Beer opinions needed!
Are you beer drinker? Better question, are you an opinionated beer drinker?? Then we need your help!
In an effort to turn this page into more than just a journal of how Russ and Arlen brewed disease and death, we're hoping to post reviews of new or local beers, brewpubs and bars. Found a new wonderful drink and just had to talk about it?? Post it here! Did a new brew make you want to kill yourself? Let others know! Beer drinking not about getting drunk and acting stupid, but about enjoying a nutritious beverage in the company of friends and family. We're hoping to develop a small ring of people, including ourselves, that regularly review new and hard-to-find brews. E-mail Russ or Arlen your beer review today!
Sunday, February 29, 2004
Last Friday evening we transported the brew batch from the fementing bucket into the secondary fermentor, also known as a glass carboy. We had a few cameras on the scene, so I hope to have pictures uploaded pretty soon showing what that process is like.
When we popped the top of the bucket (to create some air for siphoning) I was fairly appalled at the smell. Don't get me wrong, it smelled of brew, but it was pretty rank as well. We intend to let it ferment as long as we can. Instructions say to let it sit in the carboy for 5-7 days, and we'll probably go for 7. Each day the beer in the carboy seems to be growing lighter and more "beer-like" which is a very good thing.
Also in the next couple of days I will follow up Arlen's posting of notes (see below) with my own documentation. Eventually we'll have a seperate page where you can view, in steps with pictures, how we go about brewing beer.
So, stay tuned for pictures and many more notes. Our gross beer party looks like it's about two weeks away, just in time for finals!
When we popped the top of the bucket (to create some air for siphoning) I was fairly appalled at the smell. Don't get me wrong, it smelled of brew, but it was pretty rank as well. We intend to let it ferment as long as we can. Instructions say to let it sit in the carboy for 5-7 days, and we'll probably go for 7. Each day the beer in the carboy seems to be growing lighter and more "beer-like" which is a very good thing.
Also in the next couple of days I will follow up Arlen's posting of notes (see below) with my own documentation. Eventually we'll have a seperate page where you can view, in steps with pictures, how we go about brewing beer.
So, stay tuned for pictures and many more notes. Our gross beer party looks like it's about two weeks away, just in time for finals!
Saturday, February 28, 2004
The following are my notes from the actual beer making process. Basically every book I’ve read on beer making has differing opinions as to the individual steps, but they all agree that the brewer should take copious notes. The bold text = notes I took while brewing, normal text = commentary.
Boil started @ 0
Added grain @ 10 min
155º F – Stirred occasionally. Good idea?
Well, I don’t mean boil so much as grain seeping step. I still don’t know if stirring it was a good idea, but it probably was.
Forgot to start timer
Est start time 7:00
Yeah, future note, note the actual time when you start heating the water or add the bag of grain. I’d like to point out that “boil started @ 0” is not in my handwriting.
Temp 7:20 - 170º F
Reduced heat
Future reference: temp to low once you reach 155º F
Basically, as soon as the wort hits 155º F turn the burners as low as they can go, then bring them up as needed.
Bag removed at 7:31 – burned fingers
155º F is quite hot, perhaps tongs would be a good investment for the future.
7:37 smells different 180º F
burners?
Yeah genious, perhaps if you boil grain in water for 30 minutes it’s going to smell different. I don’t remember why I wrote “burners” but it probably had something to do with my frustration with electric ranges.
7:46-7:49 added malt syrup and kicker
tastes like ultra sweet All-bran
As I’ve said before, malt syrup is a force to be reckoned with. We did have some trouble getting it all out of the bag. Perhaps we’ll use a squeegee next time or something. The more sugars there are in the wort the more alcohol you’re going to end up with.
Back on full heat at 7:52
Water boiling at 8:01
Hops added 8:06
Irish moss 8:08
Bleach solution good idea for cleaning small stuff
It would probably be a good idea to 1) check the Davis water bacterial load numbers so we know that we can rinse things with Davis water safely and 2) keep a bleach solution around to sterilize small things like thermometers
Wort off @ 9:01 added 1ga H2O
Wort cool at 9:26 (chiller malfunction from 9:01-9:10)
Let me explain the wort chiller to you. Basically, there’s two coils made of copper tubing, one sits in a bucket of ice, the other sits in the wort. Water flows from the tap, through the ice water coil, into the wort coil and then into the drain. We put the ice water coil in too early and the water froze inside the coil causing the water to not flow for the first ten minutes or so. In the future, put the coil in the ice bath without water in the tubes, or put the coil in the ice bath immediately prior to use.
Siphoning started at 9:43, yeast pitched
Dry yeast is lame.
