Like you needed another excuse to enjoy Colorado brews

April 8th-16th. What a great excuse to go out and support your Colorado craft brewers. So, get out there and maybe visit some of the Colorado breweries that you haven't been to before...or tell your buddies about your favorite local brewery and bring them along.

Go to http://www.cobeerweek.com/ for more information on events and breweries. Enjoy!

The Keezer

I guess I have never really posted a photo of my serving setup. I have a converted chest freezer with temperature control to dispense the brew from kegs ...therefore called a keezer....clever, right? I didn't come up with that name, the home brewing community did! The chalk board (used chalkboard paint) on the front is nice for updating the 4 beers on tap. I also encased the lid of the keezer with wood and stained it. I put 4" casters on the bottom of it so I can roll it away from the wall easily to load and unload kegs. It was getting difficult to slide a keezer full of kegs along the floor, I'm old. In the photo, you can also see the sweet tap handle my brother gave me as a groomsman gift for his wedding...it says "Lowell Brewing Co". I guess this is also "my area" of the house where I can hang my Red Sox memorabilia!

Getting ready to pour a flight of brews for my lunch guests. I'm making a stupid face, but it's a nice shot of the keezer...thanks, Abby.

I'll be brewing TWO beers this Saturday in anticipation of my folks coming to visit at the beginning of May. I'll be making Blonde and Amber ales. Each of them won't be too hoppy, but will be well-balanced with the amber having slightly more malt character (this is how I hope they will turn out). My parents definitely have not embraced the hops yet and my Dad instantly gets a headache and is hungover every time he has a hoppy beer. No idea why that happens, but I feel like he'll start to acquire that taste for hops that all of us who live in Colorado have! My Mom usually likes the lighter beers, in both body and hops...the Blonde ale should be great for her. Wish me luck, it'll be a very long brew day!

The beginnings of the beers...yeast and grain!

2 taps down.....on to the next round

So, I just bottled off the kegs into some bombers. The Brother and Kitchen Sink are done, but I was able to get two bottles of the Brother and six bottles of the Kitchen Sink. I also got about 4 bombers each of the other two beers on tap. Although, Sally's Lil' Slice of Heaven is close to being kicked too! Big Townie Brown still has a couple of gallons left in the keg...I think...unless Micah has been sneaking pints again. So, on to the next beers. Like I said this round will be a little more sessionable. I'll be brewing two beers next weekend and I know one will be an Amber, but I'm not sure about the second one. It is going to be the lightest beer in the lineup, so I was thinking either a Blonde or Wheat. I'm putting it to a vote....what does everyone think will be a light drinking crowd-pleaser? Post a comment and let me know.

The kicking of the kegs also means that there will not be a Lowell Brewing Strong Ale festival :( . Though, I'll have to have another one with the sessionable beers coming up, not to worry, local friends. I'll keep you posted.

Previously, this week, Jeff and I bottled 5 different beers in 20 bottles for the NHC. Hopefully, one of them makes it past the first round. If anything, it is a great opportunity to get some feedback on the beers from certified judges. 

Hoping one of the beers is #1! Moxie looks like Zuul...

I'll check back  soon, but in the meantime, let me know which beer is your favorite light-drinker between a Wheat and a Blonde (sounds like the beginning of a bad joke)...

Colorado Beer Code is up for debate again...Vote NO on HB1284 & SB 194

I hate to use this blog as a political soap box, but I feel very passionate about anything that would hurt our Colorado craft brewers.

HB1284 (Sale of Full Strength Beer in Grocery Stores) 
SB194 (Sale of Full Strength Beer in C-Stores Stores)

While this seems like a no-brainer vote at first, it really could be detrimental to our Colorado craft brewers. Why wouldn't we want the convenience of picking up our favorite craft brewed six-pack at the grocery store  when we are already there getting our food for the week? Well,  here's the thing. Do you think the big box (Kroger, Safeway, etc.) grocery stores or convenience stores will carry that favorite six pack of yours? Most of the shelf space in the stores will be reserved for the big beer guys and the smaller guys will most likely get squeezed out. How many hoops do you think the craft brewers will have to jump through to get their beer on these shelves, as opposed to just walking into the local liquor store and talking turkey with the owner? It becomes a cascading effect from here. The local, privately-owned liquor stores will begin to go out of business because their beer sales will decrease and therefore the only other outlet for the small craft brewers will be the grocery and convenience stores, where they may or may not be able to display their beer. If the small craft brewers cannot sell their beer, they too will soon be forced to shutter. I know this sounds like an extreme result, but it is more possible than you might think. Therefore, it all goes on down the line and affects more segments of the industry than you think. Now, is all this worth the five minutes you might save picking up beer on aisle 7 as opposed to walking next door to the liquor store?

I suggest all of you that feel passionate about Colorado craft beer, its reputation, and its longevity in our state to write your representatives and senators. Go to this website and enter your Colorado zip code to find your reps information:  http://www.votesmart.org/

Compose an email or letter similar to this:

Dear Representative or Senator, 

Please vote NO on HB1284 & SB194. I love Colorado craft beer and what it stands for in our state.These bills are putting my beer at risk because my favorite Colorado craft brewery is less likely to get vital shelf space if corporate non-local, chain stores control the Colorado beer market. If I can't find my favorite craft beer on the shelf, I can't buy it. Access to market is critical in the beer industry and these bills move in the wrong direction. They will kill jobs, not grow them. Colorado is the envy of the nation when it comes to craft beer and these bills will change that. Please vote NO on HB1284 & SB194 and preserve brewery jobs in Colorado and our reputation as the leader of the craft beer industry. Help Colorado Brewers grow, and grow the state economy. These bills mean less selection and higher prices for Colorado craft beer lovers like me and I am upset. Please vote NO on HB1284 and SB194. 

Thank you

My letters have already been sent and I urge you to do the same.

A little street credit!

This is just downright cool. The brewery was recently featured on the American Homebrewers Association website. I'm getting an agent right now... Seriously though, it is nice for your hard work to be recognized in some form or shape.

Pimp my system: Andrew's Computer Controlled Homebrewery

This weeks pimped system is brought to us by Andrew from Boulder, His system includes a full control board as well as a computerized control and monitoring system! more >