Brewing notes

Lots of brewing been going on.  Our kitchen is currently home to 32 gallons cider, mead and wine.  Add to that the 12 gallons in the basement and we're set for a pretty full cellar next year.  (and yet the urge to make more remains...)

Went to EK Brew U on Saturday.  Didn't get as much out of it as I hoped for - I was a bit under the weather, which contributed some.  Add in the fact that we were only day tripping and that the higher ranking guild folks seems to be a fairly closed group, not many connections were made.  I did get some great hand outs from a few of the classes, but not much new info.  Still I had a good time hanging out with folks.

One piece of good news that we got earlier in the day - the PA government passed legislation that makes it legal for limited wineries in the state to make mead.  Before this it was technically illegal because mead was not made from a fruit.  A bill to amend various parts of the PA Liquor Control Board Act was submitted on Oct 16th 2003.  On Nov 17th 2004, it was amended to add language that allows for mead.  Specifically "fruit" was changed to "agricultural commodity" and agricultural commodity was defined as "any of the following: agricultural, apicultural, horticultural, silvicultural and viticultural commodities"  (Which means, in addition to honey and grapes, they can also make wine from vegetables, flowers, trees, cow and chickens...)  The final version was signed by the governor on Dec 8th, 2004.

Brewing notes

Lots of brewing been going on.  Our kitchen is currently home to 32 gallons cider, mead and wine.  Add to that the 12 gallons in the basement and we're set for a pretty full cellar next year.  (and yet the urge to make more remains...)

Went to EK Brew U on Saturday.  Didn't get as much out of it as I hoped for - I was a bit under the weather, which contributed some.  Add in the fact that we were only day tripping and that the higher ranking guild folks seems to be a fairly closed group, not many connections were made.  I did get some great hand outs from a few of the classes, but not much new info.  Still I had a good time hanging out with folks.

One piece of good news that we got earlier in the day - the PA government passed legislation that makes it legal for limited wineries in the state to make mead.  Before this it was technically illegal because mead was not made from a fruit.  A bill to amend various parts of the PA Liquor Control Board Act was submitted on Oct 16th 2003.  On Nov 17th 2004, it was amended to add language that allows for mead.  Specifically "fruit" was changed to "agricultural commodity" and agricultural commodity was defined as "any of the following: agricultural, apicultural, horticultural, silvicultural and viticultural commodities"  (Which means, in addition to honey and grapes, they can also make wine from vegetables, flowers, trees, cow and chickens...)  The final version was signed by the governor on Dec 8th, 2004.