Sunday, August 8, 2010
WoW
Ok it's been a while, changed jobs last winter and that slowed me down... way way down. anyway I am back brewing ad tasting and will have three new reviews posted next week!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Leaf Burner Brown
OK I am brewing a brown ale from extract. I plan to call it "Leaf Burner Brown Ale" Brown ales always kinda reminded me of burning leaves in the fall for some reason. any way here is what is going on
Leaf Burner Brown Ale
IG 1.040
Arlington Texas water put through an activated charcoal bed
Grist
2 oz 55 degree British Crystal Malt
2 oz British Chocolate Malt
1 oz British black malt
Yeast
White labs British ale yeast WL005
Extract
6 lbs Muntons light
Hops
½ oz Carlsons Brewers gold pellet .7% alpha
½ oz Kent Goldings leaf 4.2% alpha
Adjuncts
21 oz pure maple syrup
1 tsp Irish Moss
Steep grist in ½ gallon water at 150 Degrees for 20 minutes strain off to boil kettle batch sparging the grist
Add about 2 gal water bring back to 150 add spray malt and dissolve. Add bittering hops. Maintain between 140 and 150 for 45 min
Add Maple Syrup and finishing hops sit 5 min then raise temp bring to a slow roll just below boiling (200 - 205) then reduce heat to between 170 and 180 for 20 min
Cool to 90 degrees and pour into brew bucket add water to 5 gal. pitch yeast after checking temp is down to below 80 degrees
Leaf Burner Brown Ale
IG 1.040
Arlington Texas water put through an activated charcoal bed
Grist
2 oz 55 degree British Crystal Malt
2 oz British Chocolate Malt
1 oz British black malt
Yeast
White labs British ale yeast WL005
Extract
6 lbs Muntons light
Hops
½ oz Carlsons Brewers gold pellet .7% alpha
½ oz Kent Goldings leaf 4.2% alpha
Adjuncts
21 oz pure maple syrup
1 tsp Irish Moss
Steep grist in ½ gallon water at 150 Degrees for 20 minutes strain off to boil kettle batch sparging the grist
Add about 2 gal water bring back to 150 add spray malt and dissolve. Add bittering hops. Maintain between 140 and 150 for 45 min
Add Maple Syrup and finishing hops sit 5 min then raise temp bring to a slow roll just below boiling (200 - 205) then reduce heat to between 170 and 180 for 20 min
Cool to 90 degrees and pour into brew bucket add water to 5 gal. pitch yeast after checking temp is down to below 80 degrees
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Home brew
Ah home brew! yup I do that to. Just been enjoying a cream ale I made last month and yesterday I put down a brown ale. Hopefully if it comes out well enough I will enter it into the Celtic coming up later this spring
Saturday, January 31, 2009
January 23 beer
The previous Friday we tried beers but we drank from pint glasses and were there for to lit to take notes for the blog. The only things I recall is that Avery Barley wine was universally hated, and that we decided that Spaten Optimator was a better Dopple than Shiner 100 Commemorator. The Avery I poured it in the compost heap the next day. This week we remembered to use smaller glasses so that we could avoid the hangover!
The Beers we drank from left to right
Delirium Noel
This is from Delirium brewery in Belgium. We liked it. over all it had a nice foam, good malt and a decent hop bite. the after taste was a bit smokey but not as much as others from this group of beers.
Next is Black Butte Porter from Deschutes brewery in Oregon. I had high hopes for this beer as their Obsidian Stout was one of the beers that started the beer blog. The Black Butte.. was not bad. good mouth feel rich though smokey flavor a bit of a let down after the Obsideon but over all a pretty decent stout. I'd buy it again if the mood struck me but it wouldn't be a regular.
In the middle we find Ayinger's Celebrator. Again a smokey flavor to the malt (It was a running theme tonight) Over all a good Dopple bock. (I still like Optimator better) Heavy on the malt light on the hops.. yup it's a hangover in the making. like all Dopple's it is a very heavy beer. serve cool and drink slowly.
Next is St Peter's Cream Stout. This is actually the one we started the evening with. It's a subtle taste for a stout. very drinkable very smooth, a stout for people who don;t really like stouts.. not necessarily for those of us who do like a more classic stout.
Last of the night was Sam Adams Cream Stout. This Cream stout has much more of the robust flavors and hops that the typical Stout lover ids looking for while still being mellow enough to call it a creamy. The boys at Sam Adams did good with this one. Good creamy head that last and last, nice full aroma, pleasant mouth feel. Really I don't have anything bad to say about this beer. I won't jump up and down and say "go buy it right now!" but it is a good beer.
