Thirsty Thursday – Experiments and Equipment

As I’m getting more and more into brewing, I’m finding that I’m running out of space for all my bottles of beer, cider, and mead.

This is a problem.

It’s not a terrible problem to have, of course, if you’re a beer drinker. But it is a problem nevertheless.

Especially given that I have (or have ordered) ingredients for five more 5 gallon (45 bottle) batches of beer. And I want to brew them all!

The solution: experiment smaller.

Today I received kits for one gallon batches of beer.

Now, going so small isn’t ideal, but it is a good chance to try some experimental brews. Play around a bit with ingredients that, well, might result in a nasty brew. I’d rather throw out one gallon than five.

I’m looking forward to trying some new things. Maybe experimenting with different grains. Or different spices. You’d be surprised what’s been added to beer in the past. I want to learn the distinct flavors and aromas of the different varieties of hops. Tons to learn here.

This doesn’t mean that five gallon brewing will stop. Oh, no. I have those five recipes ready to go, and they’re going to get done this winter if I have anything to do with it. And if I hit on something good with the one gallon set-up, I’ll scale it up to five gallons or beyond!

I might need to invite some friends over for a few tall and fizzy ones…