Thursday, September 29, 2011

Cranberry Spice Holiday Ale update

Hello All!  Just a quick note on the holiday ale.  Gravity check yielded approximately 6.03% ABV.  Flavor is good!  Definitely a wheat backbone and the spice notes are coming through.  Not aggressively though, but definitely there.  Cranberry is hiding in the background and the slight tartness comes out in the finish along with some nice caramel flavor from the brown sugar.  This is shaping up great!  I don't think I'll add anything else as the flavor profile is pretty close to what I was aiming for.  The gravity measured at 1.028 and starting was 1.074.  I may let it stay longer in the secondary and check it in about a week.  Thanks for reading!  Cheerio! 

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Cranberry Spice Holday Ale

Hello!  Did a taste test on the ale today.  Gravity is about 1.030 or so so it is still a little high.  Still has about a week or two to go yet.  Body is medium-full still.  Flavor is coming along nicely.  Subtle tartness of cranberry with hints of spices.  Just what I was shooting for.  Since it is wheat based I don't want the flavors to be overpowering.  Debating on some finishing flavor just before bottling.  I'll keep you posted on what I decide, if any.  Thanks for reading!  Cheers! 

Friday, September 23, 2011

Cranberry (Oatmeal) Spice Holiday Ale

Well, a quick namechange for now.  I don't know if the oatmeal will come through or not, as I added my cranberry, brown sugar and spice reduction to the secondary and racked on top of it.  The color is an interesting deep golden to light brown and there is only a trace of crimson from the cranberry juice cocktail reduction.  Flavor is good.  Current ABV before addition to secondary is approx 5.77%.  This is a definitely a full-bodied beer due to the toasted oat addition.  It should fare well with the slightly higher alcohol content since it will be a winter warmer style holiday brew.  More to follow soon.  Thanks for reading.  Cheers!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie Ale

O.k.  This is an off the wall recipe I came up with for the  holidays.  I wanted something different so I'm giving it a shot.  I wanted a holiday beer something other than all the Pumpkin Ales out there, so this will have cranberry juice in it as well as some cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.  I'm using some biscuit malt for the "bready" flavor and aroma, some toasted torrified wheat for flavor and head retention, and toasted oats of course for flavor.  Smells good at the steeping so far!
Time to start the boil.  Some wheat liquid malt extract to keep along the lines of wheat flour for baking.  Just went in so now bringing up to a boil.  Smells like toasty goodness already!
A  nice mahogany color which will be a little redder when the  cranberry juice gets added later.  Tastes delicous already.  Hops going in now and the timer starts for 60 minutes. 
I love the smell of hops!  MMMMGood!
Towards the end of the boil I'll add the brown sugar, cranberry juice, vanilla, and spices.  Then it'll go into the fermenter with the yeast for about a week, then get transferred to secondary.  I'll keep you posted!
Cheers!  Steve

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Cherry Hoppin' Ale

Week two in the bottle results:  Aroma of fresh cherries, and other fruit, and just a whiff of smoke.  Flavor: Nice sweetness upfront from the cherries and the malt, transitioning to cherry tartness, a little smoke in the background, and a nice lingering flavor of tart cherries. There is also a light hint of citrus from the hops.
I created this beer for summer barbecues and it complements barbecued foods very well.  The smoke pairs well with foods cooked on the grill, and the tartness balances the sweetness of barbecue rubs and sauces.  I think a little more age on it will balance it out, so we'll give it a try in about two weeks!  Thanks for reading!  Cheers! 

Friday, September 9, 2011

Full Sail Brewing

I'm enjoying Full Sail Brewing's Pale Ale and Amber Ale tonight.  The pale is smooth and quite hoppy which in turn make it slightly bitter, but since I'm a hophead, it tastes great to me all the same!  The amber has a deep amber color and is sweet and malty balanced well by the hops.  Both are great beers!  This is an underappreciated brewery out of Oregon.  Give them a try!  I don't think you'll be disappointed.  I know I'm not!  Cheers! 

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Congrats to Dad and Dudes Breweria

Congratulations to Dad and Dudes Breweria for attaining the title of Best Brewpub from Channel 7 A List.  It is a contest to find the best local places to enjoy, be it food, beverage, shopping, entertainment, etc.    This is one my favorite places to enjoy a good brew and great pizza.  I highly recommend it!  Congrats again Dad and Dudes!  Keep up the great work!  Cheers!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Cherry Hoppin' Ale

Hello all!  Quick update on the Cherry Hoppin' Ale.  Tasted it today, one week in the bottle, and it is coming along great!  Aromas of malt, cherries, and grapefruit, with the tastes of sweet malt, cherries, and a lingering finish of pink grapefruit!  Wow!  The Citra hops are fantastic!  They give a great fruity aroma and citrus aroma and flavors that are outstanding!  These are becoming one of my favorite hop varieties!  Goes well with the cherries and pale malts I used in this beer.  There is a "brag and shwag" coming up soon at The Brew Hut that I will attend and take some of these in to see what others have to say about it.  I'll keep you posted!  Thanks again for reading!  Cheers!