Post Boston Brewing

Finally made that barley wine today. It's thinking about actually fermenting. OG was 1093, which was a little off the intended 1097, despite my flinging in a little DME at the last minute. I think my efficiency suffered as a result of totally over-straining my lautering system. May calculate a small sugar addition into the secondary to bump to 1097--honey or molasses or something. That beer was a lot of work. Next time I'm doing a big beer, must calculate max grain amount. The Belgian Stout barely stayed in the bucket--if I didn't flood the bed too much. 18 lbs is too much, so if I get into really high gravity brewing, a second Zapap lauter tun is in order. If I want to do some of those giant old British beers, or any Dogfish Head World Wide Stout clones, my current bucket will never do.

Last night drank a Concorde Brewing Co. beer: Rapscallion: Creation Dark Reserve Beer. Brought back from Boston. Had a really distinctive maltiness--I need to research this brewery a little. Have one other beer of theirs in the basement.

Eastern Thing is in bottles.

Here's a Tripel recipe so I can buy grain:

For a gravity of 1081:

10 lbs Belgian Pilsner
2 lbs German Munich
10 oz German Wheat
2 lbs Sugar of some kind

For 46 IBU:

2.25 oz Styrian Goldings (60)
1.5 oz Czech Saaz (15)
.5 oz Styrian Goldings (5)