Reboot Time

Well, I didn't get much life breathed into my brewing like I wanted (according to my previous post).  Instead, the place in which I brew (affectionately known as the Brewdio) is not well insulated against cold Wyoming winters.  Once the temperature decided to sit in the negative digits for a month, the Brewdio became impossible to heat.  So, I took a break.  A long break.

With the warmer weather, however, I'm going to try and reboot the operation.  I've collected a lot of empties and have some grains in the freezer I've been waiting to try out.  My yeast, unfortunately, has been in the fridge for three months, so I'm going to try a few starters and see if it still has any life left.

As far as the beer I already brewed, well, it's only gotten better with age.  The MJ14 Special Dark has radically improved with age, as has the Irish Red.  The Nuts 'n Butts has mellowed nicely, as well.  The hard cider's still in the primary.  I suppose I should check it one of these days.  So much for it not being too dry.

My goal in the next few weeks is to get all my equipment and spaces cleaned up and ready for another brewing season.  I plan on brewing a few quick ales that can be ready within a month or so,  then put an Oktoberfest in the lagering fridge for this coming fall.  I'm also researching keg systems, so we'll see how that goes.  In the meantime, I'm finishing up any MJ14 and Nuts 'n Butts I have left over and enjoying the warming weather and the brewing possibilities on the horizon. . .

Been a While

Wow, family life gets crazy quickly.  However, after a few weeks off the grid, I'm going to try and breathe new life into my brewing.  I haven't brewed in over a month and just bottled a batch yesterday.  That batch was long overdue, I might add.  So, here's hoping I can get back in the saddle, albeit slowly.

Rolled Up Irish Red - this beer is finally coming into its own.  Because of the high alcohol content (8.5), it's taking a bit longer to finish.  It's carbed up well, but still has a slight alcohol burn which I'm hoping will go down with more conditioning time.  Over all, though, it's a pretty good beer.  Not a Jeremiah Red, which is what I was shooting for, but a good beer nonetheless.

Bottom Number Blonde - since I screwed up the heat on the fermentation, I was worried that this beer would suck.  It does, but not as bad as I thought it would.  It's drinkable, but doesn't have the flavor I was hoping for.  A little too bready/yeasty for my taste.  Hopefully I'll be re-brewing this in the next few weeks and I can pull it off like it's supposed to be.

Nuts 'N Butts Brown Ale - this beer is tasting good.  I should have bottled it a week or two ago, but I'll get to it soon.  Hopefully by the end of this week.  It's a good brown, but not quite as tasty as I was hoping.  I'll have to tweak it slightly and see what happens.  I'd like it to be a good session ale if I can get the recipe right.

Hard Cider - still fermenting.  I haven't checked the SG, but I need to.  This should be up around 6% by now, I would think.  I'm going to rack it to a secondary and add a bit more honey and some more apple juice to sweeten it up from the dry mead taste it has now.  I really like it, but the gal I'm making it for doesn't want it too dry.

MJ14 Special Dark - just bottled this - again, overdue.  I was dry-hopping it with oak chips and let it sit at least a week longer than the recipe called for.  Still tastes good, though, albeit kind of like a Dogfish Head mated with a Guiness. . . still, it's a pretty good beer.  Can't wait to see how it tastes out of the bottle.

Vienna Lager - I plan on brewing this one before Christmas, if things work out.  If so, it won't be ready until June or so.

Barleywine - I've had this recipe sitting on my computer for a couple of months just waiting for the right time to make it.  I'm hoping before the New Year, which would bring it in around mid spring or so.  We'll see.

Overall, my brewing/bottling has definitely slowed down.  I'm in the process of rethinking my pace, which was a bit brutal in Sept/Oct, but I was trying to get all the beer I wanted for Christmas done.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting back into it, even if it is at a reduced rate.  Salud.

Weekly Update, 11/10/10

Newly bottled Over-the-Fence Weissbier

Ad-Seg IPA - tastes great.  Almost done conditioning in the bottle. 

Rolled Up Irish Red - in the bottle.  Very alcoholic (8.5%) to the taste at bottling - probably will take a couple of months to reach best flavor.  Good now, but too much alcoholic burn.

Hard Cider - in the fermenter for a few weeks.  Used Wyeast Sweet Mead yeast and it's fermenting like crazy.  Didn't expect it to be so fast or furious.  Had to install blowoff tube.

Early morning bottling crew

Short Timer Stout - ready to rack to secondary.  Tastes great.  This one's a keeper.

Planning on brewing a brown ale (Nuts 'n Butts Brown Ale) this weekend.  It's the last beer I'm going to try and get done before Christmas.  Here's hoping!

Weekly Update, 11/4/10

I haven't posted in a while, mostly because I haven't brewed since the Bottom Number Blonde.  However, I have done a couple of things worthy of note:

Ad-Seg IPA - carbing slowly, but at last taste is going to be fantastic.

Contraband Chocolate Stout - bottled and carbing.  Seems quick on the carbonation end - after four days in the bottle I popped one and it was over half done.  A tad green tasting, but very good.  This is going to be a great Christmas beer.

