Those who read this blog will note (if you even come by anymore!) that there has been a dearth of posts for the past year. I've been busy and frankly, have too much to do to post my thoughts in a blog these days. I did experience some special moments lately though that prompted me to write the following. If you read it and find that it may describe some similar feelings you may have with regard to beer and brewing, I would appreciate a response. Life takes us all on many different journeys but our common humanity never ceases to surprise me. There really is no new thing under the sun, as the Preacher sayeth. Merry Christmas to all!
In July, 2000, I began homebrewing. My wife bought the kit for me as a present from my sons, Michael and Andrew. It has been the greatest hobby I could have imagined. I've made so many great beers and so many great friends through this hobby, I really can't properly explain the joys it has given me and the gratitude I have for my wife for buying the kit that started it all on Father's Day of that year. I had brewed 19 beers by January 2nd, 2002. I brewed a kit beer that day from Things Beer. It was an English Barley Wine Ale called "Bear Ass Barley Wine". Original gravity was 1.118. Seven ounces of hops in five gallons of beer, it was a dark, heavy monster of a beer and I really enjoyed it. I doled it out on special occasions and saved as much as was humanly possible of that woefully small, five gallon batch until-in summer of 2004- I had only one bottle of it left.
Then disaster struck my family. My oldest son Michael, just out of High School, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He underwent a year of treatment and cleared the hurdles making him "cancer-free". I told him I would save that bottle of beer so we could share it five years down the road when he had been the obligatory five years cancer-free. Things being busy as they often are, the deadline came and went, and the Barley Wine sat on the shelf in my basement.
A couple of months ago Michael went to see about some pain he had in his neck and was told there was a growth in his thyroid. Immediately, all of the cancer fears came back! Extreme fear and paranoia gripped us all as we worried about the return of this killer to our home. I went to the doctor for a checkup and after several trips for follow-ups and specialist visits was told I had prostate cancer!
The lone bottle of Bear Ass Barley Wine sat patiently on the shelf.
Today, we went to the oncologist's office so he could give us his reading of the PET Scan Michael had a week ago. PET Scans are very expensive tests which show the presence of cancer cells in the body. We received the best news possible from Dr. Bikina: no cancer was found at all!
I decided on the drive home that we should celebrate the good news. I asked Michael if he felt like sharing the Barley Wine with me and he agreed it was the perfect occasion. We decided to toast that good fortune while we were thinking of it and were positive in our outlooks. I rushed downstairs to the cool basement and picked the bottle off the shelf, literally brushing off cobwebs in the process.
Now, I have brewed about seventy beers since I made that Barley Wine Ale back in 2002, and I really didn't know what to expect. I was a novice brewer and a novice taster of beers at the time. I do remember thinking it was something quite special (but, frankly, my family can tell you that I think that of most of my beers!). I cracked the bottle and there was no noise at all. I remember it being lightly carbonated when it was fresh but it was not carbonated now...Still, perhaps it tasted good. I poured it off into two Sam Adams glasses for Michael and me. A quick swirl and a sniff told me I wouldn't be disappointed!
The beer was very dark brown but could still be said to be very clear. The yeast cake at the bottom of the bottle was solid and did not move as I poured off the second glass and emptied the contents of the bottle. There were definite ruby-red highlights in the nominally brown beer. Holding it up to the lights, it was possible to see that the beer was clear but not quite possible to see through it.
It smelled very "sherry-like" at first, then a distinct black cherry aroma came through. Coffee and chocolate rounded out the smells that hinted at my first sip. No hops were noticeable in the nose. The first sip was loaded with sherry notes combined with a strong character of stone fruits. Black and tart cherries came most to mind, though plums would not be a bad description, either. There was a definite sweetness to this very strong beer (it finished at 1.028 in specific gravity), though it was decidedly tart in the finish. To round out the flavor profile of this complex beer, a very smooth and flavorful coffee and semi-sweet chocolate character emerged in the warming. I also detected a satisfying crisp, nutty finish.
