Sorry it’s been so hit or miss with the site lately.  I don’t know about you guys but once summer hits the calender fills up and there isn’t much time for hobbies.  I promise will will make a better effort to get at least two posts up a week.

NOW … on to the news.   It took a bit of coaxing from a fellow beer/wine/cigar blogger Tony @ CigarsInReviewTony to get your very own CORKandKEGS, to enter ourselves into a beer competition using our Rye IPA.

To be honest this is both exciting and nerve-wracking.  On one hand enough people have tried the beer that haven’t died to deem it ready for the public.  I know that’s setting the bar kinda low but we all do the same when it comes down to cooking.  When you cook the first time through a recipe you have the understanding that it wont but perfect, but just so long as its editable it’s considered a success.  The next couple of times through the routine of brewing/cooking you refine the taste and modify slightly the ingredients.

One of the more nerve-wracking aspects is that this is our first custom recipe.  We enjoy beer and have thousands of dollars invested in defined beer bellies, but having a beer gut doesn’t make you an expert.   If that rational was true i would be a founder/owner of a pizza company on a college campus.   I do think we stuck a good balance between the rye and hops in our Rye IPA.  Here is a bit of a refresher:  Our Research , Our Recipe , Our Brewing , Our Update/Yeast Addition , Our Racking , Our Bottling , OUR DRINKING↓↓

……….To be honest I’m not 100% familiar with the competition or the brewing association.  I know it’s the 2nd year of the competition for the Mahoning Area’s Grain Masher’s Association (MAGMA).  It should be a lot of fun and give us valuable feedback on what we should do next to tweak in the Rye IPA Recipe.  Here is the EVENT/COMPETITION PAGE. If you have a chance to come out make sure you do.  We can talk beer and pick up some good food at 9:00am for the Greater Youngstown Italian Fest!

Ci Vuole Fortuna!

- Craig