The Brewer | |
181 | A brewer spends about a month |
perfecting his beer thoughts. | |
A recipe to please the mass – | |
it’s all he’s ever sought! | |
185 | Dark beers are just enjoyed by few; |
the light ones have no taste; | |
no, amber is the trendy choice, | |
so amber’s what he’ll make. | |
The maltiest of tasty beers | |
190 | has two-row as its base. |
He’ll color it with Munich grains | |
and car’mel, just a trace! | |
To bitter he’ll use hallertau, | |
then secret hops he’s grown | |
195 | will add aroma to his drink |
and make the beer his own. | |
And yeast! He can’t forget the yeast, | |
his magic little friends. | |
A hundred billion hungry lives | |
200 | will dine in great suspense. |
On brewing day he buys supplies. | |
He outlines his grand plan. | |
He weighs out grains, turns on the heat, | |
and washes tools by hand. | |
205 | He steeps the specialty malt bill |
in his five-gallon pot – | |
one hundred fifty-two degrees | |
for twenty minutes clocked. | |
The two-row extract measured out | |
210 | will make the wort grow thick. |
Now stir in the fermentables | |
until they’re nice and mixed. | |
To bitter his progressing beer | |
the first hops now are due. | |
215 | The others are for flavoring |
his wonderful craft brew. | |
When sixty minutes finally pass | |
the boil will be done. | |
Then rapid cooling must take place | |
220 | lest an infection comes. |
The last step that the brewer takes | |
will be to pitch the yeast. | |
The starving little creatures dive | |
into their mighty feast. | |
225 | Two weeks go by in perfect heat; |
degrees are well maintained. | |
The airlock lets some bubbles through | |
as C-O-2 escapes. | |
Then bott’ling day arrives in haste, | |
230 | and carbonation starts. |
The amber ale will be sublime – | |
a sum of all its parts. | |
On tasting day he cannot wait! | |
He opens one with skill. | |
235 | He takes a tentative test sip |
and spits out horrid swill. | |
The taste is off, the flavor sour. | |
The yeast had made it gross! | |
A man controls so many things, | |
240 | but life acts on its own. |
November 26, 2014
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