Regular readers will recall that, of the first ten brews, only one seemed to have suffered the fate that all brewers dread most - INFECTION !! A good, if immature aroma, with a reasonable head and carbonation, it just seemed to go wrong somewhere in the middle of the palate . . . he said, trying not to sound like a wine tosser. We feared the worst. Our second ever batch had gone west. And not in an Emu Bitter or Little Creatures kind of way. Poor sanitation, sour, dead beer kind of way.
Rested for two months I decided to give it another chance. Partly because it is, so far, the favoured Beer Bloke product of Mrs Lager and partly because Dr Lager has been giving her plenty over the fact that the only beer she enjoyed was poisoned. And so I can report that the Cascade Imperial Voyage Pale Ale - straight from the kit with no hop or enhancer additives - has come good. Pouring with a magnificent, rocky head, presenting with a clean, yet fruity aroma and tasting as smooth as a Dr Lager cover drive, the beer was so good, I thought, as I downed it, “I must get a photo of this for the blog.” As I put down the empty glass I thought again, “I must make these decisions a little earlier.” Sorry folks. I put anothery in the fridge last night.
This should serve to teach us all a couple of valuable lessons. Firstly, good beer takes time. Secondly, if you have done all the right things cleaning wise, your beer should turn out OK eventually and, thirdly always trust your beer.
