Pump it

Eventually some all-grain brewers decide that a pump is a good idea. Rightfully so, I came to that conclusion whilst lifting 10 gallons of 180° sparge water. Not fun.

But here's where the confusion begins; although it doesn't have to be. Most homebrew stores sell the March 809 pump which is perfect for homebrewing---short of the fact that it has to be primed. While this is a common annoyance, with a little practice it's not an issue. It runs on 120V, has a maximum head of 16 feet and runs at about 8 gallons per minute (gpm). Notice the output pressure here is low as well.

So some homebrewers will start checking eBay and finding pumps of all sizes, shapes, and capabilities. Note: you NEED a pump that can handle boiling wort. And you DON'T need a pump that has an output pressure of 50 psi, unless you want wort sprayed everywhere and your couplings to leak. Not to mention 50 psi will make your lines move if they're not securely connected (much like nozzle reaction, sans nozzle).

Then you'll find the ones on eBay that have no plug, requiring you to hardwire it yourself. Hope you're good with electricity.

Another good feature about the March 809 is it's magnetic-slip impeller. This means that you cannot cavitate this pump. You can starve it, but it's not going to create enough power to start ripping molecules of water apart and dropping the vapor pressure in the pump. Why not? Because (1) it's only 1/4 horsepower, (2) the RPM of the pump is constant and cannot be changed, and (3) because of the aforementioned magnetic-slip impeller. Trust me. If you want to see a pump cavitate, go to your local fire deparment, ask the engine driver to try to flow their deck gun at 2,000 gpm from a 20' draft. And if he actually tries it, smack the f--- out of him and reconsider your homeowner's insurance.

In the end, by the time you're done buying the cheap, sketchy pump off eBay, adding in this or that to make it work, it's easier and nearly as expensive to just buy the 809 outright from either eBay or a homebrew store. Unless, of course, you like headaches.

Ok folks, listen up

You need to understand a thing or two about yeast, whether it's your first batch or 100th.

First off, those little packs of dry yeast that come with the kit? IT'S NOT ENOUGH YEAST FOR A 5 GALLON BATCH.

Secondly, those little smack packs and yeast tubes full of liquid yeast that say "pitchable"? IT'S NOT ENOUGH YEAST FOR A 5 GALLON BATCH. Historically and predictably repetitively, homebrewers do not pitch enough yeast.

Third, yeast need OXYGEN. Swirling/shaking the fermenter isn't doing shit except putting you at risk for a back injury or dropping the carboy, shattering it, sending wort and shards of glass everywhere. You need to aerate or oxygenate, even if you pitch the correct amount of yeast. Yeast use oxygen to reproduce and create healthy, pliable cell walls. Do you ever see a professional brewer swirling a cylindroconical fermenter? Me either.

Lastly, if you're going to forego the above advice, save us all the trouble and bandwidth and don't post the "I never make a starter and my beer turns out great", "my beer didn't ferment completely", "it's been 4 days and no airlock activity" or "this has some wierd flavors" mainstays in the internet forums.

Do yourself a favor: read this. Then read it again. Then think about your yeast propagation procedures. Bookmark it for future reference. Then go here and plan out how much yeast you need. Pitch the calculated amount.

What's that you say? Fermentation didn't take 3 days to start? Fermentation didn't take 4 weeks to get to FG? Hit your FG? No off flavors? That's what pitching the right amount of yeast will do for you.

REMEMBER! Brewers make WORT; yeast makes BEER. Take care of them, they'll take care of you.

Return to Darkness

I love lagers. Flavorful lagers, not the "Classic American Pils" crap. I mean Bock, Dopplebock, Dunkel, Oktoberfest, Vienna, Bohemian Pils...flavorful lagers. And for the last few batches, that's all I've brewed. Of course, I'm now enjoying having 3 lagers on tap.

But sometimes you just have a hankerin' for some good ol' Dry Stout.

I've tried a few stout recipes that just didn't pan out. Not what I was looking for. Since getting a hold of an iPod, brewing podcasts have been the next-best-thing to my heavy metal MP3s...better than radio most of the time, anyway. In particular is The Brewing Network. Great information, quality listening. Jamil Zainasheff (AHA Board member, 2004 Ninkasi Award winner, author and all-around nice guy) reviews beer styles and how to brew them weekly on his internet radio show. So I downloaded the Dry Stout podcast and gave it a listen. Jamil gives a basic recipe for dry stout and I tweaked it just a little:

Something Different Stout

Batch Size (Gal): 10.00 Wort Size (Gal): 10.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 15.75
Anticipated OG: 1.041 Plato: 10.26°
Anticipated SRM: 34.9
Anticipated IBU: 37.1
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes

10.50 lbs. Marris Otter
0.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt
3.00 lbs. Flaked Barley
1.75 lbs. Roasted Barley

2.40 oz. East Kent Goldings (Whole, 6.90%AA) 60 min.

