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Beer Syndicate Reviews Ommegang’s Game of Thrones-Inspired Beers (Final Season)

Back in December of 2012, Ommegang officially announced its collaboration with HBO to roll out Game of Thrones-inspired beers, with the first of its kind, “Iron Throne Blonde Ale”, released in March of 2013 just ahead of the series season 3 debut on March 31.

Fast forward to 2019, and as the eighth and final season of the popular Game of Thrones series draws to its dramatic conclusion, it also brings with it five limited-release GoT-themed beers, the latest and perhaps last in a total of fourteen different brews produced since the initial launch.

By the way, if you missed out on some of the GoT-inspired beers from seasons past, apparently Ommegang’s got Melisandre working some resurrection magic back in the brewhouse because a few of them are about to get brought back to life.   Recently announced on its Instragram account, Ommegang will be re-releasing three previously retired fan-favorite GoT brews (Take the Black Stout, Fire and Blood Red Ale, and Winter is Here Double White Ale) all in time for the holidays 2019 in a gift pack along with a GoT commemorative glass.

It’s still not confirmed if Ommegang will be releasing future GoT-inspired brews to accompany any of the upcoming GoT spin-offs, though our money is on yes they will.

But enough about the future and the past, let’s get back to the beers of right now.

Four of the five final season brews pay homage to four epic Game of Thrones characters who managed to survive to season eight, namely Daenerys, Cersei, Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister.  The fifth brew is a tribute to whoever the final occupant of the Iron Throne will be.

Speaking of which… In true Game of Thrones-like fashion, we at Beer Syndicate pitted each of the final five brews against each other in a brutal trial-by-combat taste-off to see which beer is most worthy to be placed in the built-in cup holder affixed to the Iron Throne.

And whichever character’s beer that stands victorious is our pick for who will take the Iron Throne.

Ready.  Set.  Dracarys.

Game of Beers

FOR THE THRONE: STRONG GOLDEN ALE FERMENTED WITH PINOT GRIGIO AND VIOGNIER GRAPE JUICE

BREWERY DESCRIPTION: Complex and compelling, yet delicate and refined, For the Throne is our tribute to the final occupant of the Iron Throne. This strong golden ale is co-fermented with Pinot Grigio and Viognier grape juices, then bottle conditioned with Champagne yeast.  The beer pours a striking golden copper with a fluffy white head. Aromas of honeysuckle and toasted grain mingle with notes of pear and apricot. The finish is clean and dry, with vibrant effervescence. For the Throne is an ale fit for royalty.

BEER SYNDICATE REVIEW: Sometimes referred to as an “oenobeer” (wine-beer), For the Throne conjures up aromas of sparkling apple juice, honeysuckle, pale malt reminiscent of angel food cake, a hint of Meyer lemon pith, peppery saison-like yeast and clean alcohol.  The palate is presented with a peppery saison-like character, fruity notes of pear and faint aged pineapple followed by impressions of cava, unoaked chardonnay, apple juice, simple syrup, grain husks, sharp young grappa-like alcohol notes which accentuate a certain minerally acidity in this medium-bodied brew with a fizzy cider-like carbonation, finishing with an aftertaste of yeast and salt.

SCORE: 82/100

SPECS
ABV: 9.5%
IBU: 30
FERMENTABLES: Pilsner and Carapils malt, dextrose, Pinot Grigio & Viogner grape juices.
HOPS: Bravo, Saaz.
YEAST: Primary: Ommegang house yeast; Secondary: Champagne yeast.

MOTHER OF DRAGONS: SMOKED PORTER & KRIEK ALE BLEND

BREWERY DESCRIPTION: Inspired by Daenerys Targaryen, this blend of a smoked porter and a Belgian kriek represents the smoke and fire that Daenerys has unleashed on her opponents during her ascent to conquer and rule the seven kingdoms. “Mother of Dragons” — a beer for Daenerys — is a richly complex blend of smoked porter and Belgian kriek. It pours a deep ruby-brown with alluring aromas of tart cherry, dark roast and hints of smoke.

BEER SYNDICATE REVIEW: Overall, Mother of Dragons is a tasty potentially dessert beer dominated by fruit-forward notes of candied raspberry and cherry that provide a mildly tart acidic balance to this medium-sweet milk chocolaty toasted (not smoky) porter.  Even at a minority blend ratio of 25% sour cherry beer (kriek) to 75% porter, fruity aromatics take the lead with notes of soft raspberry fruit snacks and mild cherry, followed by chocolate-covered raspberry jelly candy, and coco nibs.  Flavor-wise, fruity flavors of raspberry, goji berry, pomegranate and cranberry overshadow the medium-sweet milk chocolate character of this medium-bodied porter, leaving behind an aftertaste of Raspberry Tootsie Pops.

