When Stan was here last year, I told him I made a home brew with star anise. He winced and asked me how much and when I said how much he winced again. I didn't bother sharing it which was too bad as a couple of bottles that sat for a few months more really weren't that bad, gaining a nice creamy touch.

Inspired, I made another batch last November with maybe a little bit of a lighter touch on the spices as well as. In my notes it was labeled as Mongrel Ale as I also threw in one clove, a little allspice, fennel, coriander and orange peel plus molasses and honey. It was also an all-grain brew including smoked, Maris Otter, Pilsen, wheat, crystal and amber malts as well as torrified wheat. It was a cleaning off the shelf beer fermented with Wyeast 1275 English ale as well as dry Windsor just in case. I must have been thinking of a Christmas beer. Then things got in the way as the OG of 1.056 turned to a FG of 0.014 when it was moved to the secondary at 5.5% or so. Things got in the way like Christmas itself. Then like winter. Then like spring. And while I had remembered to top up the airlock with sanitizer water every now and again, I never had a good look at it until this weekend. Mold floaties. Mmmm... nothing like mold to make something look yummy. But this blog post gave me hope so I rigged up a beer thief and tried an ounce. Not bad. Even if it is a little, you know, bad. Actually quite dry with neutral flavours - a little sour, a little malt and a little spice. So it will be bottled after seven months in the carboy to see what it is like with a bit of carbonation. Swing top bottling only just in case the infection creates some weirdly explosive pressure.

By the way, I think that is a joke Papazian in the title. It's one of my favorites.

Update: 9.5 litres bottled at 6%. I primed with honey to around 2.5 or 3 and had some lime zest in the boil when I was sterilizing the honey solution. When I swished out the carboy there was plenty of farmyard. Should be interesting in a month or so. And... errr... sorry about holding on to all those swing tops, Steve.