Tiramisu Stout

Hi all! I've been wanting to brew this beer for some time and finally decided to get it done! I've been wanting a good stout, but most local breweries don't have any on tap. I love stouts of all flavor combinations. When I worked as a brewer, I developed a recipe for a blond ale, flavored like tiramisu. I feel those flavors are better suited for a stout as they have flavors in common. Coffee and chocolate are the primary flavors which can be derived from malt. Of course there has to be brandy in there somewhere, so I'm going to get more chocolate flavor from cocoa nibs, which I'm soaking in brandy, then adding them in secondary fermentation. I'll be adding more flavors during bottling to round it out. I don't want an overly sweet beer, but I am using a British ale yeast to leave some residual sugars behind. The malt bill has Munich malt, oat malt, flaked malt, brown malt, coffee malt, chocolate malt, caramel malt, and flaked oats. I used UK Target hops as they seem to compliment stouts quite nicely. Looking forward to the final product! Starting gravity was 1.054.
Thanks for reading!
CHEERS!
Steve

Ginger Spice Hard Cider

I performed a gravity check tonight. Right on target for the SN9 Yeast. 1.004 placing the ABV at 10.24%. Aromas of citrus, ginger, and spice. Flavors of citrus, ginger, and cinnamon, with some earthy undertones and a slightly tart finish, and just enough residual sweetness to keep from being over-dry. I'm still waiting for this cider to drop clear, then I'll bottle it up. This will be great for the fall and winter!

Thanks for reading! CHEERS!

Ginger Spice Hard Cider

Since it is now fall, I wanted to make a fall beverage so I opted to make a spiced hard cider. I used store bought juice, frozen concentrate, and fresh ginger. I ran the ginger through my juicer and added it to the thawed concentrate. I then topped it off with the store bought juice and tossed in some cinnamon sticks and a few whole cloves. Starting gravity is 1.082, and if I get good attenuation, this hard cider will come in at just above 10% ABV. It should finish more on the dry side, and I've found with the Vintners Harvest SN9 yeast, there is usually just a hint of background sweetness as other ciders I've made with this yeast finish at 1.004. This will be great for the holidays!
Thanks for reading! Cheers!
Steve

Summer Wheat White IPA

Wow! A year has elapsed since my last post here. I have been slacking off. Not really, life gets in the way. Anyhow, I decided to brew up my white IPA, which is similar to Deschutes Brewery Chainbreaker. (My wife's favorite!) And I dig it too! The recipe contains Pilsner malt, Vienna malt, pale wheat, dark wheat, unmalted wheat, and flaked wheat. I'll be using seven types of hops in this one. Centennial, Challenger, Chinook, CTZ, (Columbus, Tomahawk, Zeus), Cascade, Cluster, and Citra. I'm adding some ground coriander seed as well. I'll be using Fermentis T-58 yeast which is a Belgian style strain. Hop additions will be late to maintain flavor and aroma and to keep the bitterness more on the tame side to make this an easy drinking IPA.

I brewed this beer on July 10, 2017 and I bottled it on September 9, 2017. This is one of my wife's favorites so it usually disappears quickly!

Aromas of spice, tropical fruit, and citrus fill the nose. Crisp and clean bittering hops notes with a silky smooth mouthfeel, and a pleasant, moderate, lingering, bitterness, reminiscent of white grapefruit.

After 1 week of bottle conditioning, here it is! It still has a week or two to continue conditioning.

Coming along nicely! As always, thank you for stopping by and reading! CHEERS!

Swaen All In Breakfast Brown Ale

I received a gift of sample malts from the Netherlands that included Ale malt, Coffee malt, honey biscuit malt, caramel red malt, wheat malt, and light Munich malt. I decided to brew it all up together to see what I could end up with. It ended up a deep reddish brown color with an original gravity of 1.070. I used 100% UK Challenger hops for bittering, flavoring, and aroma additions, and will likely dry hop with another ounce. I used English Ale yeast so maybe it will throw some fruity esters and enhance some flavors. Thanks for reading! Cheers!

Smokin' Cider, (Rauch Malted Cider)

Flavors of apple and mesquite smoke meld together seamlessly in this cider providing quite a drinkable smoked cider. Nicely balanced with hints of tart apple, sweet apple, and sweet smoke, and a nice carbonation level make this cider go down quite easily. This one will pair nicely with barbecue and grilled foods, and I'm sure it won't last long. CHEERS!

