Brewday!

Today was brewday! It's been a while since my last brew session, so it felt really good to get back on the bandwagon.

I ended up making a Kölsch with some tweaks to the hopping. I'm going for something with a bit of lemon character and a touch more bitterness than the style generally calls for.

Brewing in the small space I inhabit is challenging - both in terms of the process (having to use a spotty electric range as the heating element) and the fermentation (being mostly at the mercy of the weather to maintain a good temperature).

I'm working on a method to fix the latter issue. Eventually, it's going to involve having a full kegerator with a dual-stage temperature controller, so I can keep everything working in a fairly strict range. To get started, I'm trying to pick up a mini-fridge big enough to hold a carboy and hoping I can calibrate its temperature control to something reasonably close to optimal fermentation. We've got a week of fairly cool weather on the way, so it's not a hugely pressing concern, but by this time next month, anything brewing is going to suffer immensely in the 90+ degree heat.

Still, the important thing is to always be brewing, right? That's my plan going forward!