Brewing Day

This afternoon I'm starting my 2nd homebrew. It's a robust porter and its way more exciting than the campbells soup ingredients I used last time. Its got the grains you steep, for this recipe it used chocolate, crystal, and black malts, the obligatory campbells soup liquid malt extract, and 3 different kinds of hops, Northern Brewer bittering hops, Williamette flavoring, and Williamette aroma. The brewing this time was much more involved, steeping the grains, specific boiling times for each of the hops before you add the next, just how I like it. We didn't have a mesh strainer though, so there is a lot of sediment in the beer, which I don't have a problem with, it'll settle before stage 2 fermentation.

I also had the Brooklyn East India Pale Ale tonight before dinner. I like some of Brooklyn's other beer but this was the first time I've seen this IPA. It smells sweet but still isn't near as floral or sharp as you'd expect an IPA to be. I'm doubting if its their version of an IPA because it's pretty weak in comparison to the stronger, more adventurous india pale ales. I think its like East India, pause, Pale Ale because theres a good malty and nutty flavor you'd expect from an ale but its lighter in color and slightly hoppier than the normal ale. They also have have another beer I've seen that is supposed to be a really strong, hoppy brew but I haven't gotten to try it. Brooklyn makes a good lager but this one isn't really something I'd pick up again. It'd be easy to drink a few of it but it doesn't give much reward for someone looking for a lot of flavor or anything distinct to remember the beer by.

I watched the movie Brazil today while I was brewing. It was very good. Its a sci-fi movie from Terry Gilliam, a la Time Bandits except with a Blade Runner feel. The scenery is very well done, and I love that the characters keep whistling the same tune that the background orchestra is playing. A guy gets arrested after a typo in the central government office and a lowly government employee more occupied with dreams of flying around looking like David Bowie has to deal with his incompetent boss. Hes also in love with a lady he keeps seeing in his dreams and also in reality around his central offices but she keeps escaping his grasp. Lots of intricate, bizarre, and trippy special effects without CGI, which I love.

"Tell the twins I said Hello!"

"Triplets actually."

"My, how the time flies!"

You guys should get around to trying this, it sounds delicious and it will be hunted down.