Creeping ever closer to my own homebrew set-up!!!

It seems that more and more all I have time to post about is what I would like to post about, rather than the things I am actually doing. I guess this is a good thing when it comes to the fact that I am actually doing what I am thinking about rather than just writing about it, but it makes for a bit of an unsuccessful blog experience. Such is life I guess.

I have been doing the things I planned on doing. For example, I just got back from Home Depot where I was picking up all the bits and pieces to build my DIY mash lauter tun. this brings me one step closer to my first solo home brew. If you have read this blog, you know I have brewed a few beers already with my friend and brewing partner, Steve. I am treating learning to brew much like one would learn to fly. I did a good bit of research, then I started by co-piloting, and now I am just about ready for my first solo flight.

I have found the brewing community to be a very open and giving one. I got my carboy, fermenter, and related accessories secondhand through some friends. I got a wort chiller from another friend who is taking a break from brewing for a while to concentrate on some new things. I am borrowing a turkey fryer burner and stock pot from another friend who used to home brew. And finally, I am building a mash/lauter tun from plans I found online, a few bits of plumbing from Home Depot, and cooler I bought off of craigslist for $15. Brewing on a budget seems to be the plan. My dad always used to watch the cooking show "The Frugal Gourmet" and now I am thinking of myself as "The Frugal Home-Brewer".

There doesn't seem any point in re-writing the same blog posts as a few others have regarding the parts that go into making the MLT, so I will just post a link to the plan I used. And while these plans are from 2007, the cooler, parts list, and even the prices are pretty close to spot on. I will post pics and a description of the build as I am doing it to review any of the issues that I may come across, but until then, eat, drink, and be merry.

July Update

June was a busy month for this beer enthusiast. From the Harrisburg Brewers Fest to a road trip to Jackie O's Brew Pub in Athens Ohio.  A good time was had by all. Upcoming posts include reviews of the two aforementioned events as well as updated modifications to Big Dan Stout, Steve's new banjo burner and 30 psi propane regulator and the new beers I am going to try in Delaware this weekend. Some thoughts on Beer Advocate and the re-selling of ultra rare collectible beers on eBay. Stay tuned and eat drink and be merry.

Big Dan Stout Round #1 review...

Before I talk about what I think of this beer, I will discuss what the design intent was. It all started with my inability to secure a bourbon oak ages stout on a regular basis. This is my favorite style of beer and I like to have one or two as often as time allows. I really like the abv strength related to those beers. That being said, the design parameters were as follows:
- Good sweet stout to start with
- Thick and hearty mouth feel, almost chewy
- 8-10% abv
- Strong bourbon flavor, but not so much the stout flavors are lost
- Oak notes prevalent as well, but not overpowering

This makes for quite a challenge, so Steve (my brewing buddy) and I decided to work on a series. Start with a good stout, and small scale aging with bourbon oak chips.

The result was pleasing, but not a 100% success. We achieved a good stout, but it wasn't as sweet as I was hoping, it was only 7% abv, and there wasn't enough (in my opinion) bourbon and oak characteristics. What we have is a good heavy stout, a bit on the dry side.

Regarding the sweetness, I don't want a milk stout (no addition of lactose, my guts can't handle it) and we mashed hot (166 degrees) which I believe is too hot for the abv we were looking for, so that leaves the hop choices we used. Perhaps a little less bittering hops.

Mashing at 166 was too hot for the efficiency we are looking for. That we can fix

The only other deficiency was the bourbon and oak aging. Perhaps aging for a few weeks vs. a few days will help. Plus, we boiled the chips to sanitize and did not throw the boil water in the fermenter. That might help with the flavor profile.

We will keep trying. Until then, eat, drink, and be merry.

Samuel Adams and Dogfish Head Founders Summon the Power of Flowers and Team Up to Brew New Beer

Check out this one...

Samuel Adams and Dogfish Head Founders Summon the Power of Flowers and Team Up to Brew New Beer

Weekly Update...

I just returned from a mini vacation in Montross, Va. It's basically where the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay meet on the Va side. As stated before, I was in search of a beer with strong malt character and that was in cans. Boy did I ever find one. One of the guys at Breski's Beer Distributor suggested I try Dunkel Lager by Slyfox. Score!! Top notch beer with tons of malt character, a good balance of hops, in cans for a decent price. 

