2010 Founders Nemesis

2009 was so much better although the touch of coffee in the finish this year was nice, and yes, it took and hour to peak

Fermentationg is good

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Watermelon Ale Recipe

http://outofkey.com/beer/brewing/watermelon-wheat-recipe/

Cider Attempt #1: nothing complicated with 1 gallon

Whole Foods Organic Apple Juice OG: 1.052

Lalvin 71b-1122 wine yeast

begin ferment temp @ 72 (the fridge was acting up, this will range from 63-72°)

2010.08.26_Founder's Canadian Breakfast Stout @ Flying Saucer

It was great, very similar to KBS but had a itsy bitsy maple sweetness in addition. How can you go wrong with a 6th chance to have KBS in one year (assuming you were lucky enough to get a 4 pack and a fresh KBS on tap somewhere). No complaints here. Thank you, may I have another!

ss keg lids

http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/kitchen/stainless-steel-cookware-lids/c1993.aspx

HOW TO: Make/Wire an Auber SYL-2362A2 PID for a Fridge

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/how-wire-auber-syl-2362a2-pid-fridge-157513/

Electrical Education

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/electrical-primer-brewers-145019/

carboy cleaner

http://www.slobrewer.com/howto/kegcarboy-washer/

http://www.kcworthog.com/2010/03/dirty-side-of-homebrewing.html

The Best Ginger Beer out there!

You have been sent 1 picture.

IMG_0905.CR2

These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google.
Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/

My Brew Stand

Get your professional control panel from here! $150 sample

Count Down:
LCT316-100 Low cost digital timer, 115 VAC supply voltage. Same Day $45.00
http://www.dwyer-inst.com/Products/Product.cfm?Group_ID=20087&Product_ID=1508&sPageNa me=Intro


Temp Displays:
TI-10 Temperature indicator, 110 VAC power supply, °F display. Same Day $32.25 
http://www.dwyer-inst.com/Products/Product.cfm?Group_ID=623&Product_ID=1013&sPageName =Intro

Brutus 10

thebitterbrewer

MyloFiore
brewzilla

new brewstand for $650

electrical:
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20660&start=0

http://www.brewersequipment.com/New%20Brew%20Stands.html

Casters for brewstand

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Prepped pumps and other equipment for the next Brew day!

I have since acquired a new march pump, 10 sticks of 12' stainless 1" .125" thick for a brew stand (or two? anyone out there interested in negotiation?), a sump pump is on the way for cleaning equipment, two more thermometers for the keggle and the mash tun.

Theoretically, all of this equipment will help to save my back and brew better beer! Now that I am able to ferment in the house with the modified mini fridge (not the Wifey's favorite new toy ::shrug::). I still have some work to get the temp below 60 but I am sure I will figure it out. Maybe letting the compressor breath (vent) better would be a good start. I think everything should begin to get more consistent (as far as quality is concerned...ok, maybe consistency with process and not necessarily the quality of beer). Time will tell.

I have found a connection around town in the brewing community who may be willing to provide the welding needed to get the brew stand in order. Maybe I can talk him in to making another from the extra SS and he could keep it for his work or I could possibly sell it around town to pay him for all of his work. I still have a few things to iron out but I am a bit excited to say the least!!!!!!

With luck, I can talk the Wifey in to joining me down at the next brewfest down at Zona Rosa considering the Elders are playing. How nice it is to have great entertainment (while drinking great beer!).

In the meantime, I am passing time drinking Odell's St. Lupulin (I love the bottles for repackaging, even if I'm resting on the idea of kegging most of my beer from now on) and enjoying the new deck! 

Aphrodite @ Saucer

I was hoping for more, small pour, and the beer is just better from a bottle (which makes it easier to satisfy my craving when it hits).

Scored a mill and a couple more cornie's today!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

How to Build a Layered Drink

	If you don't see images below, view the online version
	Home      Cocktail Recipes      Spirits         Bartenders      Bartending      Entertaining
	Earn Your Stripes How to build a perfectly-layered drink July 6, 2010 There's something undeniably appealing about spirits served in a neat stack, and something even better about being the one to build it. If you'd like to achieve the perfect float at home, all you need are your desired ingredients, a quick lesson in liquor density, and a very cold spoon. After you've lined your glass with the drink's initial layer, hold a chilled spoon, backside up, in the glass, just above the liquid. Pour the next spirit slowly over the back of the spoon so that it is dispersed evenly across the first layer. The best way to get great layers is to make sure you're starting with the heaviest liquor first -- check out our density chart to know which booze belongs on the bottom. Keep reading »
	Today's Cocktail Recipe
	The B52 Ingredients 1/2 oz Coffee liqueur 1/2 oz Irish cream 1/2 oz Grand Marnier Preparation In a shot glass, layer the coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and Grand Marnier in that order.
	Home       About       Privacy Policy       Advertise       Notification Preferences       Unsubscribe
	Sent by Snooth Inc. as part of your Snooth membership. Copyright 2010 Snooth Inc. 49 West 24th Street / 5th Floor / New York / NY / 10010 Bibo Ergo Sum Keep The Spirit out of your spam folder by adding noreply@thespiritmail.com to your address book.

