The Charlotte Brew

We caught Edd Merritt at home last week brewing up a batch of Irish stout. Edd makes his own beer from time to time, although hasn't tried this particular recipe before. From top to bottom, here is how it's done: (1) the grains are pulled out of the wort after simmering for an hour or so, (2) malt is poured into the pot for another round of simmering, (3) stirring the yeast into the wort, (4) cooling the mix as quickly as possible (no snow banks handy!). Our beer is then poured into a fermentor, where it sits for two weeks, and then goes into a carboy, or secondary fermentor for two more weeks before it's bottled. We need a name for this batch - Eastside Stout? Charlotte Dark?

Field Trip!

The perfect weather continues for a few more days. If you'll be in Burlington enjoying the Church Street madness, be sure to stop in at the Firehouse Gallery (149 Church Street) to see Charlotte-raised glass artist Ethan Bond-Watts' new piece that's part of a big exhibit called The Energy Project, which "explores the future of Vermont's landscape as it grapples with the aesthetic challenges of a carbon-constrained world," according to the brochure. Ethan's piece is a show-stopper and hangs right inside the front door of the gallery; there are nine more interesting and thoughtful new commissions to see while you're there.

Harvest Time

Eli and his friend Sylvia picked squash at Stony Loam Farm off the Charlotte/Hinesburg Road last week. Eli doesn't look like he's tired of zucchini yet.

Thanks to Edd Merritt for the pic.