Control Panel mounted...check! Wiring...not so much

So, I finally got around to mounting the control panel on the brewery. Today, the task is to wire everything into the panel and do some minor (though it seems nothing is ever minor with this project) plumbing. I'll keep you updated!

Cool Craft Brewer Video

 

Some of the usual suspects are featured here

Wow, I thought this was a brewing blog

Didn't get a chance to work on the brewery AGAIN this past weekend. There were a lot of holiday functions and of course, had to chop down a tree. I have a good feeling that this weekend will be a good one for the brewery...maybe I can finish it up...don't hold me to it though.

Uh Oh.....look what came in the mail today

I arrived home from work and there was a barrel-sized box on my doorstep. Christmas came a little early I guess! It is a 5.2 gallon medium toast American oak barrel and comes from a distillery in Texas. It held a spirit called Rumble, described below:

"This unique Texas spirit is made from the finest local wildflower honey, mission figs and turbinado sugar and aged in small oak barrels.  Inspired by rum, but not rum...Rumble.  This is what happens when whisky distillers play with sugar.

Tasting Notes:  Fresh baked bread with melted butter and honey, citrus notes, malty depth and deep fruit.

Rumble is clean and smooth, complex and multi-faceted.  It's fine for mixing, but is exceptionally suited for drinking straight."

Should be delicious when I get around to putting beer in there. For now, I put 2 liters of vodka in there to keep the oak wet and aseptic. I'll dump that out once it comes time to put beer in. The vodka allows the flavor of the rumble spirit to be maintained to some degree (as opposed to putting bourbon in) and then passed on to the beer when it ages. I think the vodka that comes out of there will taste interesting too!

Moxie was a little hesitant about having the barrel around...don't ask me, he's strange

Haven't been building the brewery lately

So, this time of year is always a tough one to focus on brewing. There is always the lure of heading up to the mountains...and that is what has happened half of the last days I have had off. I still have a few plumbing things to do on the brewery and wire the control panel to the equipment. I'll post pics as soon as I can of the brewery and my progress. Although, I did get an email today saying that my 5 gallon oak barrel will show up on Tuesday! Lets get some suggestions on what the first beer to go in the barrel will be. It will have to be fairly malty, >8% alcohol, and it will be in there for about 9 months. Any thoughts from the three people that check this thing?