Michael said it was the most complex beer he'd ever tasted. I can't in all honestly say that, myself (the beers and the years are piled much too high for me, in that regard) but it certainly was a special moment for us both. Andrew tried a taste and agreed it was most delicious. My wife, smelled it and passed on the tasting, shaking her head at the overblown importance we placed on the flavors and nuances of something so mundane as a beer(even a nearly nine year old beer!).
Oh, she "gets it". She's tried many a micro- and homebrew and has a pretty darned good palate for the stuff. It just isn't her passion, as it is mine. And that's fine. She knows that it's not the beer or even the appreciation of it that makes this enjoyable for me. It's always about the sharing and the camaraderie that beer brings.
I believe the prostate cancer was caught very early and will be completely excised in my upcoming operation. Michael has something going on in his thyroid that will need attention but at least it's not cancer. We have our share of health and family issues to deal with like most everyone else, I'm sure. Those things can be put aside for the Holiday season, to make way for happier times, with the "C" word (mostly) out of the picture. As I await my surgery in January, and enjoy a festive Christmas season with family and friends, I contemplate these things that make us happy and content. A warm house and family and friends enjoying laughs and conversation with a craft brewed beer or a cup of eggnog seems simple but combined they create the warm memories that we cherish through the years. It's the family and friends that really make these moments special. Still, mine will probably always include a beer...
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Father's Day 2010
In May, 2000, I lost my father after a sudden heart attack. He was 71. He was a classic tough guy. A John Wayne type man who took no shit from anybody but had a great sense of humor. He was insensitive and tough on his kids but he loved them and worked his ass off for all of us. As little kids, when we would fall down and scrape a knee or something, my Dad would always yell at us, "Come here and I'll help you up"! Life is a complex mix of differences, isn't it? Many times my father said very hurtful things to me and let me know in no uncertain terms that I was either a blithering idiot or a sissy of the first magnitude. I also know he did these things to all of us kids, so it wasn't just me. A simple, disgusted look was enough to make me feel about as insignificant as a dog turd.
Conversely, he was a good father to us all, treating his step-children as his own and helping us all through any problems we may have come across. I remember him working on one of my cars after a breakdown one Winter, when I couldn't believe he could continue to use his hands, since mine were frozen solid! He forged ahead and got 'er done! Perseverance and strength were probably his best attributes.
I tried to emulate him as much as possible growing up and, when my children came along, in raising my own. That was probably a mistake. I was never as tough as he nor as persistent. On the other hand, I tell my kids how much I love them more in one week than I heard from my father in my lifetime. Our relationship was just that way.
As he aged and dealt with grandchildren and retirement, he mellowed considerably. Like a big Winter Warmer, he lost much of the sharp edges and heat and what was left was sweet, complex and satisfying. He was a doting grandfather to my sister's kids, who lived with him, for the most part, and was always well-loved by my two boys. Just before he died, I went down to "the hills" to visit him and tried to convince him to go to the doctor, since I had been told he was having heart troubles but was too stubborn to do anything about it. I took my two sons with me and we had a nice visit. He assured me he would go to the doctor and get checked out. We left believing everything would be fine that April weekend. On May 18, he died suddenly in his sleep.
I learned a lot from my father and I think I miss him more now than ever before. Even though one thinks normally that a son benefits most from a father in his formative years, I believe I would appreciate my father's guidance now, at 53 years of age, than perhaps ever before. I've had many expectations during this journey and almost none of them have turned out as scripted. Is that a problem? I'd guess my Dad would say that it isn't. You deal with things as they come at you because the script is always under re-write.
In June of that year, my lovely wife got me a Father's Day gift. I know it was from the boys but she is the person who picked it out and bought it for me. My sons were a part of the process, to be sure, but the idea and effort came from my wife. It was a beer brewing kit. I had admired the idea after a friend had gotten one. He made a couple of batches and dropped it like a hot rock. I, on the other hand, found the new hobby to be fascinating and very rewarding. I brewed a simple pale ale which came out pretty darned good, and the rest is history.
