Batch #1 is an Ode to my sweetheart. It's a
Grapefruit Honey Ale, from a kit and ingredients courtesy of
Brooklyn Brew Shop. It's described as "Light and refreshing citrusy ale for those who just can't wait for summer." Since my sweetheart isn't really big on
IPAs, and I'm not the greatest
Wheat fan, this sounded like a good compromise. I decided to go with
Brooklyn Brew Shop after seeing the kit at Williams Sonoma, and reading their
book. The idea of a 1 gallon batch rather than a 5 gallon one seemed appealing from a cost and effort perspective, and it made an ideal Father's day gift.
Everything but the cooking vessels were included, and the method straightforward. This was the first time I'd done any non-extract brewing, and their
method made it fairly straightforward to brew an all-mash beer. Everything was easy, except for regulating the temp of the mash. At one point it shot up well over 180' F. I hope I didn't destroy it... Anyway, it's in the fermenter, bubbling away. We'll see what happens in a week and a half or so...
