Here's some video of the krausen running out the tube and the airlock once the krausen started to fall :) I wish the churning would show up when I was focused on the carboy. It's kinda cool to watch.
It's still bubbling away.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
First All Grain Batch
So tonight I got a wild hair up my ass and decided enough procrastinating, I am just going to go ahead and brew this cream ale recipe. I fired up the propane burners, rinsed out the mash tun and got to it.
My recipe called for a 20 minute rest at 133, so I added my grains to roughly 3 gallons of water at 140 in a kettle. I couldn't keep temps very well all day. After 20 minutes I turned up the burner and got the mash up to about 160 and then transferred the whole thing to the mash/lauter tun. about half way through I checked temps and it was down to 145ish, so I threw in half a gallon of nearly boiling water. That brought things back up to about 155. After I drained that into the boil kettle, I sparged with 4.5 gallons at 170ish for 10 minutes. I was about 1.040 out of the mash, so I hit target! I will figure my effeciency later, but rough guess is 75%. Not too shabby for my first time out.
I noticed the hops were kinda high alpha for a low gravity cream ale, so I boosted the OG about 8-10 points with a pound of DME so my starting gravity is 1.052. Looks like it will be around 5% ABV. Strictly speaking, this and the high hops bumps it from a cream ale up to a blonde ale, but no biggy. We'll see how it turns out after fermentation :)
Notes for the future: 5 gallon (instead of 10) mash/lauter tun for normal gravity beers, better thermometers - 2 of them, a cooling system, and more planning/less spontaneity.
Overall a fun time, but makes for a late night. I am still waiting for it to cool enough to pitch my yeast. Thankfully it's cold enough outside to help me out with the cooling.
Recipe:
7# 2 row
.75# honey malt
.25# Biscuit malt
1 oz cluster hops 60 min (7.7 AA)
Wyeast 1056
My recipe called for a 20 minute rest at 133, so I added my grains to roughly 3 gallons of water at 140 in a kettle. I couldn't keep temps very well all day. After 20 minutes I turned up the burner and got the mash up to about 160 and then transferred the whole thing to the mash/lauter tun. about half way through I checked temps and it was down to 145ish, so I threw in half a gallon of nearly boiling water. That brought things back up to about 155. After I drained that into the boil kettle, I sparged with 4.5 gallons at 170ish for 10 minutes. I was about 1.040 out of the mash, so I hit target! I will figure my effeciency later, but rough guess is 75%. Not too shabby for my first time out.
I noticed the hops were kinda high alpha for a low gravity cream ale, so I boosted the OG about 8-10 points with a pound of DME so my starting gravity is 1.052. Looks like it will be around 5% ABV. Strictly speaking, this and the high hops bumps it from a cream ale up to a blonde ale, but no biggy. We'll see how it turns out after fermentation :)
Notes for the future: 5 gallon (instead of 10) mash/lauter tun for normal gravity beers, better thermometers - 2 of them, a cooling system, and more planning/less spontaneity.
Overall a fun time, but makes for a late night. I am still waiting for it to cool enough to pitch my yeast. Thankfully it's cold enough outside to help me out with the cooling.
Recipe:
7# 2 row
.75# honey malt
.25# Biscuit malt
1 oz cluster hops 60 min (7.7 AA)
Wyeast 1056
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
25 things
The 25 things application seems FUBAR, so I am posting mine here:
1. I've been shot twice, not bad, just stupid. First time (.22) grazed me between the legs (just missing the boys, thus my children) second time a farmer shot me in the ass with rock salt, very painful.
b. I was arrested for the first time at 15. Once again not bad, just stupid. I was released with no charges.
iii. I hate fads, that's why I resisted this list thing until it had died down somewhat. In keeping with this, I will tag no one in this if the application will allow it. Since it will not, I will tag only my wife. Okay, they are totalitarian in their tagging requirements, so prepare to be tagged dammit!
17. I like to make beer. I am just starting into all-grain brewing.
xiv. I was second in my state and went to nationals for the Citizen's Bee. It's like a spelling bee only with American studies/history questions
d. All the competitions, special tests, contests, etc. that I entered in High School were primarily excuses to get out of class. I just get really competitive once I am actually in one. In the abstract I could usually care less.
8. In spite of being an avid punk/heavy metal/alternative music lover, I like James Taylor's music. I blame my parents
XX. My children are my single proudest achievement in my life
25. I am a liberal democrat but find myself drifting towards libertarianism at times
f. I think every person in America should be required to go to Boot Camp, not necessarily be in the military, God no. The lessons from Boot Camp are life altering (in a good way) however.
1a. I abhor mistreatment of the flag through negligence or apathy, but defend the right to burn the flag as a form of protest. Yes it seems a juxtaposition but really it is about respect. Don't make me knock your hat off when the flag goes by during a parade.
