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Return of the Dry Stout

stoutmakerLeave a comment
The first batch of the full sized 5 gallon biab was the Fogger dry stout.

Fairly close to the original, but used Magnum hops and the BRY-97 yeast. Mostly because I like the subtle aroma that magnum gives plus I think the Magnum has a different sharpness to its bitter, and I think that might play a little better with the amount of the buffering flaked barley in here.
And the BRY is just trying to find a suitable replacement for the ever problematic US-05.
6lbs- 2row
1lb- roast barley 
2lbs- flaked barley
5oz- chocolate malt
.70 oz- magnum @60
Bry-97 yeast- mashed 154

As this was the first Biab in the propane fired bigger kettle I was expecting a few hiccups. Not much went “wrong” but I think I did learn a few things.
– don’t need the false bottom. I think that hindered heat transfer from bottom of mash to top
– the recirc pump works great, but maybe consider an inlet in the lid in order to keep lid on tight.

I did lose about 3 degrees of heat over the mash, but Had the lid cracked open about an inch because of the recirc hose. You could feel the heat just pouring out of there. 
With nearly 8 gallons of water and 10 lbs of grain, that huge thermal mass isn’t going to lose hardly any heat at all with a tight lid. I doubt I would even need reflectix.
Next up,, oatmeal stout. 

Taking it Back

stoutmakerLeave a comment

I was going to have a long winded post about the status of the brewery and my beers. But instead, take this advise. Spend the $20 bucks on a whole house filter system. It will save you money in the end.

There is my rant. 
But next on the list is another step in the new direction of my brewing. First was 3 gallon batches. Next was going electric. Then quickly moving to BiaB. 
The next step is more of a point of focus than an actual brewing change. 
I have gotten so off the path of why I started brewing in the first place, that this step needs to be taken. 
The stout style of beers has always been, or at least once was, my number one beer to brew. You could not find a good stout anywhere unless you brewed it your self. 
And I did. And was very good at them. I was brewing the beer I wanted, the way I wanted it.

While I do like making making other beers, drinking other beers. Nothing seems to have the same.. “Vibe”. Bouncing from this style to that style to styles I didn’t even know what they were. That started to take its toll on quality.  
When I drank one of my stouts from 5 years ago, it was better than anything around. Nowadays nearly every stout is as good or better than mine. And I don’t like that. 
So in order to take back my category, I think it’s time go back to focusing on the stout. 
Remake those defining recipes. The originals, before they were changed. Adapt them to the new system and volumes. 
Sure we can brew other beers. But damn it,,, from here on out its all about the stout. 
I hereby am re-naming the brewery to clearly define our purpose. 
Today begins 9stripe Stoutery 

Crunch Time

stoutmakerLeave a comment
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.