Greenhouse & Lager

Greenhouse

Well, we did not quite get done but the greenhouse is nearly complete.  We had to overcome missing and damaged parts and instructions so vague as to suggest that their relationship to the task at hand was mere coincidence.  Yet we still managed to get the cover on and one of the roll-ups working.  Hopefully, next year we will be able to get a jump on spring and finally get some good peppers.

Lager

On the brewing front I have been in a bit of a lager mood lately.  I know this is a bit of a departure for me, but these new dry lager yeasts work so well that I decided to pursue this avenue.  The first batch was the New England Cream Lager which was such a success when last brewed.  This time I decided to experiment a bit and add an extra ounce of hops with 15 minutes left in the boil.  I bottled this batch last night and was amazed at how much more hop character it has than the last batch.  I expect this will be a good beer in a month or two.

The second lager I brewed was more experimental than the first.  I use a new yeast and a new malt.  The yeast used was the Saflager w-34/70. I bough this on a whim since I had never seen or heard of it before. The new malt was a dark roasted rye malt the homebrew shop had just got in.  I decided to combine the two and see what would happen.

As you can see, the yeast went right to work. Even Socrates P. Qat was impressed. I also bottled this lager last night.  The taste is very strong and malty, almost stout like, but with the characteristic lager tart ness.  I also expect this to be a good brew after a month or so in the cellar.