A Brewer's itch
Brewer's log, date 20 januari 2013.

So, this week no brewing, it almost feels like an itch I just can't scratch (seriously, guys, brewing is addictive). I'm still looking for an artist who can share some of his art with me for labels (I will post pictures, I promise!). so for now it's listening to some nice jazz, a bit of ice skating, you know, enjoying life as it goes by etc.

If you guys have any questions on brewing, I'll do my absolute best to answer it (and even quickly).

One note however, is the result my liqueuermaking: my coffee liqueuer is very smooth and sweet with a nice essence of coffee al through. It's definately a recipe worth trying to make:

(from my personal culinary bible which is, and always be until it's full a work in progress)

Coffee Liqueuer
(according to my grandma):

combine in a Literbottle:
1/2 liter 'Jonge Jenever' (but vodka or a rye spirit woudl do was well. Just make sure it's pretty much tasteless to begin with, so no gin)
250 grams of Candysugar (Dutch: 'Kandij' some dark molasses like sugar, commonly sold in rocklike pieces)
40 grams of vanilla sugar
80 coffeebeans (Mocha flavour, they need to be soft so they are good in soaking up the alcohol and releasing their taste)

so put it all in the bottle, seal it and shake it every day for about half a year until the sugar has dissovled comletely and the alcohol has taken a dark colour. then it's as good as finished, but if you really want to make a fince liqueuer prolong the making to a year.

Socratov's class for the homebrewer and homechef

Remember kids, alcohol and time have a grandiose deal. More time often means a better product and better and more rounded taste. (the deal is almost as good, if not better, as the deal cows and bugs have according to Lenny Henry in the series 'Chef!'). Patience, even though it's in short supply for me lately, is a key virtue to making booze that actually tastes good. So keep in mind that it's a great thing to keep to.

Now another good thing to use/keep/whatever you call it is some sort of recipe diary. Mine was gifted to me by my mother and grandmother and was basically an empty journal with a couple of recipies given. So everytime I find something worth remembering I write it into my journal. Food in the fron, dirnk in the back so I'll always have a written recipe to fall back on. Be sure to find a journal with a pretty appearance and motivational quotes and such. Mine is a traveling journal, and seeing how culinary exploits are often a journey onto itself I think it's rather fitting to write my recipies in it.

So that's it for today (unoless you have questions), class dismissed. until next time