Along the years, my kids learned to indulge Daddy's hobby interests. They both learned to siphon and bottle beer (whereas, my Dad taught me to siphon gasoline!) and to taste and determine what a good beer is and why. This may not be something that wins me the Responsible Father of the Year Award but you take it as it comes, right? My kids were drinking and enjoying-responsibly-fine craft brews before they were teenagers. At 25 and 23 neither drinks more than a beer a month. They aren't all that fond of the stuff!
We script our lives for success (what the hell is that?), wealth (again, what?), the cars and homes we dream of and all that jazz, but it is health, love, relationships and memories that truly make us happy and satisfied. I could die penniless and homeless and be a happy fellow, simply because my life has been interesting, varied, and full of loving and happy family and friends.
My kids have their entire lives ahead of them. They have made plenty of mistakes and probably will make plenty more but they WILL learn from them. Well, my kids could probably benefit from some of my Dad's tough love. When they fail at something it hurts and I feel for them as much as for myself. I want the best for them in life. Isn't that what every father wants? I may have spoiled 'em a bit but they turned out to be good people and that is what really counts, isn't it? I think my father would agree. Priorities shift and success keeps morphing.
Lately I've been thinking I've fallen down and can't really find my footing. Then, in the back of my mind I hear, "Come here and I'll help you up"! I see my Dad with that shit-eating grin on his face and I know that all is right with the world.
Conversely, he was a good father to us all, treating his step-children as his own and helping us all through any problems we may have come across. I remember him working on one of my cars after a breakdown one Winter, when I couldn't believe he could continue to use his hands, since mine were frozen solid! He forged ahead and got 'er done! Perseverance and strength were probably his best attributes.
I tried to emulate him as much as possible growing up and, when my children came along, in raising my own. That was probably a mistake. I was never as tough as he nor as persistent. On the other hand, I tell my kids how much I love them more in one week than I heard from my father in my lifetime. Our relationship was just that way.
As he aged and dealt with grandchildren and retirement, he mellowed considerably. Like a big Winter Warmer, he lost much of the sharp edges and heat and what was left was sweet, complex and satisfying. He was a doting grandfather to my sister's kids, who lived with him, for the most part, and was always well-loved by my two boys. Just before he died, I went down to "the hills" to visit him and tried to convince him to go to the doctor, since I had been told he was having heart troubles but was too stubborn to do anything about it. I took my two sons with me and we had a nice visit. He assured me he would go to the doctor and get checked out. We left believing everything would be fine that April weekend. On May 18, he died suddenly in his sleep.
I learned a lot from my father and I think I miss him more now than ever before. Even though one thinks normally that a son benefits most from a father in his formative years, I believe I would appreciate my father's guidance now, at 53 years of age, than perhaps ever before. I've had many expectations during this journey and almost none of them have turned out as scripted. Is that a problem? I'd guess my Dad would say that it isn't. You deal with things as they come at you because the script is always under re-write.
In June of that year, my lovely wife got me a Father's Day gift. I know it was from the boys but she is the person who picked it out and bought it for me. My sons were a part of the process, to be sure, but the idea and effort came from my wife. It was a beer brewing kit. I had admired the idea after a friend had gotten one. He made a couple of batches and dropped it like a hot rock. I, on the other hand, found the new hobby to be fascinating and very rewarding. I brewed a simple pale ale which came out pretty darned good, and the rest is history.
Along the years, my kids learned to indulge Daddy's hobby interests. They both learned to siphon and bottle beer (whereas, my Dad taught me to siphon gasoline!) and to taste and determine what a good beer is and why. This may not be something that wins me the Responsible Father of the Year Award but you take it as it comes, right? My kids were drinking and enjoying-responsibly-fine craft brews before they were teenagers. At 25 and 23 neither drinks more than a beer a month. They aren't all that fond of the stuff!
We script our lives for success (what the hell is that?), wealth (again, what?), the cars and homes we dream of and all that jazz, but it is health, love, relationships and memories that truly make us happy and satisfied. I could die penniless and homeless and be a happy fellow, simply because my life has been interesting, varied, and full of loving and happy family and friends.
