The Beer Thread

K8teebug wrote:
Have you seen this website?

http://www.brewmate.net/

Pretty neat resource for the home brewer!

i've been using hopville (my recipes here), which is an online version of the same thing.  brewmate seems to have a few extra bells and whistles, like the count-down timer (which i have as a separate app on my phone, but could be nice to have everything in one spot).  i'll have to give this a spin.  price is right!

walkonby wrote:
somehow . . . though i'm sure it tastes good . . . it still looks like a meth lab production.

i'm working in texas these days.  there is a brew supply store a few minutes away from the office here, so it's easier for me to stock up here than it is to go shopping back home where the stores are either in falls chuch or frederick.  last time at the shop i was looking for an erlenmeyer flask (AKA the beaker you used in chem lab) which is used for making yeast starters.  the pleasant old man behind the counter said that was the one piece of brewing equipment that he doesn't sell, because in texas it is considered meth-making equipment.  so you're not the only one making the association :)

You got at it quick!  hopville is dope - looks like good recipes, did you develop them yourself?  pretty ambitious first two brews.

something we've recently started to do is throw in whirlfloc tabs with 5 minutes to go in the brew to increase clarity.  that bottle may clear up a little bit, but if you desire more of an translucent brew, i recommend it.

stevewizzle wrote:
hopville is dope - looks like good recipes, did you develop them yourself?  pretty ambitious first two brews.

yeah, they're mine, in part.  both the wit and the grand cru were based on other's recipes (the latter being a take on papazian's "who's in the garden) but i added the partial mashes, modified the extract proportions, changed the hops and/or spices, etc.  i think i've gotten the hang of it and recipe calculators like hopville really help with keeping proportions in check.  the strawberry isn't mine, i inputed it on behalf of someone else who wanted the numbers… but now that i have it, i'm tempted to give it a go in a few months so i have it in time for summer.  so little time!  i'll be trying the "eurocrat" belgian dark before that.

one thing that i would change next time 'round is cutting back on/replacing some of the Citra hops in the witbier.  they're too damn strong and at bottling seem to take over the brew.  hopefully they'll mellow out with a little aging.

stevewizzle wrote:
something we've recently started to do is throw in whirlfloc tabs with 5 minutes to go in the brew to increase clarity.  that bottle may clear up a little bit, but if you desire more of an translucent brew, i recommend it.

i didn't bother using whilrfloc with the first batch: it's a witbier, it's supposed to be hazy.  the yeast that i used = a low flocculation variety.  also, that pic was taken within minutes of bottling so nothing had settled down yet.

i'm really on the fence about color and transparency.  brewers seem to make a big deal about it but it strikes me as pointless obsession with appearances.  it's like saying a dog isn't good because its ears don't conform to some weird, arbitraty standard.  i'm not looking to win any competitions so it's not very high on my priorities.  on the other hand it's one more thing to obsess about, and gawd knows this hobby is all about obsessing!

the addition that i can't imagine brewing without is fermcap.  does an amazing job of preventing boil-overs and primary blowoffs/blowups.  but i'm sure you're already all over the stuff :)

I am a total newbie to the homebrew world.  I have alot to learn!

sweetcell wrote:
i didn't bother using whilrfloc with the first batch: it's a witbier, it's supposed to be hazy.  the yeast that i used = a low flocculation variety.  also, that pic was taken within minutes of bottling so nothing had settled down yet.

i'm really on the fence about color and transparency.  brewers seem to make a big deal about it but it strikes me as pointless obsession with appearances.  it's like saying a dog isn't good because its ears don't conform to some weird, arbitraty standard.  i'm not looking to win any competitions so it's not very high on my priorities.  on the other hand it's one more thing to obsess about, and gawd knows this hobby is all about obsessing!

the addition that i can't imagine brewing without is fermcap.  does an amazing job of preventing boil-overs and primary blowoffs/blowups.  but i'm sure you're already all over the stuff :)

it's really one of those optimizing things.  when we started having others try our beers, we saw the difference in reaction when the aesthetics were more on point with the taste.  a hazy IPA gives off the impression that they are drink a very full beer, whether that's the case or not.  we didn't like that, so switched to whirlfloc.  all personal preference!

fermcap has not made it into the arsenal yet.  we've had such a small set-up that we end up having to watch the boil like a hawk, but that'll change soon.  upgrading to a propane burner and a 15 gal brewpot.  thanks for the heads up

the propane burner really made a difference this weekend.  You can get the deep fried turkey burner/pot combo at Costco for a good price!

