Mulled Spices?...Yes Please

I recently bought another batch of 22oz bottles at Fermentation Station so now I can have two batches bottled at the same time...that was the last step in really getting my setup to be completely cyclical. Now there should never really be a point where I will have to wait for carboys, bottles, etc. to get free'd up.

Today i started a Spiced Winter Ale that should be ready right around the same time my stout is ready to drink, so we'll have plenty of apres ski brews. This batch is probably going to be my most interesting to date. .75oz of mulled spices were added while boiling the wort and I have to add another .25oz when I transfer it to secondary. they smelled really good I cant wait to see how they affect the taste.

I'm guessing the boiling of the spices creates the nice spiced aftertaste and adding a bit extra during secondary gives it a nice aroma, but I could be completely wrong....either way its gonna be spiced up and delicious.


*UPDATE*: This batch is bottled and will be ready to drink in 2-3 weeks. I got a chance to use some of my christmas presents while bottling this batch...and they made it so much easier. Gina got me a bottle tree and some flip top bottles. The bottle tree makes it way easier to drain the bottles and it takes up a lot less space, which in our kitchen is a good thing. Flip top bottles are just cool and i dont have to cap them which saves time at the end when you just want to be done.

I dont think I have ever posted pics of the bottling process...so here you go.

we also got a new kitchen table from my lovely parents so our old one is now making the brew portion of the manarea quite epic (thats a lot of homebrew, I will need several cannonistas to help drink it all)

FYI I tried this beer and its ridiculous, def a Winter Warmer clone. 100% tastes like Christmas.

New Year's Resolution

Build a Winter Bike AND starting in Jan of '08 ride a mountain bike on trails outdoors at least once each month, every month of the year.

I have decided my old Jamis Durango SX frame (a.k.a the Chopper) is taking its next step in its hilarious journey of being every kind of bike there is. after this I think I will have to weld another frame to it and make it a tandem and then after that melt it down and use the metal to fashion jewelry that I will then wear to my grave.



I think this project is going to come together a lot faster than I had even hoped. 30 minutes before this pic was taken the chopper had been completely stripped. I was able to salvage the headset and fork off that Wahoo frame that Jomo found...it fit and the color even matches almost perfectly (like it was meant to be...) That alone is going to save me a lot of lead time...I have all the parts I need to finish this project free of any additional charge...minus the $7 i spent on screws for my home made studs

3 down...lots to go (rear tire).

finished tread pattern for the front tire

*UPDATE*: DUN. The ice bike is ready to ride. (unfortunately the weather is looking crappy tomorrow otherwise this thing would be shredding ice and snow within 24 hours. Finished the tires up today got them mounted and picked up some cables at Rhino and some booties to keep my feet warm when I head out.

lining the inside of the tire with old rubber and DUCT tape

It's time to get my two wheel Tundra on.

*UPDATE*: Got my first ride in this afternoon up at Smarts Brook...and I am hooked. Wasn't even really the best conditions but I still had a blast. Tires worked GREAT. cant believe how well they did. clipless may not really work in the long run I will have to try a few more times to see how it works in better conditions.