A good fall homebrewed beer...

Lately my posts come more frequently inspired by cooler weather and the vigor it brings. Can't help but think others feel the same way.

The next burst of energy will bring with it an urge to brew. Enough of this risky Black IPA hooha. A good hearty stout for the cooler weather ahead I think. Dark with elderberries and sweet malt. Ok so I'll trade one risk for another, brewing with fruit. Lo and behold the chief cook and bottle washer next door blazes the trail by adding cherries to a chocolate stout daring me to follow. I'm gonna do him one better though. Either I'll use my elderberries in the year they were harvested or I'll procrastinate longer than he did. Either way I win.

Checking the carbonation for both the Black Ale & Pale Ale

Out to the the garage to see how things are progressing. Since I kegged these I can use head pressure to carbonate them. Turned up the pressure to about 30 psi and let it sit overnight. Be back in a minute with two samples and the results.

Well, they taste good :-), but, more carbonation is needed. I'll leave them under 30 lbs of C02 head pressure again tonight.

Elderberries, Black Ale and Pale Ale...

My father found and PICKED some elderberries for me. Yes, that's right he picked them. Damn I'm lucky. I'm thinking about making an elderberry stout. Any advice?

Also both the Black Ale and Pale Ale are kegged. Should be carbonated soon. So, it looks like I'll be ready for the reunion next weekend.

Meanwhile the kids are getting ready for school and the weather has been outstanding :-) Which at least partially explains the photo of a certain visitor around Bryan's fire last night.

About a week until the reunion, gotta get my beer ready...

Somehow I feel that if I type this, it will happen. (must be brewers magic) Anyway, I think this has to happen tomorrow night. Punch list.

• transfer the pale ale to a second keg for serving leaving the yeast behind
• transfer the black ale out of the primary to a keg for serving
• make list of stuff to take with me (picnic taps, cool new faucet tap to fit right on keg too, CO2, camping pads as insulation, keg bucket for ice, my head...Mom & Dad always said I would lose it if it wasn't attached)

Cross your fingers.

Note: You need three things to put a regular faucet on a soda keg...

• liquid disconnect with 1/4" MFL
• beer faucet to disconnect adapter (Artisan also sells these locally)
• faucet head
  

Do you have a local homebrew store?

I do. It's always good to stop by and see what's going on. I usually stop by for ingredients, but, I also like to hear about events and a beer that Mike or one of the customers has brewed.

Links to products...

So you've probably noticed that I've been linking to products over at Amazon. I'm linking to books, CD's, equipment, etc. While I don't order all my brewing related stuff via Amazon, I do order items from time to time. I try to take advantage of free shipping when I can and may buy a book there and throw something beer related on to get the order up to $25. I still buy ingredients locally and at Northern Brewer as well. Almost all of the products are products I have use or have used.

Take a look at what Amazon has to offer and if you go there via my links and order stuff I get a few cents on the dollar for the referral. So don't forget to click on the Amazon links.

Black Ale beer fermenting for ten days now.

Ten days of primary fermentation have passed. The Black Ale is done. Yeast is still in suspension. I'll probably rack it into a keg or two and chill it. That should help the yeast flocculate out.

I probably could have done this days ago, but, just haven't gotten around to it. I generally don't worry about it sitting in the primary on the yeast cake until about three or four weeks. Only had one beer pickup off tastes from autolysis (How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First TimeAmazon) and that was because I totally forgot about it. Must have been on it for over two months.

Cider, carbonation and beer just sitting...

Just a smattering of things to catch up on. So, I served some of the last cider from two years ago tonight. Still tastes great. Also, I put the Pale Ale under CO2 pressure in an effort to carbonate it, but, I'm thinking I really need to transfer it to another keg leaving the yeast sediment behind. Mostly because I'll be transporting it and I don't want to worry about stirring up the yeast from the bottom. Then there's the Black PA just sitting in the basement waiting to be kegged.

In other news. Great day fishing, bike riding and cooking out with the family :-) I'm gonna sleep well tonight.

Serendipity, Pandora, Bluegrass and Brewing

So, I'm listening to a Bluegrass channel I created on Pandora. Alison Krauss and Union Station comes on playing Pastures of Plenty and a wonderful thing happened. I heard something in the lyrics that floored me.