SCORE: 83/100

SPECS
ABV: 6.6%
IBU: 24
FERMENTABLES: Pilsner, caramel malt, Munich 20, Cara 20, chocolate malt, Special B and smoked malt barleys, midnight wheat.
HOPS: Saaz, Magnum, Hallertau.
YEAST: Ommegang house yeast, Liefmans mixed culture.
BLENDING NOTES: 75% smoked porter, 25% Belgian kriek.

QUEEN OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS: BLEND OF SOUR AND BLONDE ALES

BREWERY DESCRIPTION: A special blend of Belgian sour ale and Belgian-style blonde ale, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms reminds us that to Cersei, everyone who isn’t us is an enemy.

BEER SYNDICATE REVIEW: Rightfully billed as a blend of a Belgian Blonde and a sour, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms is brilliantly executed, though for a beer inspired by Cersei, one of GoT’s greatest villains, it’s somewhat easy on the sour for being a sour Belgian Blonde ale.  (See what Ommegang did there– Cersei. Sour blonde ale.  Yep.)

Queen of the Seven Kingdoms pours a formidable two thick fingers of billowing creamy pale tan head which gently recedes revealing an opaque golden-honey body while leaving behind a bit of delicate lace clinging to the interior of the glass.  Tempting aromatics include loquat, angel food cake, sweet pale malt, lemon Pixie Stix, grapefruit candy, stewed peaches and apricots, and pleasant Belgian yeast, but little suggesting this will be a strongly sour brew aside from a lemony hint of lactic acid.  Indeed, more tart and tangy than truly sour, this medium-bodied sour blonde offers up flavors of underripe loquat, cumquat, lemon tonic water, quinine, lemon SweeTarts, and signature Belgian yeast all balanced by a medium-sweet wheaty malt presence.

Nowhere near the intense sourness of a straight Belgian Lambic, the tart component of Queen of the Seven Kingdoms is approachably restrained allowing the Belgian Blonde component to shine through, ultimately resulting in a masterful success.

SCORE: 86/100

SPECS
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 18
FERMENTABLES: Two-row, honey malt and aromatic malt barleys, flaked red wheat, dextrose.
HOPS: Styrian goldings, Saaz.
SPICES: Lemon peel, grains of paradise.
YEAST: Ommegang house yeast.
BLENDING NOTES: A blend of sour ale and blonde ale.

KING IN THE NORTH: BARREL-AGED IMPERIAL STOUT

BREWERY DESCRIPTION: A beer for Jon Snow – a dark and brooding imperial stout has always been bold enough for normal times, but now that winter is here, something bigger and bolder is needed for the long, dark night. Thus, we enlisted the help of barrels and time to produce King in the North, a rich, bold, barrel-aged imperial stout unlike anything we’ve brewed before.

BEER SYNDICATE REVIEW: Pouring a huge moosey khaki head over a pitch black body, King in the North is a straight-forward imperial stout delivering aromas of chocolate wafer cookie, marzipan, chocolate pudding skin, Grape-Nuts cereal, mild Bourbon barrel, and a hint of vanilla and root beer, all of which do well to mask an undercurrent of clean vodka-like alcohol.  Although not a viscousy, woody chocolate-bomb, flavors of dark chocolate are present along with dark roasty malt, a hint of vanilla from the barrel aging, root beer barrel candy, a touch of molasses and big alcohol in this medium-full bodied medium-sweet imperial stout which should only become smoother with age.

SCORE: 89.5/100

SPECS
ABV: 10.5%
IBU: 40
FERMENTABLES: Two-row, Cara 45, chocolate malt and roasted barleys, midnight wheat, dark candi syrup.
HOPS: Columbus, Styrian Goldings, Northern Brewer, Chinook.
YEAST: Ommegang house yeast.
AGING NOTES: Aged for 6 months in bourbon barrels.

HAND OF THE QUEEN: BARLEYWINE ALE

BREWERY DESCRIPTION: A beer brewed for Tyrion. As one who knows and loves wine above all, and as his court brewer, we would brew him one. Hand of the Queen is a big, bold barleywine fit for those who seek knowledge and truth, both great and small.

