Over the next few weeks my posts will be a bit sporadic as a result of a couple holiday trips. I’ll be visiting my parents in Massachusetts for Christmas, and then Audrey and I are heading down to New Orleans for some food, music, and fun (plus good beer if we can find it). So this post is just a couple of updates on various things I have going on.
A few weeks ago three journalism grad students from American University came over to interview me and record a brew day. Their project, a website about DC homebrewing, is up (looks pretty slick to me). The beer I brewed was based on the method Ithaca uses for Brute, relying on acid malt for sourness and a long secondary with Brett for complexity. I'll post the full post with all of the details next week, but take a look at the photos from the day in the “Process of Homebrewing” section on the site.
I’m still hammering away on the American sour beers book. Down to my last couple interviews to conduct, and I’m hoping to have a completed first draft by the end of January. The manuscript is already over 110,000 words (~240 single spaced pages), but it still needs loads of editing. I submitted a proposal to Brewers Publications a few weeks ago, but have not heard yea or nay from the publisher. I’m a bit torn. If they make an offer, and I go that direction, most likely the book would not be published until at least 2014 (self-publishing I’d hope to put it out in six months). I’d guess money would be similar either way (lower cut, but higher volume with a publisher). However, it would be nice to have backing from the AHA/BA and the beer nerd cred that would come along with it.
In other exciting news, I’m in preliminary talks to be a creative consultant for a production brewery that is looking to open in a year or so. Sorry to be completely vague on this one, but it sounds like a great opportunity. Much more information on that if it works out!
So lots of stuff going on, but no worries, after almost five years of blogging I have no intention of stopping.
Just curious, but did you post the recipe for the DC Homebrewing article?
ReplyDeleteSorry, just realized you will be posting details at a later time.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty simple, 10 lbs pils, 3 lbs acid malt, and 2 lbs wheat malt. Light hopping, primary with Wyeast Farmhouse Ale. More details to come.
ReplyDeletegood luck with the publishing, looking forward to grabbing a copy of the book when it comes out.
ReplyDeleteas for new orleans, I hit this year's mardis gras and found a few great beer spots: http://www.overcarbed.com/?p=1387
i believe NOLA brewing is only open for tours on fridays. the local d.b.a. was also pretty good, but was packed when I was there.
That's funny, I've got a beer mashing right now which is also attempting to use the Ithaca Brute method of fermentation. I used 3 pounds of sour malt too, but for 10 gallons of beer, so it's at about 12%. It only made the mash slightly tart so I decided to cool it to 120 after conversion, add another pound of malt, and sour mash. I'd like to get it nice and noticeably sour.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to see how 20% acid malt does in terms of giving you that nice sour bite. I don't think my attempt, using 13ish%, is quite there.
ReplyDeleteTough call on the book. Like most of your readers, I imagine, I'd definitely like to see the book sooner rather than later. But you'd certainly do well to have the power of the AHA behind it to reach a broader audience. But 2014 really?
While in NOLA, I would suggest visiting d.b.a on Frenchman st. Great music and beer. Frenchman st has never steered me wrong.
ReplyDeleteAlso look up the Avenue Pub in the Garden District. It is a short trolly ride from Canal Street. Great draft and Bottle selection. The owner Penny is real nice as well. Also, the NOLA beer tour on Fridays is a good time, so if you are in town on a friday afternoon it is a must. -Adam
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of the New Orleans tips, I'm sure I'll post where we end up going.
ReplyDeleteAvenue Pub in NOLA (as already recomended once) has the best selection in the city as far as beer bars go. Steins Market and Deli is a fun bottle shop to stop at too!
ReplyDeleteWaiting two years for a good thing? Seems worth it for people who like brewing sour beers.
ReplyDeleteIf BP doesn't bite for some reason, keep sending the proposal around. Craft beer and homebrewing are exploding categories and publishers ought to know it.
ReplyDeleteJust my two cents: It's an interesting topic, you know it as well as anyone, so don't be afraid to think big.