BEER

BEER - ALE!

Unlike making soap, making beer is something you'd expect an old Fighter Pilot to do. The first time I attempted making beer was in 1982, I think. I'm pretty sure it was back when I was terrorizing Roseburg, Oregon. Why did I attempt to make beer then? It was because I was cheap and someone told me I could make 5 gallons of beer for the cost of a six-pack.

The cost of that first batch of beer is undetermined. It certainly started out cheaply enough, but since the batch of beer was a total disaster, we'll never know the true cost! That beer was so rotten even the rats wouldn't drink it. It smelled so badly that you couldn't walk into the room where the brewing was taking place.

I'm guessing it was the Summer of 2006 when my interest in making beer surfaced again. At that time, I was working at the local airport and my good friend, and boss, from Florence, Arizona, got me interested in beer again. He brewed his own beer. After sampling a few mugs of his beer, I made the innocent statement, "So Jim, how do you do this?" That's when it started.

Jim Petty showed me all the tricks. Helped me buy the equipment and the ingredients. He told me how to mix it all up, cook it, ferment it, and bottle it. Jim helped me a lot and he still helps me with my brewing.

I bought all the ingredients from a store in Tucson, Arizona by the name of, Brew Your Own Brew. I also bought all my equipment from these folks. They have it all. That first batch was a brew called "Palomino Pilsner". Even though it is called a pilsner beer, it isn't a true pilsner. Palomino Pilsner is actually a very light Ale. It turned out great!!!

My next batch was a beer called "Long Tail Kolsch Ale". After one bad batch... rotten stink'n stuff! I finally got it to turn out. It was great. Almost the best beer I've ever had. It was a joy drinking it.

I've made another beer called "King Kolsch Ale" and it was pretty good too. However, it didn't match the taste of the Long Tail Kolsch. It was good and it was gone fast! But, I have not tried that blend again.

The reason that I'm making "Ale" is that ale is fermented at a higher temperature than "Lager" beers. Since it is so warm in Arizona, I was pretty much forced into the brewing of Ale.

Many batches of ale later, I've decided that my special adaptation of Long Tail Kolsch is the best beer I've tasted, so far.

For a complete guide to brewing beer at home, check out this website: How to Brew Mr. John Palmer makes it so easy. Try it, you'll enjoy it!

High Desert Resort Label
This is an example of the label for the Long Tail Kolsch Ale.

Ein Prosit!
Come sit with me and enjoy our home brew beer.

Now That's a BEER!
The High Desert Resort Beer is also bottled in these 1 Liter bottles.