BEER SYNDICATE REVIEW:Certainly more of an English-style barleywine than a hopped-up American version, Hand of the Queen tantalizes with malt-forward aromas of oatmeal cookies, fruit cake, sticky prunes, crumb cake, candied cherries, pecan shells, Boston brown bread, marzipan, a hint of wholegrain banana bread, a touch of star anise, and mild alcohol.  The first sip is greeted with medium-high malty sweet notes of fruit cake, oatmeal cookie batter, dates, raisins, candied cherries and a hint of banana bread that act brilliantly to balance the warming bourbon-like alcohol that emerges mid-palate in this medium-full bodied simply outstanding example of an English barleywine.

SCORE: 92.5/100

SPECS
ABV: 10.7%
IBU: 31
FERMENTABLES: Two-row, Cara 20, Extra Special, Crisp Pale, chocolate malt barleys.
HOPS: Magnum, UK Fuggles, Kent Goldings.
YEAST: Scottish ale yeast.


So there you have it— The Hand of The Queen Barleywine Ale is that last beer standing. 

And if this taste-off death match is any clue as to who will ultimately sit on the Iron Throne, it’s the perhaps less likely candidate Tyrion Lannister.  But of course in the often jarringly unpredictable world of Game of Thrones, the unexpected is to be expected. 

[Beers scored according to BJCP Beer Style Guidelines.]


Hi, I’m Dan: Beer Editor for BeerSyndicate.com, Beer and Drinking Writer, Award-Winning Brewer and Cider Maker, BJCP Beer Judge, Beer Reviewer, American Homebrewers Association Member, Shameless Beer Promoter, and Beer Traveler.

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 The Beer Drinker Zodiac

Just as there are many different styles of beer in the world, so too are there many different kinds of beer drinkers, some of whom pair with certain drinking personalities better than others. 

Using a sophisticated algorithm to collect and analyze data from the internet, Beer Syndicate identified and characterized eighteen different beer drinker profiles to help determine not only what profile best describes you, but also which drinking personalities are most and least compatible with your own.

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With that, we present to you:

The Beer Drinker Zodiac


The Optimizer
:

Often familiar with a vast assortment of beer and their respective prices, The Optimizer is constantly searching for the intersection of where maximum quality meets minimum price.  Always a sucker for a good deal, The Optimizer is typically most active during Happy Hour, but can also be seen loading up on boxes of quality marked down beer at the liquor store, and if forced to buy non-discounted beer, will apply a sophisticated quality-to-price per volume formula to guide a beer buying decision.  Not one to overpay, if the price isn’t right, The Optimizer is never afraid to just order water or simply just go drink from their stash at home.

Seek: The Transcender and The Pseudo Connoisseur
Avoid: The Budget Drinker and Captain Ahab

The Adventurer:

The Adventurer is driven by an inner desire to discover and experience new, exciting, exotic, creative or world-class beers, with little mind paid to the cost.  Although at times The Adventurer may receive social recognition and even appear to be bragging when mentioning former beer experiences, attention and status are not the driving motives when it comes time for The Adventurer to make a beer selection.

Seek: Captain Ahab, The Beer Snob and The Box Checker
Avoid: The Old-Timer and The 40 Ouncer

The Carbophobe:

Whether it was the Atkins fad back in the early 2000s or whatever the most updated version of keto happens to be, low-carb diets have been around for a long time and typically cast beer as one of the bad guys.  With every new cycle of low-carb diet comes a new generation of the weight-conscious Carbophobe, who can often be seen asking for the lowest carb beer on the tap list, or simply opting for the patron saint-beer of  low-carb beers, Michelob Ultra.

Seek: The Old-Timer, The Budget Drinker and other Carbophobes
Avoid: The Beer Snob

Captain Ahab:

This beer drinker’s eyes are always fixed on catching the next white whale; that rare beer that was last seen in Shangri-La, Atlantis or somewhere in the Canyon of the Crescent Moon.  Not necessarily driven by bragging rights or attention, the Captain Ahab archetype equates rarity with quality, and is typically motivated by the idea that anything worth having should be a challenge to obtain, price be damned.   