Artist: Krauss Alison
Song: Pastures of Plenty
Album: Lonely Runs Both Ways

Well, it's always we ramble, this river and I
All along your green valleys, I work till I die
My land I'll defend with my life need it be
'Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free

Green pastures of plenty from dry desert ground
From the Grand Coulee Dam where the waters run down
Every state in this union us migrants have been
Lord, we come with the dust and we go with the wind

California, Arizona, I harvest your crops
Then it's on up North to Oregon to gather your hops
Dig the beet from your ground, cut the grapes from your vine
Just to place on your table your that light, sparkling wine

Well, it's always we ramble, this river and I
All along your green valleys, I work till I die
My land I'll defend with my life need it be
'Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free

Back from the basement, abou the Black PA...er ABNSPA.

It is very very brown. Almost black. So now I'll call it the Almost Black Not So Pale Ale. What's it like? Let me see.

1. Light hoppy nose :-) Well, I don't know. What am I tasting here? Trying to suppress the yeasty flavor from the yeast still in suspension. Ok, nothing weird. Yeah that's the first impression.
2. The second impression is thin.
3. Third impression is well, kinda bitter. More than I thought. Yeast? No.

So without trying to have too many expectations and keeping an open mind I'd have to say that with the nose and the appearance I almost fooled myself into thinking that it would be a big thick flavor bomb, but, that's impossible. It confused me a bit.

So, do I think it is gonna taste good when it's all said and done? Well, yes. There's nothing really wrong with it. No infections or weird off flavors. It's clean (minus the yeast), floral hoppy and bitter. There's a slightly dark chocolate after taste...I think. Hopefully I'll be saying something like this once it is finished, cooled and carbonated.

"Looks substantial, enticing hoppy nose, light mouth feel, tinge of chocolate malt flavors and a bitter finish. Can I have another please?"

Already thinking an English Ale yeast might have left some residual malt flavors behind. Might want to make a licorice root tea and see if that's what I want to add to the special version of this.

Yeah, ABNSPA is a bit too long of an acronym for my new style. Can't go global with a six letter acronym. I'll have to think of a catchy TLA (that's Three Letter Acronym). I have to consult my copy of The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit: An A to Z Lexicon of Empty, Enraging, and Just Plain Stupid Office Talk for inspiration.

I gotta get outta here...

Yeah, I'm sitting in front of the computer. I should be checking on my Black PA. Black...Pale...Ale...hmmm maybe I should call it a Black not so Pale Ale? Right, gotta go check on it. I'll be back.

While you're waiting. I'll catch you up. I brewed an extract brew that was based on a pale ale recipe I brewed the weekend before with the substitution of black & chocolate steeping malts instead of caramel/crystal malts. Also used the last of my homegrown hops from last year for finishing hops.

I'm just waiting for it to ferment, then I'll transfer it into a keg and serve it on Labor Day. I've already transferred the pale ale. This will give me an opportunity to serve them side by side and see what people think about the differences in taste. I also brewed extra so I could do something special with one of the Black PA kegs. Maybe some licorice root, some more intense dry hopping, probably not wormwood, elder flowers would probably be eclipse by the flavor profile, honey? Who knows?

Oh right, time to check on the Black PA in the carboy/demijohn/fermenter...

Brew Lounge Bryan extends his reach...

Go have a look at Bryan's (who's been writing at The Brew Lounge) new gig over in the community section of the Washington Times. Its called The Brew Lounge After Hours :-) Congrats Bryan. I look forward to your writings in this new venue.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear?

But a miniature brewery and two neighbors making beer.
With a turn of the mash paddle in wort that was thick.
I knew in a moment it wan't a trick.
More rapid than eagles I ran through the rain.
But, not before I poured a pint of brew that was calling my name.
"Hey Patty, Hey Bryan so that's what you're doin'. Your brewin' beer."

Wow, they really did it. They brewed the cherry stout.

-Nosy Neighbor

Photo Black PA Krausen

Leah, Russ, Black IPAs, food and art early last year...

Yeah, seems there's always some homebrewer out there pushing the envelope. Early last year Russ brewed up his interpretation of a Black IPA with smoked malt, lotsa hops, rye malt and well go read about it for yourself. Brewed for a homebrew, food and art pairing event to boot. Never heard of such a thing, cool. Thanks for passing that along Russ.

Most importantly I like that you don't typically get into IPAs and decided to take the theme for the event in a different...shall we say nonconfermist direction.

Dark PA is brewed...

Get it. Dark Pale Ale? I live in PA, Pennsylvania...(ba dum bump) I'll have to get the Brewer's Association to name a category after this one. Beer in this category is brewed with finishing hops grown in PA and any bittering hops you want, but, only if they're from Artisan Homebrew.

