Friday

I'm looking forward to a relatively quiet day today. I returned a couple of phone calls this morning, one from the Platte Valley Cattlemen's Association asking if I could do a presentation at their monthly dinner a week from Monday, and one from the organizer of a new beer festival in Milligan, Nebraska to be held in March.

Willie, our maintenance expert, said he'd give me a hand with putting the filter pump back together later this morning.

When I looked at the new batch of Bugeater Brown Ale this morning, it looked like it hadn't started bubbling yet. But when I investigated a strange hissing sound in the fermenter room, I noticed the pressure gauge on that tank reading 17psi! The hissing noise was gas escaping from the pressure relief valve on top of the fermenter; it's the sound of narrowly-avoided disaster.

Willie and I attacked the filter pump together. Despite our efforts, it's still leaking, which means I need to order a new seal and try again. It should be here early next week.

Willie also took apart one of the non-functioning fluorescent light fixtures in the cellar to see if he could find a new ballast somewhere. It'll be nice to be able to see in there again.

So, next week:

• Try fixing the pump again


• Brew seven barrels of Impromptu Pale Ale


• Clean the draft lines


• Make 28 barrels of Root Beer


• Fill keg orders


• Clean kegs


• Prepare a presentation for the Cattlemen's Association