Fun with fermentation

I've been dabbling in homebrew for years. Mostly pre-mix kits--I tried the whole nine yards with the boiling of the crystal malt and such, but found the additional hassle less than fulfilling. So I pay my $15 for the canned mix and pretend I'm a master brewer.

I like to experiment, and I've wanted to branch into brewing honey mead from almost day one. I only had one fermentation vessel, though, and mead needs to be "racked" into separate vessels to settle out particulates and aging. That complicated matters for me, so I never attempted it. Until now. My wife has a friend who's gone through an ugly divorce, but in the process she came into possession of two "Mr. Beer" homebrew kits. She very kindly gave them to me, since she has no interest in homebrewing. The fermentation vessels are small--3 and 1.5 gallons each, but they're just the right size for my modest mead-making ambitions (at least for now). So I invested in Ken Schramm's excellent book The Compleat Meadmaker and have started my first batch--a slightly sweet variation on a traditional mead recipe.

The current fermentation vessel is driving me nuts. It will not stay sealed. It's clear, so I've been able to keep track of the fermentation by the bubbles rising in the must. But once this started, the water trap/air lock at the top wasn't bubbling. So I seriously bust some arm muscles tightening the lid. Success. The water trap begins bubbling instantly. Problem solved. Today I get home from work, and the trap is inactive again. This time, brute force has no effect. So I take the lid off (hoping all the while that the fermentation process is far enough along that wild yeast won't infect the must to negative effect) and discover two plastic "runners" left over from the original mold that are protruding into the lid's seal, leaving the tiniest of gaps. That's enough to let the yeast-produced CO2 escape without going through the water trap. After the quick application of a utility knife, the water trap is happily bubbling again. Let's see if it sticks this time.

Speaking of brewing, I just read in the San Antonio Express-News that the Faust Hotel brewpub here in New Braunfels has reopened. That's one of the first things I noticed when we first decided to move to New Braunfels, and I've wanted to sample their microbrew for some time. Now that they're back in business, I'll have to make it a point to drop in.

Now Playing: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Game 2 WOAI-AM 1200