Catching Up

Things have been super slow here on the blog, but not in daily life. Things are moving on all three related fronts: (1) Home (2) Brewed (3)Bikes - so here's a bunch of text. I'll post more pictures next time, I promise.

(1) Our wedding is fast approaching... and so is our move to Dallas, TX. We've been planning and purging, and I've been job searching. Home life has been really busy - traveling to my sister's wedding, Rachel's wedding shower, an impromptu Cinco de Mayo party...  what a month.

(2) Time is ticking on the wedding beer clock, so last Sunday I biked over to Matt's house and brewed my first all-grain batch of beer - a 5g clone of a New Belgium Saison Farmhouse Ale. He showed me the ropes for his process, including creating a liquid yeast starter, sanitation, mashing and sparging. I have to say, he knows his stuff. The beer smelled delicious going into the fermenter. The recipe added cracked corriander, cardamom, and orange peel. (Matt says the Belgians cheat... they deviate from the 4 standard ingredients. He's a big German beer fan.) Assuming the yeast stays happy, it should turn out to be an excellent summer-wedding beer!

I learned so much in 6 hours, and brewing with a more experienced friend has really helped me along. I could read internet forums all day on the subject, but the actual process imparts a more useful framework of practical knowledge.

Next weekend, we're brewing a 10g batch of another New Belgium clone, this one a bit more famous, and bike related! FAT TIRE. Matt recently finished building his 10g Keggle setup, and it will be put to a good second use.

(3) I've been riding to work about 90% of the time, though lately I'm starting to feel a physical need for a different workout and better recovery. Mashing pedals for an hour a day certainly gets me time on the bike, but I haven't been on a real ride since January out at Walnut Creek. It's time for a nice leisurely 45 mile road ride. I just want to spin.

All of my tinkering bike projects are on pause for now. Too much ambition, not enough time. I've decided that down in Dallas I will turn the Rockfish into a lightweight coffee-cup commuter. I'm planning on building and leaving the trailer here. And any dreams of a tandem will have to wait until after home life has settled.