Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Finally #3
Brewed batch #3 last night, a Blonde Ale, still workin on a name. Things went well other that the heat, it was 94' ! Had to keep hydrated, lots of BEER! Checked on it when I got home, bubbling away nicely. First try with a liquid yeast. Went with the Wyeast American Ale II.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Bottled Batch #2
Brown Eyed Honey Oat.
Went well very little waste this time, getting better! Smells good, gonna have a little taste and go to bed.
Brew Club
Met a few of the guys from the brew club I joined a couple of weeks ago, it's called Tri County Fermenters. http://www.tricountyfermenters.com/
Tim had bought hops in bulk and I was getting in on the good deal. Anyway, he said he would be brewing in the morning and heading over to Ed's after lunch and I could pick the hops up there. Ed is the club president.
So I drive down to Ed's on the motorcycle, to save on gas you know, never been there before but knew I had the right place when I saw the big cauldrons steaming out front and a couple of corny kegs in the garage.
Tim is there with his wife Tina, Jon and Ed. What are they doing? Well there's a batch of brew going of course and they are tasting beer, talking about beer, and listening to a guy talk about beer on the internet. Special occasion? Meeting? No, it's just Sunday. I'm gonna like these guys.
Anyway, they ask me what I plan on brewing. "Not a clue" says me, "I'm just getting started." So they ask if I've tried this or that, and mostly I hadn't. Next thing you know I'm handed a sampler 6pack of their homebrew. "Here take these home to try and see if you like any." Did I mention I'm gonna like these guys?
Spent about an hour there looking at Ed's setup, sampled a Dogfish Head IPA 120 min boil, (first taste seemed heavy bitter, but the aftertaste was heavy sweet?) and just talking beer and brewing. Wish my ears were working better today, could have picked up allot more.
Good group of people. Looking forward to the next time I hook up with them at the July meeting. Gonna be on call that day so I'll have to limit my tasting. :-)
Washing bottles the rest of the afternoon in prep for bottling batch #2.
Tim had bought hops in bulk and I was getting in on the good deal. Anyway, he said he would be brewing in the morning and heading over to Ed's after lunch and I could pick the hops up there. Ed is the club president.
So I drive down to Ed's on the motorcycle, to save on gas you know, never been there before but knew I had the right place when I saw the big cauldrons steaming out front and a couple of corny kegs in the garage.
Tim is there with his wife Tina, Jon and Ed. What are they doing? Well there's a batch of brew going of course and they are tasting beer, talking about beer, and listening to a guy talk about beer on the internet. Special occasion? Meeting? No, it's just Sunday. I'm gonna like these guys.
Anyway, they ask me what I plan on brewing. "Not a clue" says me, "I'm just getting started." So they ask if I've tried this or that, and mostly I hadn't. Next thing you know I'm handed a sampler 6pack of their homebrew. "Here take these home to try and see if you like any." Did I mention I'm gonna like these guys?
Spent about an hour there looking at Ed's setup, sampled a Dogfish Head IPA 120 min boil, (first taste seemed heavy bitter, but the aftertaste was heavy sweet?) and just talking beer and brewing. Wish my ears were working better today, could have picked up allot more.
Good group of people. Looking forward to the next time I hook up with them at the July meeting. Gonna be on call that day so I'll have to limit my tasting. :-)
Washing bottles the rest of the afternoon in prep for bottling batch #2.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Had a Good Beer?
Anyone had a good beer lately? Let me know what it was. I think I've got the comments open to everyone.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Fermenting? Nope....
Not much going on in the fermenter... may have to bottle sooner than expected. Monday or Tuesday will be my first opportunity.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Still no third batch...
Been trying to brew batch #3 for over a week, where does the time go.... Will have to wait another week now, have the pager this week and can't take the chance of getting called into work mid boil......
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Batch #2 to the Carboy
June 6th 2009
Transferred Batch #2 from primary bucket to secondary carboy, must have had the siphon too deep, got lots of sludge, I was sure I was at least a couple of inches off the bottom, scared me, thought the whole bucket was sludge. After a couple of hours in the carboy it settled out good. Looks much better. Smelled GREAT while siphoning....
Filled on 750ml bottle with a tsp of sugar, it may have too much sludge but its the only way to bring a sample to Mn the end of the month.