My kids have their entire lives ahead of them. They have made plenty of mistakes and probably will make plenty more but they WILL learn from them. Well, my kids could probably benefit from some of my Dad's tough love. When they fail at something it hurts and I feel for them as much as for myself. I want the best for them in life. Isn't that what every father wants? I may have spoiled 'em a bit but they turned out to be good people and that is what really counts, isn't it? I think my father would agree. Priorities shift and success keeps morphing.
Lately I've been thinking I've fallen down and can't really find my footing. Then, in the back of my mind I hear, "Come here and I'll help you up"! I see my Dad with that shit-eating grin on his face and I know that all is right with the world.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Doing Deutschland!
Over the past couple of months I've been visiting Germany in my beermaking. I purchased some German malts and hops and decided to make a series of German beers with the same yeast. I started with the Munich Dunkel style. This is a moderately light-flavored beer, medium copper to dark brown in color, with a decidedly sweet, falavorful malt character. Very little hop flavor or bitterness is perceived and the beer is fairly easy to quaff, though it is a showcase for rich, flavorful Munich malt.
I decided to build a bigger beer on top of this yeast when the beer finished and settled on the Traditional Bock beer. This is the classic German liquid bread originating in Einbeck. Nearly as dark as the Munich Dunkel but much heavier and maltier, this beer is a showcase again of the toasty, bready Munich and Vienna malts. Caramel, chocolate, toasted bread and delicious crusty flavors abound in this classic beer.
Finally, after thinking long and hard about making a doppelbock on the yeast of the bock, I decided to go with a lighter, more drinkable (though certainly no less flavorful or interesting) beer and settled on the little-known style of Dortmunder Export. This beer is similar to a malty Helles but with some of the hop character of a German Pilsner. A very tasty, maltier, heavier version of the German Pils would probably be a good description. It came out a bit strong for the style but the flavor and the clean character the yeast provides it masks this a bit.
So we began our German trip in Munich, making a beer that originated in that city and flourished all over Bavaria. This dark (dunkel) beer is malty, toasty and delicious! From Munich we headed to Einbeck (near Hannover), the birthplace of the great, Traditional Bock beer. This beer was much appreciated in Munich and actually was adopted by that area and is now fairly considered to be a Bavarian beer. Big, malty and strong, it is a great warmer for the Bavarian winters! We finished our trip in the manufacturing city of Dortmund, where the style of Dortmunder Export was born. A substantial beer for working men, it is thirst-quenching and strong.
My three German lagers were fun to make, delicious to drink and a kick to share with friends and family! Where do I go next?
I decided to build a bigger beer on top of this yeast when the beer finished and settled on the Traditional Bock beer. This is the classic German liquid bread originating in Einbeck. Nearly as dark as the Munich Dunkel but much heavier and maltier, this beer is a showcase again of the toasty, bready Munich and Vienna malts. Caramel, chocolate, toasted bread and delicious crusty flavors abound in this classic beer.
Finally, after thinking long and hard about making a doppelbock on the yeast of the bock, I decided to go with a lighter, more drinkable (though certainly no less flavorful or interesting) beer and settled on the little-known style of Dortmunder Export. This beer is similar to a malty Helles but with some of the hop character of a German Pilsner. A very tasty, maltier, heavier version of the German Pils would probably be a good description. It came out a bit strong for the style but the flavor and the clean character the yeast provides it masks this a bit.
So we began our German trip in Munich, making a beer that originated in that city and flourished all over Bavaria. This dark (dunkel) beer is malty, toasty and delicious! From Munich we headed to Einbeck (near Hannover), the birthplace of the great, Traditional Bock beer. This beer was much appreciated in Munich and actually was adopted by that area and is now fairly considered to be a Bavarian beer. Big, malty and strong, it is a great warmer for the Bavarian winters! We finished our trip in the manufacturing city of Dortmund, where the style of Dortmunder Export was born. A substantial beer for working men, it is thirst-quenching and strong.
My three German lagers were fun to make, delicious to drink and a kick to share with friends and family! Where do I go next?
