Redbones, Stainless Steel, &....IPA

Ah, so what's happening......let's see

Last Friday Kevbones came over and hung out with the Greeks & I. We got a bit sauced at my place and then hit Redbones for some food and some of the Pacific Northwest beers they bring in to town every year around this time. It was great, though I wish I could remember more about what I drank (typical...).

Also this weekend I cowboy'd up and bought an alkali cleaning detergent for my 10 gallon stainless steel brew kettle. In the 3+ years I've been using it, it's gotten nary more than a hot water rinse & a green scrub attack at the end of each use. This has kept it mostly clean, but over time some organic deposits start to cook on to the bottom & sides, and beer stone will begin to build up as well. It also happened to be the week where we went over this stuff in brew school so I thought the time was ripe for me to tackle this project.

I used this stuff called B-Brite, giving the kettle a soak overnight and then a good scrubbing. This took off almost every trace of soil from the kettle. (TIP: use and alkali cleaner to remove organic deposits, and use and acid cleaner to remove stone build-up.) I then gave it a rinse, let it dry, then filled the thing up with a Star-San solution. I had hoped that the acidity of the Star-San would knick the remaining stone residue, and also help to re-passivate the stainless. All I know, is that now my kettle is GLEAMING like new.
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Also this weekend I watched like 20 episodes of LOST.
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So, this week is another standard week with school/work/crap. Next week is our 2nd big exam so I'll be quite busy again I'm sure. (scan back to the first week of September on Bros11 to hear about the previous exam). School will be wrapping up shortly, and while I still have not gotten final word on where I'll be apprenticing, I'm still wicked psyched and a little anxious - but in a good way.
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Heading to the brewstore tonight for grain. I'm thinking of a big, beautiful IPA for my potentially last homebrew at 46 Tremont. Anyway, I should be able to have this thing bottled by the time I head to Vermont on Nov 17th, and it will be the first beer I open at the end of 2008 when I get back from the apprenticeship.

More to come on all these fronts...stay tuned

-Wrence