Monday, December 31, 2012

Dusseldorf Altbier, "ALT"er Ego

Hi all!  To start the new year off, I will be brewing a Dusseldorf Altbier.  This style is one of my favorites!  I love the big malty backbone with the moderate hop bitterness which for me makes quite the quaffable brew.  The lower alcohol content (4.5-5.2%) is great if you want to have more than one! 
My mashbill consists of German malts from Weyermann Malting as follows:  Munich Type II, Pilsner, Dark Wheat Malt, and CaraAroma.  My hops selection is German Magnum and Hallertauer.  I'm opting for Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast, which attenuates fairly high for a drier, crisp and clean finish, letting the maltiness come through.
Brew day is scheduled for January 2, 2013!  I'll keep you posted!
Cheers!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Dunkel"rye"zen

A dark wheat beer complimented with the spiciness of rye malt.  The phenols and esters of banana, clove, and slight bubblegum, play well with the spiciness of the rye.  This beer opens up as it warms. 
Sorry about the late post as the holidays kind of got in the way.  I think I will be brewing more German styles in the near future!
Cheers!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Dunkel"rye"zen, bottled

The Dunkel"rye"zen is bottled.  FG is 1.014 placing it at 5% ABV.  Tasted at bottling and there are some nice flavors in there.  Aromas of chocolate, rye, and spice, with subtle phenolics from the yeast, and slight flavors of wheat and chocolate, finishing with rye and spice.  Two weeks to go in the bottle to see where it ends up.
Cheers!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Dunkel"rye"zen

After reading some articles on whether or not to rack to secondary, I decided not to for this batch.  There will be loads of yeast in there from the Fermentis Safbrew WB-06 yeast strain.  I want to see how the yeast does in cleaning up byproducts when left on the yeast cake.  It will not be on the cake for more than three weeks, so the risk of off flavors from autolyzed yeast should be minimal to none.  This beer is just going on its 2nd week of fermentation so it should be complete in about a week to 10 days.  I'm choosing not to do gravity test so as to minimize any chances of oxidation.  Cheers!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Dunkel"rye"zen

Dunkel"rye"zen boiling.  Smells fantastic!  Just dropped in the Tettnanger hops and my mouth is watering already! 
Target gravity of 1.052:  Actual : 1.052
Right on target!  Fermentis Safbrew WB-06 yeast is already making bubbles in the airlock after just a few hours!  Can't wait to taste this one! 
Prosit! (Cheers!)

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Dunkel"rye"zen

O.k.  first attempt at this style.  I've enjoyed a few good ones, so I decided to try one on my own and spice it up a little more with rye malt.  Just a little to add some flavor and a little body.   
I'll be brewing in the a.m. on 10/24/12, with the forecast calling for rain and a temperature drop.  Projected Starting Gravity of 1.052.  More to follow on my progress.         

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Ollie's Oatmeal Cream Stout, Bottled

Final Gravity 1.030 with ABV of 5.7%.  Flavor is good, chocolatey, roasty, smooth, thick, and semi-sweet, should be a great sweet/oatmeal stout!  Looking forward to this one once it is carbonated!  Ended up with 4.25 gallons at bottling producing 43 bottles.
Cheers!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Ollie's Oatmeal Cream Stout

Racked to secondary this morning.  Gravity reading of 1.030, high due to the lactose sugar, but the original gravity was 1.074, so it is at 5.77% ABV.  The flavor profile is good, roasty and smooth with a finish of chocolatey bitterness.  This beer will require a little longer aging to balance out but should be quite tasty!  A week or two in secondary, then into bottles.
Cheers!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Ollie's Oatmeal Cream Stout

Ahh, production day.  It's raining and around 60 degrees or so.  Great day for brewing.  Mashed at 155 F, and does this batch smell awesome!  Aromas of deep roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate.  Deep brown/black in color.  Flavors of sweet roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate, smooth on the palate, and complex, rich flavor.  Starting gravity of 1.074 with the addition of lactose.  Update in a week.
Cheers!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Ollie's Oatmeal Cream Stout

On Wendesday 9/12/12 I will be brewing a batch of Ollie's Oatmeal Cream Stout.  I love Oatmeal Stout and Milk or Cream Stout, so why not do both in one batch!  Yum!  I'll keep you posted on the specifics tomorrow.
Cheers!

