February 2012
3 posts
6 tags
Spreading the Joy
Over the last month or so, I have seemingly been spending more time helping others brew than brewing for myself. This is quite alright with me in many respects, as the joy of brewing lies not only in the delicious final product, but also in the time spent in the company of others who share the same passion for our hobby. It gives me even more joy to help those who are ready to take a leap of some...
To mash out, or not to mash out?
Got another question for the masses, if anyone can help. I am curious to know what the benefits are to a mash-out step during the brew process. Is this a necessary step for all-grain brewers? If so, what is the best way to go about implementing this practice into my existing process? Any help y’all can offer would be greatly appreciated!
8 tags
Unorthodox Practices
When I decided to brew my California Red Ale (see previous post for recipe) I made a decision to test the limits of my equipment and see what would come of it. More specifically, I was growing weary of sloooowwwly lautering my runnings over the coarse of nearly 2 hours. The method I was taught by my friend (and future pro brewer) Karl was not really working for me. Also, I figured that since he...
January 2012
4 posts
8 tags
California Red Ale
Been studying a lot recently, trying to get my techniques and my system dialed in for consistent and repeatable results. To that end, I asked for a few books from my dad, who dutifully clicked through Amazon and secured them for me. Imagine my delight when that beautiful smiley-faced box arrived in the mail last month with John Palmer’s How to Brew, Jamil Zainasheff’s Brewing Classic...
7 tags
Chicken Soup for the Homebrewer's Soul
I’ve always tried to keep my personal life out of this blog, and for the most part I will continue to do so. However, I choose to open up this one time here for a very specific reason: the art of brewing, its study and practice, has become something much more than a hobby for me. In the wake of a devastating break-up and the associated aftermath that comes with such a thing, brewing has...
7 tags
Happy New Year...belatedly...
So…yeah.
I realize I have not updated this blog in quite some time. The honest answer is that I just haven’t been brewing all that much lately. This is mainly due to the holiday craziness/horrorshow that is Christmas and New Year’s lumped together. However, i am happy to report that I recieved many lovely brewing-related gifts this year, not the least of which was my very own...
6 tags
General Updates
Howdy everyone! Apologies for the long delay in posting articles and recipes, but the holidays have been difficult and very, very busy. No brewing as of yet, mainly due to the fact that the 10-gallon brewpot I asked for from nearly every single member of my family was not, in fact underneath my Christmas tree :(. Oh well, I still got lots and lots of nice stuff, even if none of it was exactly what...
December 2011
8 posts
7 tags
A Question for the Audience
So I’ve begun thinking about kegging my beers. It’s become something of a necessity these days, mainly due to the fact that I am sick and tired of bottling each and every batch of my beer. Since beginning my all-grain brewing odyssey earlier this fall, the amount of beer leaving my brew kettle has steadily increased, and I am running out of space and bottles. Therefore, I think...
6 tags
8 tags
Christmas time is here!
So I’m not sure if any of you are like me, but Christmas presents the perfect opportunity to clear out some of my homebrew reserves to make room for new brews. My friends and family have long since given up on asking for regular gifts, I think. At this point if I gave them anything other than beer and my homemade peanut butter balls they’d be genuinely upset. One year I spent lots of...
8 tags
Belgian Imperial IPA
So a few days ago I posted about my misadventures at the local homebrew store, and the crushing defeat of not being able to grab the require amount of my beloved Citra hops. Well out of that misfortune has come what I hope will be an equally delicious beer. Still going to be making the Citra IPA later on down the road, when the Citra supply has been replenished, but into then I present my own...
7 tags
So...yeah
So that Citra IPA I was all set to brew won’t be getting made after all. Imagine my surprise when I got to the local homebrew store this afternoon and found that he had all of ONE ounce of Citra Hops left. As my recipe calls for a full 5 ounces I was, as they say, SOL. However, I’ve always wanted to brew a Belgian Imperial IPA, so I set out on a quest to gather some ingredients for the...
7 tags
Citra IPA
I’ve brewed this beer a few times, but always as an extract recipe. With my recent transition to all-grain brewing, I’ve decided to revisit the recipe and make a few changes to the hop additions to account for better utilization and decrease the amount of IBU’s. However, I love the floral, fruity aroma of the relatively new Citra hop variety, and have therefore increased the...
5 tags
Building a Dream
A couple months ago, I set out on a quest to build my very own mash-tun for the purpose of brewing my first beer entirely from grain, no extract or other shortcuts allowed. Today, I have finally conquered that quest, and I’ve decided to create a post showing how I did it. Hopefully, others that are on the fence will be inspired to create something similar and get started on brewing their first...
5 tags
And So it Begins...
I’ve been posting personal thoughts, feelings and diatribes on Tumblr for some time now, and have been interspersing bits about my favorite hobby, homebrewing, along with the personal bits. Now that I’ve recommitted to hobby as a means of making the leap into the world of professional brewing, I’ve decided to create another blog solely for the purpose of educating both myself and...