homebrewandbeer.com

Well All,

Figured I might take a moment and reflect on the past seven months, wanted it to be six but there you go, just the way life is. The reason why I am doing this is because, yes folks it is spring. The Robins geese and Killdeer have all returned even though there is still 6 inches of crappy white stuff on the ground. So today I have marked the calander and it is time for the Super Bock which I may have had one to many off already in order to celebrate the season change.

So what have we done. Well, from my point of view I jumped into the world of all grains and not with a few hard lessons. Bacterial infections in the Counter flow chiller and my most recent issue, chlorophenols. There is actually Mantra in my house now that we chant to rid us of the dreaded chlorophenol. Additionally there was the addition of the new beer fridge (yes, it is fridge, opens vertically no chest either). I also added some new equipment into the works as well. On a sad note, I lost my self priming syphon and my vinometer also fell on hard times (literally).

But thats OK, they were replaceable. So what else? Brewed some new flavours, learnt a few new twists. Experimented in the relm of liquid yeasts and still am not pleased about this. Will struggle until I get it right.

Additionally I have added a few new words to the vocabulary, swamp donkey (most excellent that), hoon and chook. Well, what will the next six months bring us in the homebrew world? Who knows

But the one thing I did want to say was Thanks everyone, it has been a fun time.

Anyway, must stir the grains

Dogger

ever the philosopher Dogger, it's good however to sit back and reflect on what one has learnt. Life isn't so much at about where we are; but where we've been and where we are heading.

As for my last six months, now Dogger it's actually heading into the cold wet part of the year here, I've started brewing! Well maybe a little longer, my brew journal show first brew being bottled on Sept 1st 2004. I've moved to kegs for most of my needs as of Dec 1st 2004.

Where am I going now, well after a few all malt brews I'm looking at my first partial mash soon, with all the Easter holidays etc local HBS is closed for a few days or this would be todays project.

All in all my first 35 brews have been well received, I have a few mates who are willing to invest a few hours on bottling days or in cleaning etc in exchange for a beer or three. I've even managed with one of them to convince him VB is not fit to wash car parts in, he now drinks James Squire Amber Ale, I get all his empties of course

Well time to wander off!! That's my reflection on past few months!

well.... what havent i done in the last 6 months is more the question.
lets summarise, i have started homebrewing acuired a substantial amount of kit and knowlage, moast of it eather from heare or the direction it pointed me in.
i have found some pleasure in the humer and apparent intilect of the dogger and chums,

learnt yet again that my gramatical and litracy skills "arnt wot they shud be", found the magic of beertrix porter is it possible to exstract any more humor from that one???? we will see?.

on a serious note i have made a life changing dicision to become a woman!!! . not realy but i have decided to study for a degree and possibly a masters, taking a pay cut of eye watering proportions,

i have also found that i can live my dream of living in australia very easly by getting a student visa and automaticaly being entitled to a working visa as soon as i am resident as a student,

blah blah blahhhhh. spent loads of money on technology and shiny things, convinsed my girlfriend that we need a home bar, spent some more money on crap, oh and how could i forgett the dog, it now offichaly the most destructive thing on the planet, superseading the tasmainian deval (TAZ)

latest toy.

Munkey,

I am flatered,

Good Luck with that sex change thing. If you were coming to Canada, we would pay that for you, with the tax payer footing the bill. Mind you, you would have to cover your eye exam on your own nut. Can someone take a minute and explain the logic behind that?

Where are those lesbian vampires.

Oh and you can always get rid of the dog, matter of fact you might have to if you move to Australia. I understand they had a tough time with rabbits once a few years back and since then they have been a bit cautious about anyone bringing over critters from foriegn lands.

Dogger

Dogger, Cain toads, Rabbits, Fox's, pigs, cats and carp are just some of the greatest imports.

Let me guess,

The fox was to get rid of the rabbit right

Dogger

ha ha ha, sounds like typical knowitalls trying to mess with ecology,

yeh the dog thing is cool, uk is a rabis free country also so its only 30days quarentine,

You can even get a doggy passport these days, and since the UK is rabies free I think quarantine is only a couple of weeks.

Oliver

Funny you should say that Dogger, I think the bastard cane toad was brought in to get rid of some kind of flying insect.

As for foxes, I think they were brought in as a game animal - like the rabbit.

BM

The only problem with the cane toad was that it didn't eat the cane beetle, which is what it was introduced to eat, because the beetle lives up the sugar cane and the toads wouldn't climb the cane.

So the toads just ate everything else instead.

Stroke of genius, that.

Oliver

That's it, I knew it was some problem regarding the toads lacking the ability to fly... Now the critters are even in Western Australia.

A great and noble animal the cane toad. Taught generations of Queensland kiddies the correct way to swing a golf club.......

I wondered how the Shark did it, that explains a lot

Dogger

The cane toad has also given us driving skills. Any Queenslander can place either wheel over any toad-sized lump in the road, whilst (mostly) avoiding running into anything else.
Of course, they make the loudest pop when they are facing you. Think about that.

Must sound like an Evinrude fireing up. We have Bambi, Moose, other large objects.

No shit dit, My father in law hit a deer that flew over the top of the car in front of him after they hit it. It came through the windshield and landed in his lap. The insurance didn't pay out because deer don't fly.

Dogger

Bloody good thing we don't have that insurance company over here, I have heard of that happening to a couple of people here with "roos , I have never had one in the car with me, but I have hit probably 50-60 in my life, and many of them go flying, furtunately 'roos generally don't do too much damage to the locals cars, most of us have 'bull bars' on our vehicles, which work pretty well on 'roos but a little less successfully on bulls, although I hit a bull last year and did $4,500.00 damage to the ute, but still was able to drive home, if I had no bullbar she would have been a tow in job for sure. There is a bit of a stink going on here (Aus.) about all the city yuppies with their 4WD and bull bars at the moment, they are trying to ban them in the cities becuase they reckon they are dangerous for pedestrians, personlly I try not to get an any vehicles way, bull bar or not!

Ross,

Have a mate of mine where Moma Moose sat on the front end of his truck and that was a done deal to his front end.

Had someone with those bars on this winter who decided to drive into my parked car. 5 grand damage

Arse Pick I say. Time and Place

Dogger