Need a recipe/style recommendation

My wife says I can't say why but I'd like to brew a celebratory ale/mead that will be peaking in about 7.5 months.

What styles will be just about perfectly conditioned in that time frame? I am a partial mash brewer just starting back up after a LOOOONG break in brewing. I might be willing to try a relatively easy AG but since this will have to be a "double" batch based on the celebration I expect to have in 7.5 months!

Congrats! I did an Oktoberfest for basically the same reason (I think). Since you're not considering lagers and I don't know anything about meads, I'd say consider something with some spices and/or high abv that would need the conditioning time. Alternatively, you could always just brew something you really like and do it closer to the celebratory date...

Congrats, as well!

Speaking of which, BvVG, how's the little celebration? Get any sleep yet?

the_bird said:

Congrats, as well!

Speaking of which, BvVG, how's the little celebration? Get any sleep yet?

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Not to hijack, but the fact is we spent last night in the ER/Hospital getting tests run only to find out she had reflux (which was a relief). Sleeping like a log today! Getting ready to head down for bath time.

Thanks for asking.

Baron von BeeGee said:

Alternatively, you could always just brew something you really like and do it closer to the celebratory date...

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Thanks, I might just do that. I think diddling away money on a lagering fridge could get me in serious sparge water with SWMBO and June isn't exactly barleywine or spiced beer season.

What about a Hefeweizen or Belgian ale? Might be refreshing around that time. A Kolsch or California steam might also be a refreshing beer if you could ferment in the 60's, and you wouldn't have to be in hot sparge water.

Baron von BeeGee said:

Not to hijack, but the fact is we spent last night in the ER/Hospital getting tests run only to find out she had reflux (which was a relief). Sleeping like a log today! Getting ready to head down for bath time.

Thanks for asking.

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Always scary. Our son has reflux (common for kids with severe CP) and takes prevacid solutabs. They are REALLY REALLY easy to administer so if you need to treat the reflux push for solutabs. Also, don't let them do a Ph probe test if you can help it. They're pretty uncomfortable and really only give a pretty weak single night sample that is not well extrapolated. [/self-hijack]

Thanks for the info, I'll keep the solutabs in my mind. So far (last night, today) it seems like it works to incline her mattress a bit but we're going to have to track it a while and see what happens over a matter of weeks. After the tests they ran last night I don't think we'll be going back to the hospital anytime soon unless things are very severe!

That's great to hear, Baron.

We had a scare with Cassie when she was very young. A week or two before she was born, they noticed that she had an arrhymthia. There was some hope that the birthing process would "fix" it, but alas, four days later we're at the big hospital in Springfield, at the pediatric ICU. Basically, we had to bring her there for two and a half days while they put her on medication, so that they could monitor her. Her heartrate was well north of 200, it was doing an extra beat. Pretty freaky. But, they put her on a beta-blocker, which slowed her regular rate down and kept the extra beats from kicking in, and now - her body has healed itself (as is fairly common). We had to give her meds three or four times a day for the first year, but now, she's fine.

So, I know all about the scary trip to the hospital. God, that's scary.

Wow, that is scary...much worse than what we had to deal with. Glad everything has worked itself out. It certainly puts a lot of stress on a family, but even in the first month the rewards have been tremendous.

At one point my wife looked over at me and said, "Oh, no...your brewday!" Obviously it wasn't a priority, but by God I'm brewing on Monday!

Baron von BeeGee said:

What about a Hefeweizen or Belgian ale? Might be refreshing around that time. A Kolsch or California steam might also be a refreshing beer if you could ferment in the 60's, and you wouldn't have to be in hot sparge water.

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hmmm... A Steam beer does sound good. A bit plebeian as a celebration libation but I have always been a fan.

Did they do a Ph probe?

dantodd said:

hmmm... A Steam beer does sound good. A bit plebeian as a celebration libation but I have always been a fan.

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It's an excellent beer IMO. Check out the sticky in the Recipes forum and find Brewpastor's steam beer recipe for a good suggestion.

dantodd said:

Did they do a Ph probe?

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Not in our case. Urinalysis, blood analysis, and they tried a spinal tap (to test for meningitis per State law for infants under 30 days ) THREE times before they told us they couldn't get a good sample of fluid. We immediately withdrew our consent for that and all other procedures.

Happy and sleeping like a log today

Oh, wow, that's tough. When we were at Baystate, there was another child in the room who had to get a spinal tap. We couldn't watch, nor could the parents, they had to leave while the procedure was done. I can't imagine what that was like for you. It was tough enough when it took them four tries to get an IV in Cassie, but, tough little soldier that she is, it bothered us a lot more than it bothered her.

So glad to hear that she's healthy. Haven't noticed any new postings in the Baby Pics thread lately, though... hint, hint...

Baron von BeeGee said:

Not in our case. Urinalysis, blood analysis, and they tried a spinal tap (to test for meningitis per State law for infants under 30 days ) THREE times before they told us they couldn't get a good sample of fluid. We immediately withdrew our consent for that and all other procedures.

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Damn, that's tough man. I had to have a tap when I was 8 and it took 4 times, one of the most painful procedures I've had to date.

On the bright side it took 45 MINUTES for a Dr. in training to get a main line in Cameron when he was in the hospital, I nearly decided to throttle her for the pain she put my son through, I wasn't happy with the Sr. Dr. who refused to intervene either.

I guess a "California Common" it is then. Any suggestions for optimal brewing/conditioning timing for first half of June?