...a flock of Jays: November 2013

I begin by saying I will never brew this beer again, regardless of the result of this batch. The peat smoked malt gave me a headache the entire brew. The rosemary was equally strong. Each time I brew a complicated beer I realize how much I appreciate simplicity.

Grain:
2-1/4 lbs Malting Company of Ireland Stout Malt
1/3 lb Peat Smoked Malt
1/3 lb Melanoiden Malt
1/3 lb Caramel 60
1 oz. Carapils
Small handful of Roasted Barley

Hops/Herbs
2 sprigs of Rosemary
1/2 oz East Kent Goldings
Irish Moss

Yeast:
US-04 English Ale

And in the name of simplicity, look for the next batch to be elementary school simple, a fantastic base malt, a single small specialty malt addition, one variety of hop (a long used variety) and a simple yeast which does it's job by getting out of the way.

It will look like this:

Grain:
Warminster Floor Malted Maris Otter
Simpson's Dark Crystal

Hops/Herbs:
East Kent Goldings
Irish Moss

Yeast:
West Yorkshire Ale Yeast or US-04 English Ale

Regardless, here are pics from today's brew session

Happy Thanksgiving - Cranberry Ice Cream Fail

I cooked cranberries and ran them through a sieve

Cinnamon - a dash

Sweetness

White Sugar

Dark Brown Sugar

Adding cranberry sauce to the cream

Then it curdled and I poured it down my drain :(

Birmingham Orchestra Fall Concert

Reference

By the truckload!

Madeleine Kahn

Big Boy, Big Toys

Rainy Sunday

A Simple Holiday Black IPA

Today I am brewing a 1-gallon stove top beer. This grain bill is adapted from the first beer I brewed. It is:

2 1/4 lbs US 2-Row Barley (the base malt)

1/2 lb Crystal 40 (for sweetness and a little caramel)

2 ounces Carafa III (coffee and dark chocolate notes)

The hops will be 100% Cascade for a big pine note. Hop burst method, late hopped.

I doughed in at 109 degrees, then raised the temp to 149 degrees for a 30 minute rest. Next a 30 minute rest at 158 and finally to 170 where I will recirculate the wort through the grain before I start my boil.

My twist for this batch will be the use of San Diego Super Yeast and Belgian Style Dark Strong Yeast. I'm going to pitch both and the result I hope is a hint of dark fruit. The Belgian Style Dark Strong beer I brewed is brimming with dark fruit, this I want to be mainly pine.