Brew day, a little late

So, I'm a little behind on my blog. 3 weeks ago, I brewed what I call my Alliteration American Amber  Ale, basically it's my recipe for a California Common.  I changed up my hops for this brew since I had some home grown and wild hops supplied by my brother in-law Chad.  I also used 1 oz. Of pellet Galena hops for bittering.

 I mostly partial mash, but lately my 2 gallon cooler was leaking. This picture shows the valve I added to it. Along with some new seals, I no longer have any leaks, and I can get the job done  in a third of the time.

 Here is the wort mid boil with the fresh hops rolling atop the boil.  Fresh hops are fun to use, but make it tricky to transfer, as they tend to clog up the siphon.  I re-used the lager yeast from my doppelbock, and should be kegging this beer in a week or two.

 I'm so glad Stone Brewery is now available in Iowa.  This Double Bastard was awesome.  Thick, hoppy, and delicious, I have yet to have a bad beer from Stone.

 One of my favorite Iowan breweries, is Peace Tree Brewery.  I don't usually drink beers this light, but it has a lot of flavor, and you can really taste the sweetness from the corn used in making this beer.  If you haven't had a Peace Tree beer yet, you need to make it a priority.
www.peacetreebrewing.com

 Another beer I don't normally drink is the light lagers from the major breweries, but when I do, it's usually a Coors Light. I saw this Batch 19 lager from Coors and thought I'd give it a shot. Overall, not bad. Had the same general flavor as a Coors light, just with more. More aroma, mouth feel, and a little bolder flavor. Should be a good beer to have while fishing on a hot summer day.

Great Divide's Expresso Oak Aged Yeti, is an imperial stout aged with expresso in oak aged barrels (you never would have known with that name.)

 This is a bold, thick, yet surprisingly easy drinking beer that I will definitely be buying again.  Such a bold beer needed a flavorful meal to pair with, so I made roasted venison loin and jalapeño poppers.  Good food and good beer make for a great night.

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