White Labs WLP004 Irish Stout yeast

6am comes bright and early tomorrow morning! Gonna get brewin' while the weather is still cool and the kids are still sleepin'.

Cheers!

Say Hello to My Little Friends!

Two, count 'em---two, forward-seal faucets! Finally got these up, almost running. My birthday was a few weeks back and that meant goodies! Got two faucets, two 4" stainless steel shanks, tail pieces and nuts, etc. The shanks were on backorder so it took a little while for them to get in but well worth the wait. Personally, I'd rather have beer in contact with stainless steel than chrome-plated brass. More durable, will never have to be replaced. Plus the stainless shank is only roughly $7-8 more. The faucets, on the other hand, are more than twice as much but eliminates the sticking that rear-seal faucets get and are more durable as well. In my opinion, if you're going to drop the coin to do something like this, do it right!!

Installing taps means making a wood collar for the beer freezer (temp-controlled kegerator) so you don't have to drill through the top of the freezer. Some 2x4s and some nice oak 1x6s to cover does the trick nicely. Then just hook up the beer line and let 'er rip!

Maybe by the end of summer I can have 4 of them up and running!

Another win!!

I got the results back from the SoFB---my Kölsch got 2nd place in category!!! That's the third ribbon that beer's won, 2 1st-places and a 2nd! Great feedback on the BJCP form, got a 42/50 (Excellent).

Speaking of which, I need to make more! Time to get a-brewin'!

More on comps

Speaking of the National Homebrew Competition, I just learned last night that my friend and fellow brewclub guy Bill has placed twice in the first round! Bill got 2nd place for his English Pale Ale (which he said was his first time brewing it) and 3rd for his American Ale. Likewise, another brewer from my club, Dave, got first place in the American Ale category. And in the West, a few compatriots of mine (Jamil and Jason) scored as well---Jamil, not suprisingly. The guy was a Ninkasi Award winner, among other awards.

Dave also beat me out last night at our club's Oktoberfest/Märzen/Vienna competition---he got 1st, I got 2nd. One of the judges told me the 1st and 2nd places were very close, almost to personal preference, which was humbling as Dave is one hell of a brewer!

Congrats to all!!

Cheers!

National Homebrew Day

I'd certainly be amiss if I didn't mention the fact that today is National Homebrew Day! Many homebrewers will either be teaching a friend to brew, brewing at one of the many registered locations, or just hanging out at home with the kettle boiling. Me, I have a 3-1/2 year old and a 17 month-old to watch, no brewing for me today. Such is parenthood at times.

At any rate, Happy National Homebrew Day!

Cheers!

Competition time!

Invariably, the spring and following summer seasons mean beer competitions. There are a few in the fall and even less in the winter, but the warmer months seem to be high time. The American Homebrewers Association has their annual National Homebrew Competition in April through June---the first round being in April and the finals being at the National Homebrew Convention.

Last month I entered 3 beers---a Maibock, an Oktoberfest, and a Kölsch---in a local brewpub competition. The competition wasn't AHA sanctioned and asked for only -one- beer per entry. There was no entry fee either. The winning beers were a Coconut Porter, a Weissbier, and a Honey Ginger Ale. Then it dawned on me: this was a People's Choice competition; in other words, the brewmaster picked the beers he/she thought would be most marketable for their brewpub, as the winner got to assist with the brewing of that beer on the brewpub's 4.5 barrel system. Part of what makes competitions so great is the invaluable feedback you get. Presumably, as this is not an AHA-sanctioned competition and was just a way for the brewpub to drum up sales, I probably wont' be seeing any score sheets. Kinda sucks, but it was free so I can't complain.

Oh well, there's plenty more comps!

Of note is the Spirit of Free Beer competition hosted by Brewers United for Real Potables (BURP), a Metro DC homebrew club. The club's 15th annual competition is being held next Saturday, May 12th and my entries are in!

Another interesting competition is the Sam Adams Long Shot. Unlike the competition mentioned in the first paragraph, this is not what the brewmaster feels will fill his pockets the best. The winner gets a one-time $5,000 royalty and has his beer produced for a Long Shot specialty line that's brewed once a year after the competition. You even get your mug on the label! Last years winning beers were a Boysenberry Wheat, a Dortmunder Export, and an Old Ale. Again, these styles were judged by category---notice, no "kitchen sink" beers here!

