So this is obviously my first update in awhile...law school has kept me busy. But, now that finals are over, I finally have some free time.
My Nightshade Ale (blackberry-blueberry wheat) didn't turn out half bad. It's a very fruity beer, and tastes almost more like a soda than a beer. It's definitely something I'd have to be in the mood to drink, and not just something I'd reach for when I have a beer. Interestingly, the ten pounds of fruit I used in this batch lended a much stronger flavor than did the ten pounds of fruit I used in my sour cherry beer from awhile back (Charlie Papazian's "Cherries in the Snow" recipe). In this batch, I used frozen fruit, whereas in the cherry beer I used canned cherries. I'm guessing there's some kind of difference there?
My imperial stout seems to be coming along nicely, too. It's been sitting in secondary about a month and a half now (I think), and has been aging over vanilla beans the entire time. I'm pretty excited to see how it turns out. My original plan was to let it sit in secondary all summer, but since I won't be around I'm a little hesitant to leave it fermenting in the high temperatures without any way to check on it. So I think I'm going to bottle it in a week or two, and then let some sit here to age and take a few bottles home with me.
I won't be brewing anything else until the fall, so my posts over the next few months will probably be few and far between. For my next batch, I'm planning on doing a pale ale/IPA, with an emphasis on citrusy hops. I wanted something I could just go to whenever I was in the mood for a beer, and that flavor profile seems to fit the bill.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Nightshade Ale finally Bottled
So I finally got around to bottling my Nightshade Ale (a blackberry-blueberry wheat beer). Bottling is just as much of a pain as it always is, but I wanted to get my Starless Night Imperial Stout into secondary soon, so I finally got motivated to do it.
After I bottled, I siphoned what was left into a glass - and it looked awesome. It poured a surprisingly clear purplish-red, with only a little bit of haze. Much less haze than I expected, especially considering a) It's primarily wheat malt and b) the amount of fruit used. It didn't smell very beery at all - almost smelled more like blackberry or blueberry juice or soda. The fruit is the most evident in the taste, but there's just a hint of the wheat malt that comes through. I'm hoping once it's carbonated it'll taste more like beer, so we'll see. I couldn't get an accurate hydrometer reading, so I have absolutely no idea what the alcohol content is.
I'm probably going to rack the Starless Night to secondary tomorrow night - after spending two hours sanitizing and bottling, the last thing I wanted to do was clean and sanitize my carboy/siphon. Besides, I managed to get two vanilla beans today, so I figure I'll soak them in vodka overnight to sanitize them, and then rack the beer on top of them in the carboy. I'm excited about this, and I'm just disappointed that I'm going to have to wait a few months to try it.
It's going to depend on my financial situation, but I might try to brew a quick-turnaround IPA before I leave for the summer, and then have something else sit in secondary while I'm gone. I've been doing some research, and I think I've come up with the combination of hops I want to get that citrus/grapefruit flavor which I love in IPAs. If I decide to do it, I should be able to have it ready by early May, and I can bring the bottles home with me for the summer too.
After I bottled, I siphoned what was left into a glass - and it looked awesome. It poured a surprisingly clear purplish-red, with only a little bit of haze. Much less haze than I expected, especially considering a) It's primarily wheat malt and b) the amount of fruit used. It didn't smell very beery at all - almost smelled more like blackberry or blueberry juice or soda. The fruit is the most evident in the taste, but there's just a hint of the wheat malt that comes through. I'm hoping once it's carbonated it'll taste more like beer, so we'll see. I couldn't get an accurate hydrometer reading, so I have absolutely no idea what the alcohol content is.
I'm probably going to rack the Starless Night to secondary tomorrow night - after spending two hours sanitizing and bottling, the last thing I wanted to do was clean and sanitize my carboy/siphon. Besides, I managed to get two vanilla beans today, so I figure I'll soak them in vodka overnight to sanitize them, and then rack the beer on top of them in the carboy. I'm excited about this, and I'm just disappointed that I'm going to have to wait a few months to try it.
It's going to depend on my financial situation, but I might try to brew a quick-turnaround IPA before I leave for the summer, and then have something else sit in secondary while I'm gone. I've been doing some research, and I think I've come up with the combination of hops I want to get that citrus/grapefruit flavor which I love in IPAs. If I decide to do it, I should be able to have it ready by early May, and I can bring the bottles home with me for the summer too.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Starless Night Imperial Stout
So I finally brewed my Starless Night Imperial Stout. I got the ingredients a few days ago, but I've been too busy. Had a fourteen-hour day today (between working two of my three jobs and class), but I got home around seven, and figured brewing/having a few brews would be a good way to relax.
It's obviously too early to tell anything, but the wort is a little bit lighter than I would have liked, so I'm a bit concerned. I'm hoping it darkens as it ferments, but we'll see. My theory on why is that I ordered everything online, and all of my specialty grains came in one massive grain bag, precrushed - and that's something like 3 pounds of grain in one bag. I think it's possible that the grains in the middle of the bag didn't get all of their sugars extracted as well as they could have, and therefore the color didn't darken as much as it should have. Of course, if all of the sugars weren't extracted, then obviously the flavor can be affected too. We'll see. My apartment does smell nice, though - I've forgotten how much I love the smell of boiling wort and fermenting beer.
More likely than not, this will be my last batch for awhile. I'm going to be out of town all summer, back with the parents, so I probably won't be brewing anything. If I get really adventurous, I might bring one carboy home and try to brew something over the summer, but I doubt the parents will appreciate the smell as much as I do. Besides, I'd still like to have both my carboys full over the summer.
I still am tentatively going to brew my winter warmer/barleywine before I leave, and let that sit in secondary all summer. I won't be leaving til the end of May, so obviously that's a bit away. However, last night I tried Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout for the first time...and it got me thinking...
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I've always wanted to brew something with maple syrup. Originally the idea was a maple porter...but...something like the KBS (already with bourbon, coffee, and chocolate) with maple syrup added could be nothing less than phenomenal. That would also be something I'd like to have fermenting for awhile, so we'll see.
The two styles of beer I drink the most are Imperial Stouts and Double IPAs, and I've already tried my hand at a few stouts. I've been wanting to brew an IPA/DIPA for awhile. Once I tasted Bell's HopSlam, I decided that when I brew my IPA, I want to try to clone that. That's obviously going to be a pretty intense project, and I'd like to refine my brewing technique before I tackle that one, but that's something I'm excited about.
When I transfer the Imperial Stout - which, I've named Starless Night, and I think that's a pretty sweet name for an Imperial Stout - to secondary, I'm going to age it over vanilla beans. Starless Night is pretty heavy on the roasted flavors, and I think the vanilla could add a nice smoothness and an awesome finish. I hope it darkens a little bit...if anyone has any opinions/other things I could add to darken it at this point, I'm all ears.
It's obviously too early to tell anything, but the wort is a little bit lighter than I would have liked, so I'm a bit concerned. I'm hoping it darkens as it ferments, but we'll see. My theory on why is that I ordered everything online, and all of my specialty grains came in one massive grain bag, precrushed - and that's something like 3 pounds of grain in one bag. I think it's possible that the grains in the middle of the bag didn't get all of their sugars extracted as well as they could have, and therefore the color didn't darken as much as it should have. Of course, if all of the sugars weren't extracted, then obviously the flavor can be affected too. We'll see. My apartment does smell nice, though - I've forgotten how much I love the smell of boiling wort and fermenting beer.
