Brewing Big Shag Big Stout

In the distant future, in 2009, we approach the end of the Big Shag Big Stout story. With this backpost, we journey back to the beginning of this storied brew. Back in time to the spring of 2005...

We are at our camp at Big Shag Lake. There is a knock at the door. It is our long lost cousins from the West - Matt and Joel.

Joel begins unpacking mysterious supplies.

"Let there be beer." Joel is heard to exclaim.

The brewmaster undertakes a purification ritual before approaching the sacred brewing task.

\

Good water is the soul of good beer.

We use Shag Lake anyway.

Master brewer at work.

The brew is left to its own bubbling and fermenting devices.

Ultimately it is ready for bottling and sampling.

Boxed, bottled, and into the cellar for aging.
So it begins.

Oregon cousins tour the five forties.

Matt and Joel hike the Five Forties with MW and Ken the forester. Some pics from a day in the woods:

The road in through the Norway Pine plantation.

Over the beaver dam.

We consult Sid's hand drawn color map for reference.

Finding a corner plate.

At the poplar swamp.

Matt, Ken Joel

Matt is a tree hugger.

In a maple stand.

Discussing the post- cut status.

Five Forties

Contemporaneous e-mail to our forester planning for the spring trip:

-------- Original Message --------

Subject: Family Forties
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 13:47:00 -0800
From: MW
To: Ken

Ken,
I hope this note finds you and your wife healthy and doing well. As you may recall, you managed the selective cut for our family's 200 acres during 2000 -2002.

We will be having a mini family reunion in the UP the last week of May. I will be there from May 26 - June 3 along with my brother and father. Two of our cousins ( Matt and Joel sons of Liz), will also be visiting between May 26 and June 1. I am hoping it will be possible to have you guide some of us on a tour of the property and give us a post-cut status while we are there. We won't have the ATV we had when you, Sid and I were last on the property, so - for our part - we will just need to do a little hiking. Let me know if this will be possible, and if so - what dates would work for you. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Regards, MW

P.S. To jog your memory - attached is a panoramic image (be sure to scroll right) with you and Sid and a bad "self-portrait" from the last time we was on the property with you.