Jim Koch has always been a big supporter of the homebrewing community, being a former homebrewer himself. Maybe I'll send one off afterall...

Cheers!

The flaws of beer rating sites

Currently there are two beer rating sites on the 'net (at least that I'm aware of), RateBeer.com and BeerAdvocate.com. Personally I prefer the former, due in part because after several instances, I find one of the proprietors of the latter to be less than a nice guy. But they're both choc-full of good information insofar as content. Both contain information about what beer is what and where to find it, be it store/pub/etc. Links to maps, etc. A wealth of knowledge.

Then we come to ratings and the inherent problems associated with many users who may or may not have any Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) training whatsoever. With some users, it's "this beer tastes great" and it gets a high rating without further elaboration or analysis; likewise, an otherwise decent beer (or one that may just be a flawed batch and not the best example of the beer) may get a "this tastes like shit!" and congruent ratings.

To me, a user's ratings should carry a weight given by their experience. For example, a newb with only their limited personal tasting experience should carry little weight and should increase as the user gains experience, while someone with BJCP training (ie. a National Judge) should carry A LOT of weight. A nice descriptor of "aroma of honeysuckle and raisins" is good but it does little to tell about how the beer fits into it's style category.

Probably more peoples' choice than stylistic accuracy...

Luckily, there are ways with computers to address that sort of thing---to an extent. Both show ratings and the number of users who have rated them, and RateBeer even gives a standard deviation, straight from your Stat 101 class. But neither can address the discrepancy between a newb and a trained beer judge.

So enjoy the sites, use the info but take it with a grain of salt. Remember, human nature plays a huge part here.

Cheers!

DUNKEL!

Today I racked the dunkel over to the kegs for lagering. Came in a little high at 1.018 FG but it didn't taste overly sweet---malty yes, cloying no. That's good. I will say the hydrometer samples (two fermenters) didn't last long!!

This Saturday is National Homebrew Day!! Lots of homebrewers will be brewing up a batch of something, think maybe I'll brew up some dry stout, haven't had any of that on tap for a while. Hopefully a Guinness-fanatic coworker/friend of mine can stop by and assist. Here's the recipe:

Murphy's Law Dry Stout

Batch Size (Gal): 10.00 Wort Size (Gal): 10.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 19.00
Anticipated OG: 1.050 Plato: 12.27°
Anticipated SRM: 37.1
Anticipated IBU: 34.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

15.00 lbs. Pale Malt (2-row)
1.00 lbs. Chocolate Malt
1.00 lbs. Flaked Barley
1.50 lbs. Roasted Barley
0.50 lbs. Crystal 55L

1.50 oz. Target (Whole, 10.00%AA) 60 min.
0.40 oz. Goldings - E.K. (Whole, 4.75%AA) 15 min.

WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast

Cheers!!

What next?

So as I returned from my cellar this evening with Warsteiner Dunkel in hand, I found myself thinking, "what should I brew next?" For the immediate plans, it's going to be some barleywine have some ready for the fall/Christmas. Gonna do an Avery Hog Heaven clone and then my English barleywine as well, 5 gallons each. Then it's time to restock the Kölsch.

After that, I'm thinking about expanding out of my typical line-up of brews. Maybe an 80 Schilling Scottish ale, maybe a Dopplebock with all the 833 Bock yeast I have (highly likely!), maybe a Schwarzbier, maybe even do a Pale Ale or IPA for a change---yes, for a change. I usually don't brew them just 'cause I get tired of them. But every now and then you need something hoppy.

I seriously need to revamp my porter recipe. Did well in a few comps but it's just lacking something...

Anyway, stay tuned, you're sure to read about it here.

Cheers!

BBQ?

I've added a few links to the right frame of the blog to a few BBQ sites and blogs. Why? Cooking is another passion of mine and I really love good 'que! I'm a BBQ newb and I've enjoyed what I've learned thus far---especially when you put it to work and it turns out some mouth-waterin', finger-lickin', lip-smackin' BBQ! And what goes better with some delicious 'que than a wonderfully-crafted, flavorful beer?!

Don't fret, I'll still be going on about beer, brewing, and everything that has to do with it; it's my foremost love, afterall.

Cheers!

Batch #61: Munich Dunkel

Dunkel. Means "dark" in German. Well, not pitch-black can't-see-squat-through-the-glass dark. Not Schwarzbier dark. Just an inviting, mesmerizing, alluring dark brown.

