Yesterday was the first brew day of the season here at Angry Dog Brewing. That's me on the left there with my pal, Bill Schmidt, whom I've known since we were in the fifth grade together in Wahpeton, North Dakota, 24 miles east of where I currently live in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
When I moved back to the old home country a little over three years ago, Bill and I quickly got back in touch, and the main way we got back in touch was through brewing beer together. We brew several weekends over the spring, summer, and fall. It's become a hobby of sorts for both of us. But mostly what we enjoy is getting together, forgetting about everything else in our lives, and solving the problems of the world while bathed in the nectary smell of hops and the autumn-harvest aroma of freshly ground malted barley as well as the smell of the steam rising from our brew kettles, rife with the flavors of both the hops and the juices extracted from the malt.
It was a good day for both of us. Bill brewed a lager and I whipped together an IPA, trying a little of this and a little of that, which I usually do. (I've never been able to follow a recipe in brewing or in life in general.) Only a couple of hours after we'd siphoned our wort into the primary fermenters, my brew had a nice head on it. Here's to hoping it tastes as nice as it looks. I'll know in a month or two...
Hope you trademarked that name. Be cool to be able to pick up some Angry Dog Beer at my local supermarket, then enjoy it while reading your latest book.
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