More train

I generally ride the train downtown in the mornings, and take the bus home in the evenings.

Wellington Metro trains are so very old. Yesterday on my way into town (ironically on the bus - long story) I was talking to a long time wellintonian about the arrival of new cars on the Johnsonville line (my line) I was wondering why they were replacing perfectly serviceable trains abet old.

He informed me that recently Kiwi Rail approached a local museum to offer to refurbish one of their cars on display.

Of course there is a catch.

They needed to put the car in service for a few years as there is a shortage of cars and spare parts to operate them.

The museum piece was too tempting to pass up all its spare parts laying there unused for 20 years or so.

New cars are on the way they are wider but I expect still will not have any leg room.

Sunday afternoon draft

Today I went to our brewhause to create another cullinary masterpiece (to make up for 13 & 14 - more on that later)

1 Can of Coopers Draft

250g of Crystal Malt

750g of Spray Malt

250g of Organic (very expensive she says staring at me and gritting her teeth) Golden Fair trade sugar

30g of Hops full boil Hallerbutu

15g of Saaz (moteau)

1tsp of Irish Moss

Houston we have a problem

not a major problem, i don't think. but the brew is flat, flat as a pancake. could be because i kept it in the basement for the two weeks. oh well what a loss, will let you know in two if it is any good.

Belgian Ale

Them there trappist monks have come up with quite a wonderful brew, or two. There is no reason why we cannot duplicate it here at home, especially if we can get the yeast ... and I did just that. I bought a bottle of chamay ale, not just any bottle, but chamay blue the best of the best, and I cultured the yeast. that means I decanted all but the last dregs of the bottle and tossed that into a small jar of warm diluted wort and let it go to town. Now two weeks later we have enough yeast to start a five gallon batch of belgian ale.

Bulletproof Monk
16-E Belgian Specialty Ale
Author: Rumshpringa Brewing

Size: 5.0 gal
Original Gravity: 1.070
Terminal Gravity: 1.018
Color: 19.1
Alcohol: 6.97%
Bitterness: 65.9

Following is the recipe. Slightly modified in that I made a 26ltr batch due to having a bit more malt than it called for:

Light Lager 300 steep 20 min

Crystal Malt 214
Malt 3600.0 boil 60 min
Candi Sugar 1028.6g
NZ Hallertau 64.0g
NZ Goldings 32.0g boil 20 min
Motueka 32.0g
Irish Moss 1tsp boil 5 min

Water 26.0Ltr

My original gravity was suppose to be 1.070. I measured it at 1.048. So I added another 250g of crystal malt to move my gravity up to 1053. I don't know why it is so low as I did follow the directions very carefully.

No I wait for the wort to cool off to room temperature to pitch the yeast. I sure hope this works.