05/31: It's only beer...
...but if it's something new, a different technique, I still get nervous. But it's normal, right? Fear of the unknown and all that?
Trying a different technique tomorrow. It's called mini-mashing - instead of, in effect, making the grain tea I normally make, this time I'm... making grain oatmeal, kind of. It's a little more intensive of a process, since I have to keep an eye on my temperatures, but... it'll be an experiment. A friend of mine is paying for this batch, and he said he doesn't care if it doesn't come out well - so what do I have to lose, right? :-)
And this should come as a surprise to no one, but I miss Belgium. Certain aspects of the trip I miss more than others, but that would lead us into topics that I told myself I would never discuss here. It's just... kind of incredible to me. I still don't believe I did it. And when I was there? I fell in love with the city and the people. I just... felt so at home there. I can't even really describe what it was about the place that I liked so much - I just was able to immerse myself in it totally and completely. I'm going back at some point, hopefully next year if I can save up the money for it, and I might even be able to get a hold of some of the people I met there this year (hopefully one in particular) so we can paint the city fantastic all over again. I'll try to plan things out a bit better, though - hit some more breweries while I'm there, and get to one bar I wanted to get to this year. I didn't get there, though, because of timing. By the time the bar would've been opening, I was on the wrong side of Antwerp, I was closer to the train station than anything else, and I wanted to get back to Brussels so I could get online somewhere and find out what was going on with my flights and the volcano. So next time, Kulminator. Definitely. (And maybe a couple more old glasses from that flea market in Antwerp, if I can find it again...)
Alright - it's 2 in the morning. I'm going to collapse. Here's hoping tomorrow's brew session goes well and I get a message I'm waiting for. :-)
Trying a different technique tomorrow. It's called mini-mashing - instead of, in effect, making the grain tea I normally make, this time I'm... making grain oatmeal, kind of. It's a little more intensive of a process, since I have to keep an eye on my temperatures, but... it'll be an experiment. A friend of mine is paying for this batch, and he said he doesn't care if it doesn't come out well - so what do I have to lose, right? :-)
And this should come as a surprise to no one, but I miss Belgium. Certain aspects of the trip I miss more than others, but that would lead us into topics that I told myself I would never discuss here. It's just... kind of incredible to me. I still don't believe I did it. And when I was there? I fell in love with the city and the people. I just... felt so at home there. I can't even really describe what it was about the place that I liked so much - I just was able to immerse myself in it totally and completely. I'm going back at some point, hopefully next year if I can save up the money for it, and I might even be able to get a hold of some of the people I met there this year (hopefully one in particular) so we can paint the city fantastic all over again. I'll try to plan things out a bit better, though - hit some more breweries while I'm there, and get to one bar I wanted to get to this year. I didn't get there, though, because of timing. By the time the bar would've been opening, I was on the wrong side of Antwerp, I was closer to the train station than anything else, and I wanted to get back to Brussels so I could get online somewhere and find out what was going on with my flights and the volcano. So next time, Kulminator. Definitely. (And maybe a couple more old glasses from that flea market in Antwerp, if I can find it again...)
Alright - it's 2 in the morning. I'm going to collapse. Here's hoping tomorrow's brew session goes well and I get a message I'm waiting for. :-)