More likely than not, this will be my last batch for awhile. I'm going to be out of town all summer, back with the parents, so I probably won't be brewing anything. If I get really adventurous, I might bring one carboy home and try to brew something over the summer, but I doubt the parents will appreciate the smell as much as I do. Besides, I'd still like to have both my carboys full over the summer.
I still am tentatively going to brew my winter warmer/barleywine before I leave, and let that sit in secondary all summer. I won't be leaving til the end of May, so obviously that's a bit away. However, last night I tried Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout for the first time...and it got me thinking...
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I've always wanted to brew something with maple syrup. Originally the idea was a maple porter...but...something like the KBS (already with bourbon, coffee, and chocolate) with maple syrup added could be nothing less than phenomenal. That would also be something I'd like to have fermenting for awhile, so we'll see.
The two styles of beer I drink the most are Imperial Stouts and Double IPAs, and I've already tried my hand at a few stouts. I've been wanting to brew an IPA/DIPA for awhile. Once I tasted Bell's HopSlam, I decided that when I brew my IPA, I want to try to clone that. That's obviously going to be a pretty intense project, and I'd like to refine my brewing technique before I tackle that one, but that's something I'm excited about.
When I transfer the Imperial Stout - which, I've named Starless Night, and I think that's a pretty sweet name for an Imperial Stout - to secondary, I'm going to age it over vanilla beans. Starless Night is pretty heavy on the roasted flavors, and I think the vanilla could add a nice smoothness and an awesome finish. I hope it darkens a little bit...if anyone has any opinions/other things I could add to darken it at this point, I'm all ears.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Free time for brewing is few and far between
So I haven't brewed at all this month, which entirely defeated the purpose of buying a second carboy so I could have two going at once. Ah well. Still haven't bottled my Nightshade Ale yet either...although I think I have enough bombers lying around to do the batch, I haven't had the time to devote to bottling. When I have had time, going through the effort of bottling has been the last thing I've wanted to do. It's not that bad of a thing though - work and law school has kept me ridiculously busy, so I wouldn't have the time to enjoy the beer anyway. I still have a good amount of the chocolate porter and raspberry-chocolate stout I made, anyway.
The raspberry-chocolate stout has mellowed out somewhat, but the raspberry flavor is still a little strong. If I do a beer like this again, I might stay away from the extracts. It added a medicinal flavor that is kind of unpleasant. Still, it's a pretty solid beer - I'm happy with it.
I did order the ingredients for my next brew, however, and I did decide to do the Imperial Stout. I'm going to be on spring break next week, but hopefully when I get back I'll be able to make time to brew the batch. I enjoy brewing MUCH more than bottling, and my lack of free time will definitely be a good thing with this beer, since I'll want it to sit in secondary for awhile. I'm going to be out of town for most of the summer, so I haven't decided if I want to leave it in secondary over the summer, or bottle it right before I leave (after a month-month and a half in secondary), and let it bottle condition. I also plan on aging it over vanilla beans in secondary, so that might have something to do with which way I lean.
Since I am going to be gone this summer, I'd like to make full use of both carboys and have another batch going while I'm gone. I'm contemplating making a barleywine/winter-warmer combination...or basically a barleywine with traditional winter spices. I think it'd be perfect to do over the summer, because it would just be getting drinkable right around as the temperature starts to drop in the fall. That, however, is obviously way down the road.
I'll be gone for the next week, as I said, but hopefully I'll have time to brew my Imperial Stout sooner rather then later once I get back.
The raspberry-chocolate stout has mellowed out somewhat, but the raspberry flavor is still a little strong. If I do a beer like this again, I might stay away from the extracts. It added a medicinal flavor that is kind of unpleasant. Still, it's a pretty solid beer - I'm happy with it.
I did order the ingredients for my next brew, however, and I did decide to do the Imperial Stout. I'm going to be on spring break next week, but hopefully when I get back I'll be able to make time to brew the batch. I enjoy brewing MUCH more than bottling, and my lack of free time will definitely be a good thing with this beer, since I'll want it to sit in secondary for awhile. I'm going to be out of town for most of the summer, so I haven't decided if I want to leave it in secondary over the summer, or bottle it right before I leave (after a month-month and a half in secondary), and let it bottle condition. I also plan on aging it over vanilla beans in secondary, so that might have something to do with which way I lean.
Since I am going to be gone this summer, I'd like to make full use of both carboys and have another batch going while I'm gone. I'm contemplating making a barleywine/winter-warmer combination...or basically a barleywine with traditional winter spices. I think it'd be perfect to do over the summer, because it would just be getting drinkable right around as the temperature starts to drop in the fall. That, however, is obviously way down the road.
I'll be gone for the next week, as I said, but hopefully I'll have time to brew my Imperial Stout sooner rather then later once I get back.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Update
Sorry I haven't done much blogging recently...school's been keeping me busy, and I haven't really done any brewing.
Actually, the really isn't necessary. I'm pretty much out of bottles, and instead of buying more, I might hold off brewing anything new until I'm sure I'll have somewhere to put it. As it is, my Nightshade Ale is still sitting in secondary, since I have nowhere for it to go. I still don't have the money for a kegging system, so that's going to have to wait as well.
I did try a bottle of my raspberry-chocolate stout the other day. Right now, the raspberry flavoring is still a little strong and overpowering, but I'm hoping that will mellow out a little bit soon. It's good though - a little bit thin for a stout, but still good.
On another note, it looks like the Chocolate Porter I brewed somehow became infected. I pulled out some of the bottles the other day, and that tell-tale ring seems to be forming around the neck. It's odd, though, because that's been bottled for a month-and-a-half now, and this is the first time I've noticed any problems. It still tastes fine, so I don't know *shrugs*. Hopefully it's a harmless infection. On the upside, I guess, I was a little disappointed with the brew, so it's not a total loss.
I'd still like to brew my English Pale Ale and a Maple Porter soon, but again, my lack of bottles has caused me to rethink my philosophy. A buddy of mine is in a similar boat, and he solved the problem by brewing a Belgian that he knows will take a long time in secondary. I know the Maple Porter would probably take a long time to do, but that got me thinking about a couple of other ideas.
I've been intrigued by the idea of brewing a barleywine for awhile now, and that'd obviously be something that would have to sit for quite some time. However, over the last few months I've fallen in love with Imperial Stouts, and that's another beer I'd really like to brew. There's a chance I'll be out of town all summer, so the tentative plan is to have both of those brews in secondary then, when they'll just sit and ferment for 3 months. However, I might get started on one of those sooner rather than later, since a) I'm not able to brew as much as I thought I would, b) I have limited space, and c) It'll give more time for all of the flavors to come together and mellow out.
So we'll see. Hopefully I'll be updating more often soon.
Actually, the really isn't necessary. I'm pretty much out of bottles, and instead of buying more, I might hold off brewing anything new until I'm sure I'll have somewhere to put it. As it is, my Nightshade Ale is still sitting in secondary, since I have nowhere for it to go. I still don't have the money for a kegging system, so that's going to have to wait as well.
I did try a bottle of my raspberry-chocolate stout the other day. Right now, the raspberry flavoring is still a little strong and overpowering, but I'm hoping that will mellow out a little bit soon. It's good though - a little bit thin for a stout, but still good.
On another note, it looks like the Chocolate Porter I brewed somehow became infected. I pulled out some of the bottles the other day, and that tell-tale ring seems to be forming around the neck. It's odd, though, because that's been bottled for a month-and-a-half now, and this is the first time I've noticed any problems. It still tastes fine, so I don't know *shrugs*. Hopefully it's a harmless infection. On the upside, I guess, I was a little disappointed with the brew, so it's not a total loss.
