These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of midterms, work, and shortcomings here and there that have resulted in a few scary moments but have always finished off to be a blessing in disguise. At the beginning of this term, my goal was to re-obtain my spiritual and physical well-being. With deadlines to meet and tests to pass, the university setting sometimes keeps your head in a textbook more than your feet outside or your thoughts in introspection. With this in mind, I set out specific days and times where I'd focus on getting my heart rate up, being kinder, breathing longer and harder, and overall; just shooting to relieve the stress and strive for betterment. I have been successful of this so far and what a difference it has made! I feel in unison with this universe and reading various books on Eastern philosophy and the mysticism that surrounds Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc.; have felt that connection not only with fellow mankind but also with plants, rocks, waves, etc. In the meantime, I have also obtained a research position (long story but for a $1800 school fine for credit discrepancies, I received this blessing at first in disguise) working in Chemical Engineering with plant extracts and various dilution's. Just finished bottling the IPA and it tastes great at room temp. without carbonation so I'm stoked to see how it ends up after the initial two week carbonation period. Today, I also had the opportunity to join in on a brew with the fermentation club at the university. It was freaking awesome! The equipment is downright mind-blowing. Granted, you lose that personal touch with beer-making that you have while home-brewing but there is something to be said for boiling tanks that reach optimal temp. in a matter of seconds due to steam coating or chillers that bring your boiling wort to a manageable temperature all while aerating at the SAME time. I met some rad people who generously brought hot french pressed coffee, pancakes, fruit, etc. to fuel us brewers on the seven hour day working in the plant. I hope to join in again on more brews in the future. There is a ton of knowledge to be gained, a lot of smiles out there to be shared, and a common language between everyone.
The balance is in between absolute solitude and sheer recklessness. I'm living within this margin and doing my best every day to be a little bit better than the day before.
To quote Ken Ilgunas, he states perfectly upon completion of his 1,700 mile trek following the Keystone XL Pipeline from Albert Canada to Texas:
"This life is so mortal, so finite, and I wish I could keep coming back to see you every year, forever, and savor your sights and these joys over and over again. Then you'd be mine. But I can't, and I'll have to be content with these memories and this sweet sadness--the sadness of having done, but not having the lifetimes to do again.
I'd think about how the Thoreau in me is cynical, critical, misanthropic; at peace in the company of pine needles, but crabby in the company of men. But also about how this trip has brought out the Whitman in me -- a lover of all things man and nature -- and how sometimes I just want to exuberantly catalogue all the professions of mankind in an epic poem, along with the clatter of our tools and the babble of our speech."
ONWARD, TO ALL. Push those boundaries. Stay fucking wild.
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| Rigging up the pump to the mash tank. |
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| By far the thing I want most. This mechanism not only runs the boiling beer through plates that are also connected with coils of flowing cold water but it also pumps oxygen directly into the glass vile (filled with beer in this photo) simultaneously resulting in cooled wort and happy yeast. |
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| Sparge. Making sure all the fermentables are in the yeasts liking. |
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| My office for the day- not too bad! |
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| My poor roommates just love me. It's bottling day! |
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Oregon State University Fermentation Club brew.
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