The results were quite good, and the whole process was much smoother than the last batch. I had very willing helpers for the boil (my parents) and for bottling (my girlfriend) which helped a lot. I also switched to a “pump-style” racking cane, which eliminated the painful siphoning process I struggled through last time.

I’m very happy with the beer itself, and my friends seem to love it as well. It came out a bit maltier than I was hoping for, I think primarily because the primary fermentation went a few days faster than I was planning. It did have a bit of hidden hoppyness to it, but I think next time I’ll pick a lighter malt than the chocolate malt I used and throw in an extra couple ounces of hops for good measure.

Deschutes “Hop Trip” Pale Ale is a special-edition brew from their Bond Street series. A “Fresh Hop Pale Ale”, it is brewed with “wet” Willamette Valley hops, freshly picked and added immediately to the boil.

The resulting beer is hoppier than a normal pale ale, and the fresh hop character really shows through in the final brew, yielding a beer with a bit more “guts” than an normal IPA. Those hops are balanced with malty sweet caramel flavors to make a well-rounded, very drinkable beer. The kind of beer that makes me wish I’d bought more than one bottle of it, since the chances of me finding another bottle of this limited-edition brew next time I go back to the store aren’t good.

Overall, I’d give it an 8.5 out of 10 on my still very immature beer rating scale.

Beer Advocate Profile Page

Well, I was holding out to see how the beer turned out. I was worried I’d messed something up and would be embarassed to find out that it was ruined and my efforts were all for naut. I bottled my first batch about two weeks ago and crossed my fingers.

Well, surprise suprise, it turned out excellent. I’m very satisfied. And not just because I made it myself.

I don’t normally review other websites on here, but this site is screaming for a post. Two friends from Michigan recently launched The Kegulator. Input the number of people coming to your party and how drunk you want them to be, and it tells you how much beer you need. Not only that, it does it in convenient case/pony/keg increments. And accounts for beer loss. And tells you how many cups and how much ice to buy.

Best use of AJAX ever.

Update: Has anybody else noticed that lately all I seem to be posting about is beer?

Well, this weekend, I finally did. Steph and I stopped by Bob’s Homebrew Supply and picked up a homebrew kit on Saturday, and on Sunday afternoon we whipped up our first batch. I can’t compliment Bob enough on his service. Every homebrew enthusiast I’ve talked to (which is starting to seem like one out of every three Seattle natives) has eschewed the virtues of Bob and his homebrew shop, and they’re all true.

For $125 you get a starter kit which includes everything but the brewpot (that kit runs $189, which is also a great deal and includes a case of bottles) along with all the ingredients for your first batch. Bob is enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeable. When disasters strike in the brewing process, its a comfort to know you can always call for “tech support”. His shop is clean and his selection is great, but I’m surprised to find that he doesn’t have a website.

For my first batch I decided to brew a standard IPA. Although I know it won’t be perfect, it should be a good beer to start with. The brewing process is a bit more complicated than I expected, but I’ve had a blast so far. Watching my beer grow and bubble is pretty fun.

I’ll keep posting updates as things progress, and I’ll be sure to post an update about how the beer turns out.

I’m back in Ann Arbor, MI to recruit at UofM’s spring job fair. We decided to hit up one of my favorite local establishments, Ashley’s Pub, an excellent beer bar on State Street. I had the excellent “chicken curry fries” and after dinner decided to splurge on a beer I’ve had my eye on for years, Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA.

Whoa. What a beer. I was expecting just an extra-hoppy IPA, but I was surprised with an amazingly smooth beer with almost barleywine qualities. It has an excellent, very strong, almost fruity aroma and looks awesome in a glass. Everything about this beer is strong, yet refined, from the aroma to the flavor to the color. With over 120 IBU and 21% alcohol content, that’s not surprising. Think of it as a barleywine with more “heart”. The hoppyness is much more subtle, and it sneaks up on you about halfway through.

Definately a beer to drink again. It ages well, so I may pick up a few bottles to keep around for special occasions.

(Picture borrowed from Lil’ El’s CC‘ed photostream on Flick.)

I’m a beer snob. I’ve never been a big fan of lagers. Generally I’ve found that most of them taste the same - fairly boring, like beer I drank in college. Sure, there are occasional standouts, but nothing I’ve really stuck with. I’m more of an ale guy.

But Full Sail has proven me wrong with their “LTD Series” Limited Edition Lager. Just hoppy enough to be interesting, yet light and smooth enough that it goes down easy. Its reasonably priced but hard to find - I’ve only found it in six packs at larger Safeways and I doubt you’ll find it outside the Pacific Northwest - but its a winner indeed. Something to add to the rotation whenever you can find it.

I’m going to continue reviewing good beers as I find them. Its something that makes me happy and I figure it’ll be a good non-geek addition to my blog. Let me know if you enjoy it.