Today's brewing day!

Today I will brew my (probably) last beer before the summer. A Belgian dark strong ale called "St-Trudo Abdis 12" after a monastery in Male, close to Bruges (Belgium) where I grew up. I even have a personal connection with the monastery as my childhood dentist changed career and became a nun.
It should be a nice brew with a respectable OG of around 1100. A few experimental touches: first time I brew a massive beer on the club's Speidel Braumeister, and as part of my sugar I will use molasses. The exact amount will be determined later, as I want to taste the wort after several smaller amounts of molasses. I definately don't want to make a licorice bomb!
As the mashing is automated in the braumeister, I should have plenty of time to dish-wash 7 crates of empty bottles and bottle 3 beers :)

Beer tasting with my brother in law

Yesterday my brother in law invited me to taste some beers he bought. Assisted by the owners of the local beer shop, who also happen to brew (De Ranke) he came home with an impressive selection of beers: Vicardin tripel gueuze, saison de Dottignies, saison Voisin, Taras boulba, Koeketiene, Hercule and Noir de Dottignies. I liked then all, except for Taras boulba which was a bit boring. Favourites were Vicardin and Koeketiene. I have to visit my sister more often :)

Yesterday's catch

Yesterday was beer shopping day in Bruges. 2be had a lot of beers, but is very much focussed on tourists. Anyway, these are the beers I bought: Oerbier, cuvee des trolls, saison regal, saxo, pannepeut, saison 1900, hanssens oude gueuze. I was disappointed on the available saisons, but maybe I'll be able to go to de hopduvel in Ghent before heading back to Sweden.

Westvleteren blond, 8 and 12!

I just have to show off... When I arrived to Belgium a nice surprise was waiting for me in my parent's cellar. 6 bottles each of all the Westvleteren beers. My appologies for the picture quality. It was taken with my cell phone, and it's quite dark in the cellar. Good for the beer, bad for the photo :)