Well, this is certainly overdue. I had the first bottle of Red Irish Ale two weeks ago, and it was delicious. As I'd said, I was skeptical about it at bottling time. The amount of sediment was off-putting, and the taste was overpowering.
I guess this makes me a little more experienced at brewing now, as I'm more willing to be comfortable with a strong taste or a doubtful beer. Lesson learned - don't jump the gun.
The Red Irish Ale was just a shade or two darker than it could have been, and a shade or two cloudier than it could have been, but as my father said "I've bought ales at brewpubs that were worse than this." Now that's the kind of endorsement I love.
If you brew, I must recommend that you take the investment and buy a few cases of 22oz bottles (or pint ones if you'd really prefer), because it is worlds away from the labor that went into finding, washing, de-labeling, and sanitizing bottles when I made wine for years. I'm sure there are many more erudite recommendations I could make, but in terms of hassle saved, having clean, unused bottles was a huge step up. Next I think I'll spring for a bottle-washing brush, I'm getting tired of using the bent-hangar-and-rag method.
I'll include pictures when I get to it, but don't hold your breath - I'm away for the rest of the summer adventuring among other things - posts should be spotty.
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