It’s been a busy time for me ever since I talked to all of you last. After chores last night, I got to messing around with some of my beer gear. Somebody, I don’t remember who, wised me up that the extra ball valves are for the beer kegs. That is correct, they both have the correct nipple to screw them directly into the keg. I even started up the cooker and heated some water. I don’t know why, just something to do, I guess. Then I got curious about that wort cooler, so I threw that in, hooked up the hose and let it rip. Being a numbskull, I didn’t think about needing another hose strung out for the water coming out of the coil. Boy, did that make a mess. I didn’t want to get out another hose, so I decided to let that go. I drained the hose and gave up on that project. I was smart enough to drain the copper coil, too.
This morning, I had to go pump out a septic tank and was going to be close to town anyway, so I went to the hardware store where my nephew Tim works. He said he does have a digital camera, but will be gone this weekend. Me and the Mrs are going over there tonight for supper and Tim is going to take a picture of me to put on this forum so you will know I am a real person. I don’t understand why some of you think I am pulling your leg. What would I have to gain by doing that? Are you always this suspicious of new people to this sight?
Somebody said to me welcome to this obsession of brewing beer. I am beginning to think this is correct. I have really liked talking on here to you people and even though I have not made my own beer yet, I think about it all the time. While I was in town today, I decided I should ask at the bars about bottles. I am not much of a bar person, so I got some funny looks when I went in there. The first bar I went into I spoke to the owner and he said he would save the good bottles for me. The second bar wanted to charge me, so I said no thanks. At the last bar, the man was real nice and said he would also save me bottles. While I was there, I ran into the lady I got the brewing gear from. She waits tables in there. It was dinner time, so I decided to get me a hamburger and ask her some questions. She didn’t know much about the brewing. She said it was all her husband’s doings. I did ask her about the bottles and she said they did not move bottles from Washington state. She did say that he had won some prizes for his beer and they might be in the boxes of stuff. I have not run across anything like that yet. I felt sorry for the woman because her husband had left her here on her own. She has people around here, but still is on her own. She might have a hard time getting another man around here. I was feeling even worse because the Mrs had talked her down on the price for the beer gear, so I gave her forty dollars for my lunch and told her to keep the change. I have not felt that good in a long time.
Now I’m back home and going to order my beer supplies. I learned enough to know to start out with ales. That should make me a good beer to start with. I will be closing out for today, because I have to get the chores done early so we can go to supper at Milt’s (my brother). I am just about ready to start asking more brewing questions as the day gets closer.
I will talk to you later.
Mort