Gravity? 1080?
Not that we know the usefulness of taking gravity readings, but our improper and more importantly useless gravity reading was 1080. This was higher than it should have been because we were measuring a concentrated portion of the wort, not the full 50 ga.
Shaking…
I’m not sure the 10 minutes of shaking the fermenter would have been possible without the POÄNG. Thank you Sweden.
Yar, lid not sterile.
mmm.. foot beer.
Boil started @ 0
Added grain @ 10 min
155º F – Stirred occasionally. Good idea?
Well, I don’t mean boil so much as grain seeping step. I still don’t know if stirring it was a good idea, but it probably was.
Forgot to start timer
Est start time 7:00
Yeah, future note, note the actual time when you start heating the water or add the bag of grain. I’d like to point out that “boil started @ 0” is not in my handwriting.
Temp 7:20 - 170º F
Reduced heat
Future reference: temp to low once you reach 155º F
Basically, as soon as the wort hits 155º F turn the burners as low as they can go, then bring them up as needed.
Bag removed at 7:31 – burned fingers
155º F is quite hot, perhaps tongs would be a good investment for the future.
7:37 smells different 180º F
burners?
Yeah genious, perhaps if you boil grain in water for 30 minutes it’s going to smell different. I don’t remember why I wrote “burners” but it probably had something to do with my frustration with electric ranges.
7:46-7:49 added malt syrup and kicker
tastes like ultra sweet All-bran
As I’ve said before, malt syrup is a force to be reckoned with. We did have some trouble getting it all out of the bag. Perhaps we’ll use a squeegee next time or something. The more sugars there are in the wort the more alcohol you’re going to end up with.
Back on full heat at 7:52
Water boiling at 8:01
Hops added 8:06
Irish moss 8:08
Bleach solution good idea for cleaning small stuff
It would probably be a good idea to 1) check the Davis water bacterial load numbers so we know that we can rinse things with Davis water safely and 2) keep a bleach solution around to sterilize small things like thermometers
Wort off @ 9:01 added 1ga H2O
Wort cool at 9:26 (chiller malfunction from 9:01-9:10)
Let me explain the wort chiller to you. Basically, there’s two coils made of copper tubing, one sits in a bucket of ice, the other sits in the wort. Water flows from the tap, through the ice water coil, into the wort coil and then into the drain. We put the ice water coil in too early and the water froze inside the coil causing the water to not flow for the first ten minutes or so. In the future, put the coil in the ice bath without water in the tubes, or put the coil in the ice bath immediately prior to use.
Siphoning started at 9:43, yeast pitched
Dry yeast is lame.
Gravity? 1080?
Not that we know the usefulness of taking gravity readings, but our improper and more importantly useless gravity reading was 1080. This was higher than it should have been because we were measuring a concentrated portion of the wort, not the full 50 ga.
Shaking…
I’m not sure the 10 minutes of shaking the fermenter would have been possible without the POÄNG. Thank you Sweden.
Yar, lid not sterile.
mmm.. foot beer.
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
To my view the fermenting is looking good so far. Bubbles are popping up through the airlock regularly, which means (I think) that Co2 is sneaking out. There is a gradient of color in the bucket, from light gold/amber at the top to dark/black "stuff" at the bottom. Atop the water are fermentation bubbles and cream. Basically I think fermentation is proceeding correctly...so far.
So, my hopes are high. I don't want to drink 5 gallons of foot.
So, my hopes are high. I don't want to drink 5 gallons of foot.
Monday, February 23, 2004
I'm beginning to worry that Russ and I are going to have to single handedly drink five gallons of our own beer. Beer which tastes like the socks I have been wearing for the last week and then soaked in All-Bran. This sterilization business isn't a myth. There's enough sugar in the fermenting tank to feed a small child for a week, and the only thing we want growing in there is Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Speaking of yeast, I was a little disappointed to find out that the White Lab's kit did not contain White Labs yeast. For the time being however, I think we should try and keep one recipe tasting decently.
I did, however, fulfill my long time goal of tasting malting syrup, which has the approximate viscosity of rubber cement on a cold day. What does it taste like, you ask? To find out yourself, go get some All-Bran, grind it into a fine powder in the coffee grinder and then mix it in with Karo. Delish. I did not venture to taste the hopps, or the hopped wort (wort is pronounced wert for those of you not in the know), but I think the smell did both justice.
If nothing explodes in the next five days, come Friday, Russ and I will transfer the fermenting beer from the bucket to the carboy. At this stage, we will add gelatin for some reason as well as the dry hops. The carboy is then plugged with an airlock and sits for another 5-7 days. After that, we bottle, which is an adventure of its own.