Also orderd supplies from Midwest for Batch #3 a Blonde Ale.
Transferred Batch #2 from primary bucket to secondary carboy, must have had the siphon too deep, got lots of sludge, I was sure I was at least a couple of inches off the bottom, scared me, thought the whole bucket was sludge. After a couple of hours in the carboy it settled out good. Looks much better. Smelled GREAT while siphoning....
Filled on 750ml bottle with a tsp of sugar, it may have too much sludge but its the only way to bring a sample to Mn the end of the month.
Also orderd supplies from Midwest for Batch #3 a Blonde Ale.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Brew Day Batch #2
May 27th 2009 Brew Day Batch #2
Banished to the garage to brew, steeped grains in kitchen, got a frown from Maria for this but assured her the 'great aroma' came from boiling wort and I will do that in the Garage. :-)
Did a Honey Oat Brown with a recipe I made up from looking at recipies for other Browns and Honey Ales. Things went well other than problems with my propane hook up, that still needs work...
3.3# Amber LME
2.0# Amber DME
1.0# Crystal 60L
1.0# Flaked Oats
2.0# Honey (Kanters Northwoods Wildflower Apiaries Honey, Goodman,Wi.)
1 oz. Hallertau Pellet 60 min.
1 oz Willamette Pellet 15 min.
Muntons dry yeast.
OG 1.042 (thought it would be higher???)
Steeped the grains and Oats for 45 min. @ 160', Sparge with 1 gal @ 170' Boil 60 min.
Only took 8 beers to brew this one...
Honey Oat Brown???
May, 18th 2009
Had some Newcastle Brown Ale, liked it. Between that and looking at recipes for Honey and/or Oat ales developed a grain and extract list.
Bought supplies from Riverside for a Honey Oat Brown. @ $45 This beer is WAY out of my league for my second ever batch, Hope it turns out, course I'll drink it anyway.....
Had some Newcastle Brown Ale, liked it. Between that and looking at recipes for Honey and/or Oat ales developed a grain and extract list.
Bought supplies from Riverside for a Honey Oat Brown. @ $45 This beer is WAY out of my league for my second ever batch, Hope it turns out, course I'll drink it anyway.....
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Blackstone Pizza
Blackstone Pizza tonight, Sampled Honker Ale, a Bock and a Munich ale. Even Maria Said the Bock was weak, had a good flavor though, the Munich was good, guy at the bar recommended the Honker, said he had it in Green Bay once and liked it. Very hoppy, tasted better and better as the pint glass emptied. BLT pizza was very different but very good.
FedEx Ground
Hmmm.... FedEx truck backing into the diveway.... MY NEW BEER INGREDIENTS ARE HERE! Driver Must be real exited about it too, as I'm signing for the package the truck rolls back into my red maple tree... Driver forgor to put the parking brake on.... No harm no foul... Beer stuff is undamaged! :-)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Case of the Red Ass Ale
May 29th 2009
Testing day at the Dishaws for Case of the Red Ass Ale. Joe, Rob and Scott say Good. Maria says OK, Kim says “It's not Bud Light” Jill stopped by had a sip, said Good! I'm going with Good! Now to make a GREAT beer.....
Brew Batch #1
I'm going to start by copy/paste from my brew log the begining for this beginer, so lets go WAY back to Mid April 2009......
Bard's Basement Brew
Log Book
Mid April 2009
Acquired a home brew kit at the Home Show in Iron Mountain's Ice Arena thru a silent auction. Had been saying for years I was going to brew my own beer. Started reading and studying all I could find on home brewing, mostly on the internet.
April 30th 2009
Bought a beer ingredient kit from Riverside Liquors in Spread Eagle WI. Red Ale.
May 1st 2009
Went to the famous Annual Smelt Fry in Waucedah MI. after work. (Got off work early, drinking beer by 1:30pm.) Got home around 5pm, drank more beer. 7pm, felt smart enough too start brewing. (Note to self: Never start brewing late in the day.)
Batch Number 1
Directions say add grains to water and heat to 165' steep grains for 20 minutes. Total time grains in water close to an hour, 20 min. @ 165'. Drinking more beer the whole time to stay smart. 'Buffalo Theory' you know.
All went reasonably well till around 10:30pm when Maria woke up yelling something about the whole house stinking. I thought the house had a wonderful heady aroma about it.. Wort in the fermentation bucket around 11:00pm. Still drinking beer. Clean up commenced.
