Round two

Rogness Brewing Company still needs your help. A new kick starter campagin with a more modest goal is now in the works. Use the widget on the right side of the page to head over to kickstarter.com and show your support.

AHS sale!

Starting tomorrow (11/4/11) Austin Homebrew Supply will be lowering the qualifying order amount for free shipping from $100.00 to only $50.00. This won't last long so don't miss the opportunity to get a great deal on a holiday gift for the homebrewer in your life.

AHS Texas Wildfire Relief Recipe Kits



In the wake of the recent devastating wildfires in central Texas Austin Homebrew Supply has released 13 limited edtion recipe kits to benefit the American Red Cross of Central Texas. All profit generated from the sale of these kits will be donated to the American Red Cross of Central Texas which is helping with the relief efforts for the vitims of this tragedy.

So click here pick up a great new kit and knock back some suds with the knowledge that your homebrew helped those in need.

From brew street to oblivion

New Belgium happens to be a great brewery. Clutch happens to be a great band. When they get together for a collaborative project I wonder if the marketing team incepted my dreams and created this just for me. the brew is a perplexing Dark Sour Ale. I can't wait to get my hands on this stuff.

Read about it in more detail here Beer tyrant.

Kick start my wort!

My friend and owner of Austin Homebrew Supply Mr. Forrest Rogness is opening a microbrewery here in Austin.The focus is one high quality small batches. With rye, porter, kolsch, and esb styles all in the works. Like with all new businesses capital is necessary to get things off and running. This is where you can help.

Kickstarter is a website that allows start up company to aquire capital through pledges by interested parties.

An explation from the Kickstater website:  " You may pledge any dollar amount (a minimum of $1) to our campaign, although we have specified rewards for different levels of giving, which may be found on the right-hand side of the page. If we receive at least $60,000 in pledges by October 21, 2011, we will receive the amount of donations ($60,000 or above) at that time, and we can purchase more equipment such as a steam generator, more kegs, a bottling line, etc.


In order to pledge, all you need is an Amazon account (it's free!). You will not be charged for your donation until October 21, if we meet our goal; otherwise, you will not be charged anything."

The rewards are proportionate to level of the pledge (think PBS pledge campagins but instead of a VHS tape of River Dance for a pledge of $50 you'll receive a Rogness t-shirt, pint glass, tasting glass, and sticker).

Here is the link to the Kickstarter page. So belly up for as little as $1and support craft beer!

Harvest

Aaron recently harvested the Cascade hops that I planted last year. It was an impressive crop. He has already brewed a fresh hop ale with some of them, the rest he plans dry and save for later use. Some are headed my way and I can't wait to get my mitts on them. Here are a few photos.

Cheers,

 - Jay

My new(ish) conical fermenter

This summer has been insanely hot here in Austin, with tempatures reaching into the triple digits nealry every day. This kind of heat makes it difficult to brew so I haven't produced a batch since May. Cooling Wort quickly when the water coming out of the tap is nearly 80 degrees is not exactly easy. Hopefully it will cool down within a month and I can get back at it. In the mean time I've been doing alot of reading and formulating recipies. I've also been able to pick up a few pieces of equipment that I'm very excited about.

Roughly a month ago AHS aquired the inventory of a homebrew store that had gone out of business. The bulk of the items were used. Amongst them was an 8 gallon minibrew conical fermenter. It was in good shape and I was able to pick it up for an excellent price.

It cleaned up easily. I replaced the 1" ball valve with a plastic one and the half inch valve with a stainless steel one. I also added a dial thermometer and used EcoFoil to insulate it.

I can't wait to get some brew in it and watch the airlock bubble away.

Before

After

AHS conical fermenter giveaway!

Austin Homebrew Supply is giving away a Blichman 14.5 stainless steel conical fermenator. Every order placed online during the month of June and July will be entered into the drawing which will be held on August 5th. In-store customers will need to fill out an entry form to be entered into the drawing, you can also fill a form to enter without making a purchase here.

This thing retails for nearly $600! If only I were eligable... damn.

AHS Memorial day sale

Austin Homebrewing Supply is have a 10% off sale on the top 10 most popular recipes. Which includes the new kit Apocalypso, a hoppy golden ale featuring a Calypso hops (a new breed). This sale will be over on Tuesday, May 31st so jump on this one.