Rauch Malted Cider

Bottled today, finally, after 7 weeks. Just another 2-3 weeks until bottle conditioning will be complete. I am excited to get a taste of this one when it's carbonated. It is definitely a unique malted cider. Final gravity of 1.006 which makes the brew 6% ABV. I'll post again in 2 weeks!
Thanks for reading!
CHEERS!

Rauch Malted Cider

Gravity reading today was 1.006 placing the ABV at 6.03. The dry hopping adds nice aromas that pair well with the smoke and apple. This malted cider will pair well with grilled and barbecued foods. It is definitely drier than beer and should prove to be a refreshing summer brew.
The yeast was quite active and hanging in suspension with some airlock activity after dry hopping, so that is why I am just now ready to bottle.
I'll post again in 2-3 weeks after bottle conditioning.

Thanks for reading!
CHEERS!
Steve

Rauch Malted Cider

Fermentation is pretty much complete. I forgot that this yeast tends to hang around a while, hence the longer fermentation/aging time. Plus the addition of dry hopping made the yeast more active.
I took a  gravity reading today and it was 1.008 placing ABV at 5.77%.
Aromas of smoke, tart apples, a little spice, and some floral notes from the dry hopping.
Flavors of smoke and mildly tart apples with a crisp, clean finish. Smoke and red apple linger on the palate slightly, which seem to compliment each other quite nicely. There is a nice acid tartness on the finish that rounds out the flavors. Not too sweet, yet not too dry, this seems to land right in the middle, which will make it quite refreshing for warmer weather and should pair well with barbecue and grilled foods.
Bottling will commence within the next couple of days, then another two weeks for the taste test with carbonation.
Thanks for reading!

CHEERS!

Rauch Malted Cider

Racked to secondary today after 3 weeks. The cider is still quite cloudy from active yeast in suspension.

I pulled a sample to check gravity and flavor. Gravity is 1.008, placing the ABV at 5.77%.

Aromas of smoke and apples. Quite pleasing.

Flavor: a bold, but not overpowering flavor of smoke awakens the palate. Tart apple comes forward which gives way to a slightly mineral/salt-like finish with a lingering of smoke on the aftertaste. I did choose to hop the smoke beer component and I believe it is slightly evident.

I will dry hop this brew to see how it affects the flavor and aroma profile. It will sit for one to two  more weeks while clearing then I'll check the gravity again. I believe the gravity will drop a few more points to around 1.006 - 1.004, which will keep it from being too dry, yet it won't be cloyingly sweet.

I'll post again as this brew finishes up.

Thanks for reading!

CHEERS!

Rauch Cider

So, today is my birthday and I was wanting to brew something different as I haven't brewed for sometime. I decided to go with a cider, but it will definitely be different.

I had a Woodchuck Cellar Series Smoked Apple cider a while back and it was amazing! They smoked the apple pomace and let the cider ferment on it. Very tasty!

That is where the inspiration for my birthday brew is coming from. I'm going about it in a very different fashion utilizing smoked grain instead.

I will be brewing a small batch of smoke beer, with a hops addition, and will top off with apple juice, enough to make 6 gallons.

Depending on the flavor profile that emerges, I may dry hop the Rauch Cider as well.

This is a picture of the mini mash in my full size mash tun. It looks so tiny!










This is the wort pre-boil. 4 gallons that will be reduced to about 2 gallons then topped off with apple juice. I'm using store bought apple juice so I won't need to worry about wild yeasts or having to add Campden Tablets.



The house smells of barbecue! (I'm actually brewing this small batch of smoke beer in the house. It smells so awesome!) Usually I have to brew outside, but the wife gave me permission seeing it's my birthday and all.

I'll also be adding some brown sugar for flavor and to bump up the alcohol content. After the boil I will cool the wort, then top off with apple juice to make 6 gallons.

I'll update in the near future!

Thanks for reading!

CHEERS!

I'm Back!.....

Hello all! Sorry I haven't posted in almost a year. It has been a busy year. I was working three different part-time jobs so I didn't have time to homebrew, but as this year turns, I have a full-time and only one part-time  job, so it is time to get back at it.
Again, I will be getting very creative and pushing the boundaries like my favorite brewery in Bend, OR, Deschutes Brewery.
I have an idea for a brew that will primarily be a cider, but will use some malt for flavor, so I think I will call it a Cider Beer. It will be lightly hopped and I may even dry hop it as I see how the flavor progresses.
This will turn out to be my birthday brew this year. I'm going to brew a small batch, 2 gallons of beer, chill, and transfer to the fermenter, then add the juice, pitch the yeast, and let the fermentation party begin! More details to come!
CHEERS!