Friday, August 28, 2009
Parti-Gyle Brewing
Parti-Gyle brewing is an archaic manner of brewing wherein the mash is drawn off used for one strength of beer and the remaining grains are re-mashed. There is no sparge to speak of. The process can be repeated three or more times to produce three or four progressively weaker beers. In fact this method was used extensively in the Medieval times to produce beers of varying strengths from a single mash (Strong Ale, Common Ale and Small Beer, for example).
I have always been a big fan of batch sparging, in which the sparge water is applied all at once after the first runnings have been drawn off, then the second runnings are added to the first for the entire beer produced by that mash. It's simply an easier and quicker-albeit, perhaps less efficient-method of mashing. I like simple.
Recently I had a bit of trouble deciding on which kind of beer I wanted to make. I always have this problem because I like so many types of beer! I decided on making two different types of beers at once. Because I have a large supply of free hops and an equally large supply of very cheap hops (thanks to a bulk purchase made by my homebrew club), I decided to put these to use. I made an Imperial IPA with the first runnings and made a weaker beer with the second runnings (sort of a Parti-Gyle brew, though I didn't actually mash the grains again...much). I deliberately sparged with less than the expected amount of water for my typical ten gallon batch, to ensure adequate gravity for both beers and ended up with a little over eight gallons of beer total.
It was interesting but I didn't have enough beer when all was said and done! The product was pretty good, though!
The following recipe is for an IPA. I used the resulting two runnings to produce the Imperial IPA and the IPA. Here are the details (the italicized portion is what the beer would have been if I hadn't split the batch):
Mitten Envy IPA
14-B American IPA
Author: Mike Mullins
Date: 7/20/2009
Size: 10.48 gal
Efficiency: 70.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 181.41 kcal per 12.0 fl oz
Original Gravity: 1.055 (1.056 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.014 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 6.27 (6.0 - 15.0)
Alcohol: 5.36% (5.5% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 41.2 (40.0 - 70.0)
Ingredients:
20 lb English 2-row Pale
2 lb Vienna Malt
1 lb Carapils®/Carafoam®
2.0 ea Fermentis US-05 Safale US-05
Hop schedule for IPA:
1 oz Nugget (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled FWH
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled FWH
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 20.0 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 0.0 min
Schedule for Imperial IPA:
1 oz Nugget (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled FWH
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled FWH
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 20.0 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 20.0 min
1 oz Centennial(10%)- added at knockout, boiled 0.0 min
1 oz Simcoe (8%) - added at knockout, boiled 0.0 min
1 oz Amarillo (6%) - added at knockout, boiled 0.0 min
1 oz Centennial(10%)- added in secondary, dry-hopped
1 oz Simcoe (8%) - added in secondary, dry-hopped
1 oz Amarillo (6%) - added in secondary, dry-hopped
Mashed at 158 for 90 minutes, then...
Ran off 4 gallons in first runnings
Sparged with five gallons of water at 170, waited 20 minutes, then...
Ran off 5 gallons in second runnings.
Notes
Used a couple of packs of S-05 rehydrated.
split first and second runnings.
First runnings were 1.080 out of the mash tun. boiled 90 minutes. Yielded 3 gallons at 1.110.
Second runnings were 1.038 out of mash tun. boiled 60 minutes. Yielded 3.5 gallons at 1.050.
(Note that the split is about what is expected by Mosher in the Brewing Techniques article referenced above)
Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.3
What I ended up with was a very strong and very hoppy Imperial IPA (only about a case of 12 oz bottles, though, after sampling, and a case and a half of a decent IPA. The extended boil of the Imperial IPA lessened the take considerably:-(
The Imperial is about 11% ABV and intense in bitterness and hop aroma, while well-balanced by malt sweetness. Reminds me of a Bells Hopslam (Larry Bell and crew rocks!). I am really happy with the aroma produced by the dry-hopping of three different hop pellets. It is sooo wonderful! Hop heaven!
I have always been a big fan of batch sparging, in which the sparge water is applied all at once after the first runnings have been drawn off, then the second runnings are added to the first for the entire beer produced by that mash. It's simply an easier and quicker-albeit, perhaps less efficient-method of mashing. I like simple.
