And the Void Screams Back - Making Beer in the Time of COVID

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Lately, I feel this pressure to do something. Create a work of art or destroy something beautiful. In the end, my stress with the ever-changing world around me and the constant stream of life-altering events have me lying in bed staring at the ceiling, waiting for the next crisis to occur.  During this pandemic, I did accomplish something. I wrote half a book about zombies.

Last November, I participated in National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. I wrote the beginning of an atompunk story about a family that lives in a dome society created in 1955. It’s filled with 50s references, conspiracy theories, and zombies, but I only managed to finish half of it. Life gets in the way. I also made a coffee stout in honor of the month.  The blog post I wrote about it was probably one of my most popular. 


As during most times of significant change, one is expected to keep themselves busy. I made my first mead earlier this month, and it's currently going through its second fermentation as we speak. I also decided to make Screaming Into the Void again. Although, this time, my stress is for a completely different reason instead of writing. I will be serving it at Little Rocktoberfest on September 25th. Make sure to get your tickets. 



When I made the beer initially, it turned out great. It wasn’t as dark as it should be, but the taste was smooth. The coffee was strong but not overwhelming. I have a lot of hope for this new batch. The froth while brewing was beautifully thick like it should be for a stout, and it smelled amazing. I was also more hands-on this time around.



This weekend, I will be adding the coffee when it goes into the keg. I will be using Death Wish again and have decided to order it online along with the Valhalla Java Odinforce Blend. September is shaping up to be a busy month for me. Now I have plenty of coffee to get me through it. When checking out, I forgot that I have a military discount. I was able to save $5.00 and get free shipping. They even included a patch.

I had been significantly distracted this summer. Countless people have told me that they were going through a break up too. Must be the pandemic. As traumatic as mine was, I don’t know if I will be able to go back to the normal that existed before. Part of me doesn’t want to. In the last few months, I went on a lot of anxiety walks.

What I need to do is stop waiting. Do the work. Keep moving until it becomes a habit, and avoid anything that will disrupt that. In time, healing will come. Or at least that is what they tell me.



When you go to Little Rocktoberfest this year, be sure to see me and vote for Screaming into the Void!



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