I'd still like to brew my English Pale Ale and a Maple Porter soon, but again, my lack of bottles has caused me to rethink my philosophy. A buddy of mine is in a similar boat, and he solved the problem by brewing a Belgian that he knows will take a long time in secondary. I know the Maple Porter would probably take a long time to do, but that got me thinking about a couple of other ideas.
I've been intrigued by the idea of brewing a barleywine for awhile now, and that'd obviously be something that would have to sit for quite some time. However, over the last few months I've fallen in love with Imperial Stouts, and that's another beer I'd really like to brew. There's a chance I'll be out of town all summer, so the tentative plan is to have both of those brews in secondary then, when they'll just sit and ferment for 3 months. However, I might get started on one of those sooner rather than later, since a) I'm not able to brew as much as I thought I would, b) I have limited space, and c) It'll give more time for all of the flavors to come together and mellow out.
So we'll see. Hopefully I'll be updating more often soon.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
English Pale Ale & Maple Porter, Raspberry-Chocolate Stout Update
I bottled my raspberry-chocolate stout this morning, and everything went smoothly. Had to finish off one of my previous brews to have enough bottles, but that's life for ya. I say every post that I really need to start kegging, and I'll say it again - if for no other reason than I'm running out of bottles, and really don't want to buy more. I would still like to bottle some of each of my batches, so I can bring them over to friends' places and what not. Overall though, I want to keg - it's easier, and it's cool to have beers on tap at my house.
The raspberry chocolate stout looks like it's turning out pretty good. There wasn't much of a raspberry aroma, but it was definitely noticeable in the taste. It did overpower a little bit, so I'm hoping it mellows out in the bottles. I added a tablespoon or so of dark cocoa powder to the priming sugar, so I'm hoping that adds a little more chocolate flavor to the brew. For flat, warm beer, however, the sample I tasted did taste pretty good. I'll probably crack open the first bottle on Valentines Day, so that'll give it two weeks or so to condition.
So of course, now I'm thinking about my next batches. I think I want to brew an English Pale - I want something thats a good session beer, and easy to drink. I'm not a huge fan of American Pales, because to me, they for the most part taste like watered-down IPAs (And I love me a good IPA...). I'm going to look at the ingredients in the kit my friend brewed a few weeks ago, and tweak it a little bit.
For the batch after that, I plan on brewing a Maple Porter. Incidentally, this was the first beer I wanted to make when I started brewing, but I decided to start simple (and I'm glad I did). I think it'll be a good transition into Spring, when the weather's still kind of cold, so you get the heavyness of a winter brew with the maple syrup flavors of February/March. The chocolate porter I brewed taught me a good bit about how to better balance a beer, so hopefully I'll be able to carry that over into the maple porter.
I haven't checked in on the Nightshade Ale since I racked it to secondary, but there's not much I can do with it now. I'm out of bottles, and I don't have a keg, so until one of those problems is rectified it's going to continue to age in secondary. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
The raspberry chocolate stout looks like it's turning out pretty good. There wasn't much of a raspberry aroma, but it was definitely noticeable in the taste. It did overpower a little bit, so I'm hoping it mellows out in the bottles. I added a tablespoon or so of dark cocoa powder to the priming sugar, so I'm hoping that adds a little more chocolate flavor to the brew. For flat, warm beer, however, the sample I tasted did taste pretty good. I'll probably crack open the first bottle on Valentines Day, so that'll give it two weeks or so to condition.
So of course, now I'm thinking about my next batches. I think I want to brew an English Pale - I want something thats a good session beer, and easy to drink. I'm not a huge fan of American Pales, because to me, they for the most part taste like watered-down IPAs (And I love me a good IPA...). I'm going to look at the ingredients in the kit my friend brewed a few weeks ago, and tweak it a little bit.
For the batch after that, I plan on brewing a Maple Porter. Incidentally, this was the first beer I wanted to make when I started brewing, but I decided to start simple (and I'm glad I did). I think it'll be a good transition into Spring, when the weather's still kind of cold, so you get the heavyness of a winter brew with the maple syrup flavors of February/March. The chocolate porter I brewed taught me a good bit about how to better balance a beer, so hopefully I'll be able to carry that over into the maple porter.
I haven't checked in on the Nightshade Ale since I racked it to secondary, but there's not much I can do with it now. I'm out of bottles, and I don't have a keg, so until one of those problems is rectified it's going to continue to age in secondary. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Two Brews in Secondary
Well, I racked my Nightshade Ale to secondary today. Fermented in primary nearly 8 days, and that's the longest fermentation I've had so far. It brewed incredibly vigorously for at least 3 or 4 of those days. It looked a deep reddish-purple in the carboy...yay for purple beer! It smelled a LOT like a tripel, which threw me off a bit. I wasn't really sure what I was expecting it to smell like, but I don't think I was expecting that. However, I love tripel's, so it can really only be a good thing.
My raspberry-chocolate stout has been sitting in secondary for about a week now, and I figure sometime in the next couple of day's I'll bottle it, so it'll have conditioned enough to be ready for Valentine's Day. I just dread the thought of bottling - I really want to start kegging, because it is SO much easier...and it's cool having beer "on tap" at my apartment. Bottling is just a pain, it's messy, and it takes up a whole afternoon.
With those two brews in secondary, the next question is what to brew next. I really want to brew an Imperial Stout, but it just doesn't seem that timely right now. Also, I know it would take a long time in secondary, and I don't think I want to take up one of my carboy's for that long. Maybe over the summer I'll throw a batch together, and let it sit all the way until winter.
A buddy of mine recently brewed the "Innkeeper" beer kit, from Northern Brewer. I guess it would best be classified as an amber, though the biscuit malt gave it a flavor I hadn't really tasted before, and I really liked it. That got me thinking, though, that I kind of just want to brew a good session beer - one that I can just pop open when I'm in the mood for a beer, one that I can have a few of when I have buddies over to hang out. I've been experimenting a lot and trying a bunch of unique things, but I'm thinking about going back to basics.
I like the amber ale I brewed for my first batch, so maybe I'll do something like that again, but switch it up a little bit. Three of my good friends near me all brew, and we kind of try to all brew different things. I really liked the beer my friend just brewed, but want to do something a little bit different. So we'll see. He also brewed a honey ale a couple of months back, and that was really good as well. I do like using honey as an ingredient, and it still makes an easy-drinking beer.
Hopefully I'll have some ideas for my next batch in a few days. Law school and working three jobs has kept me busy, to say the least, but this is one of the few things I do to relax.
Oh - almost forgot. I sampled my Chocolate Thunder porter again the other night, and it has really mellowed a LOT since the last time I tried it. There's still a little too much coffee/roasted bitterness, but it's much smoother overall, and more of the chocolate sweetness is coming through. If I do another chocolate-style beer, I'll probable cut the chocolate malt by quite a bit, since the baker's chocolate itself provides plenty of bitterness.
My raspberry-chocolate stout has been sitting in secondary for about a week now, and I figure sometime in the next couple of day's I'll bottle it, so it'll have conditioned enough to be ready for Valentine's Day. I just dread the thought of bottling - I really want to start kegging, because it is SO much easier...and it's cool having beer "on tap" at my apartment. Bottling is just a pain, it's messy, and it takes up a whole afternoon.
With those two brews in secondary, the next question is what to brew next. I really want to brew an Imperial Stout, but it just doesn't seem that timely right now. Also, I know it would take a long time in secondary, and I don't think I want to take up one of my carboy's for that long. Maybe over the summer I'll throw a batch together, and let it sit all the way until winter.
