Author: stoutmaker

Change?

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Most of you out there that I have brewed with, or even just talked with, know that I have been brewing a while. And that I like doing things in an old fashion sort of way.
In fact, my brewery set up is virtually exactly the same as it was 15 years ago. And for the most part, the exact same equipment. 

I like my process, I make good beer. Why change? 
I don’t wanna have some automated system where I just push a button and I walk away. I don’t need fancy lights to try to impress people. Hell, if I could build a fire driven kettle I would.
But when I can use my same hands on process with modern tech, I’ll take a look.

Slightly out of necessity I began to look at electric brewing. Seems to be the rage now days. Indoors, quiet, way cheaper. And most important to me, I don’t have to change my style. Just use electric elements instead of propane to heat and boil with.
Well sure I could add pids and pods and lights and buzzers. But I don’t need that.

So Since I have been forging ahead and moving most things I brew to 3 gallon batches, I decided to go ahead and make an electric kettle. 
Aside from cooling, everything can be done exactly as before. Heat mash water, mash, boil. Nothing changed except now I plug in my heat source, instead of turning up a flame.

And then Biab caught my eye. Brew in a bag. Mash and boil in the same pot.
Skeptical? Hell yes I was. But when you see it done, and look at it objectively, you come to realize that it really is the same thing I am doing right now.

I’m heating the same exact amount of water, to mash the same amount of grain, for the same amount of time, to get the same amount of wort, that’s boiled for the same amount of time, that makes the same amount of beer. Except I have less equipment and do far less work.

Cant beat that. 

Everytime I look at my regular sized batch equipment now I wonder why I still use my old technique.
Baby steps. Cant just up and abandon tradition and habit.
Not just yet. 

Crunch Time

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I swear I write this exact blog every year,, ah well. Here is goes again…
Now that we are moving quickly into February, its starts being crunch time for any entries for the TTO. The local homebrew competition that is in April.
This year I am no where near ready. The complete failure of last years brewing has left me with virtually nothing to put in.
I do have the Rye Amber and the Spiced beer. Specialty and spiced. Hmm. But as far as regular styles go,, I'm not sure about anything yet.
I have a few in the works right now I guess. The Northern Brown has been bottled and is now awaiting critique. If pre carbing samples mean anything I think it will be a decent beer. Cant wait till it is ready.
I also have a blonde that's in Primary yet. I don't have the slightest idea how this is coming along, other than the fact that I know I messed up its hop schedule. I added both the 60 and 30 minute additions at 60. But a 1/2 oz more of Cascade at 60 shouldn't be a deal breaker.
As it stands right now, I have about 8 weeks, 7 at the least to get make a few more entries. I had already been planning this weekend to re-brew Tardis. The ESB. Sure it will be an entry, but aint no ESB gonna go anywhere in this contest. but I still wanna drink this beer so its getting made regardless. Fungus will be happy.
And I just looked up my Nein Nein Nein Oktoberfest recipe. I think if I tweek it just slightly, it would make a decent Dusseldorf Alt. A bit more color and bit more hop and I think we are in. And both of these will be done perfectly in the 7 or so weeks.
And lastly,, I cant see me going into a TTO with out a stout. I do have a brew scheduled for the first week of March. And it is going to be a stout. I'm thinking that this one could just maybe be ready. It would have to ferment out and bottle condition in 4, maybe 5 weeks tops. I think it will work.
So the rest of this month I will be slowly sampling all of the other entries that I had hopes for. Maybe by some miracle they cleaned them selves up. But for most of them its been 6 months or more. If they haven't by now, there isn't much hope.

Review of last of last years beers

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Time to do a little review of the last couple beers. The Nebula Stout
and Donatello Dubbel

Both of these were brewed later on December, and we’re the first beers
using the new water filter system.

I can sure say I’m glad to be getting back to making decent beer again.

The Dubbel used the T-58 yeast. I loved this yeast in the Dark Strong
we made at Heritage Hill. It lends a very interesting tone to the
beer. Got just enough hops to knock down the sweet. And taste wise you
get flirts of hop, but they disappear just when you try to nail them
down. Which is good because I didn’t use german hops. I used
Willamette to make it a bit more American.

This is one of the best beers I have brewed in a while.To bad I only
made 3 gallons. But its not a perfect beer. In fact I don’t think its
even near Dubbel. Almost no raisin or plum. It definitely is fruity.
Apple, cherry, banana. But not the raisiny you get with a Dubbel. It
would be an excellent Golden Strong, except there is no doubt that’s
its dark brown and not golden.
On my remake list. And will be a full batch. And will need to decide
to push it to Dubble or push it to Golden.

The Nebula started out to be one beer, but turned into one that used
up all the loose bits of grains I had laying around.
At first I was worried because it didn’t taste anything like I thought
it would. But soon as it carbed up it really got good.
Is it a stout though? I’m not sure. With all the extra stuff I added I
think it morphed into a Porter. Not that there is anything wrong with
that.
I think if it were mashed higher for a bit o body, and a tad more
roast barley I think it would have been a whole lot better.

Oh,, and get rid of that damn Munich. For some reason I always think I
like Munich. Until I use it. Then I hate it. I’m not sure I even like
it in a Bock! Keep that crap out of a stout.