Beer For Days...

Two weekends in a row brewing...good times.  Helped the Patrolman (Bayard) brew up some Oktoberfest, and followed up with an Irish Red (with Irish Jim's assistance, no doubt).  I'm finally getting comfortable with the brewery, and it shows as the last few brews have gone of without a hitch (knock on wood).  The awesome brown ale is already one keg down, and I am saving the other one for a friend's (Evan) wedding.  I need to get one of those vienna kegs cold and carbed...right now the only thing on tap is the less-than-desirable version of the cockhammer...

I lied! Long overdue updates!!

I didn't even know it!  Anyway, a lot has happened.  I recently finished a 15gal fermentor using a 1/2bbl keg and ran my first 15gal batch of brew.  I must say, it's exciting to have a "triple" batch of beer.  I would love to go even bigger, but for now 10-15gal of beer is all I am willing to screw up at a time!

Other Items

• New casters for the brewer, the original ones are failing and leaving the brewery "on tilt".
• 15gal of Cockhammer v3.0 fermented an conditioning for drinking.
• My second shot at O-Fest was much better,  very good actually.  It is on tap and drinking smooth!
• Christmas Beers are also conditioning.  I brewed a version of the Santa's Bootstrap, and separated the two batches into kegs (5gal each).  One will be a remake of the bootstrap called "Gingerbread Stout", the other is "Mint Chocolate Stout".  7%ABV.  I am using chocolate nips this year, man to they add chocolate to the flavor!  Same idea as last year, soaked beans and spices in vodka and will ad to "spice" the brew.
• I will be taking the BJCP exam in February, got to study!!

Here are the label proofs for this year's brews:

    

Back by Popular Demand...

OK, OK, OK...I know I've been delinquent in posting. The stash of O-Fest is almost finished off, as well it should. turned out well, although the "toasted" variety seemed to hold it's bite a tad more than the regular. Still a fine brew!

So I'm now in the process of dreaming up a new version of the brewery that's a little more traditional. It probably won't happen anytime soon, but you never know. I also brewed the full run of the x-mas stout, as the first one came out pretty nice. It's finishing up primary, and I haven't decided if I'm going to bottle condition or force carbonate...

Hopefully I'll get back into a grove of posting on a regular basis!

Negligence

Wow, just Wow...

I've been so busy over the past few weeks I didn't even take the time to post on my blog. Lets catch up. First off, my great dane of 9 1/2 years passed away a few weeks ago. It's been tough for my wife and I since he was our first pet together, and my first pet EVER. Not to mention he was a big dang dog, and had a personality to match his size. Gosh I miss Spartacus, but he had lived long past his prime and died happy, at home, and in his sleep.

On to brewing...things are going strong at the RCBC. Last weekend I successfully brewed 30 gallons (3 batches) of homebrew: cream ale, acorn amber (o-fest), and a toasted acorn, which I modified the original recipe, adding 2lbs of "toasted" pale malt. We will see how it tastes relative to the original that I love so much.

This Friday is the RCBC-sponsored Spartacus Tumblin Memorial Hold'em Invitational. I have an Engish pub ale (boddy-style) served on the nitro tap and what's left of a Barely Drinkable Brown Ale for those that are feeling frisky.

Lastly, I entered a few beers in a contest and got some good results. I didn't place, but my average score was 30 out of 50. I was happy, especially considering I knew they were not my best brews!

Drinking the beer...

Usually I am focused on brewing, but today I decided to review DRINKING beer. Had a few folks over for the games yesterday and we drank a few brews. I had some leftover brown ale, scottish, and O'fest on tap, and we partook.

Brown Ale was a bit more bitter than normal thanks to a tiny bit of trub (the "goo" that ends up on the bottom of the fermenters and includes pieces of hop) into the serving keg.

Scottish Ale is still strong with smoke flavor, but tasty (IMHO). I will probably bottle the rest of it since noone else seems to care for it. Maybe a few months of conitioning will smooth it out.

O'fest is delish, even with only a month of lagering. I might bottle some of it for contest in March, otherwise it will be enjoyed until the brown is ready again...

Too many good beers to drink!

Update

You would think that I would have more time working part time, but quite the contrary...I did get the Highland amber brewed and got the O'fest lagering. Drank Tank and I transferred the mead, and it is already about 17% ABV. Still too sweet, but hopefully a little more time will yield the gravity we want.

Whoops, took a week off! Light Irish Red Lives On!

Well, I guess I wrote a lot the last couple blogs anyway. You could have broken them down into daily capsules. Anyway, tis a dark day, as the O'fest is gone, the Brown ale is still a bit bitter, and the pumpkin isn't quite ready.

ON TAP - LIR, Plain Ole' Punkin Ale(green), NQG Stout (Not Quite Guiness)
KEG CONDITIONING - Brown Ale x2
FERMENTING - BVIP*, O'fest #2

The Light Irish Red...This beer has been on tap since August, yet I can't get anyone to finish it off! Funny thing is, it's still a pretty fine ale, just very weak and light for a homebrew. I've been drinking it while watching football so as to not get lit and end up in bed at 7:30 Sunday evening. I've been very successful with the stout and the O'fest so everyone's gravitated to those, leaving the Light Irish Redheaded-stepchild Ale waiting for some love. I'm even going to bottle some of it for a contest in December, just for the hell of it...

*BVIP update: It is almost done fermenting. Actually it was almost done a week ago, but it seems I am supposed to let it sit on the primary yeast cake for 10-12 days at least since it is a high-gravity brew. This is not "mine", but property of the BBG.

That's how I roll

Found this pic from two years ago. We take October seriously...Treats for the kids. Sam Adams Octoberfest for the adults.