tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79466741333995724912024-03-13T04:58:48.626-07:00Eric's Brew LogMy buddy Brad and I would like to start a brewery of our own some day. This blog is an attempt to record our efforts in that direction including brews we complete, tastings of beer, and other events we encounter along the way.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-42197728114520563342015-03-04T14:50:00.006-08:002015-03-04T14:52:25.635-08:00Wanna brew a Stone beer? Here is the recipe:
Stone Pale Ale
Yield: 5 Gallons (about 54 12-ounce bottles or 30 22-ounce bottles)
10 pounds plus 7 ounces crushed North American two-row pale malt
1 pound plus 4.2 ounces crushed 60L crystal malt
4.8 ounces crushed 75L crystal malt
About 9 gallons water
0.44 ounce Columbus hops (12.9% alpha acid)
½ tsp Irish moss
0.77 ounce Ahtanum hops (6.0% Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-12044252978560600972015-02-15T17:22:00.003-08:002015-02-15T17:22:40.720-08:00Brewing setupI have been using this setup for 3 years now, there is just enough elevation left to fill a 6.5 gal carboy. No pumps and no lifting needed! Note the water filter on the back wall.
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-37649517754906590582013-10-14T11:55:00.003-07:002013-10-14T11:55:51.432-07:00Very useful brewing chartI refer to this during every brew.
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-63261794837107702302010-09-22T12:20:00.000-07:002010-09-22T12:27:38.870-07:00Great video on making beerI thought this was really well done.3 things she could have done to help her beer taste better: Don't let the water boil when soaking the malted grains!!! The water should be no hotter than 170f.Hydrate the yeast before adding it to the fermenter.Leave the lid off the boil kettle, there are compounds given off during the boil that should not be trapped by a lid (partially open isn't horrible, Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-14647324960608785162010-08-12T16:51:00.000-07:002010-08-12T16:53:41.219-07:002 LagersI did a Pilsner and a Dunkel last month, and they are slowly finishing fermentation in the chest fridge. I re-used the yeast from the Pilsner on the Dunkel, and now I am waiting for the last 15% of gravity to ferment away, it is taking a long time, I had hoped for 2 weeks in primary and 4 weeks in secondary, but it looks like it will be more like 8 weeks in secondary.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-61364311639007219352010-05-11T10:11:00.000-07:002010-05-11T10:17:50.518-07:00Reusing YeastI have reused yeast before, by pouring it out of the carboy and into a jug, preparing another starter prior to brewing and using that yeast. It worked as well as purchasing yeast at the homebrew shop and saved me $6.00.This time, I brewed my West Coast IPA , and then 2 weeks later when fermentation had stopped, I racked it to secondary and brewed my Pale Ale and poured it on the yeast cake in Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-32900754042240867702010-04-09T13:43:00.001-07:002010-08-12T16:51:46.674-07:00My best beer so farWest Coast IPA - I only have a couple bottles left, but this one is a winner. My brother-in-law loved it too. It is modeled after the Green Flash IPA, and inspired by the Mammoth IPA. On a related note, I got up to Mammoth last week and tried their double brown, another winner. If you are anywhere that Mammoth beer is sold, you owe it to yourself to check it out.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-70018760967712486192009-10-24T11:26:00.000-07:002010-08-12T16:51:29.328-07:00Recent Brew ResultsWest Coast IPA - Still Fermenting 4 weeks later. Gravity is down to 1.016 so it should be ready next week. Tastes promising, it is still quite cloudy but it is hard to tell if that is the yeast or other issues. I plan to crash cool this beer once it is fully fermented.American Lager - Tasted pretty good, I made another lager after that with all barley that tasted good as well, but it was a bitErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-22167930129436367192009-08-15T10:37:00.000-07:002009-08-15T10:42:13.372-07:00West Coast TripThe wife, kids and I headed up to Oregon via Yosmite and I got a chance to have some great beer. The bar at Curry Village in Yosemite serves up Mammoth Pilsner (good) and their Epic IPA (great). I also got to taste the Deschutes Red Chair IPA at the Suttle Lake resort's restaurant. It was also amazing, and only $4.00/pint on tap