But what a lot of information.

Yeah, I actually learned a lot from you, Mark.

So I don't think you need me to answer your questions except what I do.

Remember, I've been brewing a really long time.

I believe Mark said decades ago.

He's not wrong.

He's not wrong, but ouch.

Decades.

Yep, I did.

Okay.

And a pound of maple syrup.

You know, without knowing where you're starting with the gravity reading and how many fermentable sugars in there, your wine choice, wine yeast choice may have been great, may not have been so great.

I've never heard of 11-17.

I use 11-16 and 11-18.

So I'm not exactly sure what strain that was.

Is this like a watermelon thing where, no, pumpkin, you have to do it a certain way or you need to use puree? What is the best way of getting a good pumpkin

Right

Are you gonna notice a big difference? Maybe not the first time, but the second, third.

That's where these manufacturers, I think, where we differ.

What I do when I use the same yeast, I rack off the beer, you know, I will put it in the, in the keg, and then I will save that yeast cake in mas- sanitized, sometimes boiled Mason jars, stick 'em in the fridge.

Don't wash the yeast, don't rinse it with water, because that actually is detrimental to the yeast.

Yeast should be stored under, under beer.

A little beer on top is fine.

Yeah

Yeah.

Um, so you know, drinking IPAs though more now, I have brewed almost every style.

Um, I don't do sours, um, but I have done enough beers to feel very comfortable with the style guidelines, knowing what I like, and being able to go out and have a really good beer and, and know, you know, exactly what to expect.

If I order something, here's what's in my mind.

And initially, I think I'd started with, think it was a book, I think it was by, um, Jamil Zainasheff with Brewing Classic Styles or something.

Okay.

It, and it wasn't the first time.

The first time I felt uninvited, it was in Wisconsin.

Yep.

And as it boils, Maillard reactions, it'll get a little darker.

Um, I have used the extra light DME.

Around here, um, I've usually seen Briess at the best price, and so I've bought the...

They have Pils in light, they have light, they have dark.

Um, what I have always recommended doing is buying the lightest extract and then using your specialty grains to get the flavor.

Um, but if you're gonna make a stout, you know, you can start with a dec- a darker extract, too, of course.

Yeah, yeah.

... maybe present?

Well, I've only used hop extract a few times, and I've used it for bittering, especially when, um, you know, with the iso- isomerization of hops, you can get X amount...

It's much more efficient to use it for bittering, uh, 'cause it's a, a prescribed dose and you don't get all that matter.

But, so I've used it, uh, but I'm not real experienced with it.

So I did some looking up and, and thinking.

Um, first of all, Nate's right.

I remember it being sticky.

Yep.

Yeah, yeah

... um, whatever works for you.

Real fruit is tricky.

I mean, you, 'cause you do not wanna clog things up, so you're gonna wanna bag it.

Um, the only thing I've never bagged is watermelon puree, because I macerated it so well it was pretty much liquid.

Um, there were some small pieces that I was able to strain out.

Otherwise, yeah, put your fruit in a bag Recognizing that it does have a lifespan.

Yeah

Yep.

Um, you know? Yeah.

And so then you're gonna wanna bring back some of that sweetness, and you can do that with wines.

Um, I actually taught a guy a couple years ago to make wine.

He had a bunch of peaches, and there's a reason I'm bringing this up with the blueberry beer, so bear with me for a minute.

Um, but his, he makes it for his wife.

He does not drink wine.

Yeah.