Cascade Crew

[blue89]

I've come across the idea that a few of us brew at home. I do as well, so i'm trying to get those who do to speak up and be known! I've done maybe 50 gallons so far, mainly just Porters, Scottish Ales, IPA's, and Stouts. I'm looking for some idea's for some new styles, as all mine are copied from recipies and cookbooks. I've also made Hard Apple Cider (bottle fermenting right now) and Mead (way good).

[Dewey316]

RDWAHAHB!

Myself and TecherB (Bart) brew. I think that Don (85 T/A WS6) also brews, IIRC Don even does mead.

Are you doing all-grain, extract, or partial mash?

At one of the gatherings, we will have to get all the homebrewers to bring beer, so we can all try each others brews.

I am just getting back into it. I used to brew several years ago, and then stopped, Bart got me back into it. Bart and I have are working on our 6th batch now. We alternate, so 1 brewing session, I do the recipe, the next session, he does. So we have done quite a few diffrent styles. We are goign on a batch about every 2-3 weeks right now, I need to clean up so more room to store bottles, and get a kegarotor, so I can brew more. Really, 2-3 weeks is not often enough, I go thru the beer pretty quick.

Also, I do a bunch of reading at homebrewtalk.com and northerbrewer's forums. Lots of good info to be had on zee interweb.

--John

[blue89]

LOL! Yeay!

I'm doing partials right now, its just way easier than messing with all-grains. We have a brew supply here that is really nice and local, so we can get anything and everything. I've got 2ea 5 gal carboys right now that I ferment in. I usually keep them in rotation (ones fermenting and ones a rack) but I've been slacking. I've had the same outmeal stout post-rack for a week now.

A friend and I keep rotating as well so it keeps us going. Of a 5 gallon batch of mead, I only have a 1/2 gallon left. I brewed it last year so its good and tasty.

A brew meeting sounds like fun. I don't have much now (i drink it quickly) but give me a month and I'll have over 10 gallons!

[Dewey316]

Awsome, I am doing partials right now also. I really need to just spend the money, and buy a 10gal cooler to use as my Tun, I bet it would pay for itself in just a few batches.

I also have a really great home brew store in Portland (F.H. Steinbarts).

I use a 6.5 food grade platic bucket for my primary, and a 5gal glass carboy for the secondary.

Eh, the stout is probably better off sitting an extra couple of weeks, what was your original gravity? High gravity beers like many bit stouts are, tend to like some extra time to ferment. Anything over 1.060 usualy does better with some extra time.

[blue89]

I've noticed. I did a porter a month or so ago. Started at 1.060 too. It was really good 2 weeks from brew day, but I found a 22oz bottle of it a month later that got lost in the beer fridge (generally well stocked). It was WAY better a month later. I'm still wanting to brew another batch, maybe two.

They have a 10 gal Tun for sale at the brew store, but its $90! Its basically a big gatorade cooler with a better spout and a cold water cooler. Right now I'm cooling in the sink with ice. Takes about 10 min. I boil in a 6 gal stainless pot on the stove. The woman loves it. Especially when it boils over. Hehe. (Please excuse my improper names, I have a hard time remembering all of the names for everything)

Ever do a Nitro pour? I had some Boddingtons Ale that was esquisite. Makes me want a nitro system.

I also want to do a cold fermenting lager. Then do the ice distilling thing.

Too much to brew, so little time.

[TecherB]

you need to buy a wort chiller it is one of the best buys John and I have made cuts the cool down after boil into just a fraction of the time.

[Dewey316]

I know, I have a list of things I want!

I saw lows has 6cu freezers for sale for like $139, I thought that would make a great place to lager, should fit a carboy or two nicely. Get a temp control unit for it, so it holds right at 55*.

I have thought about trying to lager something in my garage or outside. If i get really guts, maybe when I see there is a freeze coming, I'll try to do an Eisenbock.

[Dewey316]

[mrpopo573]

Hey.... so who wants to sponsor me some mead. I am obsessed with mead.

I think it is awesome that you guys homebrew.


An overview of my drinking ability:

[blue89]

Awesome use of smileys.

For that $135 price you might as well snag up an old chest freezer and modd it so it gets warmer! And I thought the lagers were done colder that 55?

My beer fridge in the garage is an old throw away. Works great for beer, plus we put all of our automotive stickers on it.

How do you get the immersion chiller cold? Just run it through the tap water?

[Dewey316]

Yes, I just run tap water through mine. I am lucky to have pretty cold tap water. If you needed ti colder, there is abotu 10ft of tubing in front of the chiller, you could put that 10ft of tubing, in an ice bath, to pre-cool the tap water.

Yeah, I figured I could find an old chest freezer somewhere for cheap. I don't really have room for one.

