Father of the Year

Brewing is all about flavors. Not just in the end product, but all throughout the entire process. you can taste the grain, the hops, the water before you even start brewing (for every budding brewer i would encourage that practice..). During the brew day, we are constantly tasting the mash running’s, and pre-boil wort to gauge sweetness and flavor profile (wort is what beer is called before yeast is added).

Our kids get excited too, because they love to taste things throughout the brew day with us. What they really love is “tasting” the wort. It is very sweet, malty, and caramely. If I’m not careful, they could drink all of it before it hits the boil kettle. It’s so tasty that there are actually commercial examples of wort that is carbonated and bottled, un-fermented (so no alcohol) like a soda. It’s called Malta, and there are several regions of the world where its available.

So, back to this a particular brew day. The kids have their little paper cups full of sweet wort, I get thumbs up from all of them on the taste, and they all march into the house. Next thing I know, my wife, Michelle, comes out to the garage (cough.. cough.. brewery), saying the kids are telling her they are drinking beer. My imagination leaps ahead to their school playground where a teacher overhears one of my kids telling another that they drink beer with their Dad.

So that’s fun.

My wife said I can’t give them samples anymore.

I’m still waiting on that phone call from the school…