catholicbeer

Second Tasting

2012-01-14T10:38:00.001-08:00

After dry hopping one ounce of Chinook for one week the results are in. The roast character is substantial but not overwhelming at all. As predicted the flavor has evened out over time. It also has a fresh, piney, resinous flavor that can only be attributed to the addition of Humulus Lupulus.

Dry Hopped

2012-01-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

I added an ounce of Chinook hops to the 5 gallon fermenter today. I plan on letting that soak for about a week afterwhich (if needed) I will change the hops out for another ounce.

Tasting the Winter Pepper Ale!

2011-12-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

First preliminary tasting of batch 18, the winter pepper ale. The turmeric is the most surprising flavor as if comes through on the nose even before you taste it and is easily discernible even from the first sip. This is far more prominent that I had planned or wanted. I may attempt to increase the white pepper or juniper berries (or even some sea salt???) to help battle the turmeric.

It is also quite strong in roast character. Upon reflection it appears that I did add a pound each of black patent malt and chocolate malt (that is 3.3% of the grain bill for each). My expected SRM was 38 so I suppose I should have expected that flavor profile, but I still expect it will mellow out greatly as the beer ages.

Initially we had discussed dry hopping this beer, but now I question whether that will help balance the flavor out or just add noise to the palate.

It is carbonating now so we will see how that affects the experience... thoughts?

Pour one for me.

A little warmth for the cold

2011-11-27T22:46:00.001-08:00

It was decided that we should brew up an interesting winter ale for the season. Since winter beers are often spiced with some nonsense or other I figured we should probably keep with tradition and throw something in. I thought galangal might be and interesting flavor combination since it is spicy and crisp and might combine nicely with a nice "piney," resinous hop.

Here is what we decided on.

Grain bill:

20 lbs Blegian Pils

3 lbs Crystal 80

1 lb CaraPils

1 lb Black Patent

1 lb Chocolate malt

4 lbs brown sugar

Boil additions:

2 ounces of Chinook at 60 minutes

Tincture of 2 ounces of juniper berries and 2 ounces of white pepper at 60 minutes

2 ounces of Chinook at 30 minutes

2 ounces of Simcoe at 15 minutes

2 ounces juice of galangal at and 0.5 ounces juice of turmeric at 1 minute

We are giving the conical another go. Fingers crossed that we got rid of all the Brett.! :)

On another note and a victorious one, we have finally finished re-assembling the pool table which means that we now need some digital displays in the pool room that read the temperature of the boil/mash and maybe some timers for how long until the next stage. That would be nifty. ;)

Pour one for me,

My Apologies, Eberhart.

2011-10-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

The last one pours here.

Hendrick's doesn't hurt

2011-10-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

4 parts gin
1 part homemade tonic tincture
1 part club soda
lime

When you get the agave nectar proportions just right... it's a good good thing.

Mix one for me,

Tonic!

2011-10-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

I love bitters, tinctures, aperitifs, digest-ifs and unusual liqueurs. So the idea of making my own tonic was quite appealing. Fortunately we have a robust apothecary nearby that has every botanical you could need for such an endeavor.

I took the recipe from Jeffrey Morgenthaler who has many other awesome ideas as well (I will be sifting through some of his older posts for further inspiration).

The end result (after a long time straining all the Cinchona bark powder out) is a tonic tincture that I can blend with seltzer water.

Check out Jeffrey's tonic water here.

It pours!

2011-08-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

Cold Irish brown ale is now pouring from my once-coke-machine kegerator. The project was long in the making but the quality of craftsmanship acceptable.

Resurrection!

Different woods used:

Afromosia - Trim boards & drip tray
African Padauk - Back-lighted red colored wood used behind the cross cutout
Honduras Mahogany - Upper half with cross cutout
Standard dark Mahogany - Lower half where tap and drip tray reside
Ironwood - Louvered vent piece at the bottom and the tap handle mounting piece

Almost there...

2011-08-20T10:01:00.001-07:00

Only a few more steps needed to complete the catholicbeer kegerator. Last night I worked with Scott to put the finishing touches on the door and design the drip tray.

Hydrometers Explained

2011-08-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

You are probably asking yourself, "What the hell is a hydrometer?!" A hydrometer measures the weight or "gravity" of a fixed quantity of liquid and compares it to what that same volume of water would weigh. Therefore, the expression of gravity is measured as some offset of 1.000. A common starting gravity for a beer might be 1.50 and can reach measures of 1.090 (or 50 to 90 points as brewers like to say) or higher. Finishing gravities end closer to the gravity of water (1.000), such as 1.020. It is however the difference between the two that is really meaningful for calculating alcohol.

Hydrometers measure the density of liquids by measurin buoyancy. Just as it is easy to swim in salt water than in fresh, so the hydrometer floats more in dense wort (unfermented beer) than it does in thin wort. The density of the wort is determined by the amount of fermentables present (sweetness) which determines how much fermentation will take place once the yeast is added.

