Three New Brews

So I've been a little busy lately, but I've still managed to brew three new beers in the last two weeks. Right now, I have a Belgian Triple, a Pumpkin Ale, and a Porter fermenting. They should be good.



Belgian Triple


Ingredients:

• 6 pounds Light Dry Malt Extract
• 0.5 pound Aromatic 
• 2 pounds Table Sugar
• 2 ounces Fuggles hops (bittering)
• 1 ounce Saaz (aroma)
• 1 package liquid Belgian Ale yeast
• 1 package dry Belgian Ale yeast

Instructions:

• Steep Aromatic grains at 150-160 degrees for 30-60 minutes
• Add Fuggles, extract, and sugar. Boil for 1 hour.
• Add Saaz in last 10 minutes.
• Cool wort to 65-72 degrees. Pitch yeast.
• Ferment for 14-21 days.

I know a lot of recipes call for Belgian Candy Sugar as opposed to regular table sugar, but there's really not a whole lot of difference between them. Also, a lot of recipes and sites I've seen recommend table sugar to candy sugar because there's no difference. It's also a lot cheaper.

OG: 1.071

"The Great Pumpkin Ale"

Ingredients:

• 3.3 pounds Amber Liquid Malt Extract
• 3 pounds Light Dry Malt Extract
• 1 pound Crystal Malt (60 L)
• 0.5 pound Chocolate Malt
• 2 ounces Goldings (bittering)
• 1 ounce Fuggles (aroma)
• 1 tablet Whirlfloc
• 8-9 pounds fresh pumpkin
• Pumpkin Pie Spice (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger)
• Light Brown Sugar
• 4 Cinnamon Sticks
• 3 Whole Nutmegs
• 6 Whole Allspice
• 1 package London Ale Yeast

Instructions:

• Cut the pumpkin into large pieces and sprinkle with the pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar.
• Bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees until tender.
• Remove from oven and cut into 1-inch cubes. Remove peel. 
• Mash slightly.
• Steep grains at 150-160 degrees for 30-60 minutes. Remove spent grains
• Add dry extract, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and Goldings hops. Boil for 60 minutes.
• Add liquid extract at last 15 minutes.
• Add Fuggles and whirlfloc at last 5 minutes.
• Remove whole spices and pumpkin.
• Cool wort and pitch yeast.
• Ferment for 14-21 days.

*Use 3/4 cup of corn sugar to 2 cups boiling water f3or priming solution if bottling.

OG: 1.042

"Black Cat Halloween Porter"


Ingredients:

• 6.6 pounds Amber Liquid Malt Extract
• 1 pound Chocolate Malt
• 0.5 pound Black Patent Malt
• 1 cup Black Strap Molasses
• 1.5 ounces Vanilla Extract
• 2 ounces Willamette hops (bittering)
• 1 ounce Tettnanger hops (aroma)
• 1 package London Ale yeast

Instructions:

• Steep grains at 150-160 degrees for 30-60 minutes.
• Add half of the extract, molasses and Willamette hops. Boil for 60 minutes.
• Add remaining extract at 15 minutes left.
• Add Tettnanger hops in last 5 minutes.
• Cool wort and pitch yeast.
• Add vanilla (you can add this in secondary process if you plan to use a secondary).
• Ferment 14-17 days (Secondary for last 7 days if using a secondary).

Use 1.25 cups dry malt extract to 2 cups boiling water for priming solution if bottling.

OG: 1.048

I will update once they are ready. Also, I only have 2 kegs, so I need to figure out which batch I'm bottling.

Until Next Time,

RHSC

Big Dan's Brew Shed

A new home-brew store opened in NC over the summer in the Triad area. It's called "Big Dan's Brew Shed." I've been there a couple of times and I have to say that it's pretty nice. It's privately owned by one person (Big Dan), which means you get a lot of individual customer attention. If he doesn't have it, he'll get it for you or he'll let you know where you can get it for the best price. I love that about him. He's not afraid to be honest with the customer about the different products because he's all about providing a service for the customer. He told me directly that you can't make money if no one wants to come back in the store. Also, I love that he sells a lot of miscellaneous items that no one would really think about. For instance, he has the plastic washers for CO2 regulators, air-line splitters, tape for the fittings, hose clamps, etc. He has the best prices on O-rings I have ever seen; you can get a complete set of O-rings for about $3.  He also does tank exchanges and sells kegs. A lot of stores don't sell either of those items anymore, especially kegs. It's just a great store. However, what really set this store apart is the owner. He's perfectly willing to sit and talk to you about your beer or anything beer related. He'll help you work out a recipe and work with you until you are satisfied. He won't make you do it his way if you don't want to. After all, it's about your beer. My favorite thing so far has got to be that if he'll help you out even if he's closed. If you have an emergency and really need some help, he'll help you out. He stays there long after closing, so he'll help you out if he's there. It really is a great experience that I recommend to anyone who can make the trip.

Check out the store at http://www.bigdansbrewshed.com/.