Sunday I brewed 10 gallons of Munich-style Dunkel, making it 61 batches (10 extract, 51 all-grain) to date. Here's the specs:

Altfeuerwache Dunkel

Batch Size (Gal): 10.00 Wort Size (Gal): 10.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 22.00
Anticipated OG: 1.052 Plato: 12.82
Anticipated SRM: 19.1
Anticipated IBU: 20.0
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes

12.00 lbs. Munich Malt
5.00 lbs. Dark Munich Malt
4.00 lbs. Pilsener
0.50 lbs. Melanoidin Malt
0.50 lbs. Carafa II

2.00 oz. Hallertauer (Whole, 4.50% AA) 60 min.

White Labs WLP833 German Bock Yeast

In about 4 hours I had 10 gallons in the fermenters and a yeast slurry pitched. Popped it in the chest freezer at about 50° and the next day it was a-bubblin'.

Just for shits and giggles I took some video of the brew session:





Next up: Barleywine, just in time for the colder nights.

Cheers!!

Sly Fox

Well, it's been a couple weeks. Family's been sick and that means time away from keyboard and brewing.

But I did manage to get some free time and head over to hang out with a good friend and hit the taps! A 2-1/2 hour drive east on the turnpike landed me in Royersford, PA, home of Sly Fox Brewing. My friend and I stopped in and sampled some of their offerings.

The Sly Fox Brewpub in Royersford is their second of two and it houses a 20bbl brewhouse, a bottling line and a canning line. The restaurant was pretty big, about 7,000 sqare feet. The food was good, the beer was even better!

We kept the barstools warm for a while, giving us time to knock back a few pints. I opted for the dunkel, the stout, and split a 22oz bomber of their Double IPA with my friend. My friend grabbed some dunkel and their Rt. 113 IPA, a little of which I tried. Nice, hoppy aroma and flavor; only upstaged by their huge Double IPA! He also remarked that he had been there a few days earlier with a friend and that their Saison was very good as well.

All in all, it's a nice place with very good beer! Next time I'm in the area I'll be visiting their Pheonixville establishment.

Cheers!

Another good year for craft beer

According to the Brewer's Association, craft beer sales were up 11.7% by volume in 2006! Furthermore, craft beer sales have grown 29.5% over the past three years! See the press release at the Brewer's Association website for more info and statistics.

Microbrew fad, my ass! Sounds to me like a lot of people are discovering what beer with flavor is like.

Batch #60

Today makes 445 gallons and 60 batches. Brewed 11 gallons of Oktoberfest, partially for a couple comps coming up in a few months and the other part being Fall parties!!

Today I learned that when the propane cylinder is getting low you can shake it and the pressure will pick up...enough to help get the boil going while you go to the neighbor's and beg to borrow theirs, or go to the store and get more. The latter wasn't a viable option since we have about 6" of snow and sleet here. Wish I could've been just brewing, but I was shoveling when I wasn't standing by my system.

I'm done with Winter, bring on Spring. By then my Maibock will be ready!!!

Cheers!

Bookend Brews

On a whim I decided that Saturday morning would be a good day to brew beer. What to make? Looking over my current is-fermenting/conditioning/carbonating/on-tap list I see a Kölsch (always on tap!), a Double IPA, and a Christmas Ale on tap; some Maibock fermenting away at 50°, and 10 gallons of Porter carbonating. Problem being, the Christmas Ale and Double IPA are almost gone! I have a few jars of yeast slurry in the ol' kegerator, namely Kölsch yeast, English Ale yeast, and the standard WLP001 California Ale yeast. And then there's that little bottle of raspberry extract that's been sitting on my shelf for months.

Then I decided I'd give it a shot at making a Raspberry Wheat. The only thing I had missing was the wheat malt, and I'll be using the WLP001 yeast instead of a hefeweizen yeast (basically an American wheat). So here we are:

Raspberry Wheat

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 10.00
Anticipated OG: 1.053
Anticipated SRM: 3.5
Anticipated IBU: 16.8

5.00 lbs. Wheat Malt
4.00 lbs. Pilsner Malt
1.00 lbs. Honey

0.75 oz. Hallertauer (Pellet, 4.00% AA) 75 min.
0.25 oz. Hallertauer (Pellet, 4.00% AA) 15 min.

