OK, so the red was a disappointment on all account. So what? It’s still drinkable. Just not a great beer. Still it is better than most of what you can buy in the supermarket.

First off, as I mentioned, it’s not red, which means I should probably stop calling it that but what can you do?

Secondly it fermented out so low that it’s kind of bland. Drinkable but bland.

I was really trying to get a red color with this first attempt and used Pilsner malt as a base but didn’t hop it much. So think Pilsner Urquel without the hops. Maybe not that bad but still kind of bland. Did I mention it’s bland? Oh well. Another lesson learned.

Anyway, the CA common is in the keg, that at least should be tasty. The Mead is now technically a Melomel. At least most of it is, one gallon is still mead. I racked it onto about 15 lbs of plums and only had room for about 4 gallons of the stuff. The remainder went into a gallon fermenter and I bottled 34 oz (a 22 and a 12 oz bottle), just because I had to do something with the overflow. Then I racked it off of the plums into another carboy and, after draining the fruit, am back up to 5 gallons of what is now considered Melomel. I’m realizing that I won’t have the use of at least one of my carboys for the next season or two. If I’m going to make this stuff on a regular basis I think I need to invest in more carboys.

Oh! Since the Red, the brewery has also produced an American Pale/Amber and an IPA on and about X-Mas. I’ll post pictures and more details later. Right now they are in the fermentation closet.

Not a bad brew year for 2007, even though most of it was loaded up in the last couple of months since I got the rig operational. 2008 should be a really good brewing year. The rig works and improvements/upgrades should begin to come on a regular, if slow, basis. But we can brew!