A buddy of mine recently brewed the "Innkeeper" beer kit, from Northern Brewer. I guess it would best be classified as an amber, though the biscuit malt gave it a flavor I hadn't really tasted before, and I really liked it. That got me thinking, though, that I kind of just want to brew a good session beer - one that I can just pop open when I'm in the mood for a beer, one that I can have a few of when I have buddies over to hang out. I've been experimenting a lot and trying a bunch of unique things, but I'm thinking about going back to basics.
I like the amber ale I brewed for my first batch, so maybe I'll do something like that again, but switch it up a little bit. Three of my good friends near me all brew, and we kind of try to all brew different things. I really liked the beer my friend just brewed, but want to do something a little bit different. So we'll see. He also brewed a honey ale a couple of months back, and that was really good as well. I do like using honey as an ingredient, and it still makes an easy-drinking beer.
Hopefully I'll have some ideas for my next batch in a few days. Law school and working three jobs has kept me busy, to say the least, but this is one of the few things I do to relax.
Oh - almost forgot. I sampled my Chocolate Thunder porter again the other night, and it has really mellowed a LOT since the last time I tried it. There's still a little too much coffee/roasted bitterness, but it's much smoother overall, and more of the chocolate sweetness is coming through. If I do another chocolate-style beer, I'll probable cut the chocolate malt by quite a bit, since the baker's chocolate itself provides plenty of bitterness.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Nightshade Ale
So the massive "Blizzard of '09" struck today...dropping a whopping inch or so of snow. But, because that's unusual for North Carolina, classes were delayed. This meant I have nothing to do until three, and therefore figured I'd spend the morning brewing.
I racked my raspberry-chocolate stout to secondary today. It fermented really quickly in primary - I've never used yeast nutrients before, and the package said it would lead to a much faster, more vigorous fermentation, and it was right. I noticed activity within 4-5 hours, and it had subsided completely by this morning. I used raspberry extract to add the flavoring, and put that in my secondary fermenter with the wort. I've never used extract before, and when I smelled it, it definitely had somewhat of a medicinal scent to it - but I'm hoping that it will mellow out in the wort. We shall see.
Yesterday after work I picked up the ingredients for my next batch. I'm going with what I've referred to as my "Nightshade Ale". It's a blackberry-blueberry wheat. I didn't used to really like wheat beers too much, but they've grown on me, and I figured I may as well try to make one of my own. Here's the recipe:
6.6 lbs wheat LME
8 oz CaraPils
1 lb honey (at flameout)
.5 oz Tettnanger hops (boil)
.5 oz Sasz hops (aroma)
4 lbs blackberries
4 lbs blueberries
I think it should be interesting, at the very least. I hopped it less then I planned, since I want the fruit flavors to be apparent. What I'm really curious about is to see what color this ends up being. Purple beer is always cool :)
I also think I'm going to start kegging soon, since bottling has become a major pain. Hopefully I'll scrape together the funds and will be able to do it for one of these batches. I'd like to still bottle part of each batch, since it's nice to be able to bring beer over to my friends' places and whatnot.
I racked my raspberry-chocolate stout to secondary today. It fermented really quickly in primary - I've never used yeast nutrients before, and the package said it would lead to a much faster, more vigorous fermentation, and it was right. I noticed activity within 4-5 hours, and it had subsided completely by this morning. I used raspberry extract to add the flavoring, and put that in my secondary fermenter with the wort. I've never used extract before, and when I smelled it, it definitely had somewhat of a medicinal scent to it - but I'm hoping that it will mellow out in the wort. We shall see.
Yesterday after work I picked up the ingredients for my next batch. I'm going with what I've referred to as my "Nightshade Ale". It's a blackberry-blueberry wheat. I didn't used to really like wheat beers too much, but they've grown on me, and I figured I may as well try to make one of my own. Here's the recipe:
6.6 lbs wheat LME
8 oz CaraPils
1 lb honey (at flameout)
.5 oz Tettnanger hops (boil)
.5 oz Sasz hops (aroma)
4 lbs blackberries
4 lbs blueberries
I think it should be interesting, at the very least. I hopped it less then I planned, since I want the fruit flavors to be apparent. What I'm really curious about is to see what color this ends up being. Purple beer is always cool :)
I also think I'm going to start kegging soon, since bottling has become a major pain. Hopefully I'll scrape together the funds and will be able to do it for one of these batches. I'd like to still bottle part of each batch, since it's nice to be able to bring beer over to my friends' places and whatnot.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Chocolate-Raspberry Stout
So I decided to go ahead and make my 'Valentines Day' Stout, a chocolate raspberry stout. I don't know if it will be completely ready by Valentines Day, but we'll see. I might start kegging soon, and if I do it for this batch it'll help eliminate some of the time it takes to carbonate and condition in the bottle.
Another reason I decided to go ahead and brew the Chocolate-Raspberry Stout is because my Chocolate Porter didn't exactly turned out like I had planned. I finally tried a bottle the other day. The bitter coffee/chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder and the chocolate malt overpowers. It tastes more like a coffee porter, and even the coffee part tastes unrefined. I didn't get any of the sweet chocolate flavor that I was hoping for, and I'm not quite sure of the best way to do it. Maybe next time I'll try using some chocolate essence or extract in secondary.
That being said, it's not terrible, but it's not one of my favorites either. It's also not nearly as dark as I wanted - it poured a murky brown, and I was hoping for almost a stout-like color. Next time I'll have to do a better job of crushing my grains - I think that was the problem, that I didn't allow enough of the sugars to get out. That probably had a good bit to do with the taste too.
So, in hopes of making a better chocolate beer, I decided to go ahead and brew the raspberry-chocolate stout. I ordered a kit for the chocolate stout part, more for simplicity's sake and to save money. I also got some raspberry extract, so I plan on adding that either in secondary, or if I do end up bottling, at bottling. Depending on how it goes, I might get some chocolate extract as well, to enhance the chocolate flavor. I brewed that yesterday, and it's fermenting away nicely now.
I plan on getting another carboy as soon as I figure out what I want to brew next. As ya'll know, I've tossed around lots of ideas. I would love to brew an Imperial Stout, but that might be something I do this summer, or some time when I can just let it sit in secondary for a long time. Obviously the blackberry-blueberry ale is something I've talked about for awhile. I've recently gotten into Belgian beers, and I thought brewing the blackberry-blueberry ale with Belgian yeast could lead to some interesting flavors.
So we'll see what happens. The primary fermentation in the raspberry-chocolate stout is chugging along nicely - bubbles began forming in the airlock within 5 hours or so. We'll see how it turns out.
Another reason I decided to go ahead and brew the Chocolate-Raspberry Stout is because my Chocolate Porter didn't exactly turned out like I had planned. I finally tried a bottle the other day. The bitter coffee/chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder and the chocolate malt overpowers. It tastes more like a coffee porter, and even the coffee part tastes unrefined. I didn't get any of the sweet chocolate flavor that I was hoping for, and I'm not quite sure of the best way to do it. Maybe next time I'll try using some chocolate essence or extract in secondary.
That being said, it's not terrible, but it's not one of my favorites either. It's also not nearly as dark as I wanted - it poured a murky brown, and I was hoping for almost a stout-like color. Next time I'll have to do a better job of crushing my grains - I think that was the problem, that I didn't allow enough of the sugars to get out. That probably had a good bit to do with the taste too.