By measuring how much fermentables (yeast consumables) are present before adding yeast, and in turn, comparing that with the amount of fermentables present after fermentation, the amount of fermentables consumed by the yeast can be determined. By knowing how much food these little yeasties eat, we can approximate the amount of alcohol present.

What makes different kinds of beer?

2011-08-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

Understanding what makes beer taste and look different begins with understanding what is in beer. The color of beer is often mistaken as a correlative of its "strength" or gravity, but in actuality very light beers can be very dark in color and vice versa. For the most part color is an indicator of how much the barley was roasted and not related to how strong the beer is.

By strength of the beer I mean its gravity, which very literally is the weight of the beer in relation to its volume. High-gravity beers are that way because they begin their fermentation process with a very low proportion of water to a very high proportion of grain and other fermentables. The end result (depending on the yeast) is usually a increased alcohol level but can also mean a very sweet tasting beer. For example, Guinness while being very dark is usually only 4.2% alcohol here in the US, while Duvel (a very light golden colored ale) is a whopping 10% alcohol.

Hops were originally added to beer as a preservative, but over time beer drinkers began to appreciate its bitter citrus/pine-like flavor. The degree to which hops will bitter and potentially overwhelm beer is proportionate to the beer's gravity. High-gravity beers often can have relatively large quantities of hops without making the beer harshly bitter. Lower gravity beers are more sensitive to hop additions and a relatively small amount of hops will bitter the beer to a greater degree.

Yeast plays an enormous part not only in how the above components combine but also will contribute its very own character and flavors to the beer. There are additionally many factors that determine how one single yeast strain will behave such as temperature, ratio of fermentables to water, presence of oxygen and many many other environmental variables. There is enough material on this topic to cover a lifetime of blog posts but for our purposes here it suffices to say that there are many kinds of yeasts and they all have their own character.

Pick any yeast on this page and note the different flavors and behaviors that a brewer can expect from each. It is a vast world with nearly endless possibilities. In my opinion, the science of brewing centers squarely on knowing these little critters really well and caring for them so that they in turn can care for you.

Cheers yeasties.

Racked - Irish Brown (Batch 17)

2011-08-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

With a little help from the Reverend I was able to get or latest batch racked last Sunday. When I tasted it I was surprised to find it already fairly mature, so I decided to go ahead and rack one half and keg the other.

Pour one for me,

Brian used to live here...

2011-08-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

Why Conical Fermenters Are Better Than Carboys

2011-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

During fermentation the yeast in unfinished beer, or wort, begins to settle out of the beer and collect at the bottom of the fermentation vessel. When yeast comes out of suspension in this matter it is called floculating and it does so when food stores become low, temperature becomes too cool or the alcohol level gets above the yeast strain's tolerance. Yeast cells which lie at the bottom of the vessel become dormant and are known as trub.

Yeast cells can remain dormant for some time feeding off fat reserves in their cell wall, but once those reserves become depleted cells will begin to cannibalize the food stores of neighboring cells. This activity is called autolysis and it causes many off-flavors to be given off as the yeasts rupture and spew their contents into the the wort.

To prevent this it becomes necessary to remove the trub from the fermentation and with carboys the only way to do this without disturbing the beer (and risking aeration and contamination) is to siphon the wort into another container leaving the trub behind. This process is call racking.

Now, racking is a process that requires pristine equipment and thereby rigorous sanitation and a lot of work. The only way around this process is to have a conical fermenter, and having one means no racking. The bottom of a conical is sloped at 60 degrees the angle required to prevent yeast cells from settling and resting on the sides of the cone. As floculation takes place the trub gathers only at the very bottom of the cone. With a strategically placed blow-off valve the lazy brewer can simply open the valve to "blow off trub," and simply close it when the wort starts to run clear and all trub is removed.

In addition to racking the conical offers the following enhancements to the fermentation experience:

- It is easier to clean and has a wide opening at the top which facilitates scrubbing and sterilization.
- It is made of stainless steel and is less likely to break.
- It can be retro-fitted to serve as both a fermenter and a keg (just add gas and beer ports).
- It is prettier.
- It impresses your friends.

Cheers folks!

Brewhouse Efficiency... who cares???

2011-07-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

Admittedly I would if my brewhouse was efficient by any strain of the imagination. Looks like I missed even my usual 65%, but honestly, what is a few extra dollars spent to hit that target OG without have to go quite so slow while sparging?

The important thing is that I feel confident that I am Brett-free this time 'round. I brewed up a batch of the most delicious saison-type refreshment.. and ever since I have had this persistent little bug lying in wait in something of mine. I think I have narrowed it down to either my siphon pump or else the weather stripping I used to seal the lid of the keg.

Now, I know what you are thinking and you are absolutely correct... the idiotic weather stripping is probably the culprit. I agree and I have no excuse for the lapse in reason that accounted for this foolish enterprise.