Anyway, it is brewed. I had to improvise a bit, big surprise eh? Don't ask. Yeah, left the caramel malts out and added Belgian Chocolate, Belgian de-bittered black, Simpson's Chocolate and a tiny bit of Special-B. Kept the hop schedule the same, but used a different bittering hop. Split the yeast cake and used a portion with each of the two batches of Dark PA.

Tasting the wort leaves me with the impression that I didn't do anything really wrong with this and time will tell. Will there be the right dark malt profile? Will the hops stand out enough to lure you in? Will the two complement each other or cause confusion?

By the way, I am really diggin' the pale ale I brewed last weekend. It's pretty much done fermenting. Still some yeast in suspension and it tastes good now even with the yeast. I'm thinking this would be a great cask conditioned beer. Hops on the nose and a nice light malt finish with the yeast playing with the hops a bit on the finish.

More about a homebrewed Black IPA...

Velky Al wrote about his today...

The Red Coat is Coming!

A stout with cherries...

That's what my neighbor Bryan keeps telling me he is going to brew. Again, while I was brewing over the weekend he comes up with his camera snooping around and talking about this delicious cherry stout he has the ingredients for (that's right). Normally I would believe him, but, it's been at least a year since I first heard of the plan. He should really spend more time brewing instead of documenting my brewing habits. (or should I say re-emerging habit)

I know I have nice hands and that's a nifty garbage can heat shield, not to mention the double coil immersion chiller, but a man must have priorities.

(Everybody repeat after me now, or maybe just leave a comment or two on his blog.)

Brew the Stout
Brew the Stout
Brew the Stout

What was the NonconFERMist doing reading style guidelines?

How will I know I'm not conforming? I guess I wanted to see what all the hubbub was about. I had heard of Black IPAs, but, didn't really know what it was. Then I thought I'll just brew my version of a Black Ale with hops and call it a Black IPA. Now I realize some folks were out there debating it and the Brewers Association came up with a guideline. I think my version would probably fit into these guidelines. Hmmm...I thought of it first :-| Well, I guess I didn't. Did you read Jack Curtain's article? Maybe you saw Velky Al's post questioning the style?

Just go brew something already and make it taste the way you want it to taste. Victory's Yakima Twilight is mentioned as something that might fit here. Can't say I remember what it tastes like. I'll have to see if I can get some.

American-Style India Black Ale
American-style India black ale has medium high to high hop bitterness, flavor and aroma with medium-high alcohol content, balanced with a medium body. The style is further characterized by a moderate degree of caramel malt character and medium to strong dark roasted malt flavor and aroma. High astringency and high degree of burnt roast malt character should be absent. Fruity, floral and herbal character from hops of all origins may contribute to aroma and flavor.

Original Gravity (oPlato) 1.056-1.075 (14-18.2 oPlato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (oPlato) 1.012-1.018 (3-4.5 oPlato)
Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 5-6% (6 -7.5%)
Bitterness (IBU) 50-70
Color SRM (EBC) 25+ (50+ EBC)

Interesting article about Black IPAs by Jack Curtin

Yep...here it is ‘Black and Bitter,’ — True Origins of Black IPA

My equipment for homebrewing beer...

What follows is a list of equipment I actually use. There might be better stuff out there, but, this is what I use.

Find these items at your local homebrew store like Artisan Homebrew.
Where possible I have included links to Amazon or other online stores.

~The Complete Joy of Home Brewing
~BeerSmith Brewing Software
~7 gal. Brew Pot (bought at BJ's wholesale for less than $40)
~Keggle
~Long Spoon
~Taylor Digital Cooking Thermometer/Timer
~Mesh Bags for Steeping Grain
~Digital Kitchen Scales
~Oxo Good Grips Medium Silicone Spatula
~Triple Scale Hydrometer
~Auto Siphon Pump for Beer or Wine
~Better Bottle Fermenter, 5-Gallon PET Container
~6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket
~Vinyl Tubing - 10 feet 5/16 ID - 7/16 OD (Food Grade)
~5 Gallon Glass Carboy For Beer or Wine Making
~Carboy Brush
~Airlocks
~Bung
~Kegs
~CO2 Setup
~Plastic Picnic Faucet for Beer
~Faucet and 4" shank
~Bayou Classic KAB4 High Pressure Banjo Cooker
~Beer or Wine Carboy Hauler
~Silent-Master Interlocking Heavy-Duty Dolly (330 Lbs. Max)

Yeast and building the recipe for my Black IPA...

