Who's brewing this fine weekend? 5/17

Dry hopping an Amarillo, Citra and Simcoe Ipa. Tasting my Galaxy Ipa for the first time since bottling. Not much going on this weekend so I plan on taking it easy and doing a lot of sampling.

 

We'll be doing a galaxy hopped brown ale on Sunday, I believe.

 

Will tap my keg of Vikeman's APA IPA. It's only been a week in the keg, but definitely time to see what it tastes like with some carbonation. Other than that, no homebrewing activities, unless you count the perpetual consideration of the next several batches to be brewed...

 

Good luck to you! Once you go all-grain, you never go back again!

 

I did my weekend brewing two days ago -- proactive! Did two batches - a dark English mild and a low-ABV California common.

Actually, they were more accurately brewed late than early. I need the batches to be done (or at least mostly done) and kegged and carbed by Saturday the 25th, whereupon I'll be using them in this year's Extremely Stupid 24 Hour Challenge. The rules:

In a 24 hour period, you must:

• Walk 24 miles
• Drink 24 beers (calling 1 beer a 12 oz serving)
• Eat 24 2-for-99¢ Jack in the Box tacos

Thus the 3.5% homebrew. Even with Miller Lite this would be a tall order.

 

The weather forecast in Charleston is iffy this weekend, so I'm in limbo. If the weather is good, then I'll be boating. If it's rainy, then I'll be brewing in the garage. I have ingredients on standby for a "summer bitter" with 100% Maris Otter, Challenger bittering hops, and Fuggles for flavor/aroma. It will be called Boat Beer, of course, for those future days with good weather.

 

This sounds like the following 24 hours will be devoted to some quality toilet time!

 

That's why we do it Memorial Day weekend ... two whole days to recover.

 

Since I royally f'ed up the mash on Weds, I'm gonna try again on a Belgian Rye IPA on Tuesday (extract this time, gotta keep it quick now). Using the new belle saison yeast for the first time, along with belma and pacific jade hops. Hope it turns out.

 

On Sunday I'll pull some dry hops from the APAIPA. I also have a brown ale to keg, but I need to kick the keg of pale mild, which I've been working on...

 

Brewing V2 of my bad ass Mosaic Simcoe Centennial Galaxy IPA this morning.

FWH - 5oz
Whirlpool hop stand - 8oz
Hop Rocket - 3oz
Double Dry Hopped - 16oz

32oz of hops to make 11 gallons
100 IBU's
7% abv
Fermented with Conan Yeast from Heady Topper


It will be served at the National Homebrewing Conference Club Night in Philadelphia next month!

 

I am going to be starting my brew in a few hours. I am doing the Dead Ringer kit from Northernbrewer, but I am jacking up the hops quite a bit. I am doing my second "brew-in-a-bag" method and have gone over my steps again and again. I think I am ready (I muckled the brew in a bag Kolsch I did a while back). The weather is solid, the ingredients are ready and I'm excited. Wish me luck.

If there's time, tonight I will start the process of making my homemade coppa. If that doesn't make your mouth water, I don't know what will. http://www.andrewharper.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/charcuterie_falorni.jpg

 

Tomorrow I've got a APA planned with 3 new to me Australian hop varieties, Pride of Ringwood, Stella and Galaxy. PoR for bittering then all late charges for Stella and Galaxy. Then I'm going to split the batch and do a double dry hop regiment with one of them. Not sure what to dry hop with yet.. don't think I can get any more Galaxy

http://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/impale-ale-v2

 

I'm bottling my Grapefruit IPA and brewing a Oberon Clone (harvested some healthy yeast from two bottles, starter is kicking!).

Also working on recipes for a Ginger Ale and a Gingerbread Imperial Milk Stout aged on Rum Spirals. I've never brewed with Ginger so would love some advice.

 

Got together with my neighbor. He's been doing all grain forever, and I have a new burner and kettle to break in, so we did a surly bender clone. For my first all grain experience, I went in a little intimidated, and left wondering why I haven't done this sooner. Got to drink soomme crooked stave, and homebrewed esb and wheat too. Greatway to end ntnl craft beer week.

 

Whew.. Got my RIS down today, my farmhouse IPA left to do tomorrow.

Hit everything perfect today on my stout, volumes, and numbers were spot on.

100 IBU, and looks and feels like motor oil. 1.120 OG.. waiting for the PVW oak.

 

Coppa is so good. Wanna do a trade? I've got some homemade bottarga curing.

 

I've never had bottarga, but would love to try it. I didn't get to the coppa unfortunately, but when I do I will check in with you.

Salute!

 

Firing up the kettle for ROUND 2, today.

RIS was a massive success, although I haven't gone to look at my fermenters yet. I split the batch, which was around 6 gallons into 2, glass 6.5 carboys to see if I could avoid having to rig up a dual blow off system. RIS love to just go apeshit and make a mess.


Now I'm measuring out my water additions for my farmhouse IPA. Any opinions if I should go light, more farmhouse style with the water and mute some hops, or go hard hard water on it and make the hops pop more? Using American hops like Columbus, Centennial, Amarillo and Citra in it.

 

LOL I didn't wind up doing the elderberry wheat III because I hadn't finished the starter on time! (this is a recurring theme, BTW).

So instead, I made a SMaSH with 12 lbs of Vienna malt and 5 oz cascade (1 at 60, 1 at 10, 1 at 5, 2 at 0). Will dry hop with the rest of that bag of cascade, whatever it is (around 2-3 oz). Obviously used dry yeast there, 05 it was.

Picked up some extract and some generic specialty grains at the LHBS. I'm going to make a few 2 gallon batches at home using the Mr Beer keggle. Here are some thoughts on that:

• I brew at my bro's house, so this way I can do some mini-batches at my house
• probably going to mostly brew saisons, as I don't have a freezer/controller here, so I'll have to improvise on keeping the fermenting wort cool enough (and saison yeast will be more forgiving)
• Planning to try the T-58 dry saison yeast on the first one.
• Picked up some maris otter, C20, C60, and a little honey malt, plus I still have some carafoam and some flaked corn. These should make for a decent specialty grain mini-mini-mash selection
• I'm not sure what hops I have in the fridge, but there's about seven pounds, so I'll find something hops wise.
• I have three two pounds bags of extract to start, one light, one extra light, and one is the dreaded non-extra super light amber variety. That way I can see for myself what it's like, instead of regurgitating standardized advice. (I bet whatever I make, it will come out good anyway)
• I'll start doing all grain mini-batches whenever I devise a new mini-mash tun. The extract batches are mostly for grins