Cinco de Drinko

Welcome back to Off The Hinge Brewing!  Today they announce the winners for the Puget Sound Pro Am comp.  I hope I do well, at least get good honest feedback.  Just got an e-mail in, they are going to try to webcast the awards ceremony 12:30 PM Pacific time http://www.ustream.tv/channel/puget-sound-pro-am this is awesome!  It is so far from Portland.  So stoked!  Moving on...

Gigantic Brewing is also having a Cinco de Drinko party, and they will be serving Three Floyd's!  Three Floyd's does not distribute out here and they are my favorite brew.  Check out there website http://www.3floyds.com/ this company really sparked my interest in craft beer.  If you ever have an opportunity to try their beer, do it!

My beautiful wife

Rich is the master chef

Yesterday was a beautiful day for National Hombrewers Day!  Mark Gillette, the Brewers Collective Organizer was kind enough to allow us fools to brew in his backyard with him.  He brewed his Summer Rye beer using American wheat yeast (Wyeast 1010).  Great time with good friends and good beer, thanks Mark!  Another member Rich, gave me a Mt. Hood Hop plant, which deserves a shout out, and the hot dog buns he made were delicious.  Paul, an new member brought over an interesting beer with rose water and wormwood, which had a great aroma with sharp bitterness.  Gus came over with a Kentucky Derby look and brought a great beer from Epic Brewing.  Steve and Megan also brought some of there brews, which were great.  Thank you everyone that participated and shared there stuff! 

The set up

Rich, Mark and Gus

Sample for the refractometer

Stir it up

Steve checking gravity

Lovebirds

Mark's Blackberry porter

Sweet Paddle

Paul talkin' beer

Pushing the Puree into carboy with chop stick (high tech)

Moving back one more day... I transfered the Sacred Wooden Fruit onto mangoes, then went to Steve's house and we bottled his Rollin on Dub's Dubbel, next we transfered our Quadratic Equation onto 2 lbs of dates, and cleaned out a whiskey barrel.  Long day, but wait it got a little crazy when I came home to find the mango had clogged the air lock.  No problem, I will just clean it out... Next thing I know I am covered in foam and mango.  Always be aware of adding fruit on a hot day!  The beer tasted great before transferring on mangoes, so I am excited.  Also, the Quad is supper good!  Can't wait for both of them.

This is what happened when I took the airlock off

That is it for now, Feliz Cinco de Mayo and remember to drink good beer responsibly and be merry.  Salute!