Yep, it's Friday

Like, Beer Stuff
Slowly but surely, things are righting themselves... Snagged the faucet adapter for the wort chiller yesterday, and after a quick test I can report that it works like a champ.

The IPA really began to ferment in earnest yesterday, and once again I appear to have inadvertently overachieved in the realm of yeast-pitching. Tough to do, considering it was a premixed vial of White Labs liquid yeast, but still. This time around the kraeusen (head of yeast-produced foam) rose so high that it began bubbling out of the airlock, partially clogging it! If I hadn't been watching I might have had a real mess on my hands; as it was the lid was visibly bulging by around half an inch at the center. I removed the bubbler and as the pressure relieved I was sprayed with flecks of yeasty foam. Yow! After cleaning up I tried a few ways to both contain the foam and keep things sanitary. A sponge over the airlock hole just threatened to clog again; a dishrag did the same. I eventually just sat a small transparent Rubbermaid tub roughly over the bubbling mass (leaving corners hanging over the fermenter's edge, so air could flow) and hoped for the best.

Morning came and the fermenter hadn't exploded. The foam had stopped issuing from the airlock hole, though, and there was no blockage, so I wiped the whole setup down again and reinstalled the bubbler, which resumed operation with no more foaming or clogging. Whew! Talk about overachieving yeast! Well, I suppose the consolation is that no matter how badly I fouled things up during the brew, I will still end up with beer. :-)

I always suspected this, but here's the proof: Mail-order beer is illegal in Pennsylvania... But maybe not for long.

Like, Social Stuff
In other news, Hunter and I spoke last night, and I'm planning to visit Birmingham sometime around the end of this month, beer in hand. Maybe I'll get to meet the indomitable sugarmama!

And Acidman and Joanie, I owe you bottles of 2Red. E-mail me your mailing addresses before I run out!

-Rich