How do you guys feel about taking some field trips this fall? There are two homebrew stores in Greensboro we can check out, and we could always finish up at Natty Greene's:
Triad Homebrew Supply: http://www.homebrew-supply.com/
Big Dan's Brew Shed: http://www.bigdansbrewshed.com/
Raleigh definitely deserves a day trip, too...if we get to the Flying Saucer at noon we could maybe get through 1/50th of their beer list by close.
And of course a trip to Asheville wouldn't be bad.
What do y'all think?
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Headless Horseman Pumpkin Ale
The Pumpkin Dilemma So this beer has become something of a brewing tradition for my wife and I. Most people go to the pumpkin patch every year pick out the one they want, carve it up and throw a candle in it. My wife and I follow a similar pattern only we throw are pumpkin in the mash-tun and see what happens. (Pictured Left) This may seem like a novel concept but in fact it is not. Pumpkins were actually used in colonial days as an essential ingredient in many beers. So why pumpkin in the modern age?..... It's portable, people like pumpkin at Halloween, Thanksgiving, and some people like pumpkin pie at Christmas dinner.
Last years pumpkin beer featured a 10 pound pumpkin and roughly a page of different spices. I have heard that instead of using a real pumpkin that Libbys pumpkin pie filling can be used. I have also given thought to adding some biscuit grain this year to give the crust sensation to the pie. What do you guys think?
Monday, August 29, 2011
Embarking on a journey
My first beer was a carefully selected brew that is endemic to monasteries run by Trappist monk's. It's a great session brew, wonderfully crafted with a balance of hoppiness to the golden malty hue. I used this experience as a vehicle to send me on my way to understanding my dear friend and companion on a deeper level....beer that is. He has always been there when I a helping hand and served me well in my exploring the world one brew, one malty slobber fest after another. I tip my hat to this cellar cooled fellow that has gone from a put mystery of someone else's creation to a true wonder that can be created within the four walls I call home.
Meet the "I'm yo daddy" Patersbier, an ale that keeps on giving, even if it means a whip of a belt or just a cool, refreshing end to a long summer's day.
New Beers, Part Zwei
We have been very productive of late and are looking forward to reaping the rewards in early October. I have several beers undergoing active fermentation or conditioning...
First up is Dubbel Trubbel, a Belgian abbey-style dubbel (based on a Northern Brewer kit with ingredients from American Brewmaster in Raleigh...it includes dark candied sugar and should be a perfect autumn beer):
I brewed this beer back on July 4, and it is currently undergoing secondary fermentation (should be ready near the end of September). Lately I have been dissatisfied with the carbonation of my beers, so I am going to experiment with this batch and carbonate with dry malt extract (DME) rather than corn sugar. Any thoughts on that?
Next up is Saison Jaison, a petite (i.e., less alcohol) Belgian saison-style beer that I brewed in early August. We just bottled it last week in an epic brew day:
We previously brewed a batch of this beer back in May to enjoy over the summer, and it was so good that I decided to brew it again. I didn't make any major changes to the recipe (actually, it's a Northern Brewer kit) except I didn't use hop bags this time, so we'll see if the hop flavor differs. I saved two 22-oz bottles of the first batch to compare with this one.
Besides bottling last week, we brewed two beers. The first was Northern Brewer's St. Paul Porter, which I first brewed several years ago while living in Brooklyn. Let's call it Publicum Porter:
Porters are a great fall/winter beer, and they are one of my (and my wife's) favorite styles. This was the best beer that I brewed before moving to NC. I am mostly a malt maven and yeast fanatic rather than a hop head, and the chocolate/caramel flavors of a good porter taste best when the air is cool and the leaves are falling. We brewed this porter in my brew kettle, which is only big enough for a 2-gallon boil. We followed the standard instructions with the exception of adding the DME as a late addition (15 minutes). The kit included Wyeast's Ringwood Ale yeast, and it took almost 24 hours for fermentation to begin, which had me a little worried (mostly because I am so used to Belgian yeasts that take off within a few hours). Once things got going everything looked good.
