Unfortunately, I found out about the first Saturday of May a little too late, so I was unprepared for brewing, but I did finally get my latest batch, dubbed the Swaggering Braggot, into the secondary fermenter. Those of you following along at home will notice I have been meaning to do this for a while, but I finally made it.

Also, through the negligence of a co-worker, I got a rare treat just in time for today. I had given him a bottle of my very first batch, but he never drank it. It sat lonely in his refrigerator for almost a year. He finally brought it back to me at the end of this week, so I could not think of a better occasion to open it up and enjoy alongside the sample vial of my latest batch.

The Irish Red was far better than I imagined it would be. There is a little taste of oxidation, especially because I was not as confident with bottling as I am now and left quite a bit of head space. The new beer is definitely green still, but another month in the carboy and bottles, and it will be wonderful.

I also had the pleasure of meeting three homebrewers who work at a customer of mine. I only noticed because one of them was using an EZ-Cap Bottle box as a foot rest under his desk. I would recognize that logo anywhere. If you guys are reading this, Happy Homebrewing Day!