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Jose's Jalapeno Wheat, Bottled

Bottled tonight with  final gravity of 1.012 placing ABV at 5%.  Flavor is great if you like jalapeno, which I do.  Just the right amount of heat in the background, too.  IBU's at 30, but hardly noticeable because of the jalapenos.  Two weeks to condition and carbonate. 
Next brew on deck will be a Dusseldorf Altbier.
Cheers! 

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Jose's Jalapeno Wheat, secondary

Into secondary we go!  24 jalapenos plus 4.75 gallons of wheat beer equals hurry up and finish brewing so I can drink it!  Gravity 1.012 placing ABV at 5%.  Perfect range to be able to down a few!  One week to 10 days before it goes into bottles.  Then two weeks to condition and carbonate, then down the hatch!
Thanks for reading!
Cheers!

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Jose's Jalapeno Wheat

Hi all!  Due to the popularity of my Jalapeno Wheat Beer, I am brewing a 5 gallon batch this time.  I had folks who tried it and said they didn't like chile beers, say that they absolutely loved it!  And those that tried it and were surprised at the flavor and loved it.  I would rather be brewing a fall style beer, but that will come after this brew.  Starting gravity is 1.050  This should range in ABV from 4.5 - 5%.  The jalapenos will be added in secondary to retain the fresh, gren chile flavor.  
Cheers!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Pistachio Nut Brown Ale

Final gravity measurement of 1.013 which places ABV at 5.3%.
Aroma: toasty malt, roasted nuts.
Flavor: roasted nuts, roasted malt, slight earthiness, and slight bitterness on the finish. 
Color: medium brown.
I decided to go ahead and flavor lighty with the pistachio extract.  (I only used a few drops for the entire batch as my extract seemed quite concentrated.)  The pistachio flavor does come through lighty.
42 - 12 oz bottles and 3 - 22 oz bombers, now carbing and conditioning.  I'll post in 2 weeks on a taste test.
Cheers!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

(Pistachio) Roasted Nut Bown Ale

I took a gravity reading tonight and it was 1.013.  That puts this brew at around 5.3% ABV.  (Racked to secondary.)

From the sample here are the results:  Aroma: Nutty, toasty, roasty, with some earthiness.  Flavor: Roasted nuts, toasted malt, and some slight earthiness from the hops.  Crisp, clean finish, to assist the roasted and nutty flavors to come through.

I performed a taste sample using the pistachio extract.  I'm not sure if I will use it.  The flavor was quite strong, lending a buttery, creamy, flavor, but overwhelming the the overall brew.  (Could be perceived as a flaw in the brew.)

I will perform another tase sample with the pistachio extract at the end of fermentation, just prior to bottling to determine if I will utilize it.  I may just stick with the Roasted Nut Brown Ale.

Cheers!


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Pistachio Nut Brown Ale

Nailed my mash temperature of 155F.  Awesome aromas of roasted malt and nutty goodness!  About 50 minutes to go on the mash, then I'll sparge with 170F water, then it's off to the boil.  I'll be using Northern Brewer hops for bittering and Fuggles hops for flavor and aroma.  I wanted to stay along the lines of "earthy" type flavors to compliment the nuttiness.  (Rated at 28 IBU by calculation.) 
I'll use Fermentis US-05 yeast for it's clean crisp finish, also to promote the overall flavors of the beer.
Projected gravity: 1.059.  Actual measured: 1.054.  (My sparge calculation was off due to my error and not inputting the proper measurement in a field.)  Color: deep amber/dark golden/medium brown.  Tastes good already.  Malty and nutty with a slight caramel like flavor.
I'll update in a week.

