We’re brewing tonight, after a 2 month hiatus. Since it’s summer time and Andrea is threatening to have a birthday party next month, a witbier is definitely in order.

For 10 gallons (75% efficiency):

Grain
8.50 lbs. Pale Malt (2-row)
4.50 lbs. Flaked Soft White Wheat
2.00 lbs. White Malt
2.00 lbs. Flaked Oats

Herbs + Spices
9g coriander (freshly ground)
6g bitter orange peel
6g sweet orange peel

Hops
1.00 oz. Tettnanger (4.5%) 60 min.
1.00 oz. Crystal (3.5%) 60 min.
0.50 oz. Crystal (3.5%) 15 min.

Yeast
White Labs WLP400 Belgian Wit yeast

Mash grains at 152F for 60 minutes. Add all hops when wort begins to boil. After 45 minutes, add Irish moss and second hop charge. At 55 minutes, add the spices to the kettle. After 5 more minutes, knockout to chiller, and pitch yeast. Will be in primary fermentation for up to 7 days, and then go for a 1 or 2 week secondary fermentation to help with flavor maturation.

OG: 1.045 (11.2P)
Anticipated SRM: 3.5
Anticipated IBU: 17.0

Loyal readers have likely seen the original kegerator in action, and may have even tasted beer from its taps. Now the venerable fridge goes prime time.

I’m talking about my upgrade of the entry-level chrome plated brass faucets (like the one on the right) with stainless steel ones (pictured on the left).

I got the new faucets as my best man’s gift from Sean. It’s certainly not the standard cuff link set or money clip! Far more practical, these faucets are exciting because of the one feature you can’t see: the seal.

Due to its construction this new faucet does not stick closed between uses, which is common when you don’t use the tap at least once a day. Now I can leave the tap connected 24/7, without having to worry about sugary syrup sticking the valve closed. One flick forward, and beer is effortlessly served.

Now, to brew some wit beer to get the taps christened proprerly…

We’re back in Atlanta now, and have a few postscripted thoughts about our last day in Mexico:

– Taxis *from* the airport: $40 US. Taxis *to* the airport: $20 US.
– The Cancun airport, well, sucks a little. It’s not designed for any sort of traffic flow, and all of the decent restaurants are after the security checkpoint. Also, the taxi/tour/timeshare hawkers are so overwhelming in numbers and persistence that it really makes it hard to look forward to a return trip.
– If you decide to go to Cancun and don’t plan to go farther afield than downtown and back, seriously consider getting an all-inclusve package and not leaving the resort. Cancun itself doesn’t have a whole lot to offer.
– Oh, and there isn’t a lot to say about the beer scene either.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m sure there are a lot of folks who enjoyed their time in Cancun. But if you’re more of an independent traveler, the sheer number of tour groups and related hucksterism can be a drag.

When in Rome, right?

Maybe not always. We stopped at the restaurant called “Come’n Eat” because the name was so ridiculous (and we were tired of walking around looking for anything better).

In the interest of anthropological inquiry, Andrea had a margarita. She had to know how they tasted in the country in which they supposedly originated.

She says it tastes like SweetTarts — not exactly what an Herradura margarita should conjure. Me? I’m sticking with the Negra Modela to go with my goat cheese spinach salad.

Among the more interesting displays at the folk art museum were trees of life, large multi-level tree-like sculptures that tell a story.

Some deal with religious themes, others daily life or mortality. Each Mexican state has its own version of them, based largely on the predominant materials available. Some states make theirs from black clay, lacquered wood, colored sculptural clay or carved untreated wood.

This one depicts a fiesta scene, complete with a pinata. You might get a sense from this photo how intricate and visually wonderful these works are.