Bottling the Cherry Beers

So (finally) I bottled the cherry beers. New puppy ownership and large stockpiles of finished beer have definitely curtailed my brewing; however, I am determined to brew at least twice this summer.

The first half of the batch (11 bottles) was the cherry amber ale by itself. I added 2oz. of cherry extract to the second half (13 bottles). I know that it may be a bit strong (usually one adds less than 4oz. to a five-gallon batch) but it should give me a clear idea of whether extract really makes the flavor better.

Final gravity: 1.010
Estimated ABV: 3.7% (clearly, fermentation didn't renew but cherry flavor was absorbed)

Beer Bottling and Tasting Updates

One post per month - I should be savagely beaten. The reason for the lack of attention to the brog is simple: I haven't been doing much notable beer stuff. I am doing my best to reduce my massive finished-beer supply and, thus, not actively brewing anything. Time is ticking away though and the itch to brew is in desperate need of scratching.

Beer bottling:

Elderflower Ale #2 - eleven 12oz. bottles
Old Tjikko #2 - thirteen 12oz. bottles
Amber (control beer) - fourteen 12oz. bottles

I will bottle the two cherry ales this week and, after a month or so, will pop a few of each to test the experiments.

Tastings:

Two solid beer tastings in the past month. A couple of weeks ago we went to a beer festival in Baltimore. Unfortunately, despite a generous beer pouring policy, very few beers really stood out as great, "must buy" options. A few interesting brews: Lancaster Brewing Co.'s Strawberry Wheat, Pratt Street Ale House's (Oliver's) Cherry Blossom Ale, and Old Dominion's Spring Buck. Fruity and/or sweet really dominated these beers but they were, nonetheless, pretty fun and tasty. Also, a previously unknown-to-me brewery, Stillwater, had two versions of their saison (one was cask-conditioned) with distinctively different aspects. They were both pretty good and it was nice to be able to compare the two side-by-side.

This weekend we went on a beer sampling adventure at Rustico in Alexandria, VA. I tried about a dozen beers - mostly from breweries I don't regularly drink. Eggenberg's Spezial Dunkel and Mikkeller's Nelson Sauvignon were winners; Hitachino's Classic Ale was a real disappointment - it had been billed as an English Ale aged in cedar casks (from a Japanese brewery!). Frankly, it was just Kirin Ichiban. They lied to me. A surprise winner: Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery's Barleywine. It had just the right amount of hops to offset the hops and no funny alcohol taste. It just goes to prove that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a rabbit, it might turn out great. Maybe that doesn't prove anything.

Travel and Beers

For the past three weeks I have been traveling like a fiend. I wish I could say I experienced some great beers.... I tried Efes in Turkey, Mythos in Greece, and Tropical in the Canary Islands. I didn't bother with 1664 in France (I've had it before and really didn't need it again). Basically, all were typical light Mediterranean lagers. While they were all very refreshing in the heat, none of them were distinctive or really all that flavorful. I did take a moment to have a Paulaner Hefe Weissbier in Greece (just to escape the monotony) - it was well worth the high import price (9.50 Euros). In short, I am glad to be back to the wide variety of beers here (both in my brewery and the vast array of bars and stores in the DC area). Cheers!

Moving the Amber, et al.

Today I moved the amber-based experimental beers into two secondary aging vessels. Half of the beer went into a smaller, 2.5 gallon carboy - this half will be the amber "control" beer and Old Tjikko #2 (when I add the spruce essence at bottling). The other half went into a 5 gallon carboy - I first added just over 3 lbs. of sweet cherry puree and then siphoned the beer on top of it. Since the cherry puree is full of fermentable sugars, this should renew fermentation and, thus, there needs to be a little more room than the other half of the brew (which is done with active fermentation).

Right now the "finishing" gravity is 1.010, meaning about 3.7% ABV for the amber beer and Old Tjikko #2. The cherry beer half should ferment a bit more so we shall see it's final gravity in a few weeks.

Experimental Beer(s) - Amber, et al.

On Sunday I brewed the first part of a batch of experimental beers. Basically, I am using an amber ale as the base beer for a few modifications. Five gallons of brew will be split into the following:

2.5 gal. of Old Tjikko #2 (since the spruce ale had decent support at the recent tasting, I figured I would keep the style but try a different approach - the prior used molasses and pale DME)

5 gal. of cherry beer (this will be split further into two versions: while all of it will be aged on 3lbs. of sweet cherry puree, I will add up to 2oz. of cherry extract at bottling to 2.5 gal.)

2.5 gal. of amber ale (the remainder will remain as is - a control)

Ingredients (for the amber ale base beer):

5.5lbs Amber LME
1lb Crystal 50-60L* speciality grains
1/2lb. Golden Naked Oats [hopefully for some extra body]
2oz. UK Kent Goldings hops (1oz. for bittering; 1oz. for flavoring)
Wyeast American Activator liquid yeast

OG: 1.038

Moving the Elderflower Ale

Today's a snow day here in the DC area. As such, it was a perfect day to take care of some beer business. We moved the Elderflower Ale #2 to the secondary aging vessel - in this case, a one gallon glass jug with an airlock. I have high hopes for the flavor because of the DME (versus pure cane sugar). As for the alcohol content, not so great. With only about 50% attenuation, the alcohol content will be just over 2% ABV. Either way, experimental beers are about taste, not pure drunkenness - that's just a bonus for some.