K8teebug wrote:
I am a total newbie to the homebrew world.  I have alot to learn!

i'm still a newb myself, but this hobby has become an obsession.  what i lack in experience i pretend to make up in book-smarts.  reading about brewing is all i seem to do these days… when not brewing :)

stevewizzle wrote:
it's really one of those optimizing things.  when we started having others try our beers, we saw the difference in reaction when the aesthetics were more on point with the taste.  a hazy IPA gives off the impression that they are drink a very full beer, whether that's the case or not.  we didn't like that, so switched to whirlfloc.  all personal preference!

that's a great point.  i make a point of presenting my food in a way that enhances the experience, so why wouldn't i do the same for beer.  hadn't occurred to me.  thanks!

stevewizzle wrote:
fermcap has not made it into the arsenal yet.  we've had such a small set-up that we end up having to watch the boil like a hawk, but that'll change soon.  upgrading to a propane burner and a 15 gal brewpot.  thanks for the heads up

it also helps in controlling starters, if you make those.  a drop ensures that the yeasties don't pour krausen out of your starter flask.  obviously pointless if you're using dry yeast.

K8teebug wrote:
the propane burner really made a difference this weekend.  You can get the deep fried turkey burner/pot combo at Costco for a good price!

so far i've been doing everything on the gas stove in the kitchen.  i imagine that come summer i'll want to move things outside - that's a lot of heat and humidity to be putting into an AC'ed house.  gonna look into a propane burner at some point.

sweetcell wrote:
 

I hate to say this, and I mean no disregard to your brewing skills, but these look like something that was recycled out of a couple well used port-a-potties.

Jaguar wrote:

sweetcell wrote:
 

I hate to say this, and I mean no disregard to your brewing skills, but these look like something that was recycled out of a couple well used port-a-potties.

Unfortunately, that's what most home brewing set ups look like…

Confession: I've never had a home brew that I thought was absolutely delicious.

indeed, fermenting barley sugar isn't much to look at.  depending on style & technique it will clear up - that puke-colored haze on the right will eventually clear into a nice golden crystal.  it's hazy in the pic because fermentation was really active.  the yeast and the CO2 they produce were churning the contents.  it's really cool to watch, sorta like watching the surface of jupiter on high speed.  ok, fine, i think it's cool to watch  ;D

yada: i have no illusions that my early attempts at brewing will be anything more than "practice", but if/when i get a decent drink together i'll be sure to invite you over.

sweetcell wrote:
it's really cool to watch, sorta like watching the surface of jupiter on high speed.  ok, fine, i think it's cool to watch  ;D

That sounds rather psychedelic.  8)

sweetcell wrote:
indeed, fermenting barley sugar isn't much to look at.  depending on style & technique it will clear up - that puke-colored haze on the right will eventually clear into a nice golden crystal.  it's hazy in the pic because fermentation was really active.  the yeast and the CO2 they produce were churning the contents.  it's really cool to watch, sorta like watching the surface of jupiter on high speed.  ok, fine, i think it's cool to watch  ;D

yada: i have no illusions that my early attempts at brewing will be anything more than "practice", but if/when i get a decent drink together i'll be sure to invite you over.

I'll take you up on this!

so i was walking around my local beer storree, the talk was of distributors and whether to cater favor more toward the wine crowd or the beer buyers.  and all i could think of as i walked around with my cute little basket, was that picture of the home brewery.  the bottles i picked up seemed crisper and more inviting than before.  the ease of the transaction and the conforming conditioned rejoice of selection without slave to ogre sized piss jugs and crystal meth beakers, made me go big.  big i tell you.  the elderly woman behind the counter in a smalltown, was happy.

firestone  union jack ipa  (ruled)
firestone  double jack  double ipa  (double ruled)

allagash  dubbel reserve  (this company just keeps impressing with their brews)

Ovila  Quad  (collaboration between sierra nevada and the abbey of new clairvaux)  1/4 of series

gouden carolus  cuvee  de  keizer  2011  (damn this beer will knowk you out and engulf you)

schlafly  dry hopped  apa ale (have not tried, bought because i wanted to know what an "apa" was)

founders  centennial ipa  (besides dirty bastard . . . this still is always awesome no matter what)

ommegang  adoration  winter ale  (storage item)

langunitas  little sumpin  sumpin ale  (this brewery, which i thank james ford for first mentioning
langunitas  maximus ipa  maximus ale  (has become one my favorites.  everything they do . . . A+)

green flash brewing  rayon vert  belgian pale  (storage item)

weyerbacher  double simcoe ipa  (i must look up simcoe, for now it is all the rage.  very unique ipa)

Sitting back and drinking a Lump Of Coal at the moment.