Cheers!  

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Pistachio Nut Brown Ale

O.k.  I know it sounds weird, but I have a friend that keeps saying how it would be awesome to have a beer that tastes like pistachios.  So I came up with this idea of making a Nut Brown Ale flavored with pistachio.  I didn't really want to figure out how to use real pistachios by de-fatting them so I am opting to use a high grade pistachio flavored extract instead.  (smells amazing by the way!) 

So it will be brew day, 6/24/12.  The Nut Brown Ale will be brewed, and just before bottling, the flavoring extract will be added, depending on a taste test.  I have a nice nutty malt bill utilzing Maris Otter, Victory, Carabrown, Amber, a little Carapils for body, and a little Pale Wheat for smoothness and head retention.  I'm using US-05 yeast for a clean, crisp finish to highlight the nutty flavors.

I'll keep you posted!
Cheers!

Summer Wheat White IPA

Definitely a new style, mine is modeled after Deshutes Brewery Chainbreaker White IPA.  My wife actually loves Chainbreaker and she doesn't usually like IPA's. 
I changed mine up just a tad, highlighting the grapefruit flavors and aromas, and utilizing grapefruit zest instead of orange peel.  My wife enjoys this one too!
Big hop aroma with citrus with floral notes, flavor of smooth wheat, citrus, and tropical fruit, with a slight hops bitterness and a lingering flavor of ruby red grapefruit.  Slightly spicy from coriander, ginger, and Safbrew T-58 yeast.
I think this will remain one of my house brews as quite a few friends say it is absolutely delicious!  Possibly because it is different from anything else out there right now.
Thanks for reading!
Cheers!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

White IPA, bottled

Bottled this morning.  FG 1.016: ABV 5.7.  Aroma of tropical fruit and citrus, especially grapefruit.  Flavor: smooth, some tropical fruit, slight spiciness, moderate hops bitterness, with a lingering flavor of pink grapefruit. 
I opted to carbonate this one a little higher since it is a wheat based IPA.  (2.7 volumes CO2).  Two weeks to go for carbonation and conditioning.  Can't wait to taste this one when it's completed!
Cheers!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

White IPA

Racked to secondary today with the gravity of 1.016 placing ABV at 5.7%.  Dry hopped with 1 oz of the following: Citra, Cascade, and Cluster. 

Flavor is good at this point.  The grapefruit notes are subtle so far, but I feel will emerge with aging and conditioning.  I do get some slight bitterness from the grapefruit zest at the finish, nice.

 Thanks for reading and I'll keep you posted!

Cheers!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

White IPA

After enjoying Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA immensely and not being able to locate it here in Colorado, I decided to try and make my own version of a White IPA.

What I am aiming for is a smooth wheat beer complimented by the citrus, especially grapefruit notes, from the hops, as well as the overwhelmingly awesome hop aroma.

I brewed early a.m. on May 19th before I had to go to the Colorado State Bowling Tournament.  I chose a malt bill for flavor and smoothness which consisted of Rahr Red Wheat Malt, Rahr White Wheat Malt, Weyermann Vienna Malt, and Weyermann Pilsner Malt.

I chose the hops, based on flavor characteristics, for what I am aiming for.  I chose CTZ, Chinook, Centennial, and Challenger for the boil, opting for late hop additions to tame the bitter bite, but still have the gusto of an IPA.  I will dry hop with Cluster, Citra, and Cascade to finish it out.

I also added some ground coriander, ground ginger, and fresh grapefruit zest to draw on the grapefruit/citrus flavor and a little spiciness.

I used Fermentis Safebrew T-58 yeast for it's spiciness and phenolics which would be great for a wheat beer.  (I love this yeast by the way.)

