No brew today, but I did just finish wiring up and installing this fancy pants electronic thermostat for my garage fridge. Lager beer here we come!
What's fermenting now?
- Thread starter TN
- Start date
Kegged a Chocolate Stout and Citra IPA (Pale ale?) that both taste great and they're not carbed yet. Brewing up my simple IPA with all Cascade hops this time. Need to think of something else to brew tomorrow, maybe a Red or another Blonde (honey blonde was a huge hit).
Had a few friends over on Tuesday - kicked two kegs and the other two are pretty much toast, so i'm shooting for brews that wrap up pretty quick. My other IPA (with Centennial hops) was a fan favorite and was almost perfect at 2 weeks, so we'll see.
I have a caramel amber on tap...i've come to the conclusion that any brew I make where I add anything too processed (this had a pound of liquid caramel extract something) doesn't taste all that great. A few people liked it, but it's just off for me.
Had a few friends over on Tuesday - kicked two kegs and the other two are pretty much toast, so i'm shooting for brews that wrap up pretty quick. My other IPA (with Centennial hops) was a fan favorite and was almost perfect at 2 weeks, so we'll see.
I have a caramel amber on tap...i've come to the conclusion that any brew I make where I add anything too processed (this had a pound of liquid caramel extract something) doesn't taste all that great. A few people liked it, but it's just off for me.
Broken Hydrometer count is now at 2. I guess i'll grab a sample and find out what the OG of this one is tomorrow. 
Updated my mash tun manifold - previously I just had a t-connector at the end plug into the valve so the whole manifold was tilted up. Just ran some water through it and have less than .25gal of deadspace rather than the 1.5-2gal from before. I also loaded up the lid with some Great Stuff, hopefully that will improve holding temperatures during the mash.
Brewing up that Chocolate Stout again tomorrow. Adding a bit more chocolate malt, and a pound of Lactose to make it a Chocolate Milk Stout. Should be pretty killer.
Brewing up that Chocolate Stout again tomorrow. Adding a bit more chocolate malt, and a pound of Lactose to make it a Chocolate Milk Stout. Should be pretty killer.
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how do you guys control your brew temps during the summer?
Chest freezer with a temp controller.
Yeast starter is going for a Russian Imperial. Probably should have brewed it last month but the cash wasn't there. Still should be ready for the worst of colorado winter though.
Brew moar, bitches. My kegs are going empty far too fast - i've put out a donation jar.
On call this weekend so I had to hang around the house. Kegged a Blonde and Amber yesterday, brewed the high in demand IPA and Choc Stout today. Ran out of my bulk 2-row order by 2lbs on the Stout, bah.
On call this weekend so I had to hang around the house. Kegged a Blonde and Amber yesterday, brewed the high in demand IPA and Choc Stout today. Ran out of my bulk 2-row order by 2lbs on the Stout, bah.
I'm thinking about doing a jalapeno chocolate stout. Most all of my friends say no - because they like drinking the regular choc stout too much. I'm thinking of racking 1/2 of it to another carboy for secondary with some jalapenos and more chocolate nibs to see how it turns out.
The first time I ever had Jalapenos was with chocolate, and if I remember right it was fantastic. I think some heat with a chocolate backbone could be OK. Or it could be really, really bad. We'll see how it turns out.
The first time I ever had Jalapenos was with chocolate, and if I remember right it was fantastic. I think some heat with a chocolate backbone could be OK. Or it could be really, really bad. We'll see how it turns out.
brewed a pumpkin spice porter last night. was my first time steeping grains, looking forward to trying it in a few weeks.
looking to start amassing everything needed for going all grain.
looking to start amassing everything needed for going all grain.
Do you like the style? We tried this *once* and it was gross, at least in my (and my wife's) opinion.
It's still on their website 4 (5?) years later so I'm guessing that *someone* is buying it, but I'd try something brewed in the style first before committing to 5g of it.
I've tried a couple "pepper" beers and hated them, but i'm not really looking to get any pepper flavor but more just a bit of heat. Like I said i'm just going to rack 1/2 of it to another carboy I have and play around - if it's crap then I won't feel so bad about dumping 2 gallons.
Brewed up a Porter recipe for the Denver Homebrew Club meeting coming up the other day. Also couldn't sleep on Monday so I brewed up the Blonde again. I think i'll try a pumpkin beer next.
Put my name in for 200# of 2 row in the next group buy. We also just signed a 6 month lease for a ski condo this year with a few other folks, so i'm back on craigslist looking for another chest freezer to turn into a kegerator. Gonna be a wild winter.
Also have tickets for the Friday GABF with a bunch of friends, and then the Saturday Members Only session. I've got an extra ticket to that, anyone want it? $55
Brewed up a Porter recipe for the Denver Homebrew Club meeting coming up the other day. Also couldn't sleep on Monday so I brewed up the Blonde again. I think i'll try a pumpkin beer next.
Put my name in for 200# of 2 row in the next group buy. We also just signed a 6 month lease for a ski condo this year with a few other folks, so i'm back on craigslist looking for another chest freezer to turn into a kegerator. Gonna be a wild winter.
Also have tickets for the Friday GABF with a bunch of friends, and then the Saturday Members Only session. I've got an extra ticket to that, anyone want it? $55
And with a wave of my magic wand:
Broke out the homebrew rig for the first time in 2 years. Brewed up 5 gallons of gratzer (aka grodziskie). 9.5P, 100% oak-smoked wheat malt, 35 IBU using Ger. Northern Brewer for bittering and Hal. Tradition for light aroma, kolsch yeast.