It's okay but nothing I'd bother opting for over others I've had of its ilk. Sweet and dark with licorice overtones, which I usually like, but something doesn't quite sit all that well with me with this one. Not exactly sure why. Sort of think it might be the sugars and burntness are both a little too over-powering and seem to be fighting with each other rather than mingling together making a nice blend. I wouldn't turn one down but probably won't buy it again.

last night i had:

- 11.11.11 epic ale: as far as i know, this is the first chili-flavored beer i've ever had.  i quite liked it, heat wasn't over-powering.  i had it (and all the other beers here) on draft but i suspect that a bottle of this would age very nicely.
- left hand milk stout: first few sips were absolutely divine.  don't remember the last time i fell in love with a beer so quickly.  also don't remember the last time my relationship with a beer when south so quickly: by the end i had grown tired of it, the sweetness had died away, it had gotten thinner/water'ier, etc.  the last quarter of the pint was tough to get through.  in fact, i don't think i did get through it.  if i ever order this again it will be in a smaller amount.
- boulevard quadrupel: what an amazing beer to end the evening with.  i doubt anything else could have followed it up so i'm glad i had it last.  very rich and complex, amazing sweet finish.  gawd i hope they still have this when i next return (doubtful tho).

walkonby wrote:
schlafly  dry hopped  apa ale (have not tried, bought because i wanted to know what an "apa" was)

weyerbacher  double simcoe ipa  (i must look up simcoe, for now it is all the rage.  very unique ipa)

i'm sure you've discovered by now that APA = american pale ale.  simcoe is a relatively new variety of hop.  it's a proprietary variety described as having an aroma made up of citrus, pine, and passionfruit.  it's unique in that regards, so you can't substitute other hops for it. 

Has anyone ever tried growing their own hops?  I was thinking of getting some rhizomes and attempting it this summer.

K8teebug wrote:
Has anyone ever tried growing their own hops?  I was thinking of getting some rhizomes and attempting it this summer.

i have some on pre-order, so i'll be trying my hand at it this summer.  i ordered hop crowns from great lake hops (https://www.facebook.com/GreatLakesHops / http://stores.ebay.com/Great-Lakes-Hops).  crowns are second-year plants with fully formed central roots, whereas rhizomes are a small chunk of side-root that will become the central root.  rhizomes spend the first year or two setting up their root structure so cone production sometimes doesn't hit its stride until year 2 or 3.  you're more likely to get a bigger first-year crop with a crown.  crowns are more expensive, tho.

Anybody else make it to the Mad Fox Barleywine Fest?

We tried these eight, in order of preference:

1. Weyerbacher Insanity 2012 : They take their regular barleywine and age it on oak bourbon casks. This one was so good we headed right to Whole Foods and picked up a four pack that just went on sale.

2. Schlafly Oak Aged Barleywine 2011: Another oak aged barleywine, minus the bourbon. I guess the bottom line is we really like oak aged.

3. Lagunitas Olde Gnarleywine 2011: Strong flavor, hint of bourbon detected. Hard to describe, but very, very good.

4. Hebrew Jewbelation 15 2011 (cask): Possibly the most interesting tasting of the bunch. The "program" said it had a black cherry taste going, and indeed you could taste that.

5. JW Lees Harvest Ale 2010 (cask): This one is an ENGLISH style barleywine, so less hoppy than the American style barleywines. Strong malt taste rather than hoppy. Wife said it tasted "musty".

6. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 10: Always one of my go-to barleywines since a sixer is relatively cheap (2012 release is this week!), very good but tasted sort of pedestrian in this crowded field.

7. Mikkeller/Three Floyds Boogoop Buckwheat Wine 2011: So this was a wheat wine which tasted like a DIPA being called a barleywine. Very good, but not as good as other Three Floyds beers I've had.

8. Avery Hog Heaven 2011: Program described it as a "hop lovers delight". Another barleywine that tasted like a DIPA. Good, but if i wanted a DIPA, there are many real ones that taste better…and Avery makes two of those. And if i wanted a barleywine, I wouldn't go for one that tasted sort of like a DIPA!

Picked up a four pack of this when I was in Indiana (at the local grocery store!). Good stuff. Boulevard needs to start distributing here. and grocery stores around here (other than Whole Foods) need to carry more craft beer.

sweetcell wrote:
last night i had:
- boulevard quadrupel: what an amazing beer to end the evening with.  i doubt anything else could have followed it up so i'm glad i had it last.  very rich and complex, amazing sweet finish.  gawd i hope they still have this when i next return (doubtful tho).

James wrote:
Anybody else make it to the Mad Fox Barleywine Fest?

We tried these eight, in order of preference:

1. Weyerbacher Insanity 2012 : They take their regular barleywine and age it on oak bourbon casks. This one was so good we headed right to Whole Foods and picked up a four pack that just went on sale.

didn't make it, would have loved too.  that was a really nice selection of beers you tried there!

i'll be in VA tomorrow, i might have a look for the weyerbacher at WF.

i'd also like boulevard to distribute here.  i've only had two of their beers, and both have been excellent.