Brewer's Assistant

So many of you  know that my boyfriend is a home brewer and wine maker. He and his friends started this amazing blog about their love for homebrew! You can check them out here KC Hop Heaven.

If you're interested in learning about homebrew - I would highly suggest following their blog

Anyways, on Friday night, I was the Brewer's Assistant. So, around 445 on Friday afternoon my job started.

1. I measured 10 gallons of filtered water and poured that into the Blichman Boil Kettle.

2. I turned on the propane tank and lit the burner. (in the garage!!!)

3. Goal- heat water to 165 degrees.

4.  The 165 degree water will ensure that he will hit the certain MASH temp for his beer

     * MASH - by mixing the grains and the water, you're mashing the grains from starches to sugars. 

5. The grains and water will MASH for approximately 60 minutes.

6. Then we had to heat up more water to raise the MASH temperature to 170 degrees. This is called "Mash Out". It stops the enzyme reactions during the MASH.

7. Mash out lasts about 10-15 minutes. Essentially it helps the mash flow easier out of the mash ton back into the boil kettle.

8. Next boil the WORT 60 minutes in the boil kettle.

*Wort is the liquid extracted from the mashing process. Wort contains the sugars that will be fermented by the brewing yeast to produce alcohol.

9. Periodically during the boil hops are added.

* HOPS are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor.

10. Eventually after the boil is complete, you have to chill down the beer in order to pitch the yeast. The yeast will not ferment if the temperature is too hot.

11. Transfer the wort to carboy or conical ferment-er to ferment the beer.

 

12. Wait...a few weeks depending on the type of brew.

13. Keg or Bottle the beer.

14. ENJOY.

    


So I must confess that I did not do every single step...but i initiated the process. I had this crazy lady watching me the entire time. Maybe she was worried that I would blow the house up igniting the burner with the propane tank...? Smart Girl

February Book Club

For the dog owners out there.
Do you ever talk to them and wish they could answer you back?
Ashley and I do this...and there are times where we imitate what we think their voices would sound like.
Harper- high pitched and full of energy.
Hurley- teenager, tom boy.

February Book Club - The Art of Racing in the Rain 

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul, he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn’t simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life’s ordeals.
On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny’s wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoe. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoe at his side.
A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life…as only a dog could tell it.

L.O.V.E

Happy Valentine's Day!  I'm feeling the L.o.V.e.

To start off my day, I celebrated a GREAT friend's 27th birthday! (Heather, I wish you were here to celebrate!!!)  We met up at the Classic Cup Cafe on the Plaza and had brunch.

Tonight, Ashley and I celebrated V-Day!  I purchased a couple of delicious looking KC-Strip steaks and twice baked potatoes from Hen House. I also made my new favorite side dish - french string beans with shallots.  Overall is was an amazing dinner and much easier than trying to fight the crowds at a restaurant.  The only thing we we fought was the snow storm - grilling the steaks and potatoes. 

For a dessert surprise - on Saturday morning I ventured over to Prairie Village - Dolce Bakery.  I picked up 4 cupcakes and a treat for Hurley and Harper.  They were AmAzInG!!!!!!!!  (red velvet, orange almond, double chocolate and a valentine's surprise)

Oh- I cannot forget the amazing flowers I received from Ashley. He is so very thoughtful.

Sending LOVE to all my Friends & Family! :)

Ready for Spring.

hello. is anyone else ready for SPRING? 

what is the deal with the super low temps this week!?!

i am ready for the grass to turn green,  to clean out the garage, 

plant some flowers and be outside longer than 5 minutes!

oh i cannot wait till i have flowers in BLOOM.

Play-Doh on a Friday Night

Friday night, Ashley and I watched our nephew Noah. We had pizza, played with the Play-Doh set I got him for Christmas and watched some 'Little Bear'. Noah was even brave enough to stay over night. Lets just say I was a bit nervous about him sleeping in the big bed in our office. He isn't use to sleeping in a full size bed, but I think he loved it and all of the blankets. I woke up about six in the morning panicked that he had suffocated due to all of the blankets; however, when I checked on him he was happily asleep.  I have to say, he is the smartest, most well-behaved and funny 2-1/2 year old I know.

I Heart PB

I 'heart' Pottery Barn. However, I only 'heart' PB when they have sales. That is right I won't pay full price for anything and have the tendency to 'stalk' their sale web page weekly.  I recently purchased new bedding and I have to admit I am pretty excited about it. I was worried the duvet was a bit "wall paper-ish from 1990" but it turns out that the pattern is amazing and looks great with our grayish blue paint color..and the boyfriend likes it too! When we first moved in together he said, "No Floral" therefore I purchased a rustic stripe quilt and duvet. Just writing about it...makes it sound awful but really it wasn't that bad... just boring. That was 2-1/2 years ago and we needed a change. So this time, I picked FLORAL and PAISLEY!!!


Oh I must say that I also LOVE Crate and Barrel...but I'll save that for another post!

RV Designs.

If anyone is interested in sprucing up their blog, you should check out the creators of my blog. You can find them here, RV Blog Designs.  Meet Rachel and Victoria - the creative minds behind RV Designs!