The Beers we drank from left to right
Delirium Noel
This is from Delirium brewery in Belgium. We liked it. over all it had a nice foam, good malt and a decent hop bite. the after taste was a bit smokey but not as much as others from this group of beers.
Next is Black Butte Porter from Deschutes brewery in Oregon. I had high hopes for this beer as their Obsidian Stout was one of the beers that started the beer blog. The Black Butte.. was not bad. good mouth feel rich though smokey flavor a bit of a let down after the Obsideon but over all a pretty decent stout. I'd buy it again if the mood struck me but it wouldn't be a regular.
In the middle we find Ayinger's Celebrator. Again a smokey flavor to the malt (It was a running theme tonight) Over all a good Dopple bock. (I still like Optimator better) Heavy on the malt light on the hops.. yup it's a hangover in the making. like all Dopple's it is a very heavy beer. serve cool and drink slowly.
Next is St Peter's Cream Stout. This is actually the one we started the evening with. It's a subtle taste for a stout. very drinkable very smooth, a stout for people who don;t really like stouts.. not necessarily for those of us who do like a more classic stout.
Last of the night was Sam Adams Cream Stout. This Cream stout has much more of the robust flavors and hops that the typical Stout lover ids looking for while still being mellow enough to call it a creamy. The boys at Sam Adams did good with this one. Good creamy head that last and last, nice full aroma, pleasant mouth feel. Really I don't have anything bad to say about this beer. I won't jump up and down and say "go buy it right now!" but it is a good beer.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Rahr Brewery Ft Worth
Tour.. oh yeah they had one of those too! Saturday before the Dallas Stars Game I spent the Afternoon at the Rahr Brewery. A good time was had by all! This is clearly and presently a pleasant Saturday afternoon! $5 gets you a branded pint and having it filled 3 times with Rhar beers (the Storm Cloud IPA and Buffalo Butt amber are my preferred from Rahr) There is live music BBQ is catered in at $4 a plate of and if you are actually interested there really is a tour as well. If you want more than 3 pints that's fine just buy another glass. (or you can get more drink tokens with out buying another glass, but what the hell? You can't buy a branded pint glass for $5 most places empty)
Friday Night Beer 12- 26
Seasonal Beer night (mostly Christmas)
First up tomnight was the Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale from ... Michelob. An Anhieser Bush label Michelob is actually better than their parent at making seasonal and craft beers. This however is not there best venture. a thin head very little aroma and a corm sugar like flavor over powering the vanila tomes they advertised. not bad if you hav already had a shot or two and your toung is numb I guess.
Next was Dogfish head Raison d'extra. We chanced upon this as it is actually not currently on the market. WoW lot's of sugar lots of alchohol this will kick your ass and come back the next day as a sugar hangover from hell. Have one it's good but for the sake of the Children just one!
Next was Otter Creek winter Ale which they claim to be a Rasberry Brown. OK I read the label on this and some others here Friday night didn't. For those who don't know the seeds of a rasberry are way way way up there on Tannin level. the fruit has far more tanin than most realize this is important bacause english beers once upon a time were bittered with tannin from nutshells rather than the hops the Germans and Belgians guarded like virgin daughters. I was expecting a slightly fruity but faitly bitter brown and got what I expected. and if that is what you like then Otter Creek ha a beer for you.. if youare expecting a fruity beer when you pick this up .. sorry dude your out of luck
First up tomnight was the Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale from ... Michelob. An Anhieser Bush label Michelob is actually better than their parent at making seasonal and craft beers. This however is not there best venture. a thin head very little aroma and a corm sugar like flavor over powering the vanila tomes they advertised. not bad if you hav already had a shot or two and your toung is numb I guess.
Next was Dogfish head Raison d'extra. We chanced upon this as it is actually not currently on the market. WoW lot's of sugar lots of alchohol this will kick your ass and come back the next day as a sugar hangover from hell. Have one it's good but for the sake of the Children just one!
Next was Otter Creek winter Ale which they claim to be a Rasberry Brown. OK I read the label on this and some others here Friday night didn't. For those who don't know the seeds of a rasberry are way way way up there on Tannin level. the fruit has far more tanin than most realize this is important bacause english beers once upon a time were bittered with tannin from nutshells rather than the hops the Germans and Belgians guarded like virgin daughters. I was expecting a slightly fruity but faitly bitter brown and got what I expected. and if that is what you like then Otter Creek ha a beer for you.. if youare expecting a fruity beer when you pick this up .. sorry dude your out of luck
Friday night beer 12 - 19
The grand Friday night beer adventure continues! on the 19th we tried not 3 or 4 but rather 7 different beers! this is a record for Friday night beer that will likley last a while.