E(b16). I am a member of the American Legion, the American Homebrewers Association, the Democratic party, the RPGA and AMVETS
Twelve. I originally decided to become a dealer (part-time, lol) just to help my poker game. I rarely play anymore.
__. I used to have my own freelance web design business. I find that I tend to dislike clients, so no more of them, thank you.
VII. I was a paid writer for the MMO game Shadowbane as part of the Herald program.
j. I worked for the IGN network for a short time as a paid writer
9. I once did a consultant job in LA for a firm looking to bring Asian MMORPGs to the American market
1101(b2). I love the new Dr. Who (and some of the other BBC scifi series) and am working hard at fostering this in my children. I am only batting .500 so far.
cc. I met my wife on a blind date. I think I used a normal man's lifetime quota of good luck in one day that day.
23 I believe in pretty much everything; ghosts, UFOs, etc. I think people are too easily influenced to believe that they have experienced these things however. I think they are far more rare and have much different explanations than we are coming up with right now. If that doesn't make sense, I don't care because it's my believe not yours.
eighteen. I like odd sounding words and word combinations: Fuck-knuckle, Koumpounophobia, Tristadecaphobia, Irish Wristwatch, etc.
21 I am over half Irish. My mother is 3rd generation full-blooded Irish in America and my father, from what he's said, a very small part Irish. I love the Irish language: Póg ma thoin
xxii. My favorite number is 52. It has been that since I was 6, even before I knew how many cards were in a deck or could play cards.
h. I still carry my lifetime crew member card for USS Constitution and a copy of my DD214 in my wallet to this day.
25 I miss having art in my life. I used to paint and draw a lot and was even thinking about pursuing design/fine arts in college. Life just gets so full sometimes. My one surviving painting hangs above my fireplace now.
1. I've been shot twice, not bad, just stupid. First time (.22) grazed me between the legs (just missing the boys, thus my children) second time a farmer shot me in the ass with rock salt, very painful.
b. I was arrested for the first time at 15. Once again not bad, just stupid. I was released with no charges.
iii. I hate fads, that's why I resisted this list thing until it had died down somewhat. In keeping with this, I will tag no one in this if the application will allow it. Since it will not, I will tag only my wife. Okay, they are totalitarian in their tagging requirements, so prepare to be tagged dammit!
17. I like to make beer. I am just starting into all-grain brewing.
xiv. I was second in my state and went to nationals for the Citizen's Bee. It's like a spelling bee only with American studies/history questions
d. All the competitions, special tests, contests, etc. that I entered in High School were primarily excuses to get out of class. I just get really competitive once I am actually in one. In the abstract I could usually care less.
8. In spite of being an avid punk/heavy metal/alternative music lover, I like James Taylor's music. I blame my parents
XX. My children are my single proudest achievement in my life
25. I am a liberal democrat but find myself drifting towards libertarianism at times
f. I think every person in America should be required to go to Boot Camp, not necessarily be in the military, God no. The lessons from Boot Camp are life altering (in a good way) however.
1a. I abhor mistreatment of the flag through negligence or apathy, but defend the right to burn the flag as a form of protest. Yes it seems a juxtaposition but really it is about respect. Don't make me knock your hat off when the flag goes by during a parade.
E(b16). I am a member of the American Legion, the American Homebrewers Association, the Democratic party, the RPGA and AMVETS
Twelve. I originally decided to become a dealer (part-time, lol) just to help my poker game. I rarely play anymore.
__. I used to have my own freelance web design business. I find that I tend to dislike clients, so no more of them, thank you.
VII. I was a paid writer for the MMO game Shadowbane as part of the Herald program.
j. I worked for the IGN network for a short time as a paid writer
9. I once did a consultant job in LA for a firm looking to bring Asian MMORPGs to the American market
1101(b2). I love the new Dr. Who (and some of the other BBC scifi series) and am working hard at fostering this in my children. I am only batting .500 so far.
cc. I met my wife on a blind date. I think I used a normal man's lifetime quota of good luck in one day that day.
23 I believe in pretty much everything; ghosts, UFOs, etc. I think people are too easily influenced to believe that they have experienced these things however. I think they are far more rare and have much different explanations than we are coming up with right now. If that doesn't make sense, I don't care because it's my believe not yours.
eighteen. I like odd sounding words and word combinations: Fuck-knuckle, Koumpounophobia, Tristadecaphobia, Irish Wristwatch, etc.
21 I am over half Irish. My mother is 3rd generation full-blooded Irish in America and my father, from what he's said, a very small part Irish. I love the Irish language: Póg ma thoin
xxii. My favorite number is 52. It has been that since I was 6, even before I knew how many cards were in a deck or could play cards.
h. I still carry my lifetime crew member card for USS Constitution and a copy of my DD214 in my wallet to this day.
25 I miss having art in my life. I used to paint and draw a lot and was even thinking about pursuing design/fine arts in college. Life just gets so full sometimes. My one surviving painting hangs above my fireplace now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)