Rolled Up Irish Red - due to be bottled in a few days.  Great flavor and a very high alcohol content - by brewing efficiency on this one was somewhere in the 80% range.

Brevis Bock - bottled with a very slight grainy taste.  Hoping that mellows in the bottle.

GN14 Hard Cider - threw some Tree Top apple juice, sugar, honey, and sweet mead yeast into a carboy to see what would happen.  Fermenting faster than I expected.  Hoping for a good batch of 8% or so hard cider.

On deck I'm planning on brewing a Dry Stout akin to Murphy's tonight, Short Timer Stout, then on Saturday shoot for my newest recipe, MJ14 Special Dark.  Next week I'm thinking of trying Nuts 'n Butts Brown Ale.

Bottom Number Blonde: First Brew

Well, I tried my first all-grain batch using the BIAB method.  And I failed.  I was raising the temperature in the brewpot with all the grains in it and I flamed out at 158 degrees, the temperature for my mash.  Little did I suspect that the temperature would continue to rise.  So, after stirring and putting the lid on, I answered nature's call and grabbed a homebrew.  Imagine my surprise when I came back 8 minutes later to find the temperature at around 175 or so.  I added some cold water and got it down to 160, but the damage was done.  My efficiency ended up being 63% and I missed my OG by 7 points.  Oh, well.  Live and learn, I guess.

As far as the recipe goes, it's a variation of BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde recipe on homebrewtalk.com.  The only thing I did was add a little more Vienna and Caramel/Crystal malts.

Recipe: Bottom Number Blonde
Brewer: Dechert
Style: Blonde Ale
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 6.01 gal
Estimated OG: 1.047 SG
Estimated Color: 4.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.9 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 75.68 %
0.75 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 8.11 %
0.75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 8.11 %
0.75 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 8.11 %
0.25 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (55 min) Hops 8.7 IBU
0.25 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (35 min) Hops 7.3 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (20 min) Hops 2.9 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 1.0 IBU
0.26 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Notes:
------
BIAB

Four gallons of water in primary brew kettle. Heat. As water heats, put the bag in and add the grain. Stir until water temp rises to 158. Lid kettle and allow to mash for 60 min, stirring every 5 min for first 20 min, then every 10 min for last 40. Keep water at 158.

Bring other two gallons of water in secondary kettle to 178 degrees. At 60 min, add water into grain bag/primary kettle. Stir, lid, and let sit for 10 min. Lift bag and let drain and begin to heat for full boil. Boil and hop per recipe.

My OG actually came it at 1.040 rather than 1.047.  If the starches in the grain didn't convert right, my FG will probably be high, too.  I guess I can chalk it up to a learning experience and move on, then.  We'll know in 7 days or so.

Edit: After a quick, hard beginning to fermentation, it died out and the SG is 1.020.  Tastes like a loaf of bitter bread.  If the SG doesn't drop within the next few days, this batch is going to make a nice addition to the compost pile.

Edit 11/1/10:  Actually fermented down to 1.012 or so.  Tastes better, though only about 3.5%.  Racked to secondary with gelatin and will bottle on the weekend.  We'll see how it turns out, but it looks like it's going to actually work.  Who knew?

Weekly Update, 10/23/2010

This week marked the first in a while that I didn't brew.  But only because all my buckets and carboys are full of beer - which is a good thing.  However, I will be brewing in the next day or two as I have just transferred my Contraband Chocolate Stout to the secondary.  So, here's what's going on as of now:

Ad-Seg IPA - bottle conditioning.  Popped one and the taste is great - a tad cloying, but I'm hoping that fades with carbonation.

Over-the-Fence Wiessbier - mostly gone due to an Oktoberfest party last night.  Need to make more, though - it was a hit with a lot of people, particularly the ladies.

Contraband Chocolate Stout - transferred to secondary today.  Added Belgian chocolate as I did.  Smells great.  Can't wait to taste it.  Only about 7% ABV, which means it should be ready for Christmas.

Brevis Bock - still lagering.  Still has a funny taste to it.  Hope it's nothing.

Bottom Number Blonde - ready to be brewed within the next 48 hours.  Can't wait.

Rolled Up Irish Red - primary fermentation is almost non-existent after a very furious beginning.  Lost about 1/2 gallon of beer to fermentation.  Thank God for blowoff hoses.

Contraband: The Name

In a prison setting, contraband is anything that an inmate is not allowed to possess.  This can cover a wide array of items, from too many books or too much toilet paper to tobacco or knives.  Anything forbidden by policy is considered contraband.  Most contraband is "soft contraband," nuisance items and things that are hoarded for various reasons.  Soft contraband will usually result in verbal or written warnings. Some contraband is "hard contraband," the bad stuff - weapons, drugs, and the like.  Hard contraband will result in time in solitary and a structured disciplinary procedure.  Either way, contraband is an ever-present problem in prisons and the game between inmates trying to get it in and staff trying to stop it is never-ending.