Speaking of yeast, I was a little disappointed to find out that the White Lab's kit did not contain White Labs yeast. For the time being however, I think we should try and keep one recipe tasting decently.
I did, however, fulfill my long time goal of tasting malting syrup, which has the approximate viscosity of rubber cement on a cold day. What does it taste like, you ask? To find out yourself, go get some All-Bran, grind it into a fine powder in the coffee grinder and then mix it in with Karo. Delish. I did not venture to taste the hopps, or the hopped wort (wort is pronounced wert for those of you not in the know), but I think the smell did both justice.
If nothing explodes in the next five days, come Friday, Russ and I will transfer the fermenting beer from the bucket to the carboy. At this stage, we will add gelatin for some reason as well as the dry hops. The carboy is then plugged with an airlock and sits for another 5-7 days. After that, we bottle, which is an adventure of its own.
Sunday, February 22, 2004
Arlen is vigorously shaking the fermenting bucket (which is full of brew) while I blog away. We managed to forget to sterilize the fermenting bucket lid. That wouldn’t be a problem except for the fact that we have to shake the bucket contents at various points. Oh well. The decision to create as much ethanol as is possible was made a long time ago. At this point we’re just trying not to kill anyone, especially ourselves.
Okay, air lock has been put on the fermentation bucket. In five days time we’ll have to switch fermentation vessels from the bucket to the glass carboy. The mission today has been a success. In a day or so I will post all our prep and process notes, and let you know how the fermentation is going.
For now I leave you with fine words by Arlen the Brewmaster: “Today, we definitely made beer in a bucket.”
Okay, air lock has been put on the fermentation bucket. In five days time we’ll have to switch fermentation vessels from the bucket to the glass carboy. The mission today has been a success. In a day or so I will post all our prep and process notes, and let you know how the fermentation is going.
For now I leave you with fine words by Arlen the Brewmaster: “Today, we definitely made beer in a bucket.”
Our first brew is still boiling away. We’re getting ready to siphon the batch in through the wort cooler and into the fermentor bucket. Then it gets to sit for a few days. While the boil was going on I got to working on a label of sorts. Since we’re brewing Hedgehog Pale Ale I thought it would be nice to come up with something like a logo. I found a random hedgehog on Google Images and viola...look along the left bar.
Labeling is too expensive for us right now, especially since our first batch will likely to a party at the California Aggie. But hey, maybe one day. Okay, boiling is about done so we’re going to set up the cooling system now. Stay tuned.
Labeling is too expensive for us right now, especially since our first batch will likely to a party at the California Aggie. But hey, maybe one day. Okay, boiling is about done so we’re going to set up the cooling system now. Stay tuned.
We’ve begun brewing! I was hoping to find a digital camera to document our first foray into the world of home brewing (this batch is known as brew 001). Based on the supplies we obtained from our supply trip — thank you Elly — we decided on California pale ale. So far things are looking good, and I will have a bunch of statistical and econ data available soon.
Well, it's Sunday, and that means it's brew time. Arlen is manufacturing the neccesary parts while I calculate our total initial and marginal costs for the first batch. I have high hopes for our first run. We've got a nice set of equipment, and everything we need for a healthy, tasty California pale ale. Once its all calculated I will post our costs for everything, and make some additional posts about the physical brewing process.
On the name front we've made some process. Right now the frontrunner name is "Hedgehog Homebrew" with a nice picture of a pensive looking hedgehog on the front. But we'll see. More posts to follow.
On the name front we've made some process. Right now the frontrunner name is "Hedgehog Homebrew" with a nice picture of a pensive looking hedgehog on the front. But we'll see. More posts to follow.
Saturday, February 21, 2004
We began preparation work and research today after picking up six books at Shields Library for research. On Saturday we're heading to Sacramento to buy supplies and begin making our first batch. Right now I’m thinking English or California ale will be best for our first run. Something along the lines of Bass or Sierra Nevada. We’ll see.
In the meanwhile, we need a beer name, or at least a codename for our entire operation. Without one, I cannot title my notes anything fancy. I mean, we can just by without name or codename, but where the fun is the fun in that!? Titles are tricky, because they communicate so much in a word or two. This name thing could take some time. Hmm, Arlen Ale? Pirate Pale Ale? Stout Viking? Someone help us.
In the meanwhile, we need a beer name, or at least a codename for our entire operation. Without one, I cannot title my notes anything fancy. I mean, we can just by without name or codename, but where the fun is the fun in that!? Titles are tricky, because they communicate so much in a word or two. This name thing could take some time. Hmm, Arlen Ale? Pirate Pale Ale? Stout Viking? Someone help us.
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