Mike Gray Blog

Mike Gray Blog: Beer, Barbecue, Catholicism, and Other Interests

  • Garage Pilsner – Brewing a Lager on a Budget

    Garage Pilsner – Brewing a Lager on a Budget

    For as long as I have brewed, the thought of making a lager has loomed large in my mind. Like most home brewers, I started out with a snobbish aversion to lager generally. Few get into home brewing with the intent of cloning Bud Light. I wanted to make the coveted flavorful ales absent from…

  • 2020 Lessons Learned: From Mowing the Lawn to Celebrity Driven Christianity

    2020 Lessons Learned: From Mowing the Lawn to Celebrity Driven Christianity

    Like everyone else, this year challenged me. But, like all things in life, challenging times provide clarity. Inklings become concrete when life goes astray. Fortunately, my family and I survived and stayed healthy, but I saw so many friends and family suffer job loss, illness, and isolation. Looking back on this year, these lessons stuck…

  • How I Accidentally Made a Hard Cider that Tastes Like Fritos

    How I Accidentally Made a Hard Cider that Tastes Like Fritos

    The moment of truth. I had kegged and carbonated the hard cider after waiting so long to complete it. Sure, I tasted some off notes when I sampled it a couple months ago but certainly those flavors had aged out. The most recent sample seemed alright to me, though my wife, a supertaster if I’ve…