Chasing Sun Rays to Waitsburg

Friday evening I get a call on my cell announcing the potential arrival of bikers, assuming they are at the correct house. I look out the window and say, yep you're at the right house. A couple of Yamahas: big cruiser and crotch rocket.

I feel like a ride, so I get out the Harley. They want to go to Waitsburg, which is due east. The sun is low due west, so as long as we stay out until twilight it won't hurt too much coming back. I've learned from hard experience not to come home after a ride along that road later than afternoon.

Haven't had the bike out for a while, so it's a good thing there's gas in the tank and it doesn't run too badly. I take up the tail and the crotch rocket takes the point---the better to find the RCFDs (Road-crossing Farm Devices).

Coming home before twilight won't be a problem for there's a new brewery in Waitsburg.

Being as two of us were the President and Vice President of the brewclub and being as the owner/brewer was there, we got to tour the back room.

The owner had bought a system from one of the many Hopps Pubs that self-destructed a while back. It's one of the type called "The Pub" from a company that specializes in small systems. The brewhouse combines hot liquor tank, mash tun and kettle to make a 3.5 barrel brew length. The conical fermenters and bright tanks are 7 barrels. The only unusual feature is the heating is done by electric elements in the jackets of the kettle and hot liquor tank.

Doing anything other than single-mash infusion would be difficult, but that's not a problem for Irish-Scottish-English-style beers.

We'd had some of their Scotch Ale in a jug that had come my way via my friend Andy that I'd taken to a brewclub meeting, and we'd come to try it at the source. However, it turns out to be a somewhat rare specialty (not available till June). So I tried their IPA, which was tasty. Jeff and Tim tried some of their other brews. It's worth a return trip to check progress.

The brewery is one of the few plants in the US also bonded for making wine. I had not realized that was even possible since in Washington you can't even have tax-paid beer in a winery. Time and the regulator/taxman marches on, I guess. This calls for more investigation.

The ride home in the dark was made more entertaining by the big Yamaha cruiser blowing a fuse running the tail and instrument lights.

Problem fixed, the last of the bikers left Casa Hopgoddess about six hours after he'd arrived. No quick pipping to the pub for the likes of us.