Beers of 2009 Tasting Extravaganza

On Saturday night Snyderson Brew Hus held its Beers of 2009 Tasting Extravaganza. The entire neighborhood was snowed in so we had a really solid turn out of guys looking to escape their homes and drink beer.

All 20 beers from 2009 (including experimentals) were sampled by eight beer aficionados (i.e. guys who will consume any beverages with an alcoholic nature). As expected, not all beers were favorites. Unexpected: Based on prior comments by non-attending regular Snyderson drinkers, I thought Tomten's Jul Ol (holiday brew), Crazy Bear Honey Nut Brown Ale, and/or Night Bandit Porter would take unchallenged top honors - they didn't. Also, an interesting twist: Old Tjikko (spruce ale) had strong support from two attendees. Obviously, different strokes for different folks.

In short, a great night of drinking and comments. Surely, this event will only lead to better brews in 2010.

The Beer List (and its general response):

Canada Goose Cream Ale (very positive; a winner)

Yellow Fever Lemon Ale (despite prior good reviews, not a favorite at all)

Elderflower Ale (surprise: a great response)

El Hefe [Hefeweizen] (good to great)

Dropwater Ale [Licorice] (most people agreed that the licorice should be an addition to another beer, not its own brew)

Boo-Ya Pumpkin Ale (although almost everyone thought it needed more pumpkin, it was well-liked by nearly all)

Cherry Wheatseeker (good to great)

Red Squirrel Lager (the widest spread of votes, from "no" to "8")

Old Tjikko [Spruce] (surprise: at least two people loved it)

Billy Goat Bock (good to great)

Crazy Bear Honey Nut Brown Ale (generally very good)

Night Bandit Porter (good)

Tomten's Jul Ol [Holiday] (good to great)

Stout Lite (good response)

Questionable Stout (good; strong)

Broc Irish Stout (good; coffee flavors)

Joe's Java [Coffee Stout] (great)

Freja's Ebulon [Elderberry] (surprise: good flavor; frankly, the plan was to use this as a base for other beers)

Trojan Celebration Ale [Pale Ale] (very good)

Daddy-Mite IPA (good to great)

Experimental Beer - Elderflower Ale #2

On Sunday I brewed another attempt at an Elderflower Ale. I swapped Extra Light DME (dried malt extract) in place of the regular sugar and added some oranges. Hopefully, the DME will lessen the cidery taste of the last batch; the oranges were just for my amusement. After comparing some similar concepts I researched, I went ahead and boiled the fruit (lemons and oranges). I am sure some of the pectin will result in haze but I think the flavors will work out better this way. If not, I will try to just steep them next time.

Fermentation seemed to take a long time to start - two or three days before I noticed real action in the airlock. And as fast as it begun, it stopped. While a three day fermentation isn't impossible, I do fear low attenuation. This weekend I will take a hydrometer reading and see where we are.

Ingredients:

2oz. Dried Elderflowers (steeped after boil)
1.25 gallons of water
3 oranges
3 lemons
1lb. Plain Extra Light DME

OG: 1.026

Bottling the Cream Ale

Last night we bottled the Canada Goose Cream Ale (second edition, so to speak). Looks great, smells great, tastes great. I can't wait to pop this beer after its carbonated. End count: fifty-one 12oz. bottles. I doubt this batch will last long.

Moving the AltBier

After two full weeks, last night I moved the altbier to the secondary (aging) vessel. The yeast had a bit of trouble getting started at lower temperatures, so after the first day I moved it upstairs. When the bubbles slowed down dramatically (a week later), I brought the carboy down to the basement.

It looks and smells just right - nice copper color, hoppy aroma. Some January/February time on the basement floor should allow it to age at near lager temperatures. And then, drinking time!

Finishing gravity is about 1.008 (ABV should be around 4.25%).

Brew Day - AltBier

Yesterday I brewed the first batch of 2010! An extensive and largely successful 2009 brewing year has only encouraged me to work harder this year. Expect to see more experimental beers, modified "standards", and, most importantly, better versions of prior brews.

This Brew Day produced an AltBier - the lager/ale hybrid from Dusseldorf. Essentially, this ale is fermented "cool" (not cold though) and then aged at near freezing for several weeks (or months). Think of it as a lagered ale.

Generally, it was a successful Brew Day. As a reminder to watch the boil carefully, regardless of brewing experience, I had one boil over. Thank you brew kettle for that refresher lesson. With 2oz. of bittering hops and 1oz. of aroma hops, this Alt should have a crisp flavor. We shall see in March.

Starting Gravity: 1.040

Ingredients:

6lbs. Amber LME
12oz. Caramel 10*L
4oz. Chocolate Malt speciality grains
2oz. Crystal bittering hops
1oz. Hallertau aroma hops