Small Update

Not much has happened recently, minus a few short stories that have been published over at the Writer's Drawer, and in their anthology. Beyond that, I've just been doing the usual mundane stuff. Though me and my wife did visit and take part in the 200th anniversary of Napoleon's exile in Elba.

New story published

Just a heads up. One of my short stories "8th and Pine" will be appearing in a small anthology: http://www.amazon.com/Certain-Kind-Freedom-Stories-Writers/dp/1492890316

Literary Rejections

Definitely one of the friendlier literary rejections I have gotten. Always nice to get a personal rejection for your writing, as opposed to the first round form rejection>>


Hello Stephen,

Thank you for your submission of "Andante and Allegro" and "Black Pavement."

Unfortunately we don't feel either are a good fit for XXXX XXXXX (edited out).

You have a wonderful talent for creating beautiful scenes with your words, and even though we won't be publishing your work, I enjoyed reading it!

Best of luck to you, and thank you again!

Getting settled in

I am all here and stuff, getting settled in. Hope to begin brewing again relatively soon, but lets face it, I need a thing called a job to take care of my family. Priorities and all.

Simple Mick's Pilsner

Just a simple recipe you can get off www.beerrecipes.org, it's a pretty good starter for new folks, and produces a decent beer. Mostly posting this to be able to finish up a page of the blog (i.e. make it not empty). In other news, moving to Switzerland in less than three weeks.

Ingredients: 3000g Light Malt Extract (liquid) 30g Saaz -60 mins 45g Saaz 20 mins 25g Saaz 2 mins European Lager yeast 12-15 deg 19 litre recipe.

OG: 1043 FG: 1014 Primary Ferment: 4 days Secondary Ferment: 7 days, ready 2 weeks after bottling

Procedure: Boil water, add extract, boil. Add 60 minute hops. When 20 mins remain add 20 minute hops. when 10 mins remain add irish moss. When 2 minutes remain add 2 minute hops. After 60 minutes switch off heat. Cool down and pitch yeast.

Beer Aftermath

Just got back from Switzerland, as I am moving there in half a year. Was a surprise visit, well semi-surprise. I decided at the last moment it wasn't probably the wisest thing to visit my Fiance, without giving her some heads up in case something happens. It is another country afterall.

The Sage Ale turned out well. Though it is still a sharp drink, almost akin to a cider. Not something I can drink consistently. Next beer I am going to brew will be for my old friend Beau, a typical American Pilsner. Will be my last beer before moving.

Oddly one of the good news about living in Switzerland will be that I can sell the beer without a license.

Bottling

Bottled the beer yesterday, re-tested the wort, very tasty, quite sharp though. Will see how it progresses. Decided to put the priming sugar in a bottling bucket as opposed to doeling it out piecemeal.

Now in another six weeks we will have Sage Ale, will tell you how it comes out.