Another fun month of brews! The house is starting to warm up, which means that the yeasts are more self sufficient, and need less coddling from me to keep them active and happy. Phew! I had a surprise from my Imitation Port recipe mid-month. I went to check on the brews, and found that the cap was missing from that jug. I couldn’t make sense of it, until I realized that it was naturally fermenting, and had worked enough pressure up to pop the cork out. That hadn’t even occurred to me, since it’s got sherry and brandy in there, but I put an airlock on it, and we’ll see what it does next! The counterfeit malvoisie that I started last month is chugging away, and smells/tastes wonderful. That’s one of the best things about historical recipes- I would never have thought to combine juniper, cinnamon, and coriander, but they are amazing together! That’s a recipe from 1604, and will probably stand in for a spiced wine from Essos.
Near the end of the month, I attended an SCA brewing event, which was a blast. I got some great feedback on the bottles I brought, and got to chat with some really knowledgeable brewers about esoteric brewing. My housemates are thrilled that I talked at someone else for a change! I was able to have two of my brews judged, and they did well enough that I’m now a novice in the guild. I probably won’t be able to submit more for judging until July, but I’m excited to be able to climb the ranks, and improve my research and documentation skills. It’s also got me eager to try zany new brews, like a Roman wine made with seawater, and finally track down a good historical braggot recipe. I also started up the FB page for Game of Brews, for those who’d like to keep better tabs on what I’m making, as well as join the discussion and brainstorming for future projects! New Posts:
- Last Hearth Heather Ale – placed well at a recent brewing competition
- Ginger Wine, c. 1690 – with some carbonation, next version will be great
- Greywater Watch Gruit – a hopless ale with herbs
Started:
- White Metheglin from Lothlorien (yep, jumping fictional boundaries)
- Dandelion Wine
- Violatium II
- Spiced Cider