Raspberry extract added at kegging

White Labs WLP001 California Ale

And of course the week stated out with brewing 5 gallons of Maibock for the Spring with a couple of fellow brewers over to assist. Drank a little too much homebrew for brewing, but I hit my starting gravity and volume dead-on. I used Jamil's Yeast Pitching Rate Calculator and used the stir plate to get 2L of lager yeast going. By the next morning the Maibock was chugging away, very good considering lager yeast ferments more slowly than ale yeast. All-in-all, a great day.

Prost!

Pilgrimage to Victory

Yesterday the wife told me her friend was in a karate tournament near Valley Forge, PA. Not being the history buff she is, I was a little confused as to the exact location. Once she said "just outside of Philadelphia", my brain said "VICTORY!"

"Victory" as in Victory brewing company!

Located in Downingtown, Victory's only about 20 minutes from Valley Forge, PA. Quite an allegory, salvation after hardship. In my case, after a long day at work. Unfortunately for the 11,000 men of George Washington's Continental Army, there was no Victory Brewing Company for their R&R and I'm sure the 18-century taverns paled in comparison.

We made it to Victory around late afternoon and already the restaurant area was brimming with people. Their 10 Years Alt was still on tap, so I started with a pint of that and enjoyed a pint of their Mad King Weiss with a rack of ribs. The restaurant area is large with a hint of a Bavarian beer hall feel. A long bar area backs up to a large window with a view of many shiny, stainless steel fermenters.

Before leaving, I presented my growler to the waitress for a fill with their Festbier. I also visited the gift shop and grabbed a few Victory gear items. On patron was busy buying 4 cases of beer, apparently a big fan as well!

Overall, the place is great. Last time I was there I toured the brewhouse, which was narrated by one of their management staff who certainly knew his way around and well knew the various functions of their brewery.

Again, I highly recommend a visit!

Prost!!

#57

Saturday morning, 6 a.m. Not much else gets me up this early in the morning on my days off, 'cept for the kids when they're being ornery. What a great morning. Freakishly warm for January at 63°F! And whisper-quiet outside, hardly any noise other than the constant roar of the HLT burner.

It was time to brew up 10 gallons of Porter for a homebrew club competition next month. And it was also the first time I used the HopStopper (thanks, Santa!) I gotta say I'm very satisfied with this thing. It's hard to judge clarity going into a fermenter with a Porter but from what I saw looked good. No green and brown hop particles/trub going into the fermenter first.

Almost had an incident-free brew day until I got distracted and left the CPC Quick Disconnect on the hot keg seat! Lesson here is always have extra parts. I managed to make a make-shift one with a female QD x 1/2" MPT and a 1/2" FPT x 3/4" female garden hose.

In the end, I knocked out 10 gallons in 4 hours and was just a gravity point short of the anticipated OG. Nice cool wort went into the fermenters and the yeast was ready to go off the stir plate.

Next up: Oktoberfest!

Thirsty travels

Merry Christmas/Happy Hannuka/Kwanzaa/whatever! Hoppy Holidays!

Just got back from an out-of-state run to visit the family. One of the best things about being 500 miles away is the regional beer varieties. I think I drank barleywine just about every night for the past week! My liver's thanking me for the rest.

Two places of note: Arbor Brewing and The Beer Depot in Ann Arbor, MI.

Ann Arbor is a neat town in and of itself. Home to the University of Michigan. Nice college town feel and the huge U of M signs at the stadium are big enough to bring down small aircraft if they were to fly just a little too low. Arbor Brewing is right down the street from the stadium, 114 E. Washington Street. Parking's ample; a few spots on the street and an at-least-5-story parking garage right across the street. They have the typical brewpub 7 barrel system but they crank out some very tasty beers! This was my second visit and I decided to try their Milestone Cask Porter (absolutely delicious!), their Sacred Cow Cask IPA (very smooth hoppy flavor and nose) and their Terminator Dopplebock. Their selection is only upstaged by the taste of the beer. To boot, the place is pretty kid-friendly as a handful of little ones were scampering about. Nice family place. The food is darn good as well.

After feeling full and pretty buzzed (the wife was driving), we make a quick hop over to The Beer Depot. After reading a few sparkling reviews on the net of this place, I certainly was intrigued.

Let's just say this: over 650 different beers (two dozen of which are brewed right in Michigan) AND it's also a homebrew store. That's right. A huge selection of beer---and homebrew supplies.

You can't get much better than that!

The guy behind the counter was the owner of the store, proudly wearing an Ann Arbor Brewing Guild shirt. We talked for a few minutes before the wife's started to glaze over with boredom, and then headed out.

So yeah, I restocked my cellar barleywine complement and grabbed a few interesting brews too. Hope whatever you're drinking, it's good.

Happy Holidays!!