Brew stats:  5 gallons, IBU 51, OG at primary 1.060.  Already fermenting nicely and the basement smells of delicious hops, citrusy, and floral.  AWESOME!

Thanks for reading!  I'll keep you posted!

CHEERS!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Bottling the Smoke Beer

I bottled 2.5 gallons and ended up with 25 - 12 oz bottles.  FG is 1.014 which is 6% ABV.  Color is a beautiful copper/red.  Aroma at this time is sweet malt and sweet smoke.  Flavor is smooth sweet malt finishing with a sweet smokiness and slight hops bitterness.  Quite balanced.  It should dry out slighty in the bottle.  This will be a very tasty smoke beer! 
I'll post on this one in two weeks when it is carbonated.

Cheers! 

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Smoke Beer update

Racked to secondary as there was very little airlock activity.  Hydrometer sample 1.014.  Starting gravity 1.060.  6.03 ABV.
Aroma: Sweet malt and mild smoke. 
Flavor: Sweet malt, smooth, moderate smokiness with medium body.  At this time the smoke flavor isn't heavy or cloying.  There is a lingering mild smokiness in the finish, with a very slight hops bitterness.  Quite balanced so far.  I think this will turn out to be a nice beer to enjoy with barbecue.
Thanks for reading! 
CHEERS!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Smoke Beer

Finished brewing.  Starting gravity 1.060.  Great smoke aroma, good maltiness.  Color is deep amber/copper.  IBU's: 30. 

Cheers!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Smoke Beer

Next up on the brew list is a Smoke Beer.  Ever since I tried and experienced a Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen, I have been in love with smoked malt beer.  Some say the smoke flavor can be overpowering, but I found it quite pleasant and enjoyable. 

After reading up on smoked malts, Weyermann from Germany, states smoked malt can be used for up to 100% of the grist.  Briess, makers of Cherrywood smoked malt, recommends no more than 60% of the grist.  So I am opting to do a mix of both smoked malts to equal 60% of my grist.

I'll balance it out and add more maltiness using Briess Dark Munich, Weyermann Caramunich II, and Rahr Red Wheat malt equalling 33% of the grist, with the remaining being Briess Carapils for body.

I'll brew on Wednesday and post the results.  I think this will be a nice beer for barbecues with the smoke.  Some folks will like it, and some will not.  I know I will enjoy it!

Cheers!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

1st All Grain Brews

I just bottled my first two all grain batches tonight.  Both brews seemed crystal clear in appearance.  The results are as follows:

Jalapeno Wheat:  Nice smooth wheat beer with the aroma of fresh jalapenos and just the right amount of heat.  4% ABV.  A good Session beer.

Pumpernickel Porter:  Nice spiciness, a little slickness from the rye, and crisp finish.  Not quite the flavor profile I was wanting, but tasty nonetheless.  I think a little aging will be a benefit for this one.  6% ABV.

I'll post tasting results in 2 weeks.

Cheers! 

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

1st All Grain Brews

My all grain brews went into secondary today.  Pumpernickel Porter:  Gravity check: 1.014.  Starting was 1.060 which puts it at 6.03% ABV.  Flavor profile:  Roasted malt, hint of molasses, nice spiciness due to the rye and caraway seed.  Nice crisp finish with slight hop bitterness.

Jalapeno Wheat: Gravity Check: 1.010.  Starting was 1.040 which puts it around 3.93% ABV.  This will be more of a summer session brew.  Flavor profile:  Nice smooth wheat beer profile.  I added 8 small sliced jalapenos to give it the fresh jalapeno flavor and a bump in heat.  Another week and it should be great! 