there! After paying $9.00 for a 21 oz glass at Yosemite it Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-32287624166440191202009-05-11T19:13:00.000-07:002009-06-27T10:39:57.154-07:00Brew 14: Disaster Porter 2The original Disaster Porter is of my favorites so far, and a favorite of my friend Greg's. He wanted to get in on another batch and came over with Ed to watch and help out.I realized something with this brew. Watching someone else brew is like watching someone else cook. If you really want to do it yourself someday it is cool to learn, otherwise it isn't that much fun. They were good sports Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-31498728028710321912009-05-11T19:02:00.000-07:002009-05-11T19:13:43.463-07:00Brew 13 - American LagerMy father-in-law only likes lagers like Kirin, Bud, and Sapporo. Last time he was here a year ago my brewing skills were not what they are now, and he didn't enjoy my homebrew very much, although he was polite and drank it.For a while it looked like he would be coming back this year to visit so I decided to try to brew a Kirin clone.My only other attempt at a Lager resulted in a bitterness thatErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-71814520399452124232009-03-16T09:14:00.000-07:002009-03-16T09:27:26.818-07:00Brew 12:Hoppy Amber AleI really like Stone's Levitation ale. At only 4.4% alcohol you can drink a couple without getting too buzzed, but it is very full of flavor.I wanted to do something similar, and I found a reference to the ingredients, ABV and IBUs so I made up my own recipe to get me somewhere close and brewed it a week ago. On Saturday I racked it to secondary, and had a sample. It is a bit too sweet still, Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-71208929565533213062009-02-10T18:51:00.000-08:002009-02-11T17:36:03.030-08:00Tasting: Redhook ESBAnother of the beers I picked up in Oregon (although it is brewed in Washington). I don't yet have a clear picture of what Redhook is shooting for, so I will try to pick up anything I can until I figure it out.Tasting: Chilled to ~35 degrees (f) from a pint glass, after drinking this beer, I upped the temp on my beer fridge, it should really be tasted at 45 or higher. The malt aroma doesn't Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-25002642067172477452009-02-09T17:38:00.000-08:002009-02-11T17:34:33.755-08:00Tasting: Deschutes Jubelale 2008Tasting: Chilled to ~35 degrees (f) from a pint glass.Appearance: 3/3 Deep red in color, the beer is very clear with tiny bubbles.Head: 3/3 Light, foamy, cream-colored head that lasts.Aroma: 3/3 Light hops and mild malt.Flavor: 3/3 Wonderful biscuity flavor, with very strong hops profile.Mouth feel: 3/3 Light bodied, medium-high carbonation, very pleasant somewhat piney bitterness remains.OverallErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-60530558607952185482009-01-30T18:20:00.000-08:002009-01-30T20:16:56.102-08:00Tasting: Deschutes Buzzsaw BrownNot every seasonal beer is a 8%abv+ roasty, hoppy intense experience. Deschutes Buzzsaw Brown is a classic brown ale. A session beer for winter.Tasting: Chilled to ~40 degrees (f) from a pint glass.Appearance: 3/3 Mahogany color, the beer is very clear with tiny bubbles.Head: 3/3 Light foamy head that lasts.Aroma: 3/3 Very light malt aroma with hints of nut.Flavor: 3/3 Wonderful malty flavor, Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-32848328233784477022009-01-30T17:37:00.000-08:002009-01-30T20:21:07.758-08:00Tasting: Michelob Winter's Bourbon Cask AleTasting: Chilled to ~40 degrees (f) from a pint glass.Appearance: 3/3 Clear amber color, the beer is very clear for a winter seasonalHead: 3/3 Nice creamy head of fine bubbles that thins slowly and remains around the rim.Aroma: 3/3 A wonderful malt, some vanilla and subdued hops.Flavor: 2/3 Somewhat sweet, with vanilla, hops and malt.Mouth feel: 2.5/3 Medium-light body, medium-low carbonation, Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-18253693235320344122009-01-17T20:34:00.000-08:002009-01-18T07:58:50.490-08:00Beer PricesI just finished a tasting of Hair of the Dog's Adam. The beer is priced a bit steep at $5.00 a bottle, but it is 10% abv.Today I went to BevMo and saw that Stone increased their prices this month, so that it now costs $13.99 for a six-pack of Oaked Bastard, and almost $10.00!!! for a 6-pack of their 4.4% abv Levitation.Why should a 10% beer cost twice as much (or more) than a 