Until Next Time,
RHSC

Busy Summer

So it's been about two months since my last post. I would love to say that I've been brewing a lot since then, but I really haven't. This summer was really busy and just got away from me. There were a couple of festivals and new breweries that I tried this summer that I meant to blog about, but never got around to doing it. I will hopefully catch up on those. I hope to be brewing a Belgian style tripel pretty soon. I'm kind of excited about it and will post about it soon. I've also discovered a new home-brew store that I will blog about soon. I've been behind on all of the blogs I read and comment on, as well. Hopefully I will get back in the swing of that pretty soon. Stay in touch and keep commenting.

Until Next Time,
RHSC

Pale Ale Update

Okay, so this didn't turn out extremely well, but it isn't a total waste, either. Two of my friends who are big pale ale fans said that it wasn't too bad; it's drinkable. It has a nice hoppy aroma, a nice pale ale taste up front, but it apparently has a sweet finish that is overpowering (too much malt, or not enough hops, or a combination of both). It has a little too much head, but that's something I can adjust (I'm still getting used to forced carbonation). My biggest complaint is that it is way too cloudy. There are definitely some things I need to experiment with. Next time, I think I will leave out the 6 oz of crushed 2-row and maybe add an extra half-ounce of Cascade hops somewhere in the boil. I would also transfer it over to the secondary for a least 3-4 days so as to let it clear up some more. I think it would have a clearer body and not be so sweet on the finish that way. Ultimately, it's not a bad beer. I could definitely drink it (if nothing else was around :) ). However, I think in my attempt to make a more balanced pale ale, I went a little too far in the other direction. If I try this again, I will try to go back a little in the direction of a traditional pale ale.

OG: 1.038
FG: 1.008
ABV: 4%

Until Next Time,
RHSC

Hard Cider Update

I recently tried both the flat and sparkling cider. Both turned out very nicely. The sparkling cider is a little sweeter and has an extra little kick that the flat cider doesn't have. They are both very smooth and crisp. They are both on the dry side, which I like. A friend of mine called it "Sneaky Cider" because it packs quite a punch. I misplaced my hydrometer while I was making this so I have no clue what the ABV is on this batch, but if I had to guess, I would say it is high--over 6% probably (especially since the airlock bubbled constantly for about 12 days).  I like this and would experiment with it again, especially since it was so easy to make.

Until Next Time,
RHSC

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Porter Update

I force carbonated the porter last night at about 26-28 psi for 14 hours at about 38 degrees. This morning, I turned the pressure down to about 10 psi (serving pressure) to let it keep going for a few more days. I poured a small glass just to see how it was coming along and I dare say it is ready. I'm sure that after another couple of days, it will be perfectly carbonated, but it's very nicely carbonated now. I think it carbonated so quickly because the gas is denser the colder it gets.

The porter itself turned out nicely. It has a nice nose; you can immediately smell the chocolate and you get a nice smoky, roasted aroma which I'm assuming is the nuts. Considering it has a large portion of hops, it is not overly hoppy, which I like. The flavor is a little lacking, which is surprising considering the amount of ingredients that went into this beer. There is a little chocolate on the tip of the tongue followed by a bitter-sweet finish. It has a nice mouthfeel and a long-lasting consistent head (thank you, CO2).  It is definitely on the bitter side (not necessarily a bad thing, but it feels too much like a stout as opposed to the porter it is supposed to be), so I might try milk-chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate instead of the bitter-sweet I used if I were to try this recipe again. This bitterness takes away from the smoothness a little. Overall, I would give this beer a solid B. Not great, but not awful, either. It is something I would definitely like to play around with in the future. However, none of my friends have tried it, so I'll let them judge it as I am probably my worst critic. Also, it has only been in the keg for a day. As it conditions further, the beer may begin to show some more mature characteristics.

On a side note, I am in love with kegging already. It presents new challenges and problems (like making sure everything is hooked up properly, securing leaks, getting the regulator to work, etc.), but it is very nice to just walk up to the tap and pour off a nice cold beer whenever I want. Gotta love it!

Until Next Time,
RHSC

Hard Cider

I "brewed" (not really sure this term applies here) this cider over a month ago and am bottling it today. There are so many ways to make cider,  and there are tons of recipes out there. This is my first attempt at making cider, so I decided to take an easy route.

Ingredients:

• 5 gallons Apple Juice
• 2 lbs Honey
• 1 lb Brown Sugar
• 1 package Champagne Yeast
• 3/8 or 3/4 cup corn sugar

Instructions:

• Heat one gallon of juice on stove.
• Add honey and brown sugar. Stir until completely mixed together.
• Add to fermenter with remaining 4 gallons.
• Pitch yeast.
• Ferment in primary for 2 weeks.
• Ferment in secondary for 2 weeks.
• Bottle with corn sugar for carbonated cider, or without for flat cider.

My plan is to carbonate half of the batch, which is why I have 3/8 cup of sugar listed (you will use 3/4 cup if you plan to carbonate the entire batch). I will transfer the cider to the bottling bucket and bottle half the batch into wine bottles. Then I will add the solution, stir, and let sit for about 15-20 minutes. Then I will bottle the rest into beer bottles. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Until Next Time,

RHSC