RIMS CONSTRUCTION

Tri-Clover-RIMS-Tube
tri clover rims tube built
relatively-inexpensive-tri-clover-rims-tube-


Tri-Clover-Fittings supplies

Copper RIMS Heat Exchanger Build
Pid controller build for electric brewingl
love-vs-pid-fermentation-temp-control-143937
2P-Twent-E: the new Brouwerij Boerderij Kabouter
nice "easy to follow" wiring diagram
Ditches... a Thing of Beauty
DITCHES
SSR - Solid State Relay

A419 temp controls pdf

http://www.beveragefactory.com/images/guides/A419ABG-3C.pdf

fermentation chamber

http://www.wortomatic.com/articles/Knews-Hound-Builds-the-Beast

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Re: fermentation chamber build

inspiration

big daddy

http://www.chicohomebrewshop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=165

white fridge door still utilized

walk-in

fermentation chamber build

inspiration

Dogfish Head 60 min IPA

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Alpha King Pale Ale : THREE FLOYDS BREWING CO.

A new favorite of mine! clean, aroma   TIME TO FIND A RECIPE!

Hello Green Flash!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

sparge arm

http://forums.morebeer.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=36197&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=30

brew stand diagram

thanks billjohn

Korean Crack

While on a leisure trip in Chicago to visit a friend and his family, my wife and I were introduced to Mocha Gold which I have dubbed "Korean Crack"!

If you enjoy cream and sugar in your coffee and happen to work in an office which provides black tar to drink; I highly recommend it. It may be double the price here in KC at my local Korean market on 103rd, but at 17.99 per bag of 100 it's not a bad way to get your instant fix. 

Mix 1 pack per 8 oz of hot water (I obviously doubled the dose to 2 packs to 16 oz like the the typical American would) and you're sure to be saved from your office tar.

STONE Levitation Ale Recipe

I am very impressed at how balanced this beer is.

A - Poured this beer into a glass, copper brown red ale. Held a nice head that hung in there till the end.

S - A hoppy aroma that carried a nice malt backbone.

T - The smell and taste are well matched with this beer. A great introduction to STONE 

M - Great body for a Red, I'm still impressed with how smooth and clean this beer is.

D - I would consider this a nice year around option. Big enough flavor for winter and light enough alcohol for summer (4.4% ABV).




I found this: Stone Levitation Ale Clone Recipe

Goodies from Beertopia (Omaha, NE)

Next door to Beertopia was CRESCENT MOON, they sold me quickly when the Ken & Fritz's 30th Anniversary Stout was on tap @ $4.50 per 8oz. pour.
I left them with 16 oz. less ;)

-Weyerbacher will be new to me, it was highly recommended
-Hopluia was awesome on tap, beautiful aroma, enough to even get the Mrs. to enjoy an IPA.
-Lucket Bucket was around during the Parkville Microfest if I recall correctly, and I am looking forward to their new offering being an IPA fan myself
-The Hitachino was a purchase by the Mrs., a gift for a friend (owl lover) and the second because we haven't had the Sweet Stout and I love the bottles for packaging later with home recipes.
-Banana Bread Beer, by Young's, it may be offered around town but never noticed it. Sounded interesting and tasty.

I must admit, I wish I had grabbed many more Hopluias. A great beer that I didn't recognize ever before. I happened to buy it at a HyVee (remarkable selection for a HyVee) around 84th and Dodge the day before tasting it for the first time. It was the only think I grabbed during that stop because I knew beertopia was still a  visit to be had.

I'll report later on these, but for know, I'll see ya tomorrow at the KCBEERFEST.

