Author: stoutmaker

June 2010

stoutmakerLeave a comment
6-7-10 well the kegs ran dry. I primed a batch of Driftish last couple days. Still a bit green still needs a bit more carbonation but so far its like a Hopasaurus Rex Jr. I like this so far..
6-24-10
back out in the garage. Drinkin a Polish beer. Zywiec. No idea what it is,, but its pretty damn good. If I had to guess, damn I dunno, lager I guess. Sorta, got some sort of esters goin on drinkin right out of bottle but looks to be very very light in color. Hold on lemme get a glass.
Yep light just a tad darker than hamms maybe hamms golden like. Dont have that import taste either. Not the skunk the other taste,, but its rollin around back there somewhere.

Gonna try to update my beers in a bit.. the summer wheat2 and drifterish.

April 2010

stoutmakerLeave a comment
04/07/10- Out in the garage having a few, its pretty cold out here again so I got me a Shiner Bock.
Normally bock aint my style. They always seem to have this taste that I just cant handle. I havent figured out what it is, but Shiner dont have it. Its pretty thin though. Needs a bit more body. As far as any thing else with this beer its hard to tell today. The fridge out here in the garage has everything at about 35 degrees so I cant smell or taste anything.

But I do have all my batches ke3gged or bottled. The Titletown open is in a couple weeks so I am kinda sorta getting things ready for it. I am hoping to enter a few of mine.
I’m thinking I’m gonna put Chipmunk brown in as an American brown. I made this last summer. I was originally intending to make somrthing else,, a stout I think and I left my grains sitting on the work bench in the garage while I went and did something or other and by the time I got back The chipmunks found the bag. So I had to go get more grains. But when I got there I left my recipe at home,, so I just grabbed stuff and came home with this. Its actually way different than what I intended but I like it.

The Summer wheat in as a Belgium wit. I am sorta worried about this one for a couple of reasons. First its my first wheat. Second, Its kegged and I have to bottle some beforehand. And I wanna get the carbonation right. Third, I might just drink all of it before that! This stuff is great.

I was going to enter the Crop circles cream ale but its just way too cloudy, and have a few floaters. But its really pretty good. Sooo,

I have to try and enter the oatmeal stout. But again I messed up and put them all in 22oz bottles. I’m gonna ask the club (Green bay Rackers) If its possible to transfer to 12 ozers. I really like this and this is the one that I was worried that didnt work.
Actually as I am stitting here drinking one, I have noticed that the freezing temp its at has kept the foam down. I may be able to do this.

March 2010

stoutmakerLeave a comment
03-12-10- Bottling the stout from 02-20-10
Finally had time to bottle up my stout batch. I am worried about this one. I seen no airlock activity ever. But I know it did ferment because the krausen is way up the sides.
And the grandkid took out the airlock and I didnt notice for a day or two. But it looks like beer and smells like beer.
Some notes

  • The color is way off more of a brown ale. I was worried about this as there is no black patent
  • very very sweet. Too sweet I think. Again with 05 yeast this should not be.
  • No distinct roast flavors,smells at all. Again will need black patent.
  • Ended up with 27 bombers.

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03-13-10 Cream of three crops
just started heating my mash water for c3c
I have 8 lbs of grain so I gonna use about 2.5 gall @170.
I didnt preheat my mashtun this time just to see how far I would miss by, and surprisingly it was only about 3 degrees off. Topped up with about 170 degree water to make up those 3. didnt take very much. But now I wonder if I will start losing temp. This is a 90 min mash so I will need to check on it.
Ok everything looks good so far. Took 7 gallons because of the 90 min boil.

Oh yea heres the recipe

  • 5.5 lbs 2 row
  • 2 lbs flaked corn
  • 1.5 lbs flaked rice
  • .5 rice hulls (need these)
  • 1 oz halletaur hops at 60 min

mash at 152 for 90 min(dont know why 90 min)
boil 6 gallons 90 min
us-05 yeast

68 degrees
OG-1.052

Fermentation went good. Kept in the box. Temps were steady 68.
Today (3-20-10) took fermenter out of box and moved to bottling area. Will leave here for a week. Temps here are 60-62. Am going to keg this batch.

3-20-10
Bottle up the graff today. Whoa this stuff tastes awesome. Used ¾ cup. Got 12 22oz and 24 12oz
going to get ready for tomorrows brew. A summer wheat. Never did a wheat so I cant wait to see how these go.
I have been having problems with my drain tube in the tun. And I think that I have too small of slits cut And going to try and open them up. Just went to SS braid, so there shouldnt be a problem

Summer wheat tonite
got recipe off of the Beer Recipator.

3 ½ lbs 2 row
4 lbs wheat malt
½ lb dextrine malt

1 ¼ oz saaz (60 min)
½ oz saaz (5 min)
½ oz crushed coriander
orange zest ( I used 4 oranges.)

made sure to get rice hulls for this one
mash stable at 150
wow new braid with no insert is the way to go. Can batch sparge 3 gallons in about 5 minutes.
I snuck in 10 black pepper corns ground up with the coriander.
Og 1.042

12 hrs later fermentation is just starting to take off. Looks good. Churning well.
Decided to put a blow off tube on. Really frothing hard and moving up to top of carboy (6 gall)

  • I think 4 oranges might be waaayyy to much zest can even smell the zest upstairs after a whole day in fermenter.
  • 3-26-10 action has all but stopped. Gonna pull it out of chamber this weekend and let it sit.


03-26-10-
kegged the Cream of three last night. Stuff is really good. Have it sitting @ 20 psi. Should be ready any time.
Was fairly cloudy. Even the SG sample was clouded. Will need to settle out for a while, Which is ok ’cause I dont plan on putting this out for a month or two so it should clear by then.
But wow is really good. Gonna have to get the next round of this going, because I dont think its gonna last to long. I also Bottled a 6 er of it. If it turns out as good as it looks like I’m gonna enter it in the Title town open. Am going to put in the last of my Chipmunk brown in also. As an American brown.

Am also starting to drink the failed oatmeal stout/porter Its carbed up pretty good for a weeks time. I know It need to age ( I doubt it will though) but the first bottle was great. Nearly what I thought it was going to be. But,, the next few bottles are watery like. The taste is sorta there in the background, but its thin. Sounds to me like just a beer that needs time.

The one thing I noticed in common with my last batch of brews is that they are all low hopped.
I had to open a bottle of 2010 Bigfoot to get some hops
So in order to counter that I ordered up some Summit hops for a nice IPA.
I’m thinkin maybe a Summit/Amarillo merger. Get some grapefruit tangerine action.

Needed to order a new pressure relief for the cornie.