Seek: The Adventurer, The Transcender, and The Beer Snob
Avoid: The Old-Timer and The Budget Drinker

The Transcender:

An advanced nonconformist drink­­er who transcends trends and convention, despite being well aware of them.  A 15% barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout in the middle of a sweltering summer?  That’s their “lawnmower beer”.  A mouth-puckering Lambic paired with a Snickers ice cream bar?  A match made in heaven.  Following their own path and absent of snobbery, this individualistic and enlightened breed might profoundly enjoy a rare Cantillon Fou’ Foune from their private collection while listening to A Tribe Called Quest on Monday, only to slurp down a few cans of Milwaukee’s Best with lime during a game of cornhole on Tuesday.

Seek: The Adventurer, The Optimizer, and Captain Ahab
Avoid: The Pseudo Connoisseur

The Budget Drinker:

A group predominantly comprised of high school and college students, the deciding factor for The Budget Drinker in all beer drinking decisions is cost.  Unlike to The Optimizer, cost, not quality, is the only factor in the equation.  The usual beer suspects are Natty Light, Keystone, and PBR if there’s nothing cheaper.

Seek: The Old-Timer and The Carbophobe
Avoid: The Beer Snob and The Politically Correct Anti-Beer Snob Crusader

The Box Checker:

The Box Checker is concerned with having every beer, craft or otherwise, at least once.  This breed of drinker could be motivated by bragging rights or FOMO, but more often a latent OCD-like desire to “complete the set”.   Although fueled in large part by social drinking apps like Untappd, The Box Checker mentality has existed ever since Adam named all the animals. 

Seek: The Adventurer, Captain Ahab and The Transcender
Avoid: The Loyalist

The Old-Timer:

This group of drinkers solidified their opinion about what beer was long before the craft beer revolution, and therefore anything that doesn’t taste like a fizzy yellow lager, doesn’t “taste like beer” and is therefore to be largely avoided.

Seek: The Carbophobe
Avoid: The Adventurer, The Box Checker and The Beer Snob

The Seasonal Drinker:

The weather typically dictates which beer The Seasonal Drinker will consume in almost OCD-like fashion.  Big rich beers are winter-only, enjoyed preferably fireside.  These very same winter beers are, however, utterly undrinkable by the first day of spring.  Likewise, The Seasonal Drinker is meteorologically tethered when it comes to drinking lighter beers, which are only enjoyable on a hot day, particularly after mowing the lawn— any lawn.

Seek: Other Seasonal Drinkers
Avoid: The Adventurer

The Beer Snob:

Believing their personal tastes and opinions about anything beer-related to be far superior to most if not all other people, for The Beer Snob, beer is simply a means to an end, with the value of any given beer determined by how much it could further elevate The Beer Snob’s own status, or devalue someone else’s status.  The Beer Snob often attempts to seek out positions of authority in the beer world and surround themselves with acolytes who must share the opinions and affirm the status of The Beer Snob, or suffer ridicule.

The Beer Snob will seek out rare, expensive, hyped or otherwise coveted beers for bragging rights, if not also to then subsequently crap on those very same beers, because even the most excellent beer is not safe from the dreaded label of “drain pour” from the ultimate Beer Snob.

Seek: Captain Ahab and The Perma-Hater
Avoid: The Budget Drinker, The 40 Ouncer, and The Politically Correct Anti-Beer Snob Crusader

The Politically Correct Anti-Beer Snob Crusader:

Often equally if not more annoying than The Beer Snob, The Politically Correct Anti-Beer Snob Crusader is the self-appointed, easily triggered, aggressive defender against all threats of beer snobbery, real or imagined.  Like a robot with PTSD and a broken targeting system, practically anyone with an opinion about beer is a potential target of the hypersensitive PC Anti-Beer Snob Crusader and thus subject to bullying under the guise of protecting the innocent and defenseless beer consumer.  Making a considerate beer recommendation to a friend?  Get ready to be labeled a beer snob and blasted with a barrage of demands and platitudes such as “Don’t tell people what to drink! Everyone has a different palate!!!  PEOPLE SHOULD DRINK WHATEVER THEY WANT!!! IT’S JUST BEER!!!  BEER IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN!!!

Seek: Other Politically Correct Anti-Beer Snob Crusaders, though be prepared to be labeled a beer snob yourself.
Avoid: The Beer Snob, The Pseudo Connoisseur and especially The 40 Ouncer who might interpret your aggressive outbursts as a threat and subsequently shoot or stab you.

The Pseudo Connoisseur:

This special breed of drinker has a deep-seated psychological drive to be seen as an expert on the subject of beer, if not everything else, despite not actually being an expert on beer or anything else.  Able to impress the casual beer drinker with often half-true or fully made-up beer facts, The Pseudo Connoisseur is all smoke and mirrors and lives by the motto: fake it till you fake it some more and then keep faking it.

