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!

20080319: Double Rack Night

TurboKitty and Double Chocolate into kegs. Only room for one keg in the fridge, but I moved the keg with the Vanguard Red and that thing is so light I doubt that there is a growler left. I'm going to go try to get a growler worth out and drink the rest once I get done typing. It will make room for the Midnight Chocolate Bar Stout. I should be able to get both carbonated for the Black Star social this weekend. I'll bring 4-5 growlers of beer to it and man the Homebrewer's Corner again. I'll have to pick another keg of beer to bring to the Bluebonnet in a week and a couple days. I promised to bring the Red, but it's done and its replacement was just brewed last night.

Chocolate Stout is tasting nice! Raspberries are a bit zingy right now, but that will smooth out in a week or two. This should be nicely charged on beergas for the Bluebonnet too.

Cookies!

Brew #83: Vanguard Red Ale

This is AHS's American Red Ale recipe with Vanguard hops instead of the original Cascade. On this last attempt, they've substituted Amarillo on the recipe, but I'm trying to recreate my earlier Red. This is one that is very popular with folks that aren't hop-heads.

Brewed: 03-18-2008
Racked: 03-26-2008
Kegged: 04-11-2008

OG=1.051@72F
FG=1.014@73F

ABV=4.847%

Brew #82: Belgian Summer Saison

It's March in Texas. It's very nearly summertime. Time to get a nice recipe for drinking. The lemon zest grabs your taste buds first, giving a nice refreshing flavor. Then you get the body and ale yeast finish. The recipe calls for 2 ounces of Hallertau and I normally like Hersbrucker instead. Yes, Hersbrucker is a Hallertau cousin. Both of those hops weren't around so I'm trying Vanguard. I added one ounce at the beginning of the boil and the second ounce 15 minutes into the boil. I grind the seeds of paradise rather than crushing them.

I think the Vanguard hops give this one a touch of a zing. I really like the Hersbrucker with this recipe. They just seem smoother.

Brewed: 03-05-2008
Racked: 03-12-2008
Kegged: 04-25-2008

OG=1.067@69F
FG=1.008@75F

ABV=7.729%

Root Beer!

I make my own root beer too! It's the easiest thing. AHS has two types of root beer extracts, one is normal root beer extract and one is a birch root beer extract. That birch one has that ZING!, that bite you taste in Barq's. I mix the two extracts half and half.

Recipe:
one bottle of extract (half root beer, half birch root beer)
3 cups turbinado cane sugar
3 1/2 cups sugar
15 qts water

bring 5 qts to boil, add sugars to ensure that they dissolve well. Cool it down. Add extract, sugar water, and the rest of the water into a keg. Purge the airspace with CO2. Refridgerate and force carbonate. Bingo! Root beer.

My usual sugar recipe was 2 cups brown sugar, and 5 1/2 cups sugar. It had a creamy quality. This is my first try with the turbinado sugar. Still pretty good.