March Update

It's been a couple months.  As always, even though the posts have not been regular, the brewing certainly has.  Since the last post we've had several new beers in the works that I am very excited about.  The coming of spring opens the door to a set of beers that just are not ideal in the winter months.  A smooth, dark stout is no longer the pint you want in your hand while you huddle from the cold, but a lighter ale with more citrus and fruity undertones becomes the refreshing drink of choice while you lounge on the porch. Spring also brings a new set of ingredients to work with and a new excitement to the day-to-day that revitalizes everyone and has especially done so my passion for brewing.

Currently on tap we have the Laurel Blonde Ale and Black IPA.  Currently conditioning in kegs #3 and #4 are two new recipes that we are very excited to see how they turned out: an Irish Red Ale and a Pale Ale  with a strong dry hop that boosts the aroma to another level.  As far as the Pale Ale goes, I was tempted to drink the whole keg straight from the secondary it was so good.  I can only imagine what 3 weeks of conditioning and some carbonation will do.  Finally we have a Double IPA in the secondary 3 days into its 14 day dry hop schedule.  This one is no joke.  Unlike the Otium150 Imperial IPA, balance is not the priority.  This is a true Double IPA, target ABV of 9.0% and 100+ IBUs with an incredible dry hopping schedule.  This has 2x the amount of hops of any of Otium’s previous beers and promises to be a favorite. 

For the first time in a while I have some significant brewery related news to report other than saving money and reading a book or two.  I have officially been accepted into the American Brewers Guild Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering Course (IBS&E).  The course consists of 22 weeks of on-line coursework including assigned reading and video lectures coupled with quizzes and exams, followed by 1 week of in-house class work and hands on brewing.  Unfortunately, due to the high demand and limited class sizes, the course does not begin until January 2016.  However, upon receipt of my deposit they will send all of the readings material to get a head start on, which I am very excited to get my hands on.