Cheers,
 - Jay

Update: Belgian Pale Ale

Primary fermentation of the Belgian Pale Ale appeared to be finished last Thursday. The airlock was inactive so I gave it one more day (for a total of seven). When I returned home from work on Friday I racked the brew to a 6.5 gallon carboy for secondary fermentation. 

 

 

I was nervous that with all of the little glitches I had on brew day that it may be undrinkable. Fortunately at the time of racking everything appeared to be great. The aroma, flavor, and color all were spot on. The attenuation wasn't as high as I would have liked to see. Specific gravity hadn't fallen as much as I had hoped (the sample that I measured was 1.021 @ 73 degrees). This leaves the ABV hovering right around 3%. 

 

 

 

Of course this has just as much to do with the original gravity as it does the current gravity. I had trouble maintaining a high enough temp while mashing which in turn didn't allow me to reach the target original gravity of 1.050. This is the weak link in the process right now but I have a few ideas to improve the situation next time around. Hopefully the gravity will drop further. I would like to reach an ABV of around 4.5%, if not it should prove to be a very drinkable session beer that I'll enjoy in this warm weather.

 

Cheers,
 - Jay


In Secondary:

• Belgian Pale Ale

Rusty Zymurgy just enjoyed a Jester King Black Metal Stout and wanted to share it with you, Cheers!

Round beverage cooler sale

After a few happy hour libations and several sushi rolls my wife and I took a short walk around the Domain. While taking a short cut through Dick's Sporting Goods I noticed these 7 gallon round beverage coolers on sale for $29.97. They're shorter and wider than the normal 10 gallon coolers. I think that this would make the ideal for mashing All Grain 5 gallon batches. They should be large enough to mash 15lbs of grain yet small enough to maintain temperature rather well.

Austin Homebrew Supply Stainless steel kettle sale

Austin Home Brew Supply has stainless steel kettles (including Polar Ware) on sale until the end of the month. Direct link can be found here.

Cheers,

 - Jay

Belgian Pale Ale partial mash brew

For the first time in over six months I had the opportunity to brew. I had all of my equipment rounded up, the sight glass and thermometer installed in my kettle (thanks Kevin), the ingredients, and most importantly the time needed. So when I got home from work this past Friday afternoon I went straight to it. For my first batch in Texas I decided on a Belgian Pale Ale (one of my favorite styles). The recipe is my own and is loosely based on Ommegangs BPA. Here is what I came up with:

2.25lbs Belgian Pale Ale malt
0.5lbs Caravienne malt
0.5lbs Caramunich malt
0.25lbs Aromatic malt
0.125lbs Biscuit malt
3.625lbs Total

4.00lbs Extra Pale liquid extract
1.00lbs Munich liquid extract
5.00lbs Total

1.00oz Columbus (bittering)
0.5oz Styrian Golding (flavoring)
0.5oz Styrian Golding (aroma)
2.00oz Total

0.125oz Sweet Orange Peel

Wyeast Belgian Ardennes

I've decided to step back from All Grain brewing for a bit. Now that I'm on my own the already time consuming all grain method is compounded by not having a second (or third) set of hands to help. Yet extract brewing just isn't challenging enough anymore. So this leaves me in the partial mash neighborhood. The brew in a bag method just doesn't appeal to me. It feels too close to steeping specialty grains for an extract brew. I know that it is an actual mash but I need more control.

I have spent much of my free time (of which there has been plenty) since moving to Texas researching and developing a process for partial mash brewing. So after weeks of reading and picking the brains of co-workers I developed a method of mashing in a 5 gallon converted igloo cooler and doing a single batch sparge. Here is the process:

Day before:

• Filter and pre-boil 7 gallons of H2O
• Record ph of water (adjust if necessary for the style)
• Create yeast starter

Brew day:

• Sanitize all equipment
• Heat up liquid extract to improve viscosity
• Preheat mash tun
• Heat mash water to 168 degrees
• Mash in in at 166 degrees at ratio of 1.5 qts / 1lb of grain (target temp is 152 degrees)
• Stir to insure that there are no dry pockets
• Mash for 60 minutes stirring every 20 minutes record temp each time
• Heat sparge water to 170 degrees
• Batch sparge a single time with a ratio of 1.75 qts / 1lb of grain
• Vorlauf
• Drain to boil kettle
• Add H2O to bring boil volume to 6 gallons
• Add liquid extract and stir for several minutes
• Increase temp and bring to a boil
• Boil for 90 minutes
• Add bittering hops at boil
• Add flavor hops at 15 minutes left
• Add aroma hops at 5 minutes left
• Chill wort to < 78 degrees
• Transfer to primary fermenter
• Aerate for 20 minutes
• Pitch yeast

Seeing as this was the first time that I brewed this recipe, the first time using my partial mash method, and the first time I used 90% of my equipment, I was expecting a few hiccups. Well, I got them.

The first issue was difficulty maintaining mash temperature. When I checked the temp after 20 minutes it has dropped down to 139 degrees. Much lower than I was aiming for. Mashing in any higher wasn't an option either. Next time I may mash out doors the entire time instead of starting in my kitchen where it is 72 degrees.

The next issue I ran into was the newly installed sight glass on my boil kettle kept boiling over even though the kettle itself never even came close to doing so. There was also a minor leak in the sight glass compression fitting. Should be a simple fix. I have to take it apart to clean it anyway.

The last real issue I had was scorching the wort. I thought that I was stirring frequently enough but Clearly I wasn't. I fished out as much of the scorched extract that was floating in the wort as I could and the rest was filter out by the strainer as I transferred to my primary fermenter. So hopefully it doesn't cause a terrible off flavor.

Some of the scorched extract from the bottom of the kettle.

Despite the issues I really enjoyed myself. I think that the process is solid and only needs a few minor tweaks. The biggest issue was reaching my target original gravity of 1.050. The actual O.G. was 1.044. I'm not terribly disappointed with that number but I know that it can be improved. Maintaing a higher mash temp and not losing fermentable sugars by burning them to the bottom of the kettle should do the trick. The yeast seems to be very healthy, the airlock is bubbling away at a vigorous rate.

It was a blast using all of my new toys. I especially like my new refractometer and 30' Immersion chiller. Both worked exceptionally well. I was able to cool the wort down to 75 degrees from 218 in under 25 minutes with an ambient air temp of 80 degrees.

I'll have an update in a few weeks once this batch has finished fermenting. I'm dying to try it so I can brew another batch and refine the recipe (and technique). I have a ton of styles lined up and am looking forward to brewing them all but I'm not in a race. I'm really concentrating on the quality of both the brew and the process. So the next batch I brew will be another BPA. After that I'm going to cover Amercan and English pale ales.

As always I'm open to any feedback so feel free to post comments or questions.

Cheers,

- Jay

In Primary:

• Belgian Pale Ale

Austin Homebrew Supply kegging equipment sale.

Several different kegging kits are on sale now at AHS. Great deals, click.here.

Ommegang Belgian Pale Ale

So, I've finally gathered enough equipment to brew my first batch since making the move to Texas (Working at Austin Homebrew Supply for the past month has definitely helped the cause). I have been debating about which style to brew first. With summer on the way and temperatures already climbing into the mid 90's here in central Texas I don't want to brew anything that would be to big and heavy. I want to keep it refreshing. So I have decide to brew a series of Pale Ales. The first being a Belgian Pale Ale, with English and American styles to follow.

My new low-tech equipment and work table in the garage.

I've picked next Saturday (5/14/11) as my brew date for my first batch of BPA. I've spent the past few weeks developing a partial mash process that I am extremely excited to try out. I've also been pouring over several BPA recipes and weighing their strong and weak points against what I enjoy about the style. More on all of this in a few days.

My favorite example of a Belgian Pale Ale is Ommegang Belgian-style Pale Ale (even though it is brewed in Cooperstown, New York about 4 1/2 hours drive east of Buffalo). Not only is it a great example of the BJCP style (16B) it is a great beer in general, one of my favorites in fact. So today I'm going to spend some time with Ommegang BPA as it is the bench mark for my own brew.