First up on the block was Old Speckled Hen. An Ale that falls into the English Bitter type most folks would simply call this a Pub Ale. Realistically they would be right on the money. A good solid hop base note playing just a little bit louder than the malt melody. A good solid beer for playing poker or darts and carousing with freinds.
Next up was Hornsby Crisp Apple Cider. This is not actually a beer but since most beer drinkers I know like ciders.... we will taste them here! Hornsby is a Gallo label for any who didn't already know. If you are already a fan of theier "Hard Cider" do yourself a favor and try the Crisp Apple. A refreshing light cider not very over bearing with the malolactic flavor. This of course Belies it's alchohol content which like most ciders packs a pretty good punch.
After a fair bit of BSing and general socializing we moved on to the Belgian Grand Reserve St Sebastion Abbey Ale from Br. Sterkens Meer. Not a Cidery as many of its Belgian brethren we rather enjoyed it. nothing to right home about really but an outright pleasnt Abbey Ale.
Then whe hit the Kona Pipeline Porter... Oh ...My ...God.. this is good shit! A rich coffee Flavored Poret dr'ed up with genuine kona coffee from Hawaii this is just flat our what a Coffee porter should be. this is not a base line this is a role model. Well Done!
Next up was Genesee Cream Ale.... Wow what a let down after the Kona. With notes of Budwiser this cream ale comes in as a rather weak and insipid version of a cream ale. nuf said.
WIth a bit of trepidation and disapointment we moved onto Old Growler Porter from Nethergate Brewery. They claim their recipie is unchanged from the london recipie for porter found in 1750. and with the heavy handed hops I pretty well believe it. It's a god porter but for most yanks who started in on porters and stouts fromamerican craft brews... you might be taken of your mark. not unpleasnetly mind you... it's just not what you are expecting.
Last we tried Pinkus Organic Hefewiesen. after a disasterous atempt at sharing the yeast amounst all those trying this beer we all finally got a sop. Much better malt flavor than most Hefe's out there. they didn't try to hide the cidery nature of a wheat malt behind alot of citrus but instead treated us to a good solid well balanced beer. Good job!
First up on the block was Old Speckled Hen. An Ale that falls into the English Bitter type most folks would simply call this a Pub Ale. Realistically they would be right on the money. A good solid hop base note playing just a little bit louder than the malt melody. A good solid beer for playing poker or darts and carousing with freinds.
Next up was Hornsby Crisp Apple Cider. This is not actually a beer but since most beer drinkers I know like ciders.... we will taste them here! Hornsby is a Gallo label for any who didn't already know. If you are already a fan of theier "Hard Cider" do yourself a favor and try the Crisp Apple. A refreshing light cider not very over bearing with the malolactic flavor. This of course Belies it's alchohol content which like most ciders packs a pretty good punch.
After a fair bit of BSing and general socializing we moved on to the Belgian Grand Reserve St Sebastion Abbey Ale from Br. Sterkens Meer. Not a Cidery as many of its Belgian brethren we rather enjoyed it. nothing to right home about really but an outright pleasnt Abbey Ale.
Then whe hit the Kona Pipeline Porter... Oh ...My ...God.. this is good shit! A rich coffee Flavored Poret dr'ed up with genuine kona coffee from Hawaii this is just flat our what a Coffee porter should be. this is not a base line this is a role model. Well Done!
Next up was Genesee Cream Ale.... Wow what a let down after the Kona. With notes of Budwiser this cream ale comes in as a rather weak and insipid version of a cream ale. nuf said.
WIth a bit of trepidation and disapointment we moved onto Old Growler Porter from Nethergate Brewery. They claim their recipie is unchanged from the london recipie for porter found in 1750. and with the heavy handed hops I pretty well believe it. It's a god porter but for most yanks who started in on porters and stouts fromamerican craft brews... you might be taken of your mark. not unpleasnetly mind you... it's just not what you are expecting.
Last we tried Pinkus Organic Hefewiesen. after a disasterous atempt at sharing the yeast amounst all those trying this beer we all finally got a sop. Much better malt flavor than most Hefe's out there. they didn't try to hide the cidery nature of a wheat malt behind alot of citrus but instead treated us to a good solid well balanced beer. Good job!
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