May 2nd 2009
Noticed bubbling of air lock in the afternoon, all is well, have a beer.
May 6th 2009
Airlock action seems to have stopped.
May 7th 2009
Thought I was going to have to bottle today but John came thru with a carboy loan. Filled one 750 ml bottle, (for testing purposes only.) .5 tsp of sugar in the bottle for carbonating. The rest in the carboy for a secondary fermentation. Couldn't seem to keep the siphon going towards the bottom, thought I got most of it, when I dumped the trub into a gallon milk jug it almost filled it, bummer, almost a gallon wasted. :-( Now the big wait, think I'll have a beer. CRAP! Forgot to take a gravity check before the carboy. How do you get a hydrometer in and out of a carboy. Note to self: Ask brewer how this is done for future reference. Have a beer.
May 8th thru 14th
Air lock veeerrrryyyyy sloooowwwwllllyyy bubbles over the next week. Scrubbing bottles....
May 15th 2009 Bottling day.
Very carefully drop hydrometer into the carboy, hear it hit the bottom hoping it didn't shatter and ruin the whole batch, (would have had to put it thru a coffee filter and drink it anyway). Reading was 1.01 exactly. Time to bottle. Can't get the hydrometer out, will have to get it when I clean it.
Fill the dishwasher with bottles and put on wash with no detergent to sterilize bottles. Maria has made some comments about bottles all over the house, I'm assuming it was a compliment to my readiness for bottling day.
Sterilize all equipment needed for bottling, racking bucket, bottle caps, hose, bottle racking tube, odds and ends and stuff. Dishwasher still washing? CRAP! Its on pot scrub heavy duty wash cycle, try to change at this point, can't without starting over on a shorter cycle, can't be that much time left can there?
After what seems like days, dishwasher finally stops. Get carboy and racking bucket all set. CRAP! Forgot to boil the sugar water for the racking bucket, could have been doing that while waiting for the dishwasher to finish! See what happens when there is no beer drinking going on? On call this week for work so I can't drink. Bad week to be a home brewer.
Boil the sugar water for the carbonating of the bottles, dump it in the racking bucket and start the siphon from carboy to bucket. Looks to be about a half a cup left in the carboy, carefully pour that in a glass without disturbing the sediment in the bottom. Taste, GOOD! Flat but good, Call Maria in to taste, she tastes, gives me a funny look and goes back about her business. I drink the rest, hope I don't get called into work. Now finally the bottling starts, Maria helps till it looks like I have it under control, then she leaves the kitchen. About halfway thru, the hose pops off the racking tube and beer starts squirting all over the place! I holler for Maria to bring me some towels, thinking the worst she comes running with an armful! Get the racking equipment back together, beer cleaned up off the floor, try not to cry about more wasted beer.... Finish Bottling.
2-750 ml, 12-16 oz, 24-12 oz bottles for a total of just over 4 gallons. Should have been a five gallon batch. Alcohol abuse! Verbally slap myself for the waste and blame it on not being able to drink while bottling. Next time better planning will prevail and I will not be on call during any important phase of the brewing process.
Name: Bards Basement Brew, Case of the Red Ass Ale.
May 16th 2009
Ready to brew again. What should I brew? Hmmmmm.......
Bard's Basement Brew
Log Book
Mid April 2009
Acquired a home brew kit at the Home Show in Iron Mountain's Ice Arena thru a silent auction. Had been saying for years I was going to brew my own beer. Started reading and studying all I could find on home brewing, mostly on the internet.
April 30th 2009
Bought a beer ingredient kit from Riverside Liquors in Spread Eagle WI. Red Ale.
May 1st 2009
Went to the famous Annual Smelt Fry in Waucedah MI. after work. (Got off work early, drinking beer by 1:30pm.) Got home around 5pm, drank more beer. 7pm, felt smart enough too start brewing. (Note to self: Never start brewing late in the day.)
Batch Number 1
Directions say add grains to water and heat to 165' steep grains for 20 minutes. Total time grains in water close to an hour, 20 min. @ 165'. Drinking more beer the whole time to stay smart. 'Buffalo Theory' you know.
