OK, not exactly, but some buddies and I did brew Doppelbock in a firehouse this weekend. Out came the kettle, a former beer keg with the top lasered off. Propane burners? Check. Mini-keg of Warsteiner to consume during the brewing process? Check.

This was the guys’ first attempt at a triple-decoction mash, so it’ll be interesting to see how it comes out. For the record, decoction is when you take a part of the mash out of the kettle, heat it to a specific temperature, then add it back in , with the desperate hope that you will thus bring the overall temperature up to a specific point. With a triple decoction, you gotta pull it off three times. This might work if you’re a scientist/mad brewer type, but for us, it’s a different ball game.

So results will be posted when we get our keg of sweet, biscuity alcoholic goodness. Until then, there’s more beer to discover.

In other news, the Brewer and General Manager of Royersford, PA’s  Sly Fox Brewing  were in town last night. I caught up to them at the Tap & Mallet. It was a good excuse to down a couple Sly Fox Rauchbiers and talk early ’90s alternative music.

Their distribution secure in downstate markets, Sly Fox is looking to increase its presence in Western New York. Believe me, this is a good thing.

-Mark