Back to Basics (and THE FUTURE)

Since I started back, I've been thinking a lot about the future of Misdemeanor Brewing. The big question that should probably never be fully answered is "What can I do to make my beer better?" Well, I've come up with a couple of different things that I plan on doing that should dramatically improve the quality of my final product.

If you've read my blog from the beginning, you know that one of the biggest problems that has plagued my beer from the beginning is temperature control. I've tried several methods such as a swamp cooler, but so far nothing has been able to reliably keep the fermentation temperature low. So, what am I to do? The answer: a fermentation chamber.

Lauren and I happen to have a spare mini fridge that is just sitting in the kitchen taking up room. With a few modifications, I should be able to fit an entire carboy in the fridge. Then, with the addition of a digital temperature controller, I will be able to get and keep the temperature of the fermenting beer low enough to keep from having any off flavors. Also, the ability to control the temperature will also open up an entirely new avenue of brewing for me: lagers! Until now I haven't been able to do a lager, but now I can try several new styles of beer. I'm really excited about this!

Aside from temperature control, I have decided to try to perfect one style of beer. Until now, I have not brewed the same style of beer twice. I will still be experimenting with different styles, just not as frequently. The point of this is to try to perfect my brewing techniques as well as creating a standard "House Recipe." So, what beer should I try to perfect?

I've been trying to come up with my favorite beer that I've brewed since beginning this as well as finding others' favorite. It seems like the most well received (and one of my favorite) beers that I brewed was the Irish Red Ale. Yes, the very first beer I brewed. So, after my next beer, which I have decided will be my first IPA, I will be coming back to the Irish Red. While some people may think I'm limiting myself, thus making my brewing WAY less interesting for them, I disagree. This gives me a level of creativity that I haven't really had from my other beers. By starting with a base recipe and tweaking it, I can find just exactly what I like. And don't think that these will all be minor tweaks. Who knows. Perhaps a an Oak Aged Cranberry Red Ale will pop up after a while (though I don't know if that combination would really work)!

Like I said, don't think that just because I'm going to be focusing on improving one style I will JUST be brewing that style. Who wants to be limited to one style?! Certainly not me! Anyway, keep looking back here to find out just how things are going with my current beer. I'll post again soon with an update!