7% beer? Well, forErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-75812259589063030012009-01-17T20:02:00.000-08:002009-01-18T08:05:19.788-08:00Tasting: Hair of the Dog AdamUnlike his brother Fred, Adam was well carbonated. Let the tasting begin!Tasting: Chilled to ~40 degrees (f) from a pint glass.Appearance: 3/3 Dark Mahogany color, the beer is very clear where the light does make it through, which is great for a dark beer.Head: 3/3 Nice mocha head that thins to about 1/8 inch but stays.Aroma: 3/3 A bit of roasted malt, some smoke and subdued hops.Flavor: 2.5/3 Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-40721614468472745042009-01-17T19:23:00.000-08:002009-01-18T08:00:42.584-08:00Tasting: Hair of the Dog FredI can't do a proper tasting of this beer because it is flat.As in, no head, no carbonation, none.The beer is bottle conditioned, and this is something I have experience with so I will go over it for those of you that have never studied brewing or home brewing.During the fermentation process, the beer yeast converts the sugars to alcohol and create CO2 as a byproduct. In nature, wild yeast that Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-45768085030291071322009-01-14T20:42:00.000-08:002009-01-18T08:01:07.415-08:00Tasting: Bridgeport Snow Cap Winter WarmerOne of the downsides to recording my impressions of new beers is that I have to have the energy to write something down before I crack it open, especially if the beer is from out of the area and I can't get another one.Bridgeport Snow Cap Winter Warmer has a great label, I doesn't give the impression of trying too hard, just a nice festive winter theme.Tasting: Chilled to ~40 degrees (f) from a Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-20104448582605302752009-01-05T20:38:00.000-08:002009-01-14T20:43:10.065-08:00Tasting: Bridgeport Imperial PorterI love to travel. I lived in the Portland are for almost a third of my life, but I never full appreciated it. Of course, Portland has a lot more to appreciate every year, but I feel like I really screwed up during my time there. I could have done and seen so much more!But at least once a year we return to Oregon, and this year I decided to pick up as many Oregon beers as I could. Due to the Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-30721172290462821142009-01-03T12:15:00.000-08:002009-01-10T09:29:21.212-08:00Tasting: Marin Brewing Co. Pale AleTasting: Chilled to ~30 degrees (f) from a pint glass.Appearance: 2.5/3 Translucent orange somewhat cloudy perhaps caused by dry hopping.Head: 2.5/3 Reluctant head with fine bubbles, nice lacing down the glass.Aroma: 3/3 Nice hop aroma, no discernable malts, at 30 degrees anyways.Flavor: 3/3 Great ale flavor. It leads with the hop flavor, then a bit of bitterness followed by subtle malt.Mouth Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-52700006223759795382009-01-01T09:17:00.000-08:002009-01-10T09:14:13.625-08:002008Forgive a bit of self-reflection in this post but; What a year!BLOGMy blog of tasting notes and brewery equipment has had over 2000 visitors, from 6 continents, 53 countries and every state in the US except South Dakota.I have tasted hundreds of beers for the first time, and have started to develop a sense of the beer industry both here in San Diego County, on the west coast and in the US in Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-48380760970371327612008-12-19T23:22:00.000-08:002008-12-20T11:55:20.932-08:00Tasting: Red Hook's Double Black Stout with CoffeeSitting down to Tarantino and Rodriguez's three hour double feature Grindhouse called for something special. Red Hook's "DB" Double Black Stout with Coffee should fit the bill. I don't typically like beers with food in them (for lack of a better way to put it), but I have a soft spot for chocolate and coffee stouts.Anyway, on to the tasting. Be gentle with me. It's my first time:Appearance: 3/3 brad77http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746390342430736021noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946674133399572491.post-76313577709174704702008-12-13T08:25:00.000-08:002008-12-13T08:46:41.657-08:00Tasting Stone Double BastardStone releases an extra-strength version of their flagship Arrogant Bastard called, Double Bastard each holiday season. At 10.4% ABV it is a potent brew, but not too heavy. I actually enjoy it more than the original, although I think that the Oaked Bastard is probably my favorite variant.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343127856013312428noreply@blogger.com1