And Pete Said, Let There Be Beer: And There Was Beer.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

After freezing my ass off in the garage, trying unsuccessfully for more than an hour to boil 3 gallons of water on a 700 watt hotplate, and after ensuring the kids were in bed so they wouldn't accidentally see grain boiling in a pot, Donna took pity on me and allowed my evil alchemy into the kitchen. Cooking in a kitchen like I was a full-fledged member of the household is real fancy-like, indeed.

"You're never going to get that done out there like that. Just bring it inside and finish it. Next time though, DON'T DO IT IN THE WINTER!"

Gawd bless her gingham heart though, Donna tried so hard to act normal about the whole thing. Of course, It helps that the beer brewing process smells like fresh-baked bread and not like coffee. Coffee, I'm told, smells like cat pee and body odor. Who knew?

She even asked a few interested questions.

"So, how much alcohol is going to be in this stuff?"

She never calls it beer. She always calls it that stuff or that.

"Umm, so how long before there's alcohol in that?"

This morning, she seemed genuinely engaged in my excitement as I related all the measurements I took and concepts I learned while brewing. She nodded politely and even asked me to continue after I was interrupted while explaining the way an airlock keeps the fermenter from turning into a Sunni-style roadside explosive device.

At one point she even chimed in with some tips for activating the yeast and boiling the wort. She and I make a good team when we're working on a project together. Her instinct is to be involved in helping me with whatever it is I'm working on. I hope this translates into bottling, tasting and distribution.

This might, just might work out for the best.

---

Permanent Link: And Pete Said, Let There Be Beer: And There Was Beer.
Filed under: Beer | Photos

---

---