Finally, we brewed another Belgian-style beer last week, Northern Brewer's Le Petite Orange limited edition kit, which I'll call the Orange Bowl:
This beer does not fit into a defined category, although Northern Brewer describes it as a less malty dubbel. We brewed this in a 3-gallon kettle, which is the biggest boil I have ever done. We also added the zest of two oranges and two teaspoons of ground coriander at flameout, so the flavor profile of this beer should be very complex. It used Wyeast's Leuven Ale yeast, and it proved to be a beast. At the last minute I realized that I didn't have a third airlock for this beer, so we set up a blowoff tube instead and it was probably a good thing. This was one of the most vigorous fermentations that I have ever experienced, and the yeast smells like dirty feet...don't take this to be a bad thing, as Belgian yeasts are usually a little off the wall. I am really looking forward to trying this beer.
What do y'all think?
First up is Dubbel Trubbel, a Belgian abbey-style dubbel (based on a Northern Brewer kit with ingredients from American Brewmaster in Raleigh...it includes dark candied sugar and should be a perfect autumn beer):
I brewed this beer back on July 4, and it is currently undergoing secondary fermentation (should be ready near the end of September). Lately I have been dissatisfied with the carbonation of my beers, so I am going to experiment with this batch and carbonate with dry malt extract (DME) rather than corn sugar. Any thoughts on that?
Next up is Saison Jaison, a petite (i.e., less alcohol) Belgian saison-style beer that I brewed in early August. We just bottled it last week in an epic brew day:
We previously brewed a batch of this beer back in May to enjoy over the summer, and it was so good that I decided to brew it again. I didn't make any major changes to the recipe (actually, it's a Northern Brewer kit) except I didn't use hop bags this time, so we'll see if the hop flavor differs. I saved two 22-oz bottles of the first batch to compare with this one.
Besides bottling last week, we brewed two beers. The first was Northern Brewer's St. Paul Porter, which I first brewed several years ago while living in Brooklyn. Let's call it Publicum Porter:
Porters are a great fall/winter beer, and they are one of my (and my wife's) favorite styles. This was the best beer that I brewed before moving to NC. I am mostly a malt maven and yeast fanatic rather than a hop head, and the chocolate/caramel flavors of a good porter taste best when the air is cool and the leaves are falling. We brewed this porter in my brew kettle, which is only big enough for a 2-gallon boil. We followed the standard instructions with the exception of adding the DME as a late addition (15 minutes). The kit included Wyeast's Ringwood Ale yeast, and it took almost 24 hours for fermentation to begin, which had me a little worried (mostly because I am so used to Belgian yeasts that take off within a few hours). Once things got going everything looked good.
Finally, we brewed another Belgian-style beer last week, Northern Brewer's Le Petite Orange limited edition kit, which I'll call the Orange Bowl:
This beer does not fit into a defined category, although Northern Brewer describes it as a less malty dubbel. We brewed this in a 3-gallon kettle, which is the biggest boil I have ever done. We also added the zest of two oranges and two teaspoons of ground coriander at flameout, so the flavor profile of this beer should be very complex. It used Wyeast's Leuven Ale yeast, and it proved to be a beast. At the last minute I realized that I didn't have a third airlock for this beer, so we set up a blowoff tube instead and it was probably a good thing. This was one of the most vigorous fermentations that I have ever experienced, and the yeast smells like dirty feet...don't take this to be a bad thing, as Belgian yeasts are usually a little off the wall. I am really looking forward to trying this beer.
What do y'all think?
New Beers
New Beers for the Fall
The InnkeeperSo the three of us brewed a lot over the pre-fall semester break. I am sure that our favorite home brew store appreciated all of our business. I think that we all have our favorite beers and mine changes based on the season. Fall and winter are my favorite brew seasons. In honor of the upcomming fall season I have brewed a beer that has won many awards. This is a recipe from Northern Brewer and it is called "The Innkeeper". For those of you new to brewing, the coat around the fermenter keeps light away. This beer is in primary fermentation and should be ready to drink September 15th 2011.
Mickey Mouse (Belgian Tripel)
This beer hails from Belgium (The Disney Land of Beers) and has 1 pound of candied sugar in it!!! This one has to go through extensive fermentation and bottle conditioning and thus will sadly not be ready for a while. This was our first group effort in the all grain front.
Hello Beer People
We are three individuals here in the Triangle area that appreciate the history, preservation, and fermentation of good beers. We are all home brewers and thus this blog will be devoted to our creations and our persistent quest to brew the perfect pint. (This might be impossible) Please feel free to read, comment, and enjoy.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
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