20lbs of grain currently being mashed into 5 gallons of Imperial Vanilla Bourbon Porter. My place smells amazing. 1.070 preboil at 7 gallons, going down to 6. Going to be a monster winter warmer for the ski condo:
Whirlfloc and cold crashing clear beers like a boss, even with crappy Iphone pics - incase you were wondering. IPA - 14# 2-row, 1# Vienna, 1# Crystal 60, A whole lot of Centennial:
Whirlfloc and cold crashing clear beers like a boss, even with crappy Iphone pics - incase you were wondering. IPA - 14# 2-row, 1# Vienna, 1# Crystal 60, A whole lot of Centennial:
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How to build a kegerator in 3 easy steps:
Step 1 - Buy a chest freezer off craigslist
Step 2 - Buy a bunch of other junk
Step 3 - Have a few beers and see what happens
Still waiting on a 3-way gas splitter, need to cut down the tap handles and get some larger bolts for the hinges, but the hard work is done.
This build went way smoother now that I had an idea of what I was doing. My only regret is the inside of the lid had a bit of a lip on it so I couldn't set the wood back further underneath. There's no edge sticking out if you're looking straight down, but it's not totally flush. Oh well.
Step 1 - Buy a chest freezer off craigslist
Step 2 - Buy a bunch of other junk
Step 3 - Have a few beers and see what happens
Still waiting on a 3-way gas splitter, need to cut down the tap handles and get some larger bolts for the hinges, but the hard work is done.
This build went way smoother now that I had an idea of what I was doing. My only regret is the inside of the lid had a bit of a lip on it so I couldn't set the wood back further underneath. There's no edge sticking out if you're looking straight down, but it's not totally flush. Oh well.
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Just kegged the collaboration brew.
Chocolate porter aged in a Pinot Nior barrel for 4 months.
I put my 40L share into bags for the handpull in my bikeshop.
Tasting bloody fantastic right now but I'm a bit worried about how long it will last?
Looks like there was a Lactobacillus infection picked up somewhere in the last month.
Bad pic, but what it looked like IRL coresponded with googled pics of a Lacto brew.
In early tastes months ago I thought I detected a hint of Brett as well but can't quite pick it out now.
Chocolate porter aged in a Pinot Nior barrel for 4 months.
I put my 40L share into bags for the handpull in my bikeshop.
Tasting bloody fantastic right now but I'm a bit worried about how long it will last?
Looks like there was a Lactobacillus infection picked up somewhere in the last month.
Bad pic, but what it looked like IRL coresponded with googled pics of a Lacto brew.
In early tastes months ago I thought I detected a hint of Brett as well but can't quite pick it out now.
This turned out awesome! Straw color with expected wheat haze, mild smoke aroma with hints of fruit and spice. Bready flavor, noticeable oak smoke, but not overpowering. Crisp, dry finish. If you're in to brewing history at all and want to taste something truly unique, this is it. I'm hoping to do this recipe on our 15 bbl system this spring.
Fail. Unfermented sugars can always be saved. Rouse yeast, re-pitch, whatever.
Got an IPA on the stovetop right now, I added a bunch of Crystal 80L to give it some depth and dark color, too.
Started a hard cider yesterday. There's a first time for everything I guess.. I'm planning on still jugging 3 gallons and bottling the other 2 to carbonate. Anybody else given cider a shot..? I loved the hard ciders they had on tap at bars in NZ so I thought it was worth a try.
Also, the American Pale Ale we did last month turned out great, but there were a few random bottles that didn't carbonate for some reason.. no idea why.
Also, the American Pale Ale we did last month turned out great, but there were a few random bottles that didn't carbonate for some reason.. no idea why.
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We've got quite the vigorous fermentation going in there. Almost into the blowoff tube and the CO2 bubbles sound like a machine gun.
Hop Soup
Giving this stuff a try:
Giving this stuff a try:
Chocolate Milk Stout
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the beer I posted above ^ is stuck at 1.030. I added more yeast and it's still not fermenting. WTF!!! I've never had that happen.
I did brew a stout yesterday and a few days before that I cooked up some kind of amberish beer.
All I have on tap is the whitehouse honey all. I don't really care for it. tastes like honey.
I did brew a stout yesterday and a few days before that I cooked up some kind of amberish beer.
All I have on tap is the whitehouse honey all. I don't really care for it. tastes like honey.
Lots of questions:
Mash temps?
Ferm temps?
Yeast starter?
You could maybe try repitching champagne yeast since it's already got some alcohol in it - might be able to drop it.
Mash temps?
Ferm temps?
Yeast starter?
You could maybe try repitching champagne yeast since it's already got some alcohol in it - might be able to drop it.
temps and techniques are the same as all my other beers.
The yeast was 2 weeks past expiration. I didn't catch it before I pitched it. I did add another packet of dry yeast and brought the temps up but it doesn't seem to have changed anything.
I'm not too worried about it. If I have to dump it, no big deal.
The yeast was 2 weeks past expiration. I didn't catch it before I pitched it. I did add another packet of dry yeast and brought the temps up but it doesn't seem to have changed anything.
I'm not too worried about it. If I have to dump it, no big deal.
Keggin' and brewin'. Just finished up a standard house ale, mashing another stout.
Left to right - Oktoberfest > IPA > Stout. The Oktoberfest and IPA are awesome. The stout not so much, but I kinda knew that going into it. Thus, brewing it again today with a much less aggressive, slightly tweaked solid recipe.
Left to right - Oktoberfest > IPA > Stout. The Oktoberfest and IPA are awesome. The stout not so much, but I kinda knew that going into it. Thus, brewing it again today with a much less aggressive, slightly tweaked solid recipe.
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Overfilled my blowoff bucket by ~1/4 gallon by the time I got home. Rippin and tearin
Limoncello
