Brewing Activities (2023)

Today was my last day of some extended vacation; found some time to brew an oatmeal stout. First time I pulled my brew gear out since May.

 

Going to put the brown ale I brewed before Christmas in a keg on Thursday or Friday. I want to try and keg condition it. Never done it before so should be fun. I’m taking this beer to Orange Hat Brewery for a Homebrew competition they are hosting on Jan. 28th and ticket proceeds will go to a scholarship fund for a student taking brewing classes at brewing school.

 

Brewing a "Cold" IPA today. At least, what my understanding of a cold IPA is.

 

Uh oh. Has MrOh been snatched and replaced by a millennial pod?

But seriously, I think the term "cold IPA" is silly, or at least unnecessary.
- If made with lager yeast, it's a hoppy lager, or (ugh) "IPL" (another unnecessary term that already existed).
- If made with ale yeast, it's an ale fermented at low temps. Nothing new.

And using rice or corn in the grist is nothing special or unique IMO. They've been used in lagers for many decades. I know at least two local pro brewers who have been making hoppy adjuct lagers for many years. If only they'd known that they could cash in by giving their non-unique beers special names.

I ferment Imperial Stouts at low temps all the time. Should I declare them to be "cold stouts?"

Now get off my lawn.

 

Like most of the rants about new styles not really being new, I wholeheartedly agree.

HOWEVER, I appreciate shorthand, and I also would have never thought to put all those things together if "Cold IPA" weren't a thing that people were brewing and I enjoy.

 

Brew day went off without any sort of hitch. Didn't even have to fight the wind to keep the boil going without it going too hard. No yardwork to take care of here at this time of year. Kinda boring.

 

Ohhhh yeah, I’m changing my stouts to HOT STOUTS wither they got hot peppers or not, hahhaahhahhaha

 

Sounds like a great application for that Kveik yeast you love.

 

Twangy orangey stout. Yumm!

 

It'd be like one of those chocolate oranges that you get around Christmas and smack to make the segments fall apart.

 

Brewed a hoppy American amber today, west coast style. There aren't many instances in 15+ years that I brewed on back to back weekends.

 

My first brew of the year was a pseudo Sahti. Amber rye base beer with juniper berries, spruce tips, and homegrown chinook. Fermented with Lutra.

 

Trying out Mangrove Jack for my first time ever. Gotta love the ease of a dry yeast; I’ve been so accustomed to starters over the years. Giving the French saison and bohemian lager strains a go on a big batch of SMaSH, with floor malted pils/Czech saaz

 

That sounds awesome.

 

Been years since I've used MJ, but I found that it tended to have a much longer lag time than other dry yeasts. Other than that, the non-Belgian strains seemed to be less attenuative than other brands' similar strains. YMMV.

 

Mashed in on a Ryewine this morning. Maris Otter, rye, and carafa. Warrior early and Pacifica late. I’m hoping the Pacifica adds a light orange peel character. Two hour boil. Meadowfoam honey at flameout. I was planning on fermenting with WY Scottish but my LHBS stopped selling liquid yeast. I went with the Lallemand London strain. Shooting for 12% abv. Oak spirals currently soaking in rye and bourbon for secondary.

 

good to know, thanks. So aside from being a bit less attenuative and laggy during ferment, the final beers were good from what you remember?