So, in hopes of making a better chocolate beer, I decided to go ahead and brew the raspberry-chocolate stout. I ordered a kit for the chocolate stout part, more for simplicity's sake and to save money. I also got some raspberry extract, so I plan on adding that either in secondary, or if I do end up bottling, at bottling. Depending on how it goes, I might get some chocolate extract as well, to enhance the chocolate flavor. I brewed that yesterday, and it's fermenting away nicely now.
I plan on getting another carboy as soon as I figure out what I want to brew next. As ya'll know, I've tossed around lots of ideas. I would love to brew an Imperial Stout, but that might be something I do this summer, or some time when I can just let it sit in secondary for a long time. Obviously the blackberry-blueberry ale is something I've talked about for awhile. I've recently gotten into Belgian beers, and I thought brewing the blackberry-blueberry ale with Belgian yeast could lead to some interesting flavors.
So we'll see what happens. The primary fermentation in the raspberry-chocolate stout is chugging along nicely - bubbles began forming in the airlock within 5 hours or so. We'll see how it turns out.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Chocolate Thunder Porter
Hope everyone had a happy new year!
I'm back in North Carolina, and I bottled my Chocolate Thunder Porter the other day. I'm pretty excited about it, as you could tell if you've been reading. I tasted some that was left after I bottled, and chocolate and coffee were both highly apparent. In my first (failed) coffee-chocolate stout, I added coffee to the secondary, but I got plenty of a coffee flavor from the chocolate malt I used, so I'm satisfied. I was originally afraid that I had used maybe too much cocoa powder (16 oz), but it doesn't seem overpowering. I wanted a chocolate porter, so obviously I wanted a strong chocolate flavor. I can't wait to try it...it's gonna be tough to wait a week or so while it bottle conditions.
I still really want to make the raspberry chocolate stout, but I might put it off for now. I'd really like to have it ready by Valentines Day, and I just don't know if I'd have enough time to do it properly. Rather than rush the fermentation and not have the final product up to par, I'd rather save it for another time and do it right. And besides, I think the chocolate porter is just as appropriate for Valentines Day.
So, that leaves me to what my next batch is going to be. As ya'll know, I've tossed around a bunch of ideas - in addition to the raspberry chocolate stout, I've also thought about an IPA, a blackberry-blueberry ale, a cranberry ale, a biere de garde style beer...lots of things. Ideally I'd be brewing two batches at once, and if I get that set up soon then I'll definitely do the raspberry-chocolate stout, and just have it going anyway. So we'll see.
I'm gonna try to make it out and get stuff for another batch in the next week or so...moneys tight until my loan check comes in, so I'm waiting for that. I'll let ya'll know when I start brewing again.
I'm back in North Carolina, and I bottled my Chocolate Thunder Porter the other day. I'm pretty excited about it, as you could tell if you've been reading. I tasted some that was left after I bottled, and chocolate and coffee were both highly apparent. In my first (failed) coffee-chocolate stout, I added coffee to the secondary, but I got plenty of a coffee flavor from the chocolate malt I used, so I'm satisfied. I was originally afraid that I had used maybe too much cocoa powder (16 oz), but it doesn't seem overpowering. I wanted a chocolate porter, so obviously I wanted a strong chocolate flavor. I can't wait to try it...it's gonna be tough to wait a week or so while it bottle conditions.
I still really want to make the raspberry chocolate stout, but I might put it off for now. I'd really like to have it ready by Valentines Day, and I just don't know if I'd have enough time to do it properly. Rather than rush the fermentation and not have the final product up to par, I'd rather save it for another time and do it right. And besides, I think the chocolate porter is just as appropriate for Valentines Day.
So, that leaves me to what my next batch is going to be. As ya'll know, I've tossed around a bunch of ideas - in addition to the raspberry chocolate stout, I've also thought about an IPA, a blackberry-blueberry ale, a cranberry ale, a biere de garde style beer...lots of things. Ideally I'd be brewing two batches at once, and if I get that set up soon then I'll definitely do the raspberry-chocolate stout, and just have it going anyway. So we'll see.
I'm gonna try to make it out and get stuff for another batch in the next week or so...moneys tight until my loan check comes in, so I'm waiting for that. I'll let ya'll know when I start brewing again.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Home for the Holidays
So I'm in New Jersey at the parents house for a few weeks. More likely than not I'll head back down to NC in time for the new year, and I'll start brewing again. My 'Chocolate Thunder' Porter will also have been in secondary for a little over a month, so I'll probably bottle that. If you've been reading, then you know I'm really excited about this beer. Part of that excitement is because its the first batch I'm brewing where I came up with the recipe, and the other part is when I tasted it, it tasted amazing.
Of course, being at the parents house means I don't have a whole lot to do, and I've had plenty of time to think about recipes, and what I want to brew next. Originally, my plan was to brew two stouts - a raspberry/chocolate stout, and an Imperial Stout. I think I'm definitely going to hold off on the Imperial Stout. I love dark beers as much as anyone else, but with my porter about to be bottled, and a raspberry/chocolate stout planned for Valentines Day, I think I'd rather try to make something lighter, or at least a little different.
Before I get to that, I was thinking more about the raspberry/chocolate stout. My original recipe and thought process had it being a very full-bodied, full-flavored stout (almost like an imperial - the other reason I didn't want to brew an imperial stout as well). But, I was sipping on a Youngs Double Chocolate the other day, and it hit me - a stout in that style with raspberry as well would taste pretty frickin amazing (or at least I think so), so I've shifted my focus. I think the raspberry/chocolate stout is going to be more in the style of a dry or sweet stout (i.e. like Youngs), rather than an Imperial. I'll post the recipe when I start brewing.
While that stout is brewing, I'd like to have something else going as well. I've come up with lots of ideas, and as much as I would love to brew all of them at once...that's not exactly an option. Every time I think I have something, I come up with something else I want to try. The most recent idea I've thought of is what I call my "Nightshade" ale. Not really sure why, since nightshade is a poisonous flower, but I like the name. I plan to brew it with blackberries and blueberries, with a little bit of honey to balance out the tanginess of the berries. I don't know if this is the one I'll brew right away with the stout, but right now I'm leaning towards it.
Not sure if I'll get another update in or not while I'm home, but in case I don't, I hope everyone has a happy holiday season :) I'll definitely update again as soon as I bottle my porter.
Until next time...
Of course, being at the parents house means I don't have a whole lot to do, and I've had plenty of time to think about recipes, and what I want to brew next. Originally, my plan was to brew two stouts - a raspberry/chocolate stout, and an Imperial Stout. I think I'm definitely going to hold off on the Imperial Stout. I love dark beers as much as anyone else, but with my porter about to be bottled, and a raspberry/chocolate stout planned for Valentines Day, I think I'd rather try to make something lighter, or at least a little different.
Before I get to that, I was thinking more about the raspberry/chocolate stout. My original recipe and thought process had it being a very full-bodied, full-flavored stout (almost like an imperial - the other reason I didn't want to brew an imperial stout as well). But, I was sipping on a Youngs Double Chocolate the other day, and it hit me - a stout in that style with raspberry as well would taste pretty frickin amazing (or at least I think so), so I've shifted my focus. I think the raspberry/chocolate stout is going to be more in the style of a dry or sweet stout (i.e. like Youngs), rather than an Imperial. I'll post the recipe when I start brewing.
While that stout is brewing, I'd like to have something else going as well. I've come up with lots of ideas, and as much as I would love to brew all of them at once...that's not exactly an option. Every time I think I have something, I come up with something else I want to try. The most recent idea I've thought of is what I call my "Nightshade" ale. Not really sure why, since nightshade is a poisonous flower, but I like the name. I plan to brew it with blackberries and blueberries, with a little bit of honey to balance out the tanginess of the berries. I don't know if this is the one I'll brew right away with the stout, but right now I'm leaning towards it.