All went reasonably well till around 10:30pm when Maria woke up yelling something about the whole house stinking. I thought the house had a wonderful heady aroma about it.. Wort in the fermentation bucket around 11:00pm. Still drinking beer. Clean up commenced.
May 2nd 2009
Noticed bubbling of air lock in the afternoon, all is well, have a beer.
May 6th 2009
Airlock action seems to have stopped.
May 7th 2009
Thought I was going to have to bottle today but John came thru with a carboy loan. Filled one 750 ml bottle, (for testing purposes only.) .5 tsp of sugar in the bottle for carbonating. The rest in the carboy for a secondary fermentation. Couldn't seem to keep the siphon going towards the bottom, thought I got most of it, when I dumped the trub into a gallon milk jug it almost filled it, bummer, almost a gallon wasted. :-( Now the big wait, think I'll have a beer. CRAP! Forgot to take a gravity check before the carboy. How do you get a hydrometer in and out of a carboy. Note to self: Ask brewer how this is done for future reference. Have a beer.
May 8th thru 14th
Air lock veeerrrryyyyy sloooowwwwllllyyy bubbles over the next week. Scrubbing bottles....
May 15th 2009 Bottling day.
Very carefully drop hydrometer into the carboy, hear it hit the bottom hoping it didn't shatter and ruin the whole batch, (would have had to put it thru a coffee filter and drink it anyway). Reading was 1.01 exactly. Time to bottle. Can't get the hydrometer out, will have to get it when I clean it.
Fill the dishwasher with bottles and put on wash with no detergent to sterilize bottles. Maria has made some comments about bottles all over the house, I'm assuming it was a compliment to my readiness for bottling day.
Sterilize all equipment needed for bottling, racking bucket, bottle caps, hose, bottle racking tube, odds and ends and stuff. Dishwasher still washing? CRAP! Its on pot scrub heavy duty wash cycle, try to change at this point, can't without starting over on a shorter cycle, can't be that much time left can there?
After what seems like days, dishwasher finally stops. Get carboy and racking bucket all set. CRAP! Forgot to boil the sugar water for the racking bucket, could have been doing that while waiting for the dishwasher to finish! See what happens when there is no beer drinking going on? On call this week for work so I can't drink. Bad week to be a home brewer.
Boil the sugar water for the carbonating of the bottles, dump it in the racking bucket and start the siphon from carboy to bucket. Looks to be about a half a cup left in the carboy, carefully pour that in a glass without disturbing the sediment in the bottom. Taste, GOOD! Flat but good, Call Maria in to taste, she tastes, gives me a funny look and goes back about her business. I drink the rest, hope I don't get called into work. Now finally the bottling starts, Maria helps till it looks like I have it under control, then she leaves the kitchen. About halfway thru, the hose pops off the racking tube and beer starts squirting all over the place! I holler for Maria to bring me some towels, thinking the worst she comes running with an armful! Get the racking equipment back together, beer cleaned up off the floor, try not to cry about more wasted beer.... Finish Bottling.
2-750 ml, 12-16 oz, 24-12 oz bottles for a total of just over 4 gallons. Should have been a five gallon batch. Alcohol abuse! Verbally slap myself for the waste and blame it on not being able to drink while bottling. Next time better planning will prevail and I will not be on call during any important phase of the brewing process.
Name: Bards Basement Brew, Case of the Red Ass Ale.
May 16th 2009
Ready to brew again. What should I brew? Hmmmmm.......
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Beer
OK, there I was just minding my own business and typing in my brew log.
(whats a brew log? I've been told that brewing beer at home requires record keeping and logs of everything you do with the beer, I'm new at brewing so who am I to question it, I just do it.)
Anyway, there I was typing and my wife looks over my shoulder and says "What, are you blogging now?" I told her I was just putting entries in my brew log but the bug was planted.
So.... Here is my Brew Log in a Blog, there may be some other stuff in here along the way but I will keep it geared towards beer, it's one of my favorite things you know......
(whats a brew log? I've been told that brewing beer at home requires record keeping and logs of everything you do with the beer, I'm new at brewing so who am I to question it, I just do it.)
Anyway, there I was typing and my wife looks over my shoulder and says "What, are you blogging now?" I told her I was just putting entries in my brew log but the bug was planted.
So.... Here is my Brew Log in a Blog, there may be some other stuff in here along the way but I will keep it geared towards beer, it's one of my favorite things you know......
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