Cheers!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

First All Grain Brews

Hi all!  Going to go for it and do a couple of all grain brews tomorrow.  My first will be a Jalapeno Wheat with Red Wheat malt, pale wheat malt, Light Munich malt, and a little carapils for body.  Going single hop with Cluster, and fresh jalapenos from my bowling buddie's garden.  (hot little suckers!)  Toying with the idea of a little spice going in to change it up from all the other jalapeno brews out there.  Going to use Fermentis Safebrew T-58 Yeast for it's phenolics and spiciness to enhance flavor.  We'll see what happens.
Second up will be my Pumpernickel Porter.  2 Row brewers malt, Rye malt, Briess Special Roast malt, Red wheat malt, and Briess Blackprinz round out the maltbill.  Again going single hop with Cluster, one of my new favorites, and also utilizing Fermentis Safebrew T-58 yeast for spiciness.  These will be two gallon finished batches since I am still working on attaining my propane burner and 10 gallon brewpot so I can do full all grain batches.
I love Pumpernickel bread so why not get crazy and make a brew that tastes like it?
I have a fondness for the oddness!
CHEERS!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Oatmeal Stout

Aromas of chocolate, coffee, and toffee, with slight spicy aroma from the hops.  Flavors to match with  hops and chocolate malt  bitterness on the finish.  Medium heavy body.  Full tan head diminshes to a slight ring around the glass.  (Need to fix that next time.)  Very rich flavor profile.  Very satisfying and somewhat filling.

I used one of these to bake a Chocolate Stout Poundcake and it turned out delicious!  One full beer goes into the recipe!  One cup of beer in the batter and 1/2 cup in the chocolate glaze.

Thanks for reading!  Cheers!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Oatmeal Stout

I'm getting ready bottle the Oatmeal Stout in a few minutes.  The FG is 1.020.  Good residual sweetness and smoothness.  Flavor is nice and roasty, chocolately with some coffee notes.  Caramel flavor comes out slightly in the finish.  We'll see how it does with some carbonation and a little aging.  Thanks for reading!  Cheers!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Oatmeal Stout

Racked to secondary tonight.  Gravity at 1.020 which puts ABV around 5.25%.  Flavor is definitely dark roasted malt with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and hints of caramel.  Medium to heavy body and very smooth so far.  About a week in secondary to go, until the gravity stabilizes.  It should drop to around 1.018 or so, making it around 5.5% ABV.  Cheers! 

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

American Amber Ale

Hi all.  Flavor is good with silght maltiness, a little on on the lighter side.  Aroma is floral from the hops with good hops bitterness and flavor.  Very similar in style to a British ESB.  Nice mouthfeel with medium body and smoothness.  Nice clean and crisp finish.  I think this one turned out quite well.  Thanks for reading.  Cheers!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Oatmeal Stout

The fruits of my labor are as follows: Starting gravity : 1.060, Color: Deep redddish brown, On the nose: Coffee, chocolate, and slight caramel/toffee aromas,  Taste:  Coffee, chocolate, caramel, with a velvety, smooth full body.  Can't wait for this one to finish up!  I'll keep you posted!  Thanks for reading!  Cheers!

Birthday Oatmeal Stout

Mashed in at 156F to get more body into my stout.  Aromas of toffee, chocolate, and coffee while it is mashing.  (Wish this had smellavision!)  A quick taste reveals chocolate, toffee, and coffee notes with a very smooth and creamy mouthfeel and full body, which is what I'm aiming for.  About another 15 minutes to mash, then the 90 min boil will start.  I'll be bittering with Chinook hops and shooting for about 33 IBU's to keep a good balance as the chocolate malts and toasted oats will add some slight bitterness also.  Well, back to it.  Thanks for reading!  Cheers!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

My Birthday Brew Day

On February 24 I will become another year older, maybe a little wiser, (who knows) and will definitely be brewing an Oatmeal Stout in honor of my day of birth.  Oatmeal Stout is one of my favorite styles of beer and as I have a "fondness for oddness", I'll have a slightly different mash bill than most partial mash oatmeal stouts.  My mash bill will contain the following: Maris Otter Pale Malt, Carastan Malt, Carapils Malt, Chocolate Malt, Chocolate Wheat Malt, toasted raw oats, and flaked barley.)  I guess not so odd, just a few of the malts are different than most recipes would use.)  I'll also use 3 lbs of dark liquid malt extract to hit my final gravity and I should end up with a full-bodied, creamy, smooth oatmeal stout.  I'll post more tomorrow on brew day! 
Thanks for reading!  Cheers!

