Beer Update - Mid-December at 75th Street

I dropped by the 75th Street Brewery this weekend to check on the progress of the beer I brewed back in October, and they had just transferred it to the conditioning tanks. It's clocking in at around 9% ABV, with a finishing gravity of around 1.020, which means it will be on the sweet side, but plenty warming.

The conditioning tanks are cooled, so the yeast go dormant. That means the fermentation is over, and conditioning will allow the flavors of the beer to mellow and deepen. It's kind of like how stew or chili tastes better the second day - beer needs a little time to mature before it's at its best. Indeed, the term "lager" is rooted in the German for "lay down" because they would store their beers in icy caves for summer drinking. While my beer is an ale, the principle is the same.

I will post here when the release date is imminent.

In the meantime, go try 75th Street's Nitro Porter. Brewed with a hefty dose of espresso beans, the Porter is dark, rich and awesome.