Recently I had a bit of trouble deciding on which kind of beer I wanted to make. I always have this problem because I like so many types of beer! I decided on making two different types of beers at once. Because I have a large supply of free hops and an equally large supply of very cheap hops (thanks to a bulk purchase made by my homebrew club), I decided to put these to use. I made an Imperial IPA with the first runnings and made a weaker beer with the second runnings (sort of a Parti-Gyle brew, though I didn't actually mash the grains again...much). I deliberately sparged with less than the expected amount of water for my typical ten gallon batch, to ensure adequate gravity for both beers and ended up with a little over eight gallons of beer total.
It was interesting but I didn't have enough beer when all was said and done! The product was pretty good, though!
The following recipe is for an IPA. I used the resulting two runnings to produce the Imperial IPA and the IPA. Here are the details (the italicized portion is what the beer would have been if I hadn't split the batch):
Mitten Envy IPA
14-B American IPA
Author: Mike Mullins
Date: 7/20/2009
Size: 10.48 gal
Efficiency: 70.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 181.41 kcal per 12.0 fl oz
Original Gravity: 1.055 (1.056 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.014 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 6.27 (6.0 - 15.0)
Alcohol: 5.36% (5.5% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 41.2 (40.0 - 70.0)
Ingredients:
20 lb English 2-row Pale
2 lb Vienna Malt
1 lb Carapils®/Carafoam®
2.0 ea Fermentis US-05 Safale US-05
Hop schedule for IPA:
1 oz Nugget (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled FWH
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled FWH
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 20.0 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 0.0 min
Schedule for Imperial IPA:
1 oz Nugget (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled FWH
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled FWH
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 20.0 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 20.0 min
1 oz Centennial(10%)- added at knockout, boiled 0.0 min
1 oz Simcoe (8%) - added at knockout, boiled 0.0 min
1 oz Amarillo (6%) - added at knockout, boiled 0.0 min
1 oz Centennial(10%)- added in secondary, dry-hopped
1 oz Simcoe (8%) - added in secondary, dry-hopped
1 oz Amarillo (6%) - added in secondary, dry-hopped
Mashed at 158 for 90 minutes, then...
Ran off 4 gallons in first runnings
Sparged with five gallons of water at 170, waited 20 minutes, then...
Ran off 5 gallons in second runnings.
Notes
Used a couple of packs of S-05 rehydrated.
split first and second runnings.
First runnings were 1.080 out of the mash tun. boiled 90 minutes. Yielded 3 gallons at 1.110.
Second runnings were 1.038 out of mash tun. boiled 60 minutes. Yielded 3.5 gallons at 1.050.
(Note that the split is about what is expected by Mosher in the Brewing Techniques article referenced above)
Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.3
What I ended up with was a very strong and very hoppy Imperial IPA (only about a case of 12 oz bottles, though, after sampling, and a case and a half of a decent IPA. The extended boil of the Imperial IPA lessened the take considerably:-(
The Imperial is about 11% ABV and intense in bitterness and hop aroma, while well-balanced by malt sweetness. Reminds me of a Bells Hopslam (Larry Bell and crew rocks!). I am really happy with the aroma produced by the dry-hopping of three different hop pellets. It is sooo wonderful! Hop heaven!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
New Member!
Say hello to the newest member of the BJCP that you know...me! Yep. Member A0692, with 8.5 experience points. Don't ask me what my rank is, because my test hasn't been scored but even if I failed miserably, I am a "Recognized" member of the Beer Judge Certification Program and an "official" beer judge!
Yeehah!
Keep your fingers crossed for that score. I'm hoping for a seventy percent, at least, so as to be "Certified", but I'll take whatever I get. I can always retake the test.
Studying for the test was difficult and the test itself was a daunting task but I would strongly recommend it to all who are interested in judging beer (or even learning more about beer). Take the next step!
Yeehah!
Keep your fingers crossed for that score. I'm hoping for a seventy percent, at least, so as to be "Certified", but I'll take whatever I get. I can always retake the test.