Slyfox Dunkel Lager

I hear they have quite the selection of good beers. One that rivals their neighbor Victory. All I know is that was the right beer for the right situation and I will definitely get it again. 

It was a good beer weekend all around. We enjoyed a sixtel of Troeg's Hopback Amber Ale which I really enjoyed (as I usually do) and a few cases of my guilty pleasure, Natty Boh (aka National Bohemian). I grew up around people drinking Natty Boh and it is the beer that comes to mind when someine says "macro brew". We were enjoying it in true Maryland Style by topping it off with a few shakes of the Old Bay tin. A great combination of two true Maryland legends. Best drank at the shore or at an O's game. 

I am still working on that mash tun cooler conversion and my bourbon stout is almost done fermenting, so I will be posting again soon. Until then, eat, drink, and be merry. 

The can craze...

Craft brewing seems to be once again embracing the canning of beer.

I just had 2 of the above 3 beers the other weekend and they were delicious. (highly recommend Summer Solstice for it's pronounced malt character) They were enjoyed during a round of golf. I could not detect any negative effects on the flavor of the beer and it seems to be a much greener choice over glass bottles if nothing else than for the fact that aluminum is lighter than glass and therefore requires less fuel to transport. Not to mention the fact that you can fit many more empties in the recycling bin. Now on the other side of that coin, the manufacturing process of aluminum can be more harmful to the environment than bottles so there is no definitive winner in that category. Regardless of the reason, craft brewers are utilizing the can more and more everyday. There are entire websites dedicated to the canning of beer and I had no idea the extent of brewers that are canning. I know one thing that is for certain, I am headed to the beach this weekend with some friends, and when I grab some beer, I'll be hunting for beer in cans.

My latest infatuation...

It took me a long time to finally delve into the world of beer drinking as far as most of my friends are concerned. When they were picking up six-packs of anything from Budweiser to Newcastle, I was following in the footsteps of my Dad and his brother. Bourbon, whiskey, and scotch either on the rocks or mixed with cola or ginger-ale were always their go-to beverage of choice when my little taste buds were forming. When I was going for a sip, as kids sometimes do, I was tasting Jim Beam or J&B rather than a more typical beer. Naturally when I become of age, that is what I gravitated towards.

Now that I have fully delved into the world of top notch beer, I have discovered the joys of barrel aged stouts and porters. More specifically the bourbon or whiskey barrel aged variety's. My favorite incarnation of these is Founder's Brewing Co. Kentucky Breakfast Stout. It is, in my opinion, the standard by which I judge all other beers of this style. A close second has to be Brooklyn Brewery Black Ops with Oak Aged Yeti by Great Divide right there with them. I am currently enjoying a case of Weyerbacher Heresy which also seems to be a good version, albeit not quite on the same tier with the previous three in my opinion.

This style seems to be synonymous with winter and colder months because all of these beers are special editions or seasonals only released in the winter, but I could drink they year round. That's why I am currently working with Judge Brews (a home brewing collaborator) developing a recipe for Big Dan Stout. Version 1.0 is currently being dry hopped with Jack Daniels infused wood chips and will be ready in a few months. A complete review is forthcoming. Variations to the recipe for future versions will include modifications to the hops included and changing the volume of wood chips as well as the duration of dry hopping. Till then, eat, drink, and be merry.

Welcome...

Hello all, I am Dan. I am finding myself more and more interested (more of an obsession if you ask me) in good beer. I am getting into home brewing. I have brewed a few beers with my brewing collaborator, Steve. He is teaching me techniques and recipe design and is my go to when I have questions. I pick the brains of anyone in the industry that will let me. From the owners of breweries to sales managers at distributors to home brew shop owners, there is no end to the knowledge one could gain. I could go on and on about what makes me tick, but that will get boring quick.

To preview some of my upcoming ideas, I am building my own mask/lauter tun from a cooler and plumbing parts, building my own copper wort chiller, and will be reporting on my adventures at the Harrisburg Brewers Fest hosted by Troegs Brewing Co. I will also be reviewing my own home brew recipes as they come to fruition. Until then, eat, drink and be merry.