Germantown hatchet portrait

A hatchet pin up.

dramatically stated, this germantown was and is built to perform.

just looking at it make me want to head outdoors!

Arkansas stone

When the oil stone meets the cement.

a little disappointing, but i need to take ownership of this mishap.

i was putting the final hone on an excellent germantown carpenter's hatchet destined for Colorado when   

i forgot how to chew gum and walk at the same time.

with in a second the silence of the expected collision was broken with a SNAP and the scuttling sound of stone along cement.

New belgium barrel

One last image from the new belgium brewery tour.

they are in a place with demand to increase their barrel conditioned beers. in fact, they were adding on to the room for barreling. not only did this room have about a dozen (i should of took a count) but i believe he said that they will be receiving another 30 (i will find out about that number). 

there were a number of obviously different barrel styles and this was the oldest of the barrel styles. purchased from the wine industry, at one time it had to be dismantled, seamed with beeswax then re-assembled. there were other styles of barrels but the others were newer and didn't have the uniqueness of age as this one did. all come used from the wine industry. used because the vessel allows a bit of respiration yet does not yield any wood flavors.

i may have kissed the barrel when no one was looking.

Allegro

The other colorado tour was of allegro coffee company. 

beer and coffee are our families two essentials.

there were many aisles of these beans ready for roasting. 

 temperature and humidity control keep this warehouse fairly warm and uncomfortable. surrounded by all this coffee and we all felt mentally mellow and and physically unstimulated. 

unlike the new belgium brewing room where there was the aroma of wet barley and hops to counter the uncomfortable warmth, here the beans were green so no olfactory stimulation to keep one as motivated.

New belgium brewing

While in colorado was able to take a tour of the new belgium brewing company. it was the best brewing tour i had ever been on. brian conducted the tour, he was passionate, sincere and he answered all my questions.

the house of fun mirror in the brewing room

ceiling art in the brewing room

brewing room making wort

brewing room separating the grain from the wort

brewing room wort