Weyerbacher Blanche (courtesy Finn).  Gave it a 3/5.  Nice light beer but still on the lighter side.  My tastes are already trending darker.

 

Weyerbacher Seventeen (courtesy Finn).  Gave it a 4/5.  My wife thought some of the spices were over-powering but given my poor nose, I thought it was a very nice, flavorful beer.

Blanche is a solid wit but there are others from Weyerbacher that I like better.  You should have a couple of more Seventeens.  I would age the rest ... that will allow the spices to mellow.  I am guessing that they wanted to balance out all of the malt (~10.5% ABV as I recall).

I imagine there are some folks round here who would be more than happy to help you with your wine overstock. It is the charitable thing to do, after all.

I imagine there are some folks round here who would be more than happy to help you with your wine overstock. It is the charitable thing to do, after all.

Anyone swinging through next spring is welcome to help out.  I'm toying with the idea of making port, too.

According to rumor, next month, Southern Tier and Lagunitas will start distributing in Nashville

Carry on.

I have a loooong list.

32 is a US style pale ale.  I used all Amarillo hops, so if you like the hop flavor you know you like those hops.  You will taste the hops in this one.  ABV ~6%.  In both of these I did not use any specialty grains, instead I toasted some of the base malt in the oven.

OK since I am out of these I am inspired to brew this one again.  I have the 2-row so it was a matter of getting the hops and yeast.  I went to the LHBS over the weekend and picked that up.

This is going to be my go to APA recipe.  All 2-row with some of it toasted in the oven.  I have toasted malt for several batches and really like the flavor that it gives me.  I will use this recipe to try different American hops.  The Amarillos were real tasty.  This time I am going with all Citra.  Yum.  Ferment with a US ale yeast. 

The nice thing about toasting malt is I get to smell up the house twice.  I don't know which smells better, toasting the malt or brewing the beer.

Beer in checked luggage.  Yes?  No?

Sure.  I brought a few bottles back from California last year.  I wrapped each in a sock then in separate ziploc bags.  Probably overkill but I figured that if one broke everything in the suitcase wouldn't smell like beer.  They all made it.  The only thing that I did wrong was not bring enough beer .... I had 6 pounds to spare in the suitcase.

Finn and I mail back and forth to each other. Basically, loads of padding. Typically, what I do is wrap each bottle in newspaper or bubble wrap, then put them in single bags. I then set them into a box padded with styrofoam or balled up newspaper or both, and with the padding inside a big garbage bag. So going in, box, then bag, then padding, then individual bags with wrapped bottles inside. Pad on all sides, close the garbage bag and tape shut. You want enough padding so that there is almost no movement. Then ship ground via UPS or FedEX. If they ask what it is, say it is a kid's art project.

So far, no problem.

Occasionally, we get ahold of true bottle shippers with form-fitted styrofoam bottle carriers. That is luxury