Studying for the test was difficult and the test itself was a daunting task but I would strongly recommend it to all who are interested in judging beer (or even learning more about beer). Take the next step!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Dearth of Posts
I have to apologize to everyone that actually reads this blog for the dearth of posts lately. It doesn't mean I haven't been busy or even beer busy (and hence having a wealth of beery material with which to regale). I have been immersed in beer over the past few weeks (there's a visual for you). I have been studying for the BJCP exam, judging beer at the World Expo of beer (both commercial beers and homebrews) and making beer pretty steadily, as well as entering my beers in competitions (which, sadly, has not yielded any hardware).
Recently the club (Lapeer Area Brewers) participated in Big Brew/National Homebrew Day at Replays Sports Tavern in Lapeer. We brewed thirty gallons of beer on that historic day! There were five brewers and we brewed several different kinds of beer, from Irish Stout to American Lager. A good time was had by all!
Today, I kegged the result of Big Brew, an American Pale Ale. Here are the details:
12 Lbs. 2-Row American Malt
4 Lbs. German Pilsner Malt
2 Lbs. English Crystal 45
1.5Oz. Nugget (60 Minutes)
1 Oz. Cascade (20 Minutes)
.5 Oz. Cascade (0 Minutes)
Mashed at 153 for 60 minutes. Boiled for 60 Minutes with above hop additions. Chilled and racked into Glass Carboys and pitched two Safale 05 yeast starters. Fermented for two weeks at 60 degrees. Racked today into two kegs, one with 1 ounce of Amarillo dry hops, the other without. Original Gravity was 1.048 and Final Gravity was 1.010.
Color is a light amber, IBUs at about 30, ABV around 4.5%.
Frankenmuth, chicken dinners and the World Expo of Beer awaits!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Too Busy to Blog?
Wow! I've been kind of busy lately. Since my last post, I've made several beers and assisted in the making of some more. I finished up my teaching gig in early March, so I thought I'd be busily blogging here and elsewhere but, instead I've just been busy doing other things, none of which seem important but just had to get done.
Here is a little bit of what's been going on in the life and times of Beerme, beer-wise:
The tweaked, second attempt at the perfect English Dark Mild came out a bit sweeter and a bit earthier, due to the Goldings hops. I am going to enter it as a Southern English Brown Ale. Cross your fingers! I like the first one better, though, so I will enter that as the perfect English Dark Mild!
I racked a Robust Porter onto the yeast in March and it finished a bit weaker than a US version of Robust Porter should be (less roasty and not as much mouthfeel), so I may enter it as a Brown Porter. Competitions simply do not respect historical (restrained) guidelines. Bolder beers (only just incrementally so) seem to do better, in my humble opinion. Here is the 10 gallon grainbill:
20 Lbs. 2-Row (US)
2 Lbs. Crisp Crystal 45
1 Lb. US Chocolate Malt
.5 Lbs. Roasted Barley
2 Oz. Nugget (Homegrown) 60 Minutes
1 Oz. Cascade (Homegrown) 20 Minutes
Irish Moss
Yeast cake of WLP 002 English Ale Yeast
OG: 1.054 FG: 1.012
On April 11, I brewed a big Barleywine. It finished at 1.091 and the additions of homemade caramel syrup and beet sugar brought it up to 1.106. I added these incrementally during the first week of fermentation. I just racked it to secondary and it is already a hefty 9% ABV! The gravity check yielded a still sweet 1.030. It has a ways to go but it tastes pretty darned good right now! Vinous and very sweet, there are heavy dark fruit notes and a spicy and hoppy counterbalance to the malt-heavy backbone. Here is the 5 gallon grainbill:
20 Lbs. 2-Row US
4 Lbs. German Pilsner Malt
2 Lbs. Crisp Crystal 45
1 Lb. Belgian Caramunich
1 Oz. Nugget (Homegrown) 60 Minutes
1 Oz. Cascade (Homegrown) 20 Minutes
Irish Moss 1.5 Teaspoons 15 Minutes
2 Lbs. Beet Sugar (prepared as equal additions of syrup, one of which was inverted and caramelized)
Yeast Cake of WLP 002 English Ale Yeast (Finally retired!)