WESTVLETEREN

http://www.sintsixtus.be/eng/brouwerij.htm

Airgas CO2 tanks

$20 for 20lb refill
$13-15? for 5lb refill

$143 for 20lb tank purchase

Airgas does not fill:

kirk

Linweld

prax

Ginger Beer

http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/ginger_food_ginger_beer_plant.html

Ever Consider becoming a Cicerone?

http://www.cicerone.org/

http://www.bjcp.org/study.php#quest

Fermentation Chamber

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/side-side-fermentation-chamber-build-105054/

Interested in Hangovers? Or shall we say NOT interested in Hangovers....

http://health.howstuffworks.com/hangover1.htm

Brewing Fruit Beers at Home Part 1 of 2

 

 

Sent to you by J via Google Reader:

 

 

Brewing Fruit Beers at Home Part 1 of 2

via BeerSmith Home Brewing Blog by Brad Smith on 4/2/10

Brewing fruit beer is not for everyone, but a properly balanced fruit beer can be light and refreshing on a hot summer day.  This is part one of our two part series on brewing fruit beer.  Beers that include fruit vary widely in taste, style and strength.  Whatever the style, a properly balanced fruit beer should not betray the underlying beer – fruit beer is beer with a touch of fruit flavor and not a wine cooler!

History

According to Randy Mosher's Radical Brewing book, fruit beer is a relatively modern invention of the 20th century.  He notes that ancient Egyptians referred to the use of dates and pomegranates, but only a few passing references can be found for fruit in intervening years until the 1930's.  Many of the most famous Belgian fruit beers like Kriek started at that time, with Framboise to follow 20 years later.

Fruit beers, like many styles, have enjoyed a resurgence with the microbrewery explosion the last 20 years in the United States.  Wheat based fruit beers, in particular, have become popular enough to even be adopted by major US breweries.

Many of these beers contain no actual fruit.  Instead they brew a light wheat beer and add artificial fruit flavorings to provide a touch of fruit.  Home brewers can do the same thing by purchasing fruit flavoring from a homebrew supply shop and adding an appropriate amount to their beers.  Some commercial brews also use fruit extract.  This works well for fruits like raspberry and apricots that maintain their flavor after fermentation.

Fruit to Use in Beer

Some fruits fair much better in beer than others.  Fruits like uncooked blueberry and peach tend to lost much of their flavor when used in beer.  Others like apricot and raspberry hold up well, while cherries fare well but often require extensive aging.

Here are a few popular fruits to consider for fruit beer:

• Cherries – Traditionally used in many Belgian beers.  Ripe, sour cherries are best as they blend well with the malt flavors.  Generally a lot of cherry is needed, as much as 2-4 lbs per gallon of beer, which is why many cherry based Belgian beers are expensive.  Also, cherry beers sometimes need extensive aging.
• Peaches – Peach is one fruit that fades when used in beer.  Apricot is a good substitute that creates a flavor similar to peach in the finished beer.  Peach flavoring is also a possibility if you are determined to have peach.
• Blueberry – Another fruit that does not hold up well in beer.  Some brewers claim that cooked blueberry holds up better than uncooked.
• Raspberry – Raspberry is one of the best fruits to use with beer.  The flavor and aroma hold up well to fermentation, and come through well in the finished beer.  The flavor is strong even at a rate of 0.5-1 lb per gallon, making raspberry a favorite of commercial beer brewers.
• Blackberry – Blackberry, like raspberry, is another great fruit to use in beer.  However, they do not come through as intensely as raspberry, requiring a larger usage rate of 1-3+ pounds per gallon.  The color also carries over well to the finished beer.
• Strawberries – Strawberry is generally a poor choice.  The flavor, aroma and color fade quickly.  If you are going to use strawberry you need fully ripe berries, must use a lot of them (2-5 lb per gallon) and you must drink the beer as young as possible as the flavor and aroma will be gone before you know it.
• Apricots – Much better than peaches, but produce a peach like flavor in the finished beer.  If you want peach flavor, use apricots at a rate of 1.5-4 pounds per gallon.  Apricot extract also produces good results.
• Apples – Produce only a mild flavoring.  Generally apples are best used with meads and hard cider as they tend to be acidic in flavor.
• Other Fruits – A variety of other fruits are less commonly used in beers and meads to include pears, dates, bananas, plums, mangos, pomegranate, etc…  Most of these fruits produce only a mild flavor and aroma, though they add considerable fermentable sugars.  I've had some success with passionfruit and mangos, which both have strong aroma and flavor.

Hopefully you now have some idea of which fruits are better to use in your fruit beer.  I find that apricots and raspberries produce some of the finest results.  In part two of this article next week we will cover the finer points of designing a fruit beer recipe and the physical process of brewing and aging your fruit beer.  Thanks for joining us on the BeerSmith Home Brewing Blog and don't hesitate to subscribe or tweet this article if you enjoyed it.