I also thought I would post up my recipe for all to share. I always use the awesome (free) calculators hosted at www.tastybrew.com.

All my recipes and brewing notes are publicly available at theabbey.catholicbeer.com.

Brew Day - Batch XVII (23 July 2011)

2011-07-24T23:45:00.000-07:00

Brewing involves a lot of waiting. Seems like most of our time is either waiting for this dial to go up or to go down. It is important to to utilize the time between brewing tasks wisely.

A draught of delicious homebrew is just the way to create the proper atmosphere for a successful brewing session. Though as with all brewing sessions, there always seems to come a point where emergency repairs or adjustments need to be made. And at times such as these, it is fortifying to have the sustenance and vigor that only a fine ale can provide, in order to make appropriately creative solutions... in this case, bypassing the temperature controller that governs (or was supposed to govern) the temperature of the hot liquor tun.

After removing temperature control from the system we would have to monitor the HLT manually, but this presents no problem for us. Our determination prevails against such perils, and ultimately the prize is ours.

Pour one for me. :)

Coke machine to kegerator

2011-07-11T06:35:00.001-07:00

I moved the coke machine into my dining room yesterday.

Adjustments will need to be made in order to accommodate the appliance

Soon, however, I will be able to pour ones from her golden nipple.

~joel

Field Trip!

2011-04-27T21:56:00.001-07:00

Time for another catholicbeer fieldtrip. Next Thursday (May 5th) we will be venturing down to Tom's new place, the Brave Horse Tavern.

If you've never heard of Tom Douglas... well, he's a brilliant chap (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Douglas).

Meet us there at 7 and get there early to avoid the crowd. I'll try and score some tables.

Thursday, May 5th

310 Terry Avenue North
Seattle, Washington 98109

Come and pour one with me.

~ joel

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The Brett Returns

2011-04-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

About a month back Brian and I heaved a sigh of relief as we tasted batch 16 from both fermenters and discovered that our beer was contaminant-free. Since only one of the fermenters was a conical unitank and because we were lazy, we opted not to rack the carboy into another carboy (which we would have to clean). Instead we would simply combine them (two five gallon batches) in my single 21 gallon capacity unitank.

OOPS. It is now more sour than any sour ale I have tasted. I am so disappointed... but I have a theory... (have you ever known me not to have one?)

The lid of our super-sanitized stainless steel conical fermenter is sealed with weather stripping... yep... weather stripping. Not sure why I thought this would not be an issue. It now seems obvious to me that a spongy, plastic and porous surface would be an ideal safe haven inside which yeast ronan may wander freely and without danger of reprise from their former lord, me.

So the weather stripping is coming off and a new system must be devised. Ideas?

Also, it is the first Thursday on the month today. And that means our monthly catholicbeer fieldtrip is tonight. This time we will be doing Naked City Brewery & Taphouse.

http://nakedcitybrewing.com/

All are welcome, just meet us there at 7pm and exclaim "Pour one for me!"

Cheers,

joel.

Get the Brett out!

2011-02-06T22:02:00.000-08:00

I got Google TV for Christmas and recently realized that I can do other things on it besides watch YouTube videos. Among them are checking Facebook, and blogging.

I wanted to remind you that the "Battle of Brett" begins this Saturday at noon ...and yes, Brad, there will be sampling as well as brewing.

Don't forget to fill your gas tanks for the journey to Maple Valley (if you with to carpool with someone let me know and I can probably arrange something).

We are starting at 10am at the Abbey.

Please get in touch if you need directions

"Dear bloggity blog, I blog on the television now." ~Candace R. Morris

Brew Day - Batch XVI (Feb. 12th)

2011-01-29T12:06:00.000-08:00

This coming February 12th we will be brewing up catholicbeer's 16th all-grain batch of beer! On our last venture we attempted an Irish brown that became a sour brown due to a sanitation snaffu.

This time around we intend to:

Get the Brett' out!

Brewing will commence at 10am in the abbey. For those of you who cannot make it you can track our progress on the brewer's log at http://theabbey.catholicbeer.com.

Pour one for me.

~joel

Cheers!

2011-01-20T20:27:00.001-08:00

Thanks to everyone who showed up to celebrate 99 Bottles' four-year anniversary!! We both had a great time.

Cheers! ...and here's to another four years of bottle-shop excellence!

~the brewthers

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Goodnight world... see you in the morning

2011-01-19T23:27:00.001-08:00

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Fieldtrip!

2011-01-17T19:05:00.001-08:00

It's time for another catholicbeer field trip! We move further south this time to 99 Bottles to celebrate their fourth anniversary!

Raise a glass for truck drivers who are fed-up with the poor availability of good beer, and decide to open their own beer shops. :-)

Thursday, January 20th at 7pm

35002 Pacific Hwy S, A102
Federal Way, WA 98003

253.838.2558

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Bon Anniversaire!

2011-01-14T18:20:00.001-08:00

Happy anniversary my gorgeous bride.

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