Can't brew if you don't have any yeast. Right now I'm all out of the packaged yeast. No dry or liquid. So, I'll be reusing the yeast cake from the Ale that I brewed over the weekend.

I think we'll go with the same recipe, but, I'll add some darker steeping grains to change the appearance and the taste. Let me get out the stuff I have.

• Roasted Barley
  
• Chocolate
• Belgian De-Bittered Black Malt
• Belgian Special B

Ok, roasted barley and the Belgian de-bittered black malt specialty grains might work here. Neither of them add sweetness. The base malt already provides a light malty backdrop. Combined with the dark steeping grains the base malt should bring out the flavors of the dark grains. Since these specialty malts have been de-bittered there shouldn't be astringency competing with the bittering hops already present in the recipe. It shouldn't taste like a hoppy porter or stout rather a smooth dark beer more complex than a pale ale or an IPA.

I could use the Chocolate malt since I believe it is de-bittered as well, but, I'm not sure how the chocolate flavor would play with the hops. It might compete rather than complement. If I do use it, only a few ounces would be needed to provide a hint of chocolate, something distinctive and hard to pin down.

Belgian Special-B would add more intense dark dried fruit flavors. I don't want to change the flavor that much. Of course it probably depends how much is used.

For those of you who don't make your own recipes yet, my hope is that by explaining my process you'll find a way to build your own recipes. I like to use basic recipes as a foundation. In this case its an extract ale recipe containing pilsen malt extract, some caramel steeping grains, bittering hops, finishing hops and relatively clean yeast. Then you start adding and taking away things to build your beer.

In summary, I started with a lightly hopped American Ale and added some de-bittered dark specialty grains. This should change the color of the beer without changing the flavors in a negative way. Hopefully I've added smooth roasty dark flavors to this beer. I'm being careful not to change the basic sweetness provided by the malt by adding any other caramel or dark fruit flavors. We can save that for the imperial version ;-)

I use BeerSmith (Amazon referral) to estimate alcohol by volume, international bitterness units and color which means less practice batches ;-)

Finishing Hops into the Kettle

Homegrown hops being added to the wort at the end of the boil. Off to the fermenter!

Its fermenting. An Ale is fermenting...

The brewing session happened and went off without a hitch. Hops in the finish and light malt backbone. Nothing fancy, just fresh and drinkable. Consider this the starter for the next batch. I'm thinking something dark and hoppy. It's all the rage these days I guess. More importantly I have the ingredients to do something like that. Now, is this going to be a session beer or something bigger? I might just make the same beer with some darker steeping grains and let people try them both.

It was a bit of a cluster though. Brewing in a standard place inside or outside the house every time would really be so much easier.

Thanks for the yeast Jeremy :-)

Brew Day has arrived...

I was going to brew last weekend, but, I didn't have the yeast. Still can't figure out where I put that stuff. Jeremy came to the rescue with some Safale 05. Somehow I still didn't get the job done.

So, don't fall off your chair. I'm brewing today. Not sure I remember how...heheh. Thank goodness it is like riding a bike. Might be a good time to write down process as I shake off the rust and cobwebs.

Ghaaa! My recipe database is on the old computer. Ahh well, time to install Beer Smith on this new one and start from scratch. I'll have to work on recovering the old recipes another day.

Still thinking about that homebrew...

...just so you know. Wheat malt will be in it. There will be a distinct hoppy nose to it. It will be around 4% abv. I will use Safale 05 dry yeast. I'm shooting for an easy drinking beer with a nice nose and a clean refreshing finish.

I'll have to see what steeping grains I have available. Since others will be drinking this I might try to keep it light and just compliment the flavor profile rather than make it look and taste darker.

Or...I could go for something hoppy, flavorful, dark and low abv!

I have honey and Belgian candy syrup, however, they're best used to increase abv and complementing a delicately balanced beer. I also have wormwood, elderflowers and licorice root, but, might not have enough time to really get the most out of these ingredients. This is for Labor Day. Maybe some licorice root in the keg? Hmmm....

Always interested in others opinions.

Still thinkin' about brewin'...

I'll probably brew a session beer first for a party in September. Then onto something more adventurous.

In keeping with the title of this site...

I'm so nonconfermist that I don't even brew anymore. :-) Still need to get brewing.