 

Similar Posts:

• Seasonal Beer Brewing
• Russian Imperial Stout Recipes
• Wheat Beer Recipes: Weizen and Weisse Styles
• Brewing Hops Storage: Preserving Precious Hops
• Malt Extract Beer Brewing

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to BeerSmith Home Brewing Blog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

Big Sky @ Flying Saucer

Big Sky Stone Thrower Scotch Ale & Big Sky Cowboy Coffee Porter

The Scotch Ale was good, drinkable but nothing outstanding for me (although I love their beer in general). With that said I was blown away by the coffee porter, beautiful pour with sexy lacing trimmed with a darker hugh above the tan dance around the glass. A dark coffee smell with malt backbone followed by a smooth creamy porter taste. I loved this beer and can't wait for another opportunity to drink this fine brew. Perhaps during Freestate's official glass night at FS will be the prime time (if any is left in the 6th keg).

Krausening Home Brewed Beer

 

 

Sent to you by J via Google Reader:

 

 

Krausening Home Brewed Beer

via BeerSmith Home Brewing Blog by Brad Smith on 3/22/10

Krausening is a traditional German method for carbonating beers without using sugars or other adjuncts.  Instead actively fermenting malt wort is added to the fermented beer to provide the malted sugars needed for carbonation.

The History of Krausening

The "Reinheitsgebot", or German purity law, originated in Bavaria in 1516.  It specifies that beer may only be made from the three basic ingredients: malt, hops, and water.  Interestingly yeast was left out of the original law as it was unknown until Louis Pasteur discovered microorganisms in the late 1800's.  It was recently replaced by the "Biergesetz" in 1993, which also allows the use of malted wheat and cane sugar, though the term "Reinheitsgebot" is more commonly used.

Since sugars were not allowed in beer, malt wort was used instead.  Krausening was widely used in Germany particularly for lagers.  Many lagers are cold fermented and aged, often causing the yeast to go dormant.  By adding actively fermenting wort for carbonation the lager could be properly carbonated.  Krausening was less commonly used in Kolsch or Alt, as these ales were fermented at warmer temperatures leaving active yeast.

Krausening

In a brewery, krausening would be done with fresh wort taken from the most recent batch made.  For the homebrewer, Krausening is most often done with a small amount of wort made from dry malt extract.  Alternately you can use a fresh batch of wort or keep some wort in a sterile container in the refrigerator from your last batch.

A key question is how much wort to use for proper carbonation?  A good rule of thumb is that you should add enough wort to raise the gravity of the beer three points.  For simplicty you can try the following formula from the Home Brewing Wiki:

Quarts_of_wort = (12 x Gallons_of_beer) / ((Specific_gravity_wort – 1.0) * 1000)

For example, if the krausening addition of wort (also called gyle) has a specific gravity of 1.060, and we're krausening 5 gallons of beer, the result would be (12 x 5)/((1.060-1)*1000) which works out to exactly one quart of wort we add at bottling.

Traditionally, the krausening addition is added at the most active point of fermentation.  Ideally you should add yeast to your krausen and monitor it for active fermentation, but try to catch it before a lot of the malt sugars have been consumed.  You need to measure the specific gravity of the krausening addition and do the above calculation before adding it to the wort to get the appropriate amount.

After you add the krausening wort, you can bottle or keg your beer and naturally carbonate it just as you would if you were with sugar carbonation.  Store your beer in a cool, dark place for a week or two to allow it to carbonate and then lager or age as desired.

Krausening is a great way to add some variety to your beer brewing techniques, and assure that your beer is made from pure barley malt.  Thanks again for joining us on the BeerSmith Home Brewing Blog.  Please subscribe or retweet this article if you enjoyed it!  Have a great brewing week!

• Tweet This!
• Share this on Facebook
• Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon
• Email this to a friend?
• Digg this!
• Buzz up!
• Share this on Mixx
• Share this on del.icio.us
• Share this on Reddit
• Add this to Google Bookmarks
• Submit this story to Propeller
• Post this to MySpace
• Subscribe to the comments for this post?
• Share this on Linkedin

Similar Posts:

• Mashing for All Grain Beer Brewing
• Bottling Beer: 10 Tips for Home Brewers
• Making a Yeast Starter for your Home Brew Beer
• 5 Home Brewing Tips to Avoid the Dreaded Bottle Bomb
• Brewhouse Efficiency for All Grain Beer Brewing

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to BeerSmith Home Brewing Blog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites