Settling into a wet February after a long dry January just in time for #beersaturday week 399 with the other beer enthusiasts on Hive!
Looking around at my new setup, I find myself pleasantly surrounded by my favourite IPAs!
The Pint O the Week is usually a nice draft, enjoyed out on the town in a social setting, enjoying out community with some suds. Definitely the case with this one which was enjoyed last night while watching some live music. The beer itself is The Starter session IPA from Fore Fathers Brewing and I do enjoy it as a lighter starter of a session. The music is a Janis Joplin tribute act which I may share this week in a post where I bring you to a concert with me.
My New Setup
Late last year, a friend upsized his keg fridge and offered me his smaller one for $250. DEAL! I snapped that up, recycled an older fridge and loaded it up. It takes a little discipline not to drink beer all day long for the convenience of having it 12 feet behind my computer chair. So good to have a functional beer fridge again!
What's Inside?
With Dry January, we had a little lull in beer consumption and matching break from our brewing schedule which normally sees us producing 60 litres per week. So, I presently only have 1 keg on tap but liberated the tins from the food fridge upstairs. Reclaiming a few wife points in light of spending so many with the new fridge ;)
Lake Effect IPA
A remnant from a pre-January trip to my favourite brewery, this Lake Effect IPA is one of my all-time favourite beers. When many breweries were just developing their IPA chops, GLB was already there and had converted me to an IPA hipster. It is a wonder it survived January let alone this far into Feb.
Thrust an IPA
Right next to Lake Effect sits this beautiful New England style Thrust an IPA which is another beer that makes GLB possibly my favourite brewery. This one is a half a point lighter on the ABV at 6.5% and half the IBU at only 40. Definitely juicy and 6.5% is definitely not a light beer so it is also a Christmas miracle it is still around as well. How are these not getting destroyed?
LANfest IPA
With the fresh draft available, this might explain how a couple of my faves stand a snowball's chance in hell from being polished off. We brewed a stiff New England IPA to drink at a LAN party that was attended by a dozen friends from across the province. When I head to the fridge, I pull one of these, especially after the tease that was Dry January. Nice and hazy, tropically sweet and a balanced dry end. SIMPLY DELICIOUS!
This is the next batch which has been fermenting about a week and has another 2 before it is done. So neat to be brewing beer I believe competes in taste and quality with the professionally brewed beers. Also cool to have settled upon the right bill of hops and tasting the difference from batch to batch in search for the best one yet. I just hope the present keg lasts another 2 weeks.
If not, I will be putting my new Yeti cooler to work demolishing those Great Lakes beers whose days are numbered. This is awesome as it fits a pint can very precisely, keeps your warm fingers off the tin, and does an amazing job at keeping the beer cold. Wish me luck.
#BEERSaturday!
Here is to all of those other Beer Scientists (or #Beerologists!) who are happily in denial
Join me, 