Seek: The Trend Chaser
Avoid: The Politically Correct Anti-Beer Snob Crusader

The Perma-Hater:

Even with over 100 different styles of beer presenting a vast assortment of flavors that far outstrip the diversity within the wine world, The Perma-Hater never seems to be pleased with any beer on the market.  While reluctantly willing to try new beers, The Perma-Hater will invariably either hate or barely tolerate anything new, and will often opt for a beer that they’ve had in the past that they hate just slightly less than everything else.  Not necessarily snobbish, The Perma-Hater may just be extremely picky, or is only able to maintain their lifeforce via the power of complaining.

Seek: The Futile Reminiscer and other Perma-Haters
Avoid: Captain Ahab

The Trend Chaser:

From the IPA explosion years back, to the barrel-aged craze, to sours, and back to IPAs (in the form of NEIPAs and Brut IPAs), The Trend Chaser follows the wind of the trend.  Sometimes stemming from a desire to be seen as hip, and sometimes driven by the excitement of wherever the craft beer market seems to be headed, one thing is certain: The Trend Chaser will be fully committed to whatever the current trend is until the next one comes along.

Seek: The Adventurer and The Transcender
Avoid: The Perma-Hater

The Hop-Oholic:

Hop-Oholics come in a few varieties, but all predominately opt for beers with a hop-forward character. The first kind of Hop-Oholic are those who truly appreciate the character of a wide variety of hops, intense bitterness, or some combination of the two.  Next up are those who don’t fundamentally enjoy IPAs, but believe them to be a necessary rite of passage on the beer drinker’s path to a respectably developed palate and thus drink IPAs out of peer pressure or until they’ve convinced themselves that they like them.  And then there are The Hop-Oholics who simply got stuck in the IPA trend years back and never branched out— Sort of like someone who really got into MC Hammer pants in the early 90s, and just stuck with it.

Seek: The Adventurer, The Beer Snob and The Pseudo Connoisseur
Avoid: The 40 Ouncer, The Budget Drinker, and The Old Timer

The Loyalist:

Despite new and innovative breweries popping up all the time, The Loyalist is dedicated to only one brewery or brand and seldom if ever strays.  Although The Loyalist is not necessarily averse to trying new beers of a different brand, any new beer will always be compared to but ultimately never stack up to The Loyalist’s favorite brand.

Seek: Other Loyalists who enjoy your favorite brands.  If your favorite brand(s) disappears, then seek The Futile Reminiscer.
Avoid: The Box Checker and The Adventurer

The Futile Reminiscer:

This drinker fell in love with a particular brand from the past that is no longer available, and try as they might, The Futile Reminiscer will never be as satisfied with any other beer ever again.

Seek: The Perma-Hater and The Adventurer
Avoid: The Politically Correct Anti-Beer Snob Crusader

The 40 Ouncer

Whether slurping down a Mickey’s, Clot 45, St Ides, or the classic OE, this malt liquor loving demographic is primarily comprised of gangsters from the ‘90s and homeless alcoholics.  It is important to note, however, that unlike the ‘90s gangster who may pour a bit of their 40 out for a fallen hommie, the homeless alcoholic will not.

Seek: The Old-Timer and The Budget Drinker
Avoid: The Hop-Oholic and The Adventurer


Hi, I’m D.J. Pander.  I like beer.  I also blog. Follow me on Myspace.

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Yeast Nutrient: A Cautionary Tale for Beer, Cider, Mead and Wine Makers

Yeast nutrient can be helpful in ensuring a healthy fermentation in beer, cider, wine and mead making, but it can also present a risk if not used appropriately.  More on that in a moment, but first a little foreshadowing.

The first three lessons typically drilled into the heads of the beer, cider, mead and wine makers are: sanitation, sanitation, and sanitation. The importance of sanitation for those of the craft has been public knowledge at least since the second half of the 19th century when French scientist Louis Pasteur was called on by his government to assist the ailing wine industry (and later brewers) to determine what was spoiling their wine and how to prevent it.

Louis Pasteur’s Études sur le vin (Wine Studies) 1866

Among other things, solid cleaning and sanitation practices were recommended as a means of deterring unwanted microorganisms from contaminating and spoiling the libation-maker’s beverages.

