Beer? Check.. Shovel? Check..

Beer had been purchased, yeast has been started, the minivan is loaded.. I'm on the eve of a 3 day weekend near Waupaca WI.  It's an annual trip with good friends.

I think it's safe to say that burying beer in the ground to ferment for 2 weeks, then setting it in a stream for a second fermentation for another 3 weeks may expose it to less than consistent conditions.  Because of this I've settled on a dark lager, 1) because dark beers hide off flavors, which can be produced by a host of issues.  2)  Lagers require cold fermentations.  When done at home, lagers are usually fermented in a refrigerator to keep temps low.
 The ground temp in central WI, 30 inches down will range from 45-55 degrees.  Perfect for lager fermentation.  Bavarian Lager is perfect for this batch, as it requires temps between 45 to 55.

So it's all set, we'll brew on Saturday, looks like it'll be in the rain and snow.  Stay tuned for updates and photos.

-Chris