UFO's over Columbus - part 2

After consulting local experts there were no satellites over the area Saturday night. This means the only other explanation is aircraft. Landing lights were mentioned but the objects were coming towards us. Plus if the lights were turned off then would blink off - not fade away.

Another note, both objects were far enough away from each other so if the lights were fading because their angel to us was changing the front object would have been fading sooner, yet both were of the same intensity and fading at the same rate. Another thing I did not mention was that the lights faded AND decreased in size until they were "star-like" size and then vanished.

Being somewhat sane I was figuring the objects were satellites because I knew they were not aircraft. Once the bright lights were gone I looked for other lights and there was nothing.

I'm very perplexed. I'll be making some calls to Truax.

I have been watching the sky for 40 years and so far this is the one time I am stumped for an explanation.
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I have to mention the Brewers.

With the addition of C.C.Sabathea look at the Brewers Starters ERA in the last 20 games.
sabathia 2.32
parra 1.08
bush 2.35
sheets 2.93
mcclung 4.37
suppan 6.41

WOW!
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Popping popcorn with Cell Phones.

Seems the YouTube vids are a marketing campaign for Cardo Systems, makers of Bluetooth headsets.
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Grinders Island Brewery

The brewery brewed up it's first batch of Bascom Brown Ale (BBA) yesterday making a total mess BUT - it all got cleaned up and I learned a few things to make it a neater operation in the future.

My only minor concern was a little scorching on the bottom of the brew pot which might add a little caramelization.

So for you guys interested in what it takes to brew beer here is a little info.

I started with steeping grains in the kettle. I'm still looking into the reason for steeping grains AND Malt Extract.



Steeping grains add color and a small amount of flavor - they are like icing on a cake - they add complexity that a liquid Malt (the real workhorse) does not have.

Malt is interesting. Malt for beer is actually barley that has been soaked to a point where they start to germinate and then germination is quickly halted. This malting creates sugars and soluble starches and other characteristics needed for yeast for brewing.

HOPS.

Hops are a flower which was introduced to brewing about 1000 years ago but have only been in common use for 200 years. The fact that hops are flowers tells us everything you need to know. They are delicate and impart the necessary bitterness required to balance the sweetness of the malt. They provide the spice flavor in beer and the aroma which prepares the taste buds via the nose.

Hops are added at different times to produce different results. Here you see bittering hops (left) and flavor hops.


These two were poured into the wort (pronounced wert) and boiled for 45 minutes. Bittering add's a small amount of bitter and flavor adds, well, flavor.

Here is what the wort looked like before it started to boil.

The wort is boil for 45 minutes and they more hops are added and boiled for 12 minutes, then yet more hops ins added for another three minutes.

Here is the wort as it boils.


When the wort is finished boiling you must cool it as fast as possible. The sooner you can pitch the yeast (insert beer yeast) the less change of any nasty invisible thingys can enter the brew.

Here is the finished brew in it's fermentation carboy. There is a blow off tube inserted when I have learned is not needed except for wheat beer. Sometimes the initial fermentation is so violent that it erupts a little for a few hours. Not so for BBA.


Now according to instructions I now wait for a few days and then rack into the secondary tank once the fermentation settles down - then bottle in 10 days (adding corn sugar at that time for a secondary fermentation). Then after 1 week it is OK to drink but will improve for the next three weeks.

Alcoholic content should be in the 5.5% range.

My vision is to crack open one bottle on the 26th and another one on August 2nd.

BUT - who will help me DRINK my beer!!

Rod