The Mad Scientist in Me...

Everyone always wanted that childhood chemistry set to make cool things that smoked and bubbled evilly, as seen on TV. Well, I've got one better than that, I brew beer. It's a lot like a chemistry set, except I get to drink my results (hopefully) and not turn invisible, or grow extra appendages. Right now, I've got an Imperial Stout fermenting happily in my closet - well, I should say mostly in my closet because even in a 6 1/2 gallon carboy for primary fermentation, I've got a blowoff tube with lots of foam and stuff overflowing into a container filled with water. Periodically, the container gets filled up with foamy goodness and stuff, and overflows. I guess when you brew strong beer, you get active fermentations. If I can, I'll snap a picture and edit it in here soon.

EDIT - OK, so I did take a picture and edit it in, as evidenced by the image you see above! Yes, I know it looks kind of nasty, but that's just the yeast at work doing it's thing! This ought to be one tasty beer once it is done. Target alcohol is around 8.5%-9%, but it's got a monster hop profile to offset that heavy grain bill. Should be right up my alley!

Wednesday night has turned into Power Yoga night at the gym, usually followed by a gang of us going out to eat afterwards, so last night we wound up trying someplace new - shocker! Not the same old same old over and over again - not that there's anything wrong with that! But we branched out and tried this Japanese place called Shogun that happens to be in the same strip mall as the gym, so it was convenient. I even branched out and tried some sushi, which I normally shun. We ordered a California tempura roll, a shrimp tempura roll (which I ate none of, as I can't stomach shrimp), and a spicy tuna roll. The California roll was awesome - but of course, how could it not be when the whole thing was lightly battered and fried. The spicy tuna roll tasted kind of fishy and I had to eat lots of pickled ginger to get it down, but I did eat all that didn't get eaten by Suzy & Fred. Dinner was decent, hibachi chicken and steak with noodles, veggies and fried rice - the Sapporo 22oz Draft in a can beers were good and cold too. Something new on a Wednesday night! Who says married folks have no fun?

Speaking of new things, Suzy, Ashley and I went to see a live show at the State Theater last Friday night. Kevn Kinney, the lead singer of Driv'n n Cry'n was in town along with 2 other bands, and I drug the girls along for the show. I ran into an old buddy of mine from my single days at the show, and we caught up on old times. He knew the drummer for one of the other bands on the bill, so during Kevn's rendition of Honeysuckle Blue, we got invited backstage. So there I am, standing in the wings on the stage during the song, and realizing how cool that was. The sound was so great being 10 feet from the band and behind the wall of speakers. So anyway, the song ends, the drummer guy says we gotta go back out front, and my buddy Van wonders off to the bathroom. So I'm standing there talking to this drummer, who I don't know from Adam, and he asks me if I like to party. I said, well, in my younger days, yeah, some. Then he asks me if I want to hang with them after the show, as he's scored some particularly sweet coke - as in cocaine. Then, in the very next breath, he says, "You're not a cop, are you?" Anyway, suffice it to say, that's not my scene, so I politely declined his offer. Who says Albany is dull? Sex, drugs and rock n roll, baby! The show was great, and we cut out before the last band played their set, so I didn't have to stick around to diss the drummer's invite. Wacky stuff, I tell you! Can't be doing drugs, I felt bad enough as it was after my few beers and then having to ride my bike 50+ miles to Bronwood and back the next day...