Style: Belgian Pale Ale

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: Unknown

Vessel: Nonic (poured from an 12 oz bottle)

Appearance: The first thing that grabs your attention is the tremendous fluffy bone white head (which has impressive retention). As you drink the glass down there is a moderate amount of lacing left behind. This brew pours a clear golden color which appears to me to be around the 7 -8 SRM. Clarity is very good. It's a handsome pint. (5/5)

Aroma: Slightly sour yeast dominates. Biscuity malt blends moderate citrus notes. Low citrusy hop aroma  (4.0/5)

Flavor: Fruity with just a hint of peppery flavor as I first sip brew. Orange and grape fruit flavors begin sweet and finish just slightly sour. Smooth, sweet and toasty malt that finishes with a strong biscuit flavor that lingers on the palate. There is little hop flavor ( a taste a bit of cascade citrus likely from their addition as a dry hop). A nice hoppy bitterness finishes the sip and balances the malt perfectly(4.5/5)

Mouth Feel: Medium-light bodied. Perfect carbonation level for the style. Ever so slightly warming but no detectable alcohol. Clean and refreshing.(4.5/5)

Overall: I love this beer. Its balanced perfectly which is a rare treat. I can't wait to cool down with this in the July heat of central Texas. Usually I'm not a fan of lingering flavors but the biscuit left between sips is really nice. It's just sweet enough, just bitter enough and has a wonderful mouth feel. It is one handsome fellow when poured into a glass. (18/20) 90%

I'm excited to put my skills as a home brewer to the test next weekend. This isn't a big beer or anything off the wall. In fact Belgian Pale Ale is a wonderful style that is just the opposite. It is balanced in a way that is uncommon and that is where the challenge lies. Its takes a steady and light hand to create a delicately balanced beer. By using Ommergangs BPA as a benchmark I feel that over the course of a few batches I will be able to create an outstanding beer. Stay tuned for a post about the brew session, recipe and techniques next week.

Cheers,

 - Jay

P.S. Happy Mothers day

Classic animated beer commercials

Just plain silly.

Buy Royal Virility Performance | BrewDog Beer

Brewery Lefebvre: Hopus Ale

Style: Belgian IPA

ABV: 8.3%

IBU: Unknown (but not nearly high enough)

Vessel: Tulip glass (poured from an 11.2 oz flip top bottle)

Appearance: Cloudy pale straw color. Tons of sediment floating in the glass. Beautiful fluffy white head with mild lacing. (4.5/5)

Aroma: Sour fruit notes with zero hop scent present (it is an IPA right?) Yeasty esters and mild malt similar to sour dough bread. I also detect a little bit of honey malt. No hop aroma at all (this is an IPA right?) (2.5/5)

Flavor: Reminds me more of a Trippel than an India Pale Ale. Strong sour ester notes. Almost no hop notes at all until a slight bitter finish washes down the back of your throat. Straw flavors that start moderately sweet but finish bitter and dry. Lingers on the palate. Not what I was expecting. (3/5)

Mouth Feel: Unexpectedly light bodied. Nice carbonation level for this perplexing style. Moderate alcohol presence that warms as it flows down the esophogus. (2/5)

Overall: Shes a pretty girl. I couldn't wait to taste her but upon the first sip I was confused. India Pale Ales are heavily hopped beers. Hopus has almost no detectable hop presence what so ever. So is she a Trippel then? No too sour and not enough body. Like most pretty ladies she left me perplexed, a bit disapointed and wanting for more.

I don't know a whole lot about the history of this particular style but it seems to me to be a bit of any oxymoron. I'm a huge fan of Belgian beers and of IPA and hopus set my hopes high yet failed to deliver much about what I enjoy about either style.

Was it a bad beer? Not by far. Would I seek it out again? Yes, because I need more time with this one to figure her out.

Give Hopus a try. If anything its different and won't leave you bored. (12/20) 60%

Cheers,

 - Jay



Jester King / Amy's Black Metal ice cream!

Beer, awesome.
Ice Cream, awesome.
Black Metal, awesome.
Black Metal Beer Ice Cream, Uber awesome

Two great Austin area companies Amy's Ice Cream and Jester King Craft Brewery are collaborating on what I would refer to as Craft Brewed Ice Cream. Amy's has done a few beer Ice creams in the past Shiner is usually easy to find at most Amy's locations. This one is a bit more exciting though.


Black Metal Imperial Stout Ice Cream from Amys IceCreams on Vimeo.

I'll let you read it from the horses mouth here.