IIRC, fermentation for lagers is done somewhere between 55-60. lagering is done at like 36-40. I would have to go check for sure, since I am not doing lagers, I don't have the specifics.

[TecherB]

blue89 what is your favorit "brew" that you have done so far?
my favorit one that we have done is the APA (American Pale Ale) although the Bartmus not so "red" ale that we botteld last week might be my favorit after it is done. I would like to do the APA again and am right now looking for a good coffee porter to do.

RDWHAH(relax don't worry have a homebrew)

[Dewey316]

[blue89]

Looks like we have the same brew kit! LMAO! I've got the same pot, capper, carboy with sticky thermometer, hydrometer, airlock, and dashpad! Small world no doubt.

My favorite brew so far has been the porters. I just love'm. I like the chocolate/coffee taste. The strong IPA's are good, but the last one I did you could almost only drink 2 glasses before you were hopped out. Recipies for my fav's.

Porter

8lbs Amber Extract
8oz Choc Malt
8oz Black Malt
12 oz Crystal 135L Malt
4oz Dextrin Malt
2oz Magnum Hops


IPA

8lbs Light Extract
12oz Crystal 30L Malt
12oz 2-row Malt
4oz Dextrin Malt
4oz Wheat Malt
2oz Chinook
4oz Cascade

[Twilightoptics]

[Dewey316]

I bet with 4oz of Cascades in there (2oz@20 for flavor, 2 @ flame out?) I bet you noticed the hops. I would need to the the AA% of the hops, to calculate the IBU's of that, but I bet you got hopped out.

I'm not much of a huge hop fan, I like darker fuller, malty beers. Like the high gravity scottish ales, porters and stuff. These crazy hoppy IPA's, and huge ammounts of dry hopping, is just too much for me.

The APA we made is

7 lbs Liquid Light Malt Extract
1/2 lb British Crystal 50L
1/4 lb Flaked Barley
1oz Norhtern Brewery @ 90min
1oz Fuggles @ flame-out, 10min rest

Barts Not-So-Red tasted GREAT when we bottled it, I am really excited to try it.

6 lbs Amber Dry Extract (13L)
1 lbs Light Dry Extract (8L)
10oz Chocolate Malt
1 lbs Crystal 60L
2 oz Willamette @ 60min
2 oz Mt Hood @ flame-out, 10min rest.

I need to brew a porter, Maybe I will give yours a shot, did you steep the specialty grains for 30 min @ 155*, and then boil for 1 hour?

[blue89]

ya, adjunct's steep at 150-160 for 30 minutes and then the extract goes in. Boil for an hour. I'll PM you the actual recipe if you want.

That IPA gets dry hopped TWICE! 1oz at 10 minute, 1oz at 1 minute, 1/2oz in the fermentor, and then 1/2oz when racked for bottling. Too much. Its really good and better as it matures, but really hoppy. Don't think I like dry hopping. Hops dont actually taste good by themselves. My friend and I both sucked on a dry hop to see what it tasted like. Ya, we didn't like it. But I have yet to make a beer nobody likes, so I must be doing okay!

I just bottled my stout last night. Tasted like watered down cold coffee. Seriously. I might like it after all... From a 5 gallon batch, I only got 3 gallons to bottle! There was bout 5 inches of sediment at the bottom of the fermentor after a week, and then 1 inch a week after that after I racked it. I think it was all the flaked oats.

[Dewey316]

Thats odd. If you want see sediment, you should make pumpking beer! I had 8lbs of pumpkin that settled out in the primary. Plus all the yeast, and other stuff.

Yeah, shoot me a PM of the porter. It is Barts pick for our next batch, but maybe the one after that, I'll give the porter a try.

[blue89]

Mmmmm. Punkin buur.... Have you had that stuff by Buffalo Bills Brewing? Its a seasonal, black label with a pumpkin on it. Primarily a 6 pack. You may not have it down there. But its a good after-dinner beer. I'll PM you recipies when I get home tonight (I'm at work).

[Dewey316]

I've seen it, but haven't tried it. I will probably get a 6pack, to compare to what I made.

Here is what I made.
http://www.beertools.com/html/recipe.php?view=5556

One thing to take note of, Munich is a base malt, so you want to "Mash" it, so, keep it between 150*-158* for 1 full hour (Munich need to let the enzymes convert the starches to sugars, unlike crystal and other specialty grains). You also, want to use less water. Go with about 1.5 quarts, per 1 lbs of grain. For this recipe, I used 5 quarts. Due to the small amount of water, it may be hard to use a grain bag, if you don't use a bag, just do it in a seperate pot, and then strain it.

I put 2 bottles of it in the fridge tonight, I'm going to try it for the first time tonight.