I can’t believe it’s been this long since I have brewed any thing. So this weekend I brewed twice to make up for it. (Woulda been three if I got to the store)

Saturday I brewed up a stout. Initially it would have been the Fogger, but I changed it enough that its now a different beer I substituted chocolate rye for the chocolate malt, used EKG instead of cluster and used 05 instead o Windsor. That seemed like enough change to call it a new beer.

Started off crappy as my manifold came off inside the tun during sparge. I was able to use another bucket hold the mash and fix the manifold. After that everything went smooth.

This morning I brewed the Steam beer. This is the one that I brewed two years ago. The Zerg Rush Steamroller. I hated this beer at first, but I grew to liking it.
Sorta changed it up a little. 1/4 oz less in the 60 min addition. This should knock the bite down a little. I will throw that little bit in as dry hop later.

Still have the 3 gallon fermenter and the 2 gallon needing filling. Time for some mini batches.

We have moved our operations to the basement again for the winter. And

decided to brew our Crop Circles ale.

This is our 5th version of this beer. I make this because the brother

in-law is one of those beer pussy guys who almost throws up if it isnt

Bud Light. But he will drink the entire keg of this in one night.

But to me there is just something about it. I like it, but I dont like

it. There is a taste in here I cant get rid of. And I think its the

rice. Because every other cream ale I tried has this taste some where

in it. Its not a bad taste, just an odd taste.

So we are going back close to the original recipe this time,

6 lbs two row

2 lbs flaked corn

1/2 lb minute rice

1/2 cluster at 60

1/2 crystal at 10

1/2 crystal at 0

05 yeast

Orginally I had used flaked rice, and almost a pound more. That taste was there.

Next I used 2 lbs flaked rice, no corn, and added some Vienna. That

taste still there. I did it this version a few times thinking maybe I

wasnt getting full conversion. But I was.

Somewhere some one said they thought it was the rice taste. And that

maybe it. So as you can see I knocked nearly all the rice out of it

and what is there is minute rice. Bumped up the late edition hops.

Still I went with a 150 mash for 90 min. Smelled just like instant

grits, I coulda thew some pork chops in there and had supper. As I was

about half way thru I thought about a stuck sparge, but my grain bag

over the manifold worked just fine.

I was a bit worried that the huge deadspace in the tun would cause a

decent temp loss, but even over the 90 min I had only lost 1 degree,

and thats with a midway stir. After spending quite a while messing

with Beersmith I got it to where the water amounts and temps are

pretty good, so I hit every number right on.

Going into the fermenter we had .050. After letting settle out for an

hour before going in, I was suprised at how much still settled in the

fermenter.

So this morning I wake up and it s a brisk 34 degrees out there. I'm

guessing it wont be too long before I need to move some stuff indoors

for the winter.

Although I do brew all through the winter, I would like to move a

smaller version of the brewery inside. I can do more experimenting

with the 3 gallon mini batch.

There really isnt a whole lot I need to do to get this up and running

with what I have now, but there are a few things I am considering to

add.

First is the brew in a bag system. Just about any one reading this

will know what I mean, but for those who may not, brew in a bag is a

newer style of brewing that uses the same kettle for mashing and

boiling. The grains are in a large mesh bag for the mash, removed and

drained for the boil. I know a few guys that use this style, and I

have yet to see any sub par beers.

I think this style would fit in nicely with the smaller system. I am a

bit curious about how well the smaller mass will hold temp over an

hour. The temp of my basement in the winter hovers around 52. May need

to fabricate a “kettle sleeve” to help insulate.

The second bit of equipment I'm not quite sure of yet. Electric. I

sorta would like to take an aluminum fryer pot and put in an element.

Maybe I can find a cheap stove. This i guess could be either gas or

elect as I have hook ups for both right there.

I am some how being drawn to these small batches. But that doesnt mean

they have to be small beers. Most of what I'm planning to do with them

is take my full size recipes and making 3 gallons. Not scaling down,

just collecting 3.5 out of the full grain bill. These high gravity

beers might not be suited for the Beer in a bag thing though. I'm

guessing my efficiency would nose dive.

Along with buying in bulk and milling at home plus the beer bag

system, I will now be able to be pretty portable. One of those Jerry

can type water containers and will be all set.

Just need everything to arrive.