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From Dry, to Sweet. The Fogger.

stoutmakerLeave a comment

Time to deconstruct another of my beers. This time its one of my favorites, one of my most made, and the one with the most tweaks made to it.

The Fogger. Its just your basic base stout recipe. Remember the old Maris, flaked barley, roast barley one? Yea that one. I've changed the hops, changed the temps, added various other grains. But for me,, Ive settled on EKG hops and a small bit of chocolate rye.

I loves this stout. But it just never seemed like the dry stout I was looking for. Not only me,, but the judges have always mentioned this as well. “Too much on the sweet side for a dry stout”

But that's the thing,, its a bit sweet for a dry stout, but not quite sweet enough for a sweet stout. But I have options.

Option A- Leave it as is. It gets good scores. Its a damn good beer right now, who cares. I like it and that's all that matters.

Option B- Tweak it once again. Make it more like a dry stout should be. Upon further looking at this option, it would probably change this beer so much that it wouldn't seem like I'm drinking The Fogger

Option C- Tweak it,, but just enough to nudge it fully into Sweet stout territory.

Option A would be totally fine for me, but I know I'll be putting it into competition, and just knowing that it miiight do better with a slight change would suck. Option B just doesnt seem right changing it that much when its so good now. I think option C is the best.

So lets take a look.
8 lbs 2 row
2 lbs flaked barley
1 lb roast barley
.5 lb chocolate rye
1.75 oz EKG @ 60
05 yeast
mashed at 154
 
This is what its been the last 3-4 brews. But I think there are a few things we can do that will sweeten it up,, but not change the whole beer into something else.
 
First off, up the mash temp. I used to mash a different stout at 158 and it was very sweet. This should help it out. Those 4 little degrees will make a huge difference. Especially contrasting against the roasty. This will also help with the fuller mouth feel needed in the Sweet stout category. This maybe all that is needed to push this over the line.
 
I was thinking some carapills for residual sweet,, but I think 20L would be better here. Raising the temp and adding carapills may be a little too much body,, especially with 2 lbs of flaked barley already.
 
A different yeast could help,, but I'm not gonna go that route just yet.
 
Then there is the Lactose. Just get that out of your head because it aint happening.
 
Yea, I'm gonna sneak a 1/4 lb of 20L in and raise that temp. Am now gonna file this under sweet stout. But that means There is a Dry Stout opening in the lineup…
 
(Well actually no there isn't. Because I have been planning this since last year and have already brewed its replacement. You may remember the Betazoid last year. That took home the blue, but I think that one is gonna be tweaked just a bit.)
 
Lots of brewing to be done next week. 3 in all if everything goes right.
 
 

Its that time again!

stoutmakerLeave a comment

Its about the same time every year. Right about now I get the urge to be brewing again. I think its crunch time for the Titletown Open entries to be brewed, and the fact that our winter supply is draining fast.

I do have a few entries already. A two year old Old ale, the Halloween brown, a different brown for the special 20Plato category, an American stout, and a robust porter.

The last two I am concerned about. As they were bottled from the tap, and thats not something that I usually do. Plus my fridge went nutzo and froze them pretty good.  But I bottled a few extra of them for a last minute decision on them before I drop them off.

I am planning at least two more beers to be ready by the April contest. One I know will be a pale ale. (probably the hopburst version of the Duck Creek Pale) I dont recall ever putting one in this category, and this is usually has the most entries. I think this will be good to see where our recipe stacks up.

The second beer though is up in the air. I was thinking of putting in the Fogger again. (Slightly reworked from last year.) But that would make 3 beers in the same judging flight. I'll be making it regardless, so I guess if one of the tap filled ones dont measure up, I'll have something to take its place.

I was also considering either the blonde ale or the cream ale for the second. Both have been made and revised several times. And have been designed with the damn rules in mind. Both of the latest versions have my general approval. And I must say that I am a bit curious of how they would score. While I have spent the most time messing with the Cream ale,, I think its the Blonde that I would most like the feedback on.
 
In brewery news, Once again, our fridge was KIA. I had brought it downstairs this summer to get it out of the heat, but apparently it was to late. So we are at the moment, fridgeless. I am not as bothered by it as some would be. I kegged lots and lots of beer without having a fridge. But i am doing the Craigslist search.
 
And slowly piecing our mini pump together. I didnt think finding 1/2 thread to 3/8 hose barb would be such an ordeal. But we have them now and will be wiring up this week sometime for some testing.

The Come to the Dark Cider

stoutmakerLeave a comment

Its getting cold out and i have no hard cider to drink. Lets fix that.

Slegar’s Dark Cider
2 1/2 gallons cider.. I used cheap ol Walmart stuff.
2 lbs dark brown sugar
1/2 bottle brer rabbits molasses (eyeballed that amount)
04 yeast

Mix everything,, done.
But i didnt wanna heat the juice to mix the sugar. But I didnt have to. Its dissolves pretty east on its own.

Same with the molasses. Just pout in 1 gallon of the cider then the molasses and shake the heck out of it. Take a look at the bottom and you’ll know when its done.
Thats it. Put an air lock on and stand back. 
OG was a brisk .082. That dark brown sugar and the molasses really darkens it up.