Archive | July 2012
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Belgian update #1
My attempt at a Saison described in yesterday’s blog post“Quite the Eventful Brew Day!” appears to be headed in a slightly different direction. Monday was one week into the fermentation, which had slowed and the krausen mostly fallen. I replaced the blow-off tube with the typical 3-piece airlock and took a gravity sample. 1.010 after […]
Quite the eventful brew day!
So I (barely) managed to get a brew day in during my week of vacation. It was a bit hectic, as I typically have my ingredients a week or so before I actually get to brew, but this time, I hit the LHBS (local home brew store) Sunday for Monday brew session. Things started off […]
Baxter Brewing’s summer ale “Celsius”
Baxter Brewing (ME) summer ale “Celsius” is delicious. Lemon and lime peel, Kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass?! Yowza. This ale has a dose of wheat and is unfiltered, so this golden colored beer is cloudy, with swirling solids I assume left over from the herbs added. I’m typically not a big fan of the big-selling […]
Contemplating the next brew…
Going into uncharted waters for my next brew. Given my adventures into Belgian styles this summer (nothing extensive, but for me…) I am considering a Saison. I finally got over my negative response to the Smuttynose (Big Beer Series) Farmhouse ale from a year ago. It was too barnyard, horse blanket, vegital.. too funky for […]
It’s still BEER guys…
I do get the intent behind video #1… but at the same time, when did brewers turn into such self-important pricks? I am a craft brewer Soon followed … I am a craft beer drinker I get the meaning, and I agree with the points made, but didn’t anyone look at that Stone Brewing video […]
My Belgian ignorance (and the local offerings that may change that)
I admit, I’ve been a bit hesitant on the Belgian tidal wave of popularity in the craft beer world. A few examples I had years ago included Ommegang‘s “Rare Vos”, a big Belgian Pale Ale that is fairly complex, amber, highly carbonated. While I truly enjoy that beer, Belgian ales have tended to be something […]
Bottling Day
Bottling Day. Perhaps the worst part of home brewing is bottling. The beer has completed fermentation and now needs to be transferred into roughly 48 bottles. Any bacteria could ruin the beer completely. So anything the beer touches needs to be cleaned and sanitized. The racking wand, tubing, bottling bucket, spigot, 48+ bottles, and caps […]
Rye I love thee
My love of rye in beer is relatively young. About a year ago I stumbled upon Founder’s “Red’s RyePA” at the Amesbury Ale House, when the Hop Head Red I ordered had already run dry. The Founder’s rye IPA was completely different to me. New flavors and textures, especially compared to the standard IPA here […]
First competition
I entered my first homebrew competition in the Spring. Merrimack Valley Homebrew Club was holding it’s first ever comp, which was open to all. Given the dates the entries were due, and what I had already brewed, I put aside my robust porter (my second all-grain brew) which was roughly 5 months old. I had […]
Beer me, tarbender! 