After today the first beer I've ever made (the Dusseldorf Alt) will be ready for consumption. After two weeks of patiently waiting on its bottle conditioning; labelling it like one would name their own child; after two weeks of patiently waiting through its second stage of fermentation, patiently and expectantly watching its primary fermentation; after an hour of boiling and hopping; after cleaning all that stuff, sanitizing all that stuff it's as ready as it'll ever be. Although I didn't 'create' the batch that I boiled, fermented racked, re-racked and bottled, I did make it; condensed beer-from-a-can that it might be. But in doing so I feel that for the first time and through my own conscious effort, more than by driving a car, eating packaged food, or even by earning and spending money I include myself in the ancient process of civilization.
Beer is one of the oldest beverages humans have produced, dating back to at least the 5th millennium BC — prior even to writing — and recorded in the written history of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
~Wikipedia
When I get home a growler or two for the crew and a pint each for Pops and I go into the fridge, and we shall see if there is any hope at all for the other younger batches that are in various stages of fermentation around the house. Let us pray. . .
Bless, oh Lord, this creature beer that Thou hast been pleased to bring forth from the sweetness of the grain: That it might be a salutary remedy for the human race: And grant, by invocation of Thy holy name, that, whosoever drinks of it shall obtain serenity of mind (the gruit excluded, obviously), health of body, and a sure safeguard for the soul. Through (insert the deity of your choosing here) Christ, our Lord
Amen.
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October 26 2006, 18:16:19 UTC 5 years ago
For those who are curious, this is apparently the actual Catholic blessing for beer. The original Latin:
Bene dic, Domine, creaturam istam cerevisae, quam ex adipe frumenti producere dignatus es: ut sit remedium salutare humano generi: et praesta per invocationem nominis tui sancti, ut, quicumque ex ea biberint, sanitatem corporis, et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen
October 26 2006, 18:30:48 UTC 5 years ago
Coincidence?
Latin is a dead language, spoken only by the members of satanic cults and lawyers.Nonetheless, thankas for the translation.
October 26 2006, 18:35:52 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Coincidence?
"Latin's a dead language,as dead as it can be,
it killed the ancient Romans,
and now it's killing me!"
I can't tell you how many times I heard that little ditty during the six years I taught Latin. At a Catholic high school. And me a member of a satanic cult and all ('cause I sure wasn't a lawyer!)...
October 26 2006, 19:12:56 UTC 5 years ago
I ♥ beer!
This little prayer has really pulled me through some of the hairier moments of (nerve) racking and bottling, where from my inexperienced POV I thought, certainly, I must be contaminating/oxydizing/otherwise blowing the entire batch. I added the part about the 'serenity of mind' because I find the mind one of the more troublesome aspects of human being.And bless the Catholics for blessing beer. . . Satanists, or not!
October 26 2006, 19:21:51 UTC 5 years ago
Re: I ♥ beer!
I don't have those moments much anymore, after 5 years and 100+ batches, but when I do, I just recite St. Charlie's prayer:"Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew!"
For all their faults, I'll give the Catholics credit for a) saving the Classics, and b) allowing alcohol. Them Christian Scientists, Baptists, Buddhists, Mormons, Muslims, and Sikhs don't know what they're missing :-)
October 26 2006, 19:59:22 UTC 5 years ago
Re: I ♥ beer!
. . .or St. Murphy's prayer:"Can't say I wasn't warned"
I'm not wasting any time, or empty carboy space getting to my hundreth batch; although I've already deviated to ciders, etc.
October 26 2006, 19:49:12 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Coincidence?
You taught Latin? Ever did the JCL thing?~Dean's SO, who isn't part of a satanic cult or a lawyer despite more than 8 years of Latin, and also handed him the Beer Prayer...
October 26 2006, 19:57:14 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Coincidence?
As a matter of fact, I was CJCL (that's California) state treasurer '84-'85, and then as a teacher was State Chair '90-'96. (Yes, I'm an old fart.) I went to national conventions in New Hampshire, Indiana, Florida, and Ohio (as well as my home state), and maybe more, as my memory, not to mention my ability to conjugate pluperfect passive subjunctive, deteriorates...ductus essem, ductus esses, ductus esset, ducti essemus, ducti essetis, ducti essent!
October 26 2006, 20:11:09 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Coincidence?
I was state secretary of Virginia's SCL in 88-89, and the Nationals I went to were: Rochester, Richmond, New Hampshire, Florida, IUP in Pennsylvania, and Denver. I think I missed exactly one Nationals.So you can't be that much older than me!!!
October 26 2006, 20:31:23 UTC 5 years ago
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
Well, then, it's quite possible that we've met, or at least stood in a cafeteria line together. I was at the New Hampshire convention the summer after I graduated from high school. I did do some stuff with the SCLers at nationals, though we never had an SCL chapter in CA.October 26 2006, 20:13:43 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Coincidence?
Hey, you Latin geeks can go play here, or here, or here, or even here. We're all about the fermented beveragies atOctober 26 2006, 20:16:41 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Coincidence?
Well, Latin is a fermented language, if you experience it the way *I* did.Although that's likely why I don't remember much of it. Still, it is a funny coincidence within a coincidence.
That, and I want my props for hooking you up with the Beer Prayer!
:)
October 26 2006, 20:28:56 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Coincidence?
Catholic Beer Prayer: practically spoon-fed to me courtesy of ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.2)
deviathan
'cause Sidartha's lil' brother knows that the last people I'm going to call on looking for a prayer for my beer are the Christians.October 26 2006, 20:38:18 UTC 5 years ago
October 26 2006, 20:51:31 UTC 5 years ago
October 26 2006, 21:05:19 UTC 5 years ago
October 26 2006, 21:08:18 UTC 5 years ago
Love,
October 26 2006, 21:24:01 UTC 5 years ago
You're no fun!
October 27 2006, 19:18:54 UTC 5 years ago
October 27 2006, 20:02:03 UTC 5 years ago
Perhaps I can help clarify things
On second thought, I imagine that this doesn't help at all.
October 28 2006, 01:05:49 UTC 5 years ago
Let us know how your first brew turns out. Beer is a great thing and making one's own is truely an awesome experience.
October 29 2006, 20:15:19 UTC 5 years ago
Beautifully!
This went so fast (to beer ninjas) even the four growlers I have are empty. So that's why I'm not too concerned about the clear bottles, although I specifically requested brown unbranded long necks to the local alcoholics whom I look to for material support. I explained light damage to them explicitly and warned that they would be getting back what they bring me empty. You package in the bottles you have. And to asnswer you question, this beer was lightly hopped; flavor's very malty and clean.October 29 2006, 23:42:35 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Beautifully!
awesome. Beer ninjas are great when you need to empty some bottles for another batch.October 30 2006, 15:58:17 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Beautifully!
This'll sound equally weird as everything else in this ridiculous post, but I also used a clear bottle for the first batch so that one could readily see the exact color and clarity because this one will go to a friend of mine in Waycross, GA who keeps a shrine to unique and exemplary beers (not that this qualifies as either other than being my very first attempt).October 30 2006, 16:01:59 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Beautifully!
Thats a good point. I have two beers bottled right now; a Kiwi Wit and a pumkin. The pumkin I have done before and will know what it will look for but the Kiwi is something new and being a Wit beer I keep wondering how cloudy it will be.