Review: Billy's Chilies by Twisted Pine Brewery, Boulder, CO

Timberline Series which is made with five different kinds of fresh chili peppers, Anaheim, Fresno, Serrano, Jalapeno, and Habanero.  The aroma of fresh chili peppers is fantastic!  The smooth, clean wheat beer is crisp followed by a wisp of heat that lingers in the back of the throat.  Perfect spiciness in my opinion.  Once I start sipping on one that has been poured into a glass to release the amazing aroma, I just want to keep coming back for more!  This beer would pair well with mexican food, especially a huge plate of nachos with extra jalapenos!
If  you have a fondness for oddness when it comes to beer, this is a must try.  I highly recommend it!
Cheers!  Or in this case, Ole'!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Amber Ale

The F.G. is going to be 1.012,  the same as at secondary.  Bottling this one up tonight.  Flavor is good, color is a beautiful red/amber and pretty darn clear!  Thanks for reading!  Cheers!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Amber Ale

Hi all!  I racked the Amber Ale to the secondary fermenter and took a gravity reading.  1.012 from 1.056 OG resulting in a 5.77% brew so far.  Another week to go in secondary to clear up.  Dropped 1 oz hops in for dry hopping also.  So far a pretty standard Amber Ale.  Hoping some of the malt flavors  pop through.  Nice and clean finish due to the yeast strain.  Until next time, Thanks for reading!  Cheers!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, Marzen : Review

OMG!  This beer is absolutely amazing!  Most American's palates aren't accustomed to a Rauchbier, or smoke beer which is brewed with malts that are smoked over open fire to attain a unique smoky flavor and aroma.  This particular version contains malt smoked over beechwood logs.  This beer is imported from Bamburg Germany and is touted as being the original smokebeer.  This is my first time ever trying this beer and I have been seeking it feverishly as I just wanted to taste it not knowing what to really expect.  I am not surprised at how awesome it is, just how hard it is to find!  It makes me want to go to Germany and have some wurst, some spaetzle, some braised red cabbage, and some wienerschnitzel, and down it all with liters of this!  So, if you would like to experience beer of a different sort, and are a little adventurous, you may like this.  You may not.  I know I certainly did enjoy it!  Prost! 

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Amber Ale

My first experience with DME, dry malt extract, almost resulted in a boil over!   Caught it just in time.  Whew!
Here is the list of ingredients I used in my Amber Ale:  Maris Otter base malt, German CaraRed malt, German wheat malt, British Carastan malt, amber DME, and Chinook and Cluster hops.  OG was 1.056.  Expecting 1.059 by my program, so pretty much right on the money!  If this beer attenuates to its potential, around 1.013, it should be around 5.6-5.7 ABV.  Right where I wanted it.  I've heard speculation that the yeast I used may attenuate more than what I'm expecting, so I will keep you posted.  (Fermentis Safale US-05)  This should be a nice easy drinking Amber Ale.  WOOHOO!  Thanks for reading!  Cheers!

American Amber Ale

Hello all!  I am in the process of brewing as we speak.  I am making an American Amber Ale with 7 pounds of base malt and specialty grains as a partial mash.  I'll be adding 3 lbs of Dry Malt Extract to get within specifications.  I'm almost ready to make the leap to all-grain brewing!  (Still need a few more pieces of equipment.)  Anyhow, my wife Janell wanted me to brew a "normal" beer to drink.  So this will be it!  Great color so far!  Smells awesome!  It's about 30 minutes into the boil so I'll be adding the dry malt extract and bittering hops shortly.  Then it will boil for another 60 minutes and I will add more hop additions at 10 minutes and 1 minute left on the boil.  Then it will be cooling time.  I'll keep you posted!  Thanks for reading!  Cheers! 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Homemade Spent Grain Soft Bavarian Pretzels

