Brainstorming...

So I'm sitting here thinking...CACTUS BEER. Agave? Then it dawns on me, if I can do a hickory smoked beer for Carolina...why not do a mesquite beer for Texas? Now we just have to find a house so I can get my system down here!

Paradigm Shift

Not in brewing, in location. That's right! RCBC is now headquartered in San Antonio, TX! I hope this explains the lack of updates. Problem is, all my gear is still in NC, so no brewing news until we find a permanent home (we are currently renting).

Why? My lovely wife took a new job down here. I'm excited for her, and cautiously optimistic for me. Right now I am looking for a JOB, as a had to resign in NC to move down and look in TX.

Anyway, we are looking for a permanent home and trying to sell our house in High Point. I hate to leave it, as I had it setup perfect for brewing, but the new place will give me a chance to setup a new and IMPROVED RCBC.

More to follow...YeeHaw!

Fall Brewing

Tuesday was double brew day. Brown ale and a new recipe for a traditional bock. I went bock with the intent of a) getting a good yeast slurry together, and b) I accidentally bought too much pilsner malt, so I'm going to do a double bock too and try to clean some of it out!

Brewing went well. The beers are both fermenting away. Hopefully in a couple weeks I will be able to enjoy it! Part of the Pale Ale Project included filtering, so I now have a plate filter. It works well and is nice when transporting beer to keep from stirring up sediments that settle out during aging...

Till the next time!

Ok, so I am pathetic...

I used to blame my lack of posting on being blocked through work, but I'm not blocked (haven't been for a while now) and still no posts. They say when you are busy some things get pushed aside. Sorry folks...

GENERAL UPDATES

- Several Pale ales brewed (3), as I was working on a recipe for a gentleman trying to get a brewery started in Lexington,NC. He's no longer pursuing that, so I don't have to brew hoppy beer if I don't want to.

- Brewing area now includes a functional was tub. Now if I could only remember to use it!

- Tried dry yeast in a couple beers. Cheaper, easier, and just as good! Getting back to basics...

Otherwise the brewery continues to function well and I am working on a new draft system for the outside of the brewing room (the first one got the beer hot and lines were getting gunky...

See you again soon (I hope)!

A new milestone and something smoky...

On Tuesday I took the day off and brewed up two batches of beer, hopefully to be ready in time for a guys weekend in August. Another cream ale and a new recipe, hickory smoked robust porter. I smoked the malt myself for one hour using my grill as a makeshift smoker. It worked well, but I was a little worried about getting too much smoke in the final product. I ended up only putting 2lbs of the smoked malt in a 12.5gal batch (most recipes call for ~3lbs for a 6gal batch). Hickory is a strong flavor, hopefully it will come out good!

First ever pale ale on draft, and quite tasty. What? Hops?

More Beer, Filtering, and Beer Runs!

So tonight I am "planning" to do my first filtered beer. I have a keg of brown, a keg of Pale, and a Bohemian pilsner, all of which I am planning to run through my new filter. I'm interested to see how it changes the taste profile...

This weekend I am hoping to brew another cream ale, and next weekend the smoked porter. I still want to do either more bo-pils or an oktoberfest. Man, so much beer to brew, and so little time!

Oh, and the second "beer run" is Saturday!

Winding down, and a beer run.

Summer heat is beating me down! Did get two more brews done, brown and (almost done) my first pale ale. We shall see how it turns out! Anywho, Drank Tank and I worked out a beer run through Greensboro. 5.5mi through the blazing hot sun and 4 bars (plus a homebrew at Derick's). Successful save the closed dive bar, but we adjusted fire and made it to the next place. Good times!

All brewed out...

This weekend is a special one. I won't be brewing for the first time in a while. Actually, I might still brew, just not sure what it will be. I'm thinking a hickory smoked stout if it works out that I have the time to smoke some malt by this weekend...

Bottling the Glacier Wolf is this afternoon, might even get a visit from Jon (Wolfbeer Co. Pres) if he's available. We will see. Otherwise it's a little over carbonated, which works out well when bottling with a beer gun.

Bo Pils is great (already emptied one keg), and the cream ale is carbing. I actually might need to do another run of it for the Summertime Brews Fest (Chocolate cream ale concept). We will see!