One last Canada brew - Scottish 80 shilling!

I thought I was going to leave Canada a bit earlier, but ended up having one more go before I head out in a few hours! We dropped by The Vineyard in Calgary to pick up one more set of ingredients, and this time it was mostly +Mark Girard doing the recipe-ing. He developed a version of a nice Scottish 80 Shilling  and we did another go with his new and improved mash tun! This time, much more success. The grains fit much better in the 5gallon mash tun, the braided steel tubing fits better with the magic Mark fix, and the boil was much nicer with a hop bag to remove some of the sludge that they have been getting in their fermenters. 

I was really glad to be involved in three wonderful Hannah & Mark Brewing Co. brews while up here, and I look forward to many more from them in the coming months. Since I hope to be back and forth for the next year (plus) I can't wait to taste more of their creativity! 

Until I get the chance to brew again, enjoy these photos and some rambles on the brewing life in the US.

All fifty states can homebrew legally now! Alabama finally voted it in. Also, CraftBeer.com released a great image of the US with some of the craft breweries making up the map for Craft Beer Week. I want one printed up!  And lastly, the Texas house approved the new law for breweries distributing! We are one step closer to letting me bring my growlers into the breweries and get them filled up. FINALLY!!! 

End of Canada, and the bottling of an amazing RIS

It is about time to leave Canada, and also time to bottle the RIS so that it will be ready when I come back in July for the Calgary Stampede.  I was really happy with this batch because the sweetness was amazing, the alcohol was not overbearing, and the anise was powerful. However, we shall see as carbonation and age take advantage of this little beauty.  More taste notes will be added when I return...

We also tried to fix the mash tun, and I think I did that by forcing the small plastic inner hosing (inside the braided steel) over the barb.  I would have preferred a smaller barb or a larger hose/braided steel, but neither was really available at the local Home Depot in Calgary. However, it works!!!

Now I will head to some new places and start brewing with people in those locations. But in all honesty, I won't be there long enough to really enjoy them.  Keep reading over the next two months as I go to Colorado, the UK, Romania and more to start looking into various things about homebrewers, local bars, and other things I am interested in during a big trip!

For now, a Stegosaurus in a top hat says:

 __________________________
< Stay calm and make beer! >
 --------------------------
\                          .       .
 \                        / `.   .' " 
  \               .---.  <    > <    >  .---.
   \              |    \  \ - ~ ~ - /  /    |
      _____          ..-~             ~-..-~
     |     |   \~~~\.'                    `./~~~/
    ---------   \__/                        \__/
   .'  O    \     /               /       \  " 
  (_____,    `._.'               |         }  \/~~~/
   `----.          /       }     |        /    \__/
         `-.      |       /      |       /      `. ,~~|
             ~-.__|      /_ - ~ ^|      /- _      `..-'   
                  |     /        |     /     ~-.     `-. _  _  _
                  |_____|        |_____|         ~ - . _ _ _ _ _>

UPDATE:  5/14/2013 +Mark Girard  has made the label, and I love it! Do you???