Not sure if I'll get another update in or not while I'm home, but in case I don't, I hope everyone has a happy holiday season :) I'll definitely update again as soon as I bottle my porter.
Until next time...
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Review: Sam Adams Chocolate Bock
So I picked up a bottle of Sam Adams' Chocolate Bock a few weeks ago, and had been saving it for a chance when I had time to drink and enjoy it. At 15.99 a bottle, I wanted to make sure I got my money's worth.
Poured two glasses out of the bottle. The color was very dark brown, almost black, with an off-white head that dissipated quickly. Very little lacing.
The smell was chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate, with hints of coffee. It smelled like a melted candy bar...and pretty much tasted like one too. The chocolate taste overpowered, with virtually nothing else coming through. It was definitely good, but barely tasted like beer. Only a bare hint of maltiness and alcohol reminded me that I wasn't drinking a chocolate milkshake. The chocolate also had a slightly weird taste to it, almost like an artificial sweetener.
It was definitely an enjoyable beer...but not worth the $15.99 a bottle. I'm a big fan of chocolate beers, and there are others I would choose over this (Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout comes immediately to mind). If someone offered me some, I would most certainly take it, but I don't see myself spending the money on another bottle.
On a homebrew note, my 'Cherries in the Snow' has aged beautifully. The tartness has mellowed, and the other smell I noticed in the first bottle (I think now it must have been acetaldehyde) is long gone. A bare hint of cherry flavor is starting to come through. This beer should age pretty well, so I plan on taking a couple of bottles home with me, and leaving the other case here to age over winter break.
So as for my next few brews, when I get back from winter break I plan on bottling the Chocolate Thunder porter (with how it's looking so far, this will probable be another chocolate beer I will prefer over Chocolate Bock). Then, I will probably start brewing two different stouts, my "Andromeda" Valentines Day Stout (a raspberry-chocolate stout), and my "Starless Night" Imperial Stout. I've been coming up with recipes, and I'm pretty excited for both.
Until next time...
Poured two glasses out of the bottle. The color was very dark brown, almost black, with an off-white head that dissipated quickly. Very little lacing.
The smell was chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate, with hints of coffee. It smelled like a melted candy bar...and pretty much tasted like one too. The chocolate taste overpowered, with virtually nothing else coming through. It was definitely good, but barely tasted like beer. Only a bare hint of maltiness and alcohol reminded me that I wasn't drinking a chocolate milkshake. The chocolate also had a slightly weird taste to it, almost like an artificial sweetener.
It was definitely an enjoyable beer...but not worth the $15.99 a bottle. I'm a big fan of chocolate beers, and there are others I would choose over this (Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout comes immediately to mind). If someone offered me some, I would most certainly take it, but I don't see myself spending the money on another bottle.
On a homebrew note, my 'Cherries in the Snow' has aged beautifully. The tartness has mellowed, and the other smell I noticed in the first bottle (I think now it must have been acetaldehyde) is long gone. A bare hint of cherry flavor is starting to come through. This beer should age pretty well, so I plan on taking a couple of bottles home with me, and leaving the other case here to age over winter break.
So as for my next few brews, when I get back from winter break I plan on bottling the Chocolate Thunder porter (with how it's looking so far, this will probable be another chocolate beer I will prefer over Chocolate Bock). Then, I will probably start brewing two different stouts, my "Andromeda" Valentines Day Stout (a raspberry-chocolate stout), and my "Starless Night" Imperial Stout. I've been coming up with recipes, and I'm pretty excited for both.
Until next time...
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Cherries in the Snow, and more
So I'm impatient, and decided to go ahead and try one bottle of my variation of Charlie Papazian's "Cherries in the Snow". It's only been a week or so since I bottled, but I'm impatient, what can I say. I stashed one in the fridge this morning, and tried it this afternoon. It obviously could use longer to condition, and I plan to let the rest do so. I bottle primarily in 22oz'ers, but I bottled a couple of 12 oz bottles as well, for purposes like this.
Poured a reddish-brown in color - much darker than I wanted, but after watching it brew, what I expected. If I make this recipe again, I will definitely use "extra-light" or "extra-pale" extract instead of regular pale or light. Poured with a decent head, and while the beer definitely tasted well-carbonated, the head wasn't particularly full. Hopefully this will correct itself with more time conditioning.
I couldn't entirely place the aroma. It was a sweetness, but not the kind I was expecting. I don't think the batch was contaminated - after my debacle with my Irish Stout, I'm *very* careful with contamination. It also doesn't smell like anything that could contaminate a beer, based on what I've read. It wasn't a bad smell either, just something I wasn't used to. Just couldn't place it.
The taste wasn't what I was expecting - good, but not what I was expecting. A hint of hops in the background, so the cherries could shine through...but I didn't really taste the cherries. I definitely tasted the tartness of the cherries, but it was more a generic tartness and not the cherries themselves. I think this could have been due to the fact that I used canned cherries (it's all I could find), and could have used something else (maybe mixed in some sweet/dark cherries?) to compensate. It definitely tasted like a Belgian beer, like Papazian's description stated, but I guess even knowing that it wasn't what I expected. The tartness was a little overpowering, so I'm hoping that will mellow with a few more weeks bottling, and more of the cherry flavor will come through. Either way, it's definitely a good brew. I'm happy with it so far. I'll see how it is in a few weeks.
I also racked my "Chocolate Thunder" porter to secondary. And I am VERY excited about this beer.
I took a whiff as I was racking, and the aroma of chocolate and...well, beer...filled the room. When I finished racking, I reserved a few spoonfuls to taste.
Wow.
A very strong chocolate/coffee aftertaste, but that's what I was looking for. You can definitely smell and taste the chocolate in the background. It's not as dark as I would have liked - ironically, I used "extra light" extract for this one, due to the high amount of dark malt. I think the addition of all of the chocolate actually helped lighten the color of the beer - it's a very milk-chocolate colored brown right now. Cleaning up all the trub/yeast cake wasn't so pleasant - but it smelled a lot better than it looked :)
The semester ends soon, which is a blessing in more ways than one. I'll be driving home for a few weeks, so the porter will have plenty of time to sit in secondary. It'll give me something else to look forward to when I come back down here.
I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to make next. I'm thinking about picking up another carboy so I can have two brews going at once. If I do that, then one of the ones I'll make is a Raspberry-Chocolate Stout, hopefully ready in time for Valentines Day. For the second beer, I think I'll try to make that pale ale/IPA I wrote about last time. I still want to make a "Thanksgiving Ale" at some point, but I figure that recipe will be a little more complicated, and it's not something that's pressing. I'll have plenty of time to formulate recipes when I'm at home :)
Well that's all for now. I'll be in New Jersey for the next few weeks, so if anyone there wants to talk homebrewing over a homebrew - or at a microbrew - let me know.
Poured a reddish-brown in color - much darker than I wanted, but after watching it brew, what I expected. If I make this recipe again, I will definitely use "extra-light" or "extra-pale" extract instead of regular pale or light. Poured with a decent head, and while the beer definitely tasted well-carbonated, the head wasn't particularly full. Hopefully this will correct itself with more time conditioning.
