Bubblings From the Fermenter
By Dave Perez
Bubblings from the fermenter. That's kind of a cool title, don't you think? So, that's as good an idea to write about this month as any. What's bubbling and not bubbling in the club these days.
2002 has been a fast paced and exciting year so far and the first few months have been very busy for me and many of you as well. I started a new job. I became the Primary fermenter of the best brew club in the land. We held our annual Medieval Faire and drank lots of great beer. Then there were two great competitions loaded with great beer, the Big Bend Brew Off in Tallahassee, followed by the State Fair in Tampa. Packed in with all of that have been monthly meetings with lots of great beer, Executive Committee meetings with lots of great beer, a couple of parties with lots of great beer, Saturday nights at Market Street with lots of great beer and of course the BJCP classes with lots of great beer.
What has been missing for me and many of you, is brewing. We are after all the Hogtown Brewers. I need to brew! You need to brew! We all need to brew! I have allowed my very busy schedule to get in the way of what brought us all together in the first place, a love for making beer.
So, what's bubbling in your fermenter these days? I know Richard Pushaw just made a Hefe. George Perrin, in a mad dash to beat the baby, boldly made a parti-gyle batch of IPA from the first runnings and an Irish stout from the second. Of course there will be a big 10 plus gallon batch of Pale Poison coming from Dave Williams' Rims system. Also, the prolific and creative Wayne "Smity" Smith always has 3 or 4 batches coming and going.
I am sure there are others out there brewing away as well and even more of us who are not. If you are brewing something, let the group know. Invite some of us over to brew with you. Best of all bring a taste or two to the next meeting. If you are not brewing, make plans to boil up a batch or to hang out with someone who is.