apartment.  Yes 10 people in a two bedroom…above us…with hardwood floors.  A mom with eight kids, and their uncle.  None of them are employed and they steal whatever they can get their hands on, mostly bikes and clothes, but anything they can use or make a dollar from.  I didn’t figure they would be ridiculous enough to steal de-labled beer bottles, but they did.  I really have no idea how many, a couple cases maybe, but it was enough to make me so angry I was shaking.  I walked in my boxers outside to confront them about it and they just blamed it all on the kids.  I lashed back with some remarks about watching them, disciplining them, taking care of them…ya know, being parents.  The concept kinda went over their head.  I’m really curious what the redemption people told them tho when they brought tons of unlabeled bottles…and what they did with them? Gaaaaahd!

I wish the kids the best, it’s not their fault really.  Its a clashing of two cultures.  I used to live in a neighborhood that was like this.   If you didnt lock it down or tie it down, it wasnt going to be there when you got home.  Thats why I moved here, to a place where I leave my keys in my ignition, never lock my door, and never am concerned about the security of my personal belongings.  Don’t take any of this the wrong way, please.  I’m all for cultural diversity so long as there is consideration, thought, and logic in their practices.  This group of people seemingly has none of the above. The landlord says the eviction notice has been served and hopefully they’ll be out very soon.  My little brother is moving in, my roommate is moving upstairs to their place, and I can’t wait to clean the basement up (thats another story all together) and start storing carboys and beer down there.  My closet is full of full bottles and its too warm to ferment up here.

I’m calm now… after writing this and sampling one of my rye pale’s  Probably the sedative nature of the hops and not so much the venting on a blog that no one reads!  I’m just pissed that I finally had enough bottles that my drinking homebrew was pretty much keeping up with my brewing homebrew and now I have to de-label more bottles.  It seems like a silly reason to be upset now, but I promised my lower back we would do no more bulk bottle de-labeling!  My lower back hates de-labeling bottles…and now I’m a liar!

By reverendtenhigh at 2010-02-04

So whats the point? The point is that I am making excuses. Long story short, we’ve been brewing so much beer lately that it is impossible to think that I could “catch up” this blog to include all my previous beers and make everyone a story in its own right like I thought I originally could/would. It might get there at some point in time, but right now we’re simply just brewing too much. I think, between the two of us, we have cranked out over 60 gallons of beer in the last 6 months.

For the time being, I’m probably going to use this blog like a notebook. Just posting the recipes as they are brewed, starting with my rye pale ale from last night.

I stuck my nose over the carboy of the cyser.   I cannot wait to try this when I bottle, tentatively on Sunday.  I did not think two nutmegs would do anything, but I definitely smell the spice.  The winter ale smells absolutely fabulous as well.  I can’t remember when I’ve ever been more excited about my beer and more excited to brew more.  I need to free up some carboys or check with all those people I gave carboys to to get started brewing and see if they are still using them.  My hobby is turning into an addiction, and with my tax refund coming soon, I can’t wait to upgrade some equipment!

I’m sick today.  Just a bad cold.  It’s my fault.  The last couple weeks I’ve had the winter itch.  SAD is what they call it I guess.  I never thought I was affected by this “condition” but the dark snowy days have finally gave way to a need for increased social contact and I’ve been attempting to embrace that need.  My boss calls it burning the candle at both ends.  It’s not healthy and I know this.  I’ve been working all day, and partying through the night…I saw it coming and it’s my fault I’m sick.  I’ve just had too many nights stuck inside with the dog and the cat.

I need a bonfire! A huge one!  A night under the stars with a bright moon to keep everyone’s bare or sandaled toes un-stubbed should they stray away from the light of the fire.   Not a full moon tho, only half lit up with  a slight crescent shape like a seductive wink of the eye in the night sky.  That’s how I like my moon.   A shirt optional drum circle, maybe with some warpaint for those of us up after 3 am and most definitely some scantily clad women dancing around, one that’s not too good on the tambourine but ain’t afraid to shake it.  That’s what I need.  A night of the wild, abandoning all inhibitions.  An evening barking at the moon.  There needs to be beer there too, oh yes, plenty of beer…but really it’s a night for whiskey…yea…thats what I need right now…whiskey and women, fire and the moon.  Nature…but not this cold shit!

Bah! What am I talking about?  I need some dayquil, a cup of tea, and a nap!

The reason for this post and rant is to once again try to light a bonfire under my ass and get me to update this with my brew notes, and in the future, write more concise accounts of the brew day. I’m sitting here staring at my last two brew “notes” and I need to get them down before I can no longer understand my own chicken scratch.  Hell the last notes are written on the cardboard backing of an aqua-mist air stone package. (I use the airstones to infuse oxygen into the wort).

So long story short, I got my torrified wheat!  I’ve brewed a cyser and a winter ale and should I call into work sick today, it is my goal to have both of those written up before bedtime.