I couldn't entirely place the aroma. It was a sweetness, but not the kind I was expecting. I don't think the batch was contaminated - after my debacle with my Irish Stout, I'm *very* careful with contamination. It also doesn't smell like anything that could contaminate a beer, based on what I've read. It wasn't a bad smell either, just something I wasn't used to. Just couldn't place it.
The taste wasn't what I was expecting - good, but not what I was expecting. A hint of hops in the background, so the cherries could shine through...but I didn't really taste the cherries. I definitely tasted the tartness of the cherries, but it was more a generic tartness and not the cherries themselves. I think this could have been due to the fact that I used canned cherries (it's all I could find), and could have used something else (maybe mixed in some sweet/dark cherries?) to compensate. It definitely tasted like a Belgian beer, like Papazian's description stated, but I guess even knowing that it wasn't what I expected. The tartness was a little overpowering, so I'm hoping that will mellow with a few more weeks bottling, and more of the cherry flavor will come through. Either way, it's definitely a good brew. I'm happy with it so far. I'll see how it is in a few weeks.
I also racked my "Chocolate Thunder" porter to secondary. And I am VERY excited about this beer.
I took a whiff as I was racking, and the aroma of chocolate and...well, beer...filled the room. When I finished racking, I reserved a few spoonfuls to taste.
Wow.
A very strong chocolate/coffee aftertaste, but that's what I was looking for. You can definitely smell and taste the chocolate in the background. It's not as dark as I would have liked - ironically, I used "extra light" extract for this one, due to the high amount of dark malt. I think the addition of all of the chocolate actually helped lighten the color of the beer - it's a very milk-chocolate colored brown right now. Cleaning up all the trub/yeast cake wasn't so pleasant - but it smelled a lot better than it looked :)
The semester ends soon, which is a blessing in more ways than one. I'll be driving home for a few weeks, so the porter will have plenty of time to sit in secondary. It'll give me something else to look forward to when I come back down here.
I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to make next. I'm thinking about picking up another carboy so I can have two brews going at once. If I do that, then one of the ones I'll make is a Raspberry-Chocolate Stout, hopefully ready in time for Valentines Day. For the second beer, I think I'll try to make that pale ale/IPA I wrote about last time. I still want to make a "Thanksgiving Ale" at some point, but I figure that recipe will be a little more complicated, and it's not something that's pressing. I'll have plenty of time to formulate recipes when I'm at home :)
Well that's all for now. I'll be in New Jersey for the next few weeks, so if anyone there wants to talk homebrewing over a homebrew - or at a microbrew - let me know.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Review: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (2008)
My first review. I'll try to intersperse these once in awhile.
I had one of the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale's on tap at Recreation Billiards in Winston-Salem, NC a few weeks ago. I liked it, so I picked up a sixer.
It pours a very nice reddish-gold (amber?) color, with a very thick, creamy and lasting head. Down to the last sip there was a good 1/4 inch of head. Started off with an inch of foam or so. Left a very high amount of lacing down the glass as well.
A strong aroma of hops and a slight citrus aroma pervades. First sip was very hoppy - I love IPAs, and am what would be considered a "hophead", so naturally I enjoy this beer. As the beer warmed, the hops mellowed out slightly. A bare hint of citrus can be tasted in the background as the beer warms, but for the first few sips, all there are are hops, hops, and more hops (not that that's a bad thing...).
Overall, I really like this beer - but it's nothing particularly special. To me, it tastes just like any other IPA - there's nothing in particular that makes it stand out. Personally, since I thoroughly enjoy hops, if I want something like this, I will just get an IPA to get the full-blown hop flavor. However, that being said, this is still a beer I enjoy. It's something I would definitely order again, but if there are other IPAs on tap, I would probably choose them instead. In fact, I would probably choose Sierra Nevada's "Anniversary" Ale - I don't have any in front of me so I can't compare directly, but from what I remember, it was hoppier (just the way I like it!).
As I said, it's definitely a quality beer, and one I would drink again, but there's nothing particularly spectacular about it. If you like IPA's and hops, you will enjoy this beer. If you're not particularly fond of hops, I wouldn't reccomend it.
On a home-brew note, my batch of Charlie Papazian's "Cherries in the Snow" has been bottled, and I hope to open the first one in a week or so. I brewed the "Chocolate Thunder" I wrote about last time a few days ago, and I'm excited about it. When I was brewing it, I was skeptical about the amount of chocolate - once I put the cocoa in, the chocolate was all I smelled. However, once the beer went in the primary, the hops and malt began to come through. I definitely want the chocolate flavor to come through, but I want beer, not hot chocolate. I think it should turn out pretty good. When I rack it to secondary in a few days, I'll post another update.
The semester ends in a week or so, so I won't be brewing anything else until after the new year. I threw around a few ideas I was considering last time, but I'm also considering now brewing a pale ale/ESB/IPA (something in that general area). Generally, if I'm out somewhere, I'll order an IPA over a pale ale simply because I love the hops. However, I'm thinking about making something thats still hoppy, but smoother, and has a greater depth of flavor. That's why I'm thinking about cutting down the hops a little bit and allowing some of the malt to come through, and making a pale ale. Something like that is more of an "everyday" beer, something that one could pretty much grab whenever they want a beer, whereas my other recipes have been more "specialty" (at least to me), and are things you have to be in the mood to drink.
That's all for now. I picked up a bottle of Sam Adams Chocolate Bock the other day, and I'm really excited to try it. However, I'm waiting for a night when I really want it - it's too expensive, and too specialized, to drink just for the sake of having a beer. I'll post a review for that when I eventually try it - hopefully sooner than later.
I had one of the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale's on tap at Recreation Billiards in Winston-Salem, NC a few weeks ago. I liked it, so I picked up a sixer.
It pours a very nice reddish-gold (amber?) color, with a very thick, creamy and lasting head. Down to the last sip there was a good 1/4 inch of head. Started off with an inch of foam or so. Left a very high amount of lacing down the glass as well.
A strong aroma of hops and a slight citrus aroma pervades. First sip was very hoppy - I love IPAs, and am what would be considered a "hophead", so naturally I enjoy this beer. As the beer warmed, the hops mellowed out slightly. A bare hint of citrus can be tasted in the background as the beer warms, but for the first few sips, all there are are hops, hops, and more hops (not that that's a bad thing...).
Overall, I really like this beer - but it's nothing particularly special. To me, it tastes just like any other IPA - there's nothing in particular that makes it stand out. Personally, since I thoroughly enjoy hops, if I want something like this, I will just get an IPA to get the full-blown hop flavor. However, that being said, this is still a beer I enjoy. It's something I would definitely order again, but if there are other IPAs on tap, I would probably choose them instead. In fact, I would probably choose Sierra Nevada's "Anniversary" Ale - I don't have any in front of me so I can't compare directly, but from what I remember, it was hoppier (just the way I like it!).
As I said, it's definitely a quality beer, and one I would drink again, but there's nothing particularly spectacular about it. If you like IPA's and hops, you will enjoy this beer. If you're not particularly fond of hops, I wouldn't reccomend it.
On a home-brew note, my batch of Charlie Papazian's "Cherries in the Snow" has been bottled, and I hope to open the first one in a week or so. I brewed the "Chocolate Thunder" I wrote about last time a few days ago, and I'm excited about it. When I was brewing it, I was skeptical about the amount of chocolate - once I put the cocoa in, the chocolate was all I smelled. However, once the beer went in the primary, the hops and malt began to come through. I definitely want the chocolate flavor to come through, but I want beer, not hot chocolate. I think it should turn out pretty good. When I rack it to secondary in a few days, I'll post another update.
