Time for brewing?

I have been MIA for a little while thanks to a very long paper I have to write this semester. Part of our graduation requirements include taking a course and writing a 20+ page paper on a novel legal issue on the course subject. Twenty pages isn't a lot to write but the problem is the novelty of one's position. Between legal publications and all the blogs out there it's hard to find a position to take that hasn't been said by anybody else but there has been enough other things said on the subject to present an opportunity to disagree with the other people and distinguish a position. I got half way through writing my paper before I realized I didn't have enough novel space to write, so I had to essentially redo everything on the fly. My first draft is due today and I will surely have tremendous amounts of work to do on it the remainder of the semester. On the upside, the semester is almost half over.

I have a black ale that has been desperate for bottling for a few weeks that needs to get bottled this weekend. I also hope to brew a dubbel with a couple helpings of homemade candy syrup (an earlier experiment with molasses and a more recent malt attempt). I'm looking forward to finding out if that beer will be good or gross.
I also recently picked up some organic pear juice at a very reasonable $12/gallon price to make something of an apfelwine-like gallon of perry. Normally pear juice is cut with apple juice but this stuff is pure pear so I think it will have a better pear flavor. I'd like to get it going soon but I don't have much in the way of small fermenters since three of the four I have are full of aging sour beers. I'm trying to use up jug wine as quick as possible to liberate another five liter carboy.

With March approaching it is quickly becoming time to rebuild my hop garden so I can directly plant my new rhizomes when they come in. I have faith that my sterling plant is still alive but I have also ordered cascade, nuggest and another attempt at mt. hood. I might have to wait until spring break.

I hope my schedule is relaxed enough this weekend to brew and take some pictures and write about the dubbel. I guess we'll see.