Sunday, January 9, 2011

Beer In a Bucket

It was a rough year, 2010.
Not all of it, of course.
Last February's competition win was about as spectacular as I had ever imagined it could be.
But since then, things have been a struggle.
I broke my hydrometer into a batch of Rye IPA and had to pour it out.
I got careless with sanitation and had to dump a batch of Belgian Tripel.
I broke my two biggest carboys on different occasions.
Got scores in the mid 20s on 3 different entries.
I sent my kettle onto the concrete with a sloppy fill of mash water.
And most recently, I ditched a Steam Beer because it didn't smell or taste right.
I guess that one doesn't count since it happened just the other day, in 2011.
So I hope today's IPA ferments well.
Since I'm using my remaining carboy to try saving an 80 shilling Scottish that seems to have stopped at 1.026, the old school plastic bucket got dusted off and re-employed.
I hit my temperatures, volumes, gravity--all the critical parameters, correctly despite the cold and a frozen outdoor spigot and hose.
I made a fresh starter of California Ale Yeast and it seems to be starting well.
I hope this batch marks the start of a good year.