OG: 1.106 FG: 1.026 (Expected) currently at 1.030.
I will leave it in secondary until mid-May and then rack to a keg and bottle in 7 oz. bottles for keeping. This one will not be ready for competition until Fall, at the least.
The Lapeer Area Brewers is a growing concern! We have a new member nearly every month and the brewers are getting better and better! We have a brewing demonstration scheduled for Big Brew-National Homebrew Day, on Saturday May 2, 2009 at Replays Sports Tavern just North of Lapeer. At least two beers will be brewed: one all-grain and one extract. We will have some samples on hand and a host of experienced brewers to answer questions and give advice on this great hobby. Anyone in the area is encouraged to come by and enjoy the fun! There may be some trivia games and even a Red Wings playoff game to watch, after the work is done! The bar beer menu is limited to BudMilCoors and Oberon, on tap...it'll have to do. Hey, Miller is "triple-hopped", ya know!
Until the next post, Prosit!
Here is a little bit of what's been going on in the life and times of Beerme, beer-wise:
The tweaked, second attempt at the perfect English Dark Mild came out a bit sweeter and a bit earthier, due to the Goldings hops. I am going to enter it as a Southern English Brown Ale. Cross your fingers! I like the first one better, though, so I will enter that as the perfect English Dark Mild!
I racked a Robust Porter onto the yeast in March and it finished a bit weaker than a US version of Robust Porter should be (less roasty and not as much mouthfeel), so I may enter it as a Brown Porter. Competitions simply do not respect historical (restrained) guidelines. Bolder beers (only just incrementally so) seem to do better, in my humble opinion. Here is the 10 gallon grainbill:
20 Lbs. 2-Row (US)
2 Lbs. Crisp Crystal 45
1 Lb. US Chocolate Malt
.5 Lbs. Roasted Barley
2 Oz. Nugget (Homegrown) 60 Minutes
1 Oz. Cascade (Homegrown) 20 Minutes
Irish Moss
Yeast cake of WLP 002 English Ale Yeast
OG: 1.054 FG: 1.012
On April 11, I brewed a big Barleywine. It finished at 1.091 and the additions of homemade caramel syrup and beet sugar brought it up to 1.106. I added these incrementally during the first week of fermentation. I just racked it to secondary and it is already a hefty 9% ABV! The gravity check yielded a still sweet 1.030. It has a ways to go but it tastes pretty darned good right now! Vinous and very sweet, there are heavy dark fruit notes and a spicy and hoppy counterbalance to the malt-heavy backbone. Here is the 5 gallon grainbill:
20 Lbs. 2-Row US
4 Lbs. German Pilsner Malt
2 Lbs. Crisp Crystal 45
1 Lb. Belgian Caramunich
1 Oz. Nugget (Homegrown) 60 Minutes
1 Oz. Cascade (Homegrown) 20 Minutes
Irish Moss 1.5 Teaspoons 15 Minutes
2 Lbs. Beet Sugar (prepared as equal additions of syrup, one of which was inverted and caramelized)
Yeast Cake of WLP 002 English Ale Yeast (Finally retired!)
OG: 1.106 FG: 1.026 (Expected) currently at 1.030.
I will leave it in secondary until mid-May and then rack to a keg and bottle in 7 oz. bottles for keeping. This one will not be ready for competition until Fall, at the least.
The Lapeer Area Brewers is a growing concern! We have a new member nearly every month and the brewers are getting better and better! We have a brewing demonstration scheduled for Big Brew-National Homebrew Day, on Saturday May 2, 2009 at Replays Sports Tavern just North of Lapeer. At least two beers will be brewed: one all-grain and one extract. We will have some samples on hand and a host of experienced brewers to answer questions and give advice on this great hobby. Anyone in the area is encouraged to come by and enjoy the fun! There may be some trivia games and even a Red Wings playoff game to watch, after the work is done! The bar beer menu is limited to BudMilCoors and Oberon, on tap...it'll have to do. Hey, Miller is "triple-hopped", ya know!
Until the next post, Prosit!
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