Hi All!  I made these homemade soft Bavarian Pretzels to enjoy with some good beer.  I added some spent grains from my friend Greg's brew day.  The pretzels turned out great!  With the spent grains adding light nuances of malty goodness, they paired very well with a Deschutes Brewery Red Chair NWPA.  What a fantastic snack pairing I had last night! I'm looking forward to baking another batch and taking some to Greg and his family.  Thanks for reading!  Cheers!  

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Deschutes Brewery Hop Henge Experimental IPA

Another fantastic brew from my favorite brewery based in Bend Oregon.  Rated at 95 IBU's, this brew is LOADED with hops!  It is also 8.5% ABV so it has a little kick to it also.  The hop aromas is immediately evident on the nose and in tasting is quite evident throughout and in the bitter finish.  This beer is not for hop-phobics.  I actually find this beer pretty balanced, but with a bitter finish, somewhat similar to how a German Altbier drinks.  If you are a hophead and like IPA's, this is a must try!  It is a limited release, so get it while you can!  I know I will will.  It is available in bombers.  Cheers!

Spiced Apple Wheat Winter Warmer

Now that it is carbing up, it's quite good.  The spice and apple aromas are great!  The flavor is very balanced with nothing being overpowering.   The alcohol is 9%, but no heat is noticed on the palate.  Very warming though!  I'll be taking this brew to Homebrewer's Night at The Brew Hut on Thursday, Jan 19, 2012, at 6:00 p.m.  I will also be entering it in The Brew Hut's Homebrew Competition on January 29, 2012.  I'll keep you posted!  Thanks for reading!  Cheers!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Spiced Apple Wheat

O.k.  I admit.... I couldn't wait!  I cracked one open tonight and WOW!  The apple and spice aromas are fantastic!  The flavor is AWESOME!  (It reminds me of apple pie.)  The hops bitterness comes out at the finish.  Very nice balance on this one so far.  The alcohol is not detectable, but as I sip on this one I am definitely feeling it.  There is creaminess in the mouthfeel from the oatmeal, which is why I love using raw oats in my brews.  Color is deep golden and hazy, because it is a wheat beer, with a nice pillowy white head.  I think with some aging this one will be a great winter warmer!  Think I will save a bunch for winter 2012!  Thanks as always for reading!   Cheers!    

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Spiced Apple Wheat

Hello all!  Well, the Spiced Apple Wheat is now in bottles.  I'm hoping it will carbonate quickly as I really want to get my tastebuds on this one!  After some re-calculating, the alcohol content is 9%.   The flavor is great!  The Cardamom adds the great spice notes and the apple comes through on the finish.  It almost tastes like a spiced cider!  Very interesting beer.  I'll keep you posted on the flavor after carbonation.  Thanks for reading!  Cheers!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Spiced Apple Wheat

This beer is tasting better every time I try it.  Gravity is 1.022.  It looks to be about ready to bottle as it is stabilizing.  I'll give it another day or two to to clear up a little.  It looks like it will be around 8.5 % abv.  I'm hoping it will be carbonated enough to take to homebrewer's night at The Brew Hut on Jan 19th.  I will also be entering it into The Brew Hut's homebrew competition on Jan 29th.  Thanks for reading and have another cold one for me!  CHEERS!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

HB Spiced Apple Wheat

Gravity is 1.028, then added my apple juice reduction and it bumped up to 1.036.  The yeast is already starting to krausen.  I think the actual ABV will be around 8.5 - 9%.  The flavor is pretty good.  The spice is definitely shining through in the aroma and finish, but some of that is from the yeast also.  Being a wheat beer, it is very hazy during fermentation.  I'll keep you posted!  Thanks for reading!  Cheers!