Playing catch-up
I seem to have become a binge brewer. Didn't touch a kettle from 9/20 until 12/16 and am not even sure why/how that happened. Work priorities plus general indolence, I guess.
The kegerator is almost empty, with a Chicory stout running out fast. It was running strong six weeks or so ago but then some no-named, chucked-together beers starting running out, basic IPA's and pale's. Oh, and the delicious Leroy Brown, best brown ale I've ever made. Gotta re-brew that one.
Anyway, 3 or 4 weeks ago I went through and did a catch-up bottling binge of beers made in late summer. Conditioning and tasting decent-to-excellent are a house saison, wet-hop ale, and a brett-y 3789 contraption. Bottled stocks in the basement are touch-and-go. Lots of some good beers, but some weird gaps and the glaring problem of a soured batch of smoked marzen. Damnit. But plenty of pilsner, lots of good Belgians, bits of this and that. It could be a lot worse. About to go on draft are two older efforts, a partly-wet-hopped IPA and the first new brew MAC and I brewed: "No Internet Jerk Store Ale." The name is a long story but it's a malty winter pale ale.
Was running out of specialty malts and hops and decided to make a clean-out effort before restocking, for the sake of order, freshness, etc. With what I had on hand I've thrown together the next generation of draft beers, inspired by what was on hand. I love brewing that way actually. Accordingly, in fermenters are:
"Fuck it! Smokey-Oaky Ale (with Rye!)": Give me random crystal malts, some peated, and surplus oak chips and I'll give you a random concoction like this. Time will tell.
"Random-Ass Hoppy Porter": Surplus brown malt and a really random range of hops conspire to produce, hopefully, a delicious over-hopped porter slightly reminiscent of, and definitely inspired by, the Mikkeler Holiday Porter I had around the corner at The Green Onion.
Today's brew is a faux-barrel DIPA. Mega IPA crushed with tons of old hops and some fresh ones, tweaked with oak chips soaked in Sheep Dip. Why not? "Sheep Dip DIPA," I guess.
Still kicking around in fermentors are a Roeslare Ale, still not ready, and a big huge wine-barrel Saison, which got Brett and Cab/Merlot-soaked chips added a bit ago. That should be a classic.
So that's the brewery update. Many plans in the hopper for when the new shit arrives, starting with a back-logged batch of steam beer in the next few days.
The kegerator is almost empty, with a Chicory stout running out fast. It was running strong six weeks or so ago but then some no-named, chucked-together beers starting running out, basic IPA's and pale's. Oh, and the delicious Leroy Brown, best brown ale I've ever made. Gotta re-brew that one.
Anyway, 3 or 4 weeks ago I went through and did a catch-up bottling binge of beers made in late summer. Conditioning and tasting decent-to-excellent are a house saison, wet-hop ale, and a brett-y 3789 contraption. Bottled stocks in the basement are touch-and-go. Lots of some good beers, but some weird gaps and the glaring problem of a soured batch of smoked marzen. Damnit. But plenty of pilsner, lots of good Belgians, bits of this and that. It could be a lot worse. About to go on draft are two older efforts, a partly-wet-hopped IPA and the first new brew MAC and I brewed: "No Internet Jerk Store Ale." The name is a long story but it's a malty winter pale ale.
Was running out of specialty malts and hops and decided to make a clean-out effort before restocking, for the sake of order, freshness, etc. With what I had on hand I've thrown together the next generation of draft beers, inspired by what was on hand. I love brewing that way actually. Accordingly, in fermenters are:
"Fuck it! Smokey-Oaky Ale (with Rye!)": Give me random crystal malts, some peated, and surplus oak chips and I'll give you a random concoction like this. Time will tell.
"Random-Ass Hoppy Porter": Surplus brown malt and a really random range of hops conspire to produce, hopefully, a delicious over-hopped porter slightly reminiscent of, and definitely inspired by, the Mikkeler Holiday Porter I had around the corner at The Green Onion.
Today's brew is a faux-barrel DIPA. Mega IPA crushed with tons of old hops and some fresh ones, tweaked with oak chips soaked in Sheep Dip. Why not? "Sheep Dip DIPA," I guess.
Still kicking around in fermentors are a Roeslare Ale, still not ready, and a big huge wine-barrel Saison, which got Brett and Cab/Merlot-soaked chips added a bit ago. That should be a classic.
So that's the brewery update. Many plans in the hopper for when the new shit arrives, starting with a back-logged batch of steam beer in the next few days.
posted by Jason | 11:46 AM
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