Mint Chocolate and Gingerbread are done. I must say, the ginger did not come out like it did this year, but I've found with spiced beer that less is usually better. Either way, it's a nice stout. The Mint Chocolate was good, with plenty of chocolate and a slight mint flavor. As usual, we didn't end up with as much as I would have liked, but still enough to share. Last night Santa made his list. Were you naughty or nice?
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!
Christmas beer is bottled and labeled...now it's just a matter of if you are on my "good" list! Anyway, after brewing the other day I finally decided that I would move forward with wholesale changes to the RCBC. I sold my Chevelle (68) and will use a small portion of the profits to gather the last few pieces I need for upgrades...more to follow, otherwise Merry Christmas!
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!
Nearly a month, not that anyone is counting. Starting a new business has taken it's toll on my free time!
The Christmas Stout got good reviews at my club meeting last night, although it is obviously not a drinking beer, and therefore not much was missing when I got home. No biggie, it's a rich full beer that wasn't meant to be drank in bulk...
Another biggie is the CAP I have lagering. It's mellowing nicely, although I figure it really needs a few months more. I'll have to put it on tap before then since that's about all I have right now. Brewing gold ale this weekend that should be ready to serve in a few weeks, so I can make up the difference.
Well brew day is in the books...what a cluster bomb...
Planned a great recipe for my christmas beer, a ginger-molasses imperial stout.
Planning is but a small part of a project. For some reason I chose to forgo adding Munich malt, why I don't know. Then my mash temp was low by 3 degrees (not too big a deal). Then my gravity was off by 10 points, as seems the standard for any high gravity beer even though I continue to lower the projected efficieny. And finally I can no longer get the wort below 78-80 now that the water is getting to that temp. I even had a pre-chiller going with ice and salt...still no dice after over 30mins of chilling, stirring, swirling, etc.I guess I'll have to start freezing some water bottles or move to Alaska in the summer! Days like this make me feel like a rookie!
