Swimming in beer

[JAReeves]

I also love to brew more than I love to drink; lately I have been doing a lot of session-strength beers so that I can drink more and therefore make more.

I also have a core group of friends/neighbors/coworkers/family that request certain beers and so they get a growler or a 6-er when it comes around in the rotation. Most are willing to taste any of the new brews I make, sometimes, those recipes get added to the rotation. I try to give away half or more of any keg. I think now that COVID seems to be on the decline (or at least its virulence for the vaccinated), I should be able to entertain/host and give more away; and produce a lot more beer! It's tough when you have three kegs on tap, three kegs waiting in the lagering fridge, three barrels aging in preparation for the keg, and four carboys full of sours also waiting their turn for a keg. Then the closet full of bottles (big beers, wines, ciders, meads, and mixed fermentations).

It's a lot of booze, now that I am going over it, sheesh; I wonder if I have a problem?

 

[bracconiere]

I wonder if I have a problem?

the only time it's a problem is when you have to kiss the ring!

 

[JAReeves]

the only time it's a problem is when you have to kiss the ring!

Depends on which body part the ring is in!

 

[bracconiere]

Depends on which body part the ring is in!

for some reason that creeps me out?

 

[DuncB]

Depends on which body part the ring is in!

or on!!

 

[bwible]

I also love to brew more than I love to drink; lately I have been doing a lot of session-strength beers so that I can drink more and therefore make more.

I also have a core group of friends/neighbors/coworkers/family that request certain beers and so they get a growler or a 6-er when it comes around in the rotation. Most are willing to taste any of the new brews I make, sometimes, those recipes get added to the rotation. I try to give away half or more of any keg. I think now that COVID seems to be on the decline (or at least its virulence for the vaccinated), I should be able to entertain/host and give more away; and produce a lot more beer! It's tough when you have three kegs on tap, three kegs waiting in the lagering fridge, three barrels aging in preparation for the keg, and four carboys full of sours also waiting their turn for a keg. Then the closet full of bottles (big beers, wines, ciders, meads, and mixed fermentations).

It's a lot of booze, now that I am going over it, sheesh; I wonder if I have a problem?

I have (2) 5 gallon kegs in the kegerator. One is about to kick. I have another 5 gallon batch in progress to go in that one’s place.

I have (12) cases of bottles, all have more than 12 bottles in them, some have all 24 because they were just bottled. I have about 7 extra six packs made up of the leftover beer from 3 gallons after filling the cases. My inventory adds up to (2) 5 gallon kegs and (276) 12 oz bottles. I also enjoy the brewing as much or more as the drinking.

I brewed 20 batches for 2020, 21 batches for 2021 and I have 7 in the book already so far for this year. Well on the way to 22 for 22. I plan to make 3 more batches of beer this month and 2 meads after that. That should put me at 12 batches before the end of April. Then I’ll probably take the summer off from brewing to do a bunch of drinking and then start up again later in the year.

 

[NightFlight]

Sun, lawn chairs and draft. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that.

 

[bwible]

In the last year, I brewed 82 batches 5L /1.5G each. 5 dumpers because of acetic / diastatic infection (discarded them by pouring on the ground in my backyard). Gave out like 2 batches, the rest gulped myself.

Before taking on the hobby I'd never imagine I'd drink so much beer

If I’ve done the math right:
82 times 1.5 gallons times 128oz divided by 12 oz means that is 1,312 bottles. Taking out 5 dumpers its still 1,232 bottles. If you drank every day, its a little less than 3.5 bottles every day for a year for one person. That is awesome

 

[NightFlight]

Sun, lawn chairs and draft. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that.

Maybe a little shade under a tree (a light breeze blowing dandelion seeds in the sky) for high noon and the smell of grass.. sniiiiiifffffff..... you can smell it if you try really hard.....holy bajezus I miss summer.

 

[anotherbeerplease]

I have gotten into aging beers through the years, I always have extra beer and I prefer not to dump, so I am going with higher abv and longer term storage / aging. Eventually I might be able to get a nice vertical tasting going. I also tried some brett on an unfinished saison batch from last spring, looking forward to seeing how that one came out 1 year later...

But I do think 5 gallons is a nice amount, forgiving enough, easy enough to work with, and the cost difference is pretty minimal vs a more palatable 2.5 or 3 gallon batch. Even if that means dumping or storing or getting creative with brett etc.

 

[bwible]

I have gotten into aging beers through the years, I always have extra beer and I prefer not to dump, so I am going with higher abv and longer term storage / aging. Eventually I might be able to get a nice vertical tasting going. I also tried some brett on an unfinished saison batch from last spring, looking forward to seeing how that one came out 1 year later...

But I do think 5 gallons is a nice amount, forgiving enough, easy enough to work with, and the cost difference is pretty minimal vs a more palatable 2.5 or 3 gallon batch. Even if that means dumping or storing or getting creative with brett etc.

3 of my cases are barleywine. I brew it once a year. I have 2019, 2020 and 2021. I haven’t made this year’s 2022 yet

 

[Dr_Jeff]

When we moved, I had in excess of 20 full kegs that I had to put into a temperature controlled storage unit, along with a bunch of cases of wine, mead, cider and beer. About half of the beer was beer that I had brewed and the other half was beer that had been bought or given to me as a gift, high end beers.

The movers wouldn't move it and I had to return to Alaska prior to the closing date and moving date.

 

[micraftbeer]

Wedding China, family heirloom, antique photo of my great-great-grandfather wrestling a grizzly bear- throw it in that cardboard box over there.

Beer- load that onto the refrigerated truck scheduled to deliver to my refrigerated storage unit...