Today, brewers and others have an effective array of food-grade sanitizers and cleansers at our disposal along with laboratory-produced pure yeast cultures to aid us in our efforts to produce a precise and consistent product.

But somehow even with all of these technological breakthroughs at our fingertips, libation-makers still make costly and stupid sanitation mistakes that end up ruining their products.

Take me, for example.

Despite a vast assortment of pure yeast cultures available in the market today, sometimes brewers such as myself look to capture a very specific yeast character that can only be obtained by culturing yeast from a bottle of a particular commercial beer.  (Perhaps the best beer I’ve ever made was created doing just this.)

For the brewer, this is one of those times that surgeon-like sanitary skills must be employed over several days to ensure no unwanted microorganism infects what we hope will be a pure culture of the yeast we’re after.

It is standard practice in these cases that granulated yeast nutrient is used to increase our chances of growing the very small amount of hopefully viable yeast found resting at the bottom of a bottle of commercial beer.

If the brewer’s efforts pay off, the desired yeast will slowly grow to the amount needed to ferment a batch of wort.  I had success culturing yeast in this way in the past, but not so much recently to the point that I had to dump the attempted yeast cultures and go with store-bought yeast.

It was evident that my recent yeast culturing efforts had failed because even without a microscope, I could smell and taste that the cultured yeast samples exhibited a peachy but otherwise unpleasant slightly sulfur-y character; certainly not the profile typical of the yeast I was after.

But that wouldn’t be the last time I encountered that peachy sulfur-like presence.

About a year later, I sourced some top notch apple juice for making hard cider.  As many cider makers know, apple juice doesn’t contain all of the nutrients typically found in brewer’s wort, and this can lead to a sluggish fermentation among other problems.  For this reason, yeast nutrient is typically added to the must, which of course I recently did.

And there is was again.  That unwanted peachy, slightly sulfur-y aroma emanating from my fermenting cider.

And then it struck me.  The yeast nutrient.

You see, unlike laboratory-grade hermetically sealed brewer’s yeast, yeast nutrient, isn’t necessarily sanitary, especially if purchased from a homebrew shop.  This is because homebrew shops will often order a larger quantity of a certain product, such as yeast nutrient, and then repackage those smaller quantities into smaller containers.  It’s during the repackaging phase that other unwanted microorganisms can get mixed in, which was the case for me.

Whatever the source, my yeast nutrient came loaded with some microorganisms clinging to the very nutrient that would help them grow and infect my yeast starters and spoil my expensive cider.  And this was even after the yeast nutrient was held in a freezer for years.

But you have to admit, what a lavish banquet those microorganisms in the yeast nutrient feasted on after being awakened from their icy slumber!  Fit for a king, I tell you!  Sadly though for those other microbes still lying in wait on the yeast nutrient in the freezer, they are in for a bit more of a warmer welcome when they awaken.  Boiling warm.

I suppose one might say the lesson to be learned here is to always boil yeast nutrient prior to use, as is sometimes (not always) printed on the packaging of yeast nutrient containers.  And certainly this is not a bad idea.  (If it’s not already on the packaging, it doesn’t hurt to write it on yourself.)

But there might be an even bigger lesson to be learned from my oversights.

For example, even though sanitation is one of the lessons beer, cider, mead and wine makers learn early on in our study of fermentation, it doesn’t mean that it should be taken for granted.  In other words, we can’t assume that just because the importance of sanitation was preached to us in the Kindergarten of our ferment-ucation, this must mean that somehow we then and forevermore mastered it in every aspect with no need to look back.

And this idea extends to other areas of brewing and beyond where we should be humble enough to acknowledge that even with X amount of years of experience, we might still make mistakes.  We might still not know everything.  As much as our trusted processes have led us to success in the past, we should never be too proud, trusting or dogmatic to question or improve them.

And though the technology we employ today aids us in preventing such infections (or whatever else), it doesn’t make the process foolproof.  I don’t mean to suggest that technology makes us necessarily lazy, but technology can make us overconfident.  Perhaps over-trusting, leading to a techno-blind spot, as it were.

In other words, even though we may have learned our ABCs in Kindergarten, it doesn’t mean we haven’t been repeatedly misspelling a few words along the way.  A few misspelled words that even spellcheck didn’t catch.


Hi, I’m Dan: Beer Editor for BeerSyndicate.com, Beer and Drinking Writer, Award-Winning Brewer, BJCP Beer Judge, Beer Reviewer, American Homebrewers Association Member, Shameless Beer Promoter, and Beer Traveler.

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