Chapter 2

It’s simple, the book said. 2 row malted barley, some adjuncts, hops, water, yeast and time. Really ... the book said that.

‘Water, barley, hops, yeast and a couple three days and it’s beer.’

What the book didn’t mention was cost ... that came later. The book did mention where to get bottles ... the bar or tavern of your choice ... or buy new ones ... oh ... and lids ... and a capper ... and a cute plastic rod with a push in end ... so the beer doesn’t get contaminated with air.

And STAINLESS steel pots ... and a heatsource.

I got all that ... there went my savings for my new car ... oh yes ... bleach. Forgot bleach.

I put the 48 bottles in the bathtub ... cast iron bathtub ... and let them soak over night ... to remove the glued on labels off.

And those little mite carcasses stuck to the insides of the bottles ... off. That chore caused me to buy a bottle-brush.

There was a local Cooperative that carried sacks of malted barley, brewing sugar ... and gallon widemouth jars of ‘extract.’

Extract ... it’s like instant coffee. Just add hot water.

If you are a coffee aficionado ... instant is an anathema. No way is it ‘just as good.’

But, James, my brewing mentor, made pretty good beer using extract ... pretty good. He bottled.

Parker Auction put out an estate auction sale flier. Their auction house is within walking distance and their boss and my boss are buds ... so ... Parker Auction fliers were regularly posted on our community bulletin board. Some times ... if it’a an impressive sale ... they give me a stack of fliers to insert into shopping bags.

I dropped one.

As I was picking it off the floor, several things caught my eye... “Cornelius Beverage Dispensers & Parts.”

Yup ... just like that ... in bold. Hmm.

Along with that was “brewing apparatus”

One thing led to another and I had to borrow James’s pickup.

Ya see, nobody bid on the brewing junk. Well ... the scrap metal dealer did ... but he bid a dollar ... I bid two and he dropped out.

For the outrageous sum of two portraits of George Washington ... or one of Thomas Jefferson I purchased several stainless beer kegs in vatious states of repair ... five full twenty pound propane bottles ... a turkey cooker ... assorted thermometers and an assemblage of stainless pipes, pots and thermo-couple control devices commonly refered to as a ‘brew sculpture.’

As a bonus for my stupidity the auctioneer included all the adjuncts and the steel shed kit... 24x24 with the snow removal roof ... the only thing I didn’t get was the running forklift. I also got the copper still.

Everything was dusty, dinged and spider infested ... but brand new ... never used.

“What the hell?” I asked the auctioneer.

“I’m as amazed as you,” Parker said.

“How?”

“The old man died 5 years ago. Court ordered sale. His estate decided to sell before storage used up the principal.”

“What about?”

“Heirs? Not interested. Sell it for what you can get.”

“Amazing ... they had no idea?”

“Trust Fund grand children. The cars will bring enough to keep them happy.”

“Cars? I didn’t see any cars listed.”

“Mecums and Barrett-Jackson are selling those this weekend.” He paused... “except the ones shipped to Sotheby’s, London,” another pause “You wouldn’t happen to be interested in an old Volvo?”