20080524: Rack it, Baby!!!

It started late at night or early in the morning, whichever you prefer. I racked a Chocolate Stout into a keg, then the next Chocolate Stout from primary to secondary. Next, I racked a Porter into a freshly reconditioned keg. I found out that the gas fitting was leaking but luckily I had a spare one. Then I moved onto getting my Prince of Orange racked off of the Summit hops and ended with racking a Cream Ale from primary to secondary. Five racks in one night.

The two kegs are still sitting in the closet because there isn't any room in the kegerator at the moment. I haven't even checked the final gravities on them because all my picnic taps are in use. The Prince of Orange Pale and the Cream Ale are really ready to keg as well. I know that up to three of my kegs in the kegerator are getting down to where I only need to bottle a few and the keg is empty.

Meanwhile, I've still got bottles stacked in the kitchen for a cleaning and then switching to Star-San as the sanitizer. I should run the Star-San through my counter-pressure filler pretty soon. I'm thinking I have less than 6 bottles of my TurboKitty, 1.5 gals of my Red, 2 gals of my Extra Simcoe Bitter.

I moved my Psychedelic Monk in the kegerator but haven't started the force carbonation yet. At least its cold already.

I'm going to have to brew something this weekend. Just don't know what yet. I'm on a Bock kick lately, so I'm leaning towards a Maibock this time.

Brew #88: Cream Ale

I'm just making this one to have another type of beer to push with my beergas. Cream ales aren't the ones that I drink all that often. Still, summertime gets hot and a cream ale might be a nice change from the Chocolate Stout.

Egads! This one sat in the primary for a month. This is the problem when the pipeline gets full.

Nice and creamy - and this is before I put it on the beergas. I bought the 30' of beer line and another restrictor faucet but haven't yet put those together. At this rate, I may be done with the beer before it gets the nitrogen treatment.

Brewed: 04-25-2008
Racked: 05-24-2008
Kegged: 06-29-2008

OG=1.051@74F
And another one without the final reading.

Brew #87: White Oak Porter

This is batch #3 of the White Oak Porter. Batch #1 was a very good drinking beer. Batch #2 was a lesson that you don't get lazy and leave it sitting on the wood for 6 weeks. It tastes like wood! On this one I'll target two to two and a half weeks. Using French Oak because I've been told it gives a stronger vanilla profile and tastes a bit smoother.

I stole a taste at the two week mark and didn't have enough of the flavors that I wanted, so I let it go longer. It went 3 1/2 weeks. I was getting a nice promising aroma. My production line is a bit behind though. I need to get some kegs empty and swap the picnic taps so I can taste and measure final gravity too.

I have my one older tap with a short hose. I got to taste this one. Yummy! Very smooth. I'm thinking the French Oak is the way to go. I'm surprised how high the FG is. It would normally finish lower. Perhaps the oak adds to the density.

Brewed: 04-21-2008
Racked: 04-29-2008 (w/ 2.5 oz. French Oak cubes)
Kegged: 05-24-2008

OG=1.051@72F
FG=1.018@74F

ABV=5.109%

Brew #86: Prince of Orange Pale

Here I get an APA or IPA out of an English Pale Ale. I dry hop it with 1/2 ounce of Summit. Any of the orange profile is from those hops. This is my second batch to use up the other 1/2 ounce of Summit and because the first batch tasted so good.

I had to substitute Glacier for the Fuggle that the recipe calls for. Yay for the Bluebonnet Brew-Off and winning lots of Glacier in the raffle!

As I racked this off of the dry-hops, I took a taste. I'm not getting as potent an orange flavor. It's still a nice bitter though. Perhaps the aromas and flavors will pronounce more when cold and carbonated.

This one was kegged two days before a party and quick carbonated. It was a very refreshing in the 98+ degree heat and we went through 3 gals. I've been able to draw a few bottles off for entry into the ZEALOTS Inquisition, the Cerveza Fest in San Antonio and perhaps the last three will make it to the Dixie Cup in October.

Brewed: 04-08-2008
Racked: 04-25-2008 (w/0.5 oz. Summit)
Racked: 05-24-2008
Kegged: 06-29-2008

OG=1.051@72F
FG=1.0??@??F Doh! Didn't take a final gravity reading.

ABV=%

Brew #85: Extra Simcoe Bitter

Take an ESB, dry hop it with Simcoe for a week. The first time I made it I got an aroma that was Fruit Loops. Trying for that again.

I took a taste just a couple days ago and the aroma wasn't quite the Fruit Loops but it was pleasant and the taste was great. Can't wait to get some room and get it in the kegerator!

I've been reminded of pineapple in the aroma. Other people have said Tooty-Fruity gum. It's a fun one to smell and taste.

Brewed: 03-18-2008
Racked: 04-04-2008 (w/1 oz. Simcoe)
Racked: 04-10-2008
Kegged: 05-09-2008

OG=1.051@72F
FG=1.010@72F

ABV=5.731%

Brew #84: Double Chocolate Stout

Start with AHS's Double Chocolate Stout mini-mash extract kit, add 3/4 bar of Scharffenberger 82% and 3/4 bar of the 41% at the last 5 minutes of the boil. Scoop off the "butter" at the end of primary fermentation. Add 4 oz. Raspberry Extract at kegging. Carbonate just a little, then put it on the beergas. Great stuff. Here, I took the Chocolate Wheat malt. It gives just a bit extra body.

I will be bottling a bit of this on CO2 before I switch over to beergas. I need a few bottles that I can use to enter into the Zealot's Inquisition.

Brewed: 03-25-2008
Racked: 04-04-2008
Kegged: 05-24-2008

OG=1.061@70F
FG=1.010@74F

ABV=6.681%

20080501: May Day

Just a time to note I haven't kept up all the beer events in a while. I've attended the Bluebonnet and come away with no ribbons and no stein. But I think I got famous for my chocolate raspberry chocolate stout served on beergas. It is the fun stuff that keeps me stoked about homebrewing and beer in general. Since then, I've brewed five more batches, attended a couple more Black Star socials, and attended a Dogfish Head thing at the Alamo Drafthouse. 12 Dogfish Head beers paired with cheese. Yum! I especially liked a peppercorn cheese.

Today, Debbie and I tasted her Grapefruit Hefeweizen. Not enough grapefruit yet. I also took a taste of my next batch of Extra Simcoe Bitter. It's an ESB that had 1 ounce of Simcoe as a dry hop. If I do it right, the nose will be Fruit Loops. Great taste to it no matter what the nose turns out like.

I racked a Belgian Summer Saison to keg over the week. I've substituted hops on the recipe and there seems to be a bit of zing where it was normally smooth. I also put my Psychedelic Monk into a keg. I started at 1.098 and was at 1.018. The target was to finish out at 1.014. It's a bit sweet, but at 10.48% ABV already, I don't know if the yeast will do much. I'll wait another month or two. Time will only help smooth this one out.

Now is when I'm getting ready to bring beer to a few events. I have a co-worker going to Denver and he's got a bye bye party. I think I'll bring 10-15 gallons to that. He's expecting 50 people and that would hold a good chance of drinking everything I bring.

Meanwhile, I caught a screening of Ironman tonight. Kick-ass. Enjoyed a Saison Dupont while watching. I love the Alamo Drafthouse.

BTW - Cookies!