The semester ends in a week or so, so I won't be brewing anything else until after the new year. I threw around a few ideas I was considering last time, but I'm also considering now brewing a pale ale/ESB/IPA (something in that general area). Generally, if I'm out somewhere, I'll order an IPA over a pale ale simply because I love the hops. However, I'm thinking about making something thats still hoppy, but smoother, and has a greater depth of flavor. That's why I'm thinking about cutting down the hops a little bit and allowing some of the malt to come through, and making a pale ale. Something like that is more of an "everyday" beer, something that one could pretty much grab whenever they want a beer, whereas my other recipes have been more "specialty" (at least to me), and are things you have to be in the mood to drink.
That's all for now. I picked up a bottle of Sam Adams Chocolate Bock the other day, and I'm really excited to try it. However, I'm waiting for a night when I really want it - it's too expensive, and too specialized, to drink just for the sake of having a beer. I'll post a review for that when I eventually try it - hopefully sooner than later.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
And so it begins
Well, I've been home brewing for a couple of months now. After a couple of successes (and one epic failure), and countless hours perusing other home brewer's blogs and websites, I'm ready to start formulating my own recipes. This is a hobby I am very glad I got into - a bunch of my friends brew their own beer, and they got me hooked on it. The entire process is something I enjoy (well, except for maybe the bottling...that can be a pain), and the rewards are well worth it.
So far, I've made two beers from kits (both from TrueBrew). The first one, their Amber Ale, turned out better than I could have expected for my first batch, and each bottle tastes better than it lasts (I guess it makes sense why brewers have to be so patient). The next batch, the TrueBrew Irish Stout...did not turn out so well. I tried to add too much to it, and was definitely in over my head with that little experience brewing. Furthermore, I don't think everything was sanitized properly. Needless to say, that's one batch I'm glad I didn't have my friends over to try.
Just the other day I bottled my "Cherries in the Snow", based off of Charlie Papazian's recipe in "The Complete Joy of Home Brewing". I had to modify the recipe slightly, due to what was available in my local store. Right now, I'm really excited for it. I tasted a little bit of what was left after I bottled, and I can't wait to taste how it is fully carbonated and chilled. A mild cherry flavor pervades, with just a hint of soft hoppiness in the background.
Until this year, I primarily drank lighter beers (in color, not in the Bud/Miller/Coors variety). I was a big fan of Amber Ale's and IPA's especially. This year, I've finally gotten into darker beers - Porters, Stouts (though I'm still not really a Guinness fan, as much as I try), and Bocks. I'm fortunate enough to live near a microbrewery, Foothills, and their Total Eclipse Stout and People's Porter have become two of my favorite beers. So, after much research, and discussion with other home-brewers online, I've decided to make a porter, with hints of chocolate in the background, my next venture:
Starlight Brewing's "Chocolate Thunder" Porter:
6.6 lbs Muntons extra-lite Liquid Malt Extract
1 lb Crystal Malt
1 lb Dark Crystal Malt
8 oz Carapils Malt
4 oz Black Patent
1 lb Chocolate Malt
1 lb baker's cocoa powder
1.5 oz Fuggles (boiling)
I realize there's going to be a lot of malty flavor, but I want a good, strong porter, with a lot of depth of flavor. I had originally planned on using a lot less chocolate, but after discussion with other brewers online, one reccomended upping the amount to make sure it comes through, even with all of the malts. If anyone has any recommendations, before I brew, I'd love to hear them. My local store is waiting on a shipment of chocolate malt, so I'm not doing anything until they get it in.
As for what comes after this, I've already been thinking ahead. I'd like to try making a variation of Charlie Papazian's "Cherry Fever Stout", except with Raspberries instead, and perhaps some chocolate undertones. I think the combination of raspberries and chocolate would make a perfect beer for around Valentines Day.
I also want to brew something I wish I had thought of sooner. There are Pumpkin Ales for Halloween, and Winter Warmers and Christmas Ales for around Christmastime, but there are very few 'Thanksgiving' themed beers that I've found. The flavor that comes immediately to mind for Thanksgiving is cranberry, so I want to find a way to incorporate that into a beer. I've thought about a Cranberry Wheat, but if my 'Cherries in the Snow' batch turns out well, I might try to modify that and use cranberries instead of cherries.
Either way, I have my next few weeks of brewing pretty much set. I'm going to try to contain myself for another week while the Cherries in the Snow batch bottle-conditions, but I'll let you know how everything turns out.
Happy Thanksgiving, and happy brewing!
So far, I've made two beers from kits (both from TrueBrew). The first one, their Amber Ale, turned out better than I could have expected for my first batch, and each bottle tastes better than it lasts (I guess it makes sense why brewers have to be so patient). The next batch, the TrueBrew Irish Stout...did not turn out so well. I tried to add too much to it, and was definitely in over my head with that little experience brewing. Furthermore, I don't think everything was sanitized properly. Needless to say, that's one batch I'm glad I didn't have my friends over to try.
Just the other day I bottled my "Cherries in the Snow", based off of Charlie Papazian's recipe in "The Complete Joy of Home Brewing". I had to modify the recipe slightly, due to what was available in my local store. Right now, I'm really excited for it. I tasted a little bit of what was left after I bottled, and I can't wait to taste how it is fully carbonated and chilled. A mild cherry flavor pervades, with just a hint of soft hoppiness in the background.
Until this year, I primarily drank lighter beers (in color, not in the Bud/Miller/Coors variety). I was a big fan of Amber Ale's and IPA's especially. This year, I've finally gotten into darker beers - Porters, Stouts (though I'm still not really a Guinness fan, as much as I try), and Bocks. I'm fortunate enough to live near a microbrewery, Foothills, and their Total Eclipse Stout and People's Porter have become two of my favorite beers. So, after much research, and discussion with other home-brewers online, I've decided to make a porter, with hints of chocolate in the background, my next venture:
Starlight Brewing's "Chocolate Thunder" Porter:
6.6 lbs Muntons extra-lite Liquid Malt Extract
1 lb Crystal Malt
1 lb Dark Crystal Malt
8 oz Carapils Malt
4 oz Black Patent
1 lb Chocolate Malt
1 lb baker's cocoa powder
1.5 oz Fuggles (boiling)
I realize there's going to be a lot of malty flavor, but I want a good, strong porter, with a lot of depth of flavor. I had originally planned on using a lot less chocolate, but after discussion with other brewers online, one reccomended upping the amount to make sure it comes through, even with all of the malts. If anyone has any recommendations, before I brew, I'd love to hear them. My local store is waiting on a shipment of chocolate malt, so I'm not doing anything until they get it in.
As for what comes after this, I've already been thinking ahead. I'd like to try making a variation of Charlie Papazian's "Cherry Fever Stout", except with Raspberries instead, and perhaps some chocolate undertones. I think the combination of raspberries and chocolate would make a perfect beer for around Valentines Day.
I also want to brew something I wish I had thought of sooner. There are Pumpkin Ales for Halloween, and Winter Warmers and Christmas Ales for around Christmastime, but there are very few 'Thanksgiving' themed beers that I've found. The flavor that comes immediately to mind for Thanksgiving is cranberry, so I want to find a way to incorporate that into a beer. I've thought about a Cranberry Wheat, but if my 'Cherries in the Snow' batch turns out well, I might try to modify that and use cranberries instead of cherries.
Either way, I have my next few weeks of brewing pretty much set. I'm going to try to contain myself for another week while the Cherries in the Snow batch bottle-conditions, but I'll let you know how everything turns out.
Happy Thanksgiving, and happy brewing!
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