Brew Day, Batch 385: Irish Stout

Mrs. C. has been rather forcefully noting that of late we have no beers pouring that are on the black end of the color spectrum, and further, that she expects SOMEONE to do something about it. Ahem.

'Tis a simple beer, pale malt with 12ish% each of flaked barley and roasted barley, and one kettle addition of hops to 40ish BUs. Target gravity is low 40s, and fermentation today will be carried out by the Essex ale yeast that we make most of our beers with at Grizz. I do love me a pint of fresh Irish stout, and we should be enjoying this in about 3 weeks, just in time for 'the wearin' o' the green.'

A Fabulous Brewers Night

See?

Brewers Night at Grizzly Peak is the 1st Tuesday of each month, 6-9 in the evening, when Brewmaster Duncan Williams hangs out and talks beer with interested parties, gives tours of the brewery, and pours a special cask of beer. (This last one was on the second Tuesday, owing to New Years Day.) Though it's my day off, I made the trip out with Mrs. C., and made it just a bit more fabulous with my erm, spiffy new shirt gifted to me by Skip and Cat, who KNOW I will have my revenge....

Coming Out of the Closet

Photo credit: Big Gay Uncle Dave

Not the 'can't tell anyone I'm gay' closet. (Still can't tell anyone that, 'cause I'm not.)  No, it's the 'homebrewer harboring fantasies of going pro' closet. I haven't been posting about this, (or much else, to be honest,) as I really think it's outside the scope of our blog, but I've been working on a business plan, and hope to open a small microbrewery in Detroit, hopefully in Eastern Market. To this end, I've been taking advantage of various friends in the pro brewing community and helping out (read: getting in the way and asking a lot of nosey questions) in their breweries. Much thanks to my buds at Corner Brewery and Liberty Street in particular. And recently I got accepted at U of D. Not University of Detroit, but University of Duncan. Grizzly Peak's Brewmaster Duncan Williams has served as the mentor for a number of the area's brewers. I am his newest lackey in the downtown Ann Arbor brewpub, helping to keep the beer flowing from their sprawling cellar to the throngs of thirsty pub patrons upstairs. I must say, that's no mean feat, either; this pub pours more beer than any other brewpub (and a fair number of production breweries,) in the state. So come on down for a pint at the Grizz, and don't be surprised if you see a short, stout, hairy sort scuttling about muttering about dry hops....