The Lambic is racked and merrily fermenting on 10lbs of formerly frozen raspberries.
I had no idea how to approach this part of the process, so I made it up:
* Scalded the raspberries to bring them to room temperature and kill anything that might have been living on them.
* Crushed them, using a food mill.
* Put them in the carboy, using a funnel and a soup ladle
* Siphoned the beer over top of them per standard racking procedure.
Whatever happens to the beer, there’s a very cheerful smell of raspberries in my kitchen right now. There are also a seemingly neverending series of cheerful raspberry stains on the counters, floors, ceilings (ceilings?), etc. Such is life. Also, with the return of some bottles I had given away, I’m up to a full batch worth (50) in 12 oz bottles. Woo hoo! This “have a party, and also give lots away” technique means that I get to make more varieties without consuming more quickly or buying too many bottles. Good for the budget, good for the gut. Next batch is a Weiss beer for one of the guys I work with. He’s been pestering me about it for months now, and the timing is right for Christmas gift-beer.
In other news: The plumber never showed to re-bid the work, now that he knows I’m going to be a stickler for permits and inspections. Maybe I should just get a general contractor and be done with it. Somehow, I’m having a hard time with trust these days.
In still other news, I’ve signed up for a climbing competition tomorrow. I’m a “beginner,” and I fully intend to get my ass handed to me, competition wise, but it should be fun.
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