Brewing Activities (2023)

Nearly a year since the last time I brewed (8/25/22 to be specific) and I brewed up a Festbier... Tis' the season.

Wrapped up and pitched the yeast a few hours ago. OG of 1.061, expecting a final ABV around 6.0-6.2%.

Best Pils (81.5%)
Munich II (11.5%)
Carahell (4%)
Acidulated (3%)

FWH addition of Hallertau Magnum ~10 IBU
30min and 15min additions of Spalt Select ~9 IBU

Planning to brew a Pils in the coming weeks and get brewing a little more frequently again.

 

Brewed a thiloized American wheat. Pale malt, wheat malt, and a little aromatic. Cascade in the mash and bk. Whirlpool addition of Citra, Nelson Sauvin, and Phantasm. Fermented with Star Party. No dry hops.

 

Brewed up a 100% Brett Fermented Pale Ale this afternoon. Maris Otter, wheat, oats, C40. Wanted something a little maltier and interesting for the Brett to chew on long term. All Riwaka in the boil. Omega All The Brett’s to ferment. I might blend a little sour blonde in before bottling. Smelled amazing going into the fermenter.

 

Brewed up a rye lager today. Was supposed to be my second try at a rye cream ale with Pilsner (used 2-row the first time), Rye (20% this time), flaked corn but forgot I had ran out of US-05. Happened to have some s-23 though so why not make a lager instead!

 

Bottled the amber pale this past Sunday with no apparent issues. Things went smooth for a change.....

 

Dry hopping house pale today.
Monday brewing a hole hop ale. Mostly cascade with chinook remnants and some 3 year old nugget.

 

Late last night, the Festbier went into the spunding keg (at 1.018, FFT was ~1.012). As I want to repitch on the same yeast, I am the middle of the boil on my German Pils to get that wort on the yeast today. That Festbier will finish with a robust ~6.3% ABV.

The pils will have an expected OG of 1.048 and is just 100% Best Pils... Hopped with a few ounces of Mittelfruh, Saaz and Tettnang at 45/15/5 in the boil and a small addition of Magnum for a FWH at 75min. Should end up around ~40ish IBU.

Bumped the sulfates in the water up to 100ppm (only additions outside of lactic acid) for this one.

 

Already prepping my spunding keg for the Pils that was brewed Friday... Just two days, it completely ripped through that wort from 1.048 down to 1.015 just now (expected FG of 1.008), so I'll be kegging tonight already. Impressive! Might be a record for me and lager fermentation, usually around 5-6 days, but usually don't pitch on a just used/fresh yeast cake.

 

Big weekend, brewin Irish, 2 pale ales and all simco ipa.

 

Only broke 2 in 36 years and counting, but did lose a couple over the years, and retired one that wasn't accurate.

 

Brewing an drinking with friends was always the culprit. Lol

 

Not too active lately. Mostly been waging war on mice in my brew space. They chewed through the foam around my fermentation chamber in May, shit all over and knocked the airlock off my wee heavy. I was doing a pre-bottling check when I found this. Beer smelled wonderful but I cried a little and dumped it... didn't want to find a drowned mouse at the end of syphoning.. Strangely, have only caught one in 6 weeks with 5 traps in a pretty small space.

With safeguards in place, will be doing my standard rye saison with cultured up Blaugies dregs next week.

 

What's the recipe for that look like?

 

OG about 1.052, FG about 1.010. 90% pils malt, 10% flaked rye. Mash at 145F. 20 IBU bittering hops (I'll use Galena because I have some), 1oz Saaz or Tettnanger at flameout for 5 gallons. Ferment with Blaugies dregs or WY 1026. Pitch at 60F, let the fermentation go, finish at about 77F for a few days. Simple recipe; it's all in the yeast and fermentation control. I usually bottle condition saisons unless it's a 2-3% ABV table beer.

 

Jerry,
I live in a very old house and mice are always a problem. We also have a dog so poison is out. I run 10 traps at any given time. Alter baits from bread, peanut butter, cheese, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. I cleaned out good then a couple weeks grace, then back at it.
Killer all,,,,,, never, hahahhaahhaa

 

Same here. My wife owns a boarding kennel in the building next door, plus we have 5 dogs of our own, 2 cats, a varying number of horses and goats. Definitely no poison here. Peanut butter works great. We usually have a dozen or so traps going. Cats are worthless, only catch about 2 a year. A few years ago mice got into a sack of malt on the basement shelf. Only lost a pound or two before corrective action. Interestingly, they ignored the sack of American 2 row on top and went straight for my German pils. Discerning rodents.

 

Feel the need for a Hefeweizen and IPA. Got to use up whole cones in the fridge from last years pickings.

 

Just make a hoppy hefe…

 

Have in the past, but just used 1-1/2 oz of Sorachi Ace in the Hefe. Seems to work ok.
11 oz of whole cones went in the IPA, still have some to use it.
With weird weather looks like I'll get more hops than I thought with recent rains.
Hopefully sun wont fry them if it gets to oven temps.
Cheers!

 

I’m out as in out of home brew. Tore my rotator so had to call in the in-laws and outlaws. Garlic crop is harvested and drying but they drained the cellar. It’s gonna b interesting being the one armed brewer for a while but today was a hole hop ale. Following brews this week will b Irish, nut brown and porter