Homebrew. It's a delicious sort of thing. Back in the fall, Tom Cassidy invited me over to his place to harvest some of his excess of hops. I picked a two-gallon bucket full of hop cones, dried them,1 and stuck them in the freezer for future brewing. They're aroma hops2 - i.e., not for bittering - and so lend their distinct quality to whatever they're brewed in.
Bonus: it's an idea for a label. Behold:
It's Tom, in some stylin' Western gear, courtesy of Photoshop. I had to keep the label secret from him, of course. After telling him that I'd left something with his name on it in the math office refrigerator, he responded with, "You didn't say it had my face on it!" In a good way. And it tasted good, too.
Then, for an extra dose of Tom + wide-brimmed hat, he was willing to pose with his own picture:
This year's cider labels aren't so interesting, though the ciders themselves are quite delicious. The latest batch just went into bottles, and is carbonating, ever so slowly. Also coming up in fermentation experiments:
- That batch of olives I started curing back in September is almost ready. After five months of slow going in salt brine, I was able to eat (and enjoy!) one. Still bitter, but not so much that I wouldn't finish one. Just one month left.
- Homemade miso! Another week or two - maybe - and it'll be ready to eat. I'll explain the process when I have some photos. For now, though, I'm fascinated by the fact that it has the most amazing berry-like aroma. If it's a success, I have a second batch almost ready to go.
1Once dried, it ended up being about six ounces.
2Mt. Hood and something else, but I forget what. Not that it matters all that much, since they're all mixed in together.
