2013 Joint Cascade Brewers Cup & Puget Sound Pro-Am

Welcome back to Off The Hinge Brewing!  I want you all to know that I am sick of not brewing!  I still have not used my stir plate and can't wait propagate some yeast.  My pipeline was getting clogged up, hence the reason I have not brewed in over 2 weeks.  Not to mention the brewers garden took some time to get going.  Enough excuses...

Clogged up pipeline

I am going to Ashland, OR. on a mini vacation to hang with some friends and check out movies, plays and breweries!  I feel this trip will give me some time to reflect and possible gain some inspiration  south of the Rose City.  My buddy has a friend that runs a nano brewery tour out of Medford and I am tempted to go, plus I can get a discount.  I do not know, but it may be a good way to extend the old network.  Moving on to more important info...

Henry Miller once said, “Do anything, but let it produce joy. Do anything, but let it yield ecstasy.”  I feel this statement best describes why I brew... Whirlpool Wheat has a new name, Tropic of Wheat.  Inspired by the tropical fruit notes and Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. 

I just entered it into my first Pro-Am competition in the great state to the North.  This competition is one of Washington's most prestigious homebrew competitions with the country's largest GABF Pro-Am qualifying competition.  Regardless of the outcome, I believe that Tropic of Wheat yields ecstasy.

Lastly, just tried the Beach Bum Red (which is not quite carbonated), and it taste great.  All those late hop additions are paying off.  I compared it to the Fibonacci's IRA that I brewed last year and the color was almost exactly the same beautiful red hue.  I still can not decide which one taste better, but I am digging where the beer is headed, and I am not talking about down my gullet.  Sooner or Later that is the fate of all my brews, but hopefully in the future that will include other gullets than my own.

I will let you know how the trip went and until then peace out.  Remember to drink good beer responsibly and be merry.