The reviewer becomes the brewer...

Here it is... the triumphant return of "Tony B"/ "Big Tony"/ "A**hole"/ (whatever else the kids are calling me these days). I haven't posted to the EG in a while (much to Andy's dismay), but I intend to change that.

Silly things like this have been occupying much of my precious drinking time...

Oh Look! It's a queer fellow in tights and a Fagman's cap
(said with your best cockney accent)

Jumping, and bikes, and MUD?!?!?!... Oh My...

I will, however, be taking my posts in a different direction...

I will no longer be reviewing beers in my posts. I know! It sounds crazy for a beer-blog right?

Here's the thing. I've recently taken up brewing myself, and have been getting semi-serious about it (10 gal all-grain MLT system, propane burners, stir plates, Erlenmeyer flasks, carboys..the whole works basically).

My posts will center entirely around my growing brewing operation. My various batches, recipes, musings on the subject, yeast culturing...etc...

I may still review the occasional beer, but Andy does his fair share of that as well.

So... without further ado.. I unveil:

O.T.B Brewing Co.

Label designed by my lovely fiancee Natalie

This is the label from my first real batch. An American Pale Ale with fresh Cascade and Newport Hops from my own garden. It's still carbing-up in the bottles, but showing good promise. The first tester was very well balanced, with excellent clarity.

These 'blurbs' will also appear on the label...

About the brewery itself:

O.T.B. Stands for "Over the Bars." In the cycling world it means your face is about to become very (painfully) familiar with the ground. O.T.B. Brewing stands for big beers best enjoyed while you're trying to remember how you got that big crack in your helmet (and your pride).

About the beer:

The Peloton is not the place you want to go O.T.B. You don't want to get into it with one of those shaved-legged roadies. (What's with those guys anyway?) Save it for after the race with this smooth American Pale Ale brewed with fresh Cascade and Newport hops right off the vine from O.T.B's backyard!

So...there you have it...this is my new goal. Stay tuned for more. I'll be starting my next batch this coming weekend. I'll provide full photo documentation, and way more technical brewing info than you guys know what to do with.




Next Weeks Episode: Portage Imperial Porter pt. 1... The Mash-In