There are three topics that I would like to talk about today, the first being my monday evening post The Biggest Loser. As many of you have read, Ellie and I followed the NBC show fairly religiously for the past eight or so weeks, ending last week in an awesome finale where our contestant of choice walked away with the prize. Each monday, we would plop down on the couch, turn the show on, and without fail within a half an hour we would be so inspired we would be headed to the gym to put in some workouts.

Yesterday Ellie had planned on going to the gym, but I wanted to stay home and run out side in the low 40 degree weather. I felt good after taking the dog for a walk, and thought we would for sure get out and do a good outdoor run. Pizza that I had eaten didn't end up sitting well, thus our evening was thrown off track. No TBL to get us out the door no matter how we felt. No inspiration drawn from other peoples successes. Monday night just got a whole lot more boring.

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The second thing I wanted to talk about was a blog post I read yesterday. It was Amy's Bataan Memorial Death March Race Recap over at LavenderParking.com. The race was a memorial march and run to honor those of the Bataan Death March which thousands of Americans and Philippine POWs lost their lives during a grueling 80 mile march which is now considered one of the many horrific war crimes committed during WW2.

Amy and her family took part, some doing the full march, others racing the honorary 14.2 mile run (longer than a half marathon), through the desert heat and sand of New Mexico. Her account of the race, and really of the whole event is definitely worth the time to stop over there and read. It made me appreciate that racing isn't always just about the best time, or improving yourself, but it can also be to honor those who endured real struggles.

On top of all of that, there is a very awesome personal ending for Amy and her husband . . . who did rather well in the race. Congratulations to them!

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Racking to Secondary . . . part of the brewing process.

Racking to Secondary . . . part of the brewing process.

Last night I finally decided to tap the newest batch of brew that I've gotten made up. This batch is a light-bodied Pilsner, super easy drinking and actually came out pretty well. It was my first attempt at a Lager, and overall I am pretty happy with the result.

To give it my personal review:

Appearance - It is a pretty golden color. There is a tiny bit of opaqueness to it, though I have a feeling another week or two in the keg it will clear out even better. This is by far the clearest beer I've produced. The head is a nice white froth, with average retention.

Smell - It doesn't have an overpowering hop aroma, and has a little bit of a sweet smell to it. There is definite floral armoas/fruity armoas which I believe are a result of the extra esters in the batch.

Taste - The initial taste is a bit fruity, which I think are a result of extra esters. Once the flavor develops, you can really taste a balanced flavor with a distinctly pilsner taste. I think the esters are a result of the S23 yeast. I've read about this strain, and the reviews seem spot on, not as crisp as I would expect.

Mouthfeel - It has a very light, smooth feel in the mouth. Not a huge body to it, but really easy drinking. Session beer!

Overall - Overall I am pretty happy with it. I want to work out how to diminish some of the ester notes, and make it a bit more crisp, but I can see myself actually pouring a glass with dinner, or during a Sabres game. I'm actually a fan of it... which means a lot when I say it about my own beer. I'm pretty critical!