Mesquite Wheat, bottling

I bottled the Mesquite Wheat tonight. Final gravity of 1.012 places the ABV at 6.6%. Aromas of sweet mesquite smoke and cedar notes. Smooth medium bodied mouth-feel with flavors of sweet malt up front which gives way to a moderate amount of mesquite smoke flavor which fades nicely into a mildly bitter finish. (This beer is making me think of barbecue which it will pair with nicely!) I'll post again after the beer has carbonated. CHEERS!

Mesquite Wheat

Hello all! When I heard that Briess Malting was releasing a new smoked malt, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! Hello Mesquite Smoked Malt! I really wanted the flavor to come through and opted to use 56% of my grist as Mesquite Smoked Malt.
Those of you that know me, know that is in my medium usage range. (My other smoked beers range from usage rates as high as  98% smoked malts, to minimal usage rates of 15% or less.) What can I say, I love smoke beers!

Pictured is the boil and 5 gallons in the fermenter. I used Weyermann Pale Wheat and Weyermann CaraAroma for the remainder of the grist. I opted for UK Challenger hops.
When my wife came home, she said the house smelled like bacon! And indeed it does smell like a smokehouse! My daughter said it smelled like bacon when she got home from school. I can't wait to taste this one! This should pair very well with barbecue! The starting gravity was projected at 1.062. Actual measured, 1.062. Right on the money! I'm using Fermentis US-05 dry yeast for its good attenuation and neutral flavor to let the smoke come through. Projected ABV should be near 7%. Updates to come in 2-3 weeks. CHEERS!

Sleigh "Ryed" RIS

Here is the Sleigh "Ryed" RIS, (Russian Imperial Stout), in the glass after 3 months. Aromas of spice, dark cherries, dried stone-fruit, and chocolate. Flavors of spice, dried stone-fruit, and bittersweet chocolate. There is a slight lingering bitterness on the finish that I think will mellow with more aging. The flavor is reminiscent of a mix of barleywine and Russian Imperial Stout. No alcohol heat in the flavor, but there is a warmth when drinking it. CHEERS!

Russian Imperial Stout, Bottled

Bottled this today with FG of 1.020 placing ABV at 8.66%. Aromas of dried stone fruit, chocolate, and spice. Flavors of chocolate, spice, and dried stone fruit as well. Nice silky-smooth, medium to full body, with a nice lingering bitterness that is customary for this style. The finish is on the drier  side to avoid being cloyingly sweet. The flavors are very rich and complex and will benefit from some bottle aging.
CHEERS!

Russian Imperial Stout, Secondary

Racked to secondary today. Gravity was 1.020 which places ABV at 8.66%. There is still some airlock activity. Color is a deep brown with orange/red highlights. Aromas of chocolate, spice, prunes, and dried stone fruit. Flavors of bitter chocolate, dried stone fruit, and spice, with a lingering bitterness. The finish is slightly dry due to the rye malt. The alcohol is warming but not "hot". This beer will be in secondary for about two weeks or until it clears up. It will definitely require some aging in the bottle to allow the flavors to meld. I'll post again when it is time to bottle.
CHEERS!

Russian Imperial Stout

My brew day went fairly well. I was a quart over with my water measurement, but ended up with 5.5 gallons going into the fermenter. Had a little boil over when the hops went in. (Not fun scrubbing the outside of my kettle that had caramelized wort and hops baked on.) Projected SG was 1.093. Actual was 1.086, most likely due to the excess water. Projected ABV should be around 9.5%. The color was calculated at 42 SRM, but I'm not sure if it will be that dark. The wort is definitely dark brown with ruby and amber/orange hues. Full krausen at day 1 and everything is looking good! I'm excited to see how the flavor develops. The rye and chocolate rye should add some nice spiciness. The Special B should add some deep caramel and raisin/prune flavors. I'm keeping the fermentation temperature around 60-62 degrees with Fermentis US-05 yeast which is a high attenuator and neutral in flavor.
Thanks for reading!
CHEERS!

A New Year, A New Beer

Hello all! Just a quick note about ringing in the new year by brewing a style of beer I have not brewed before. For those that know me, you know Altbier and Stout are two of my favorite styles. Well, I decided to go big and picked up the ingredients for a Russian Imperial Stout. And for those who know me in the brewing realm, you know I like to play with flavors and go outside the box. Well, this brew will be no exception. I picked up 18.25 lbs of malt for this brew which will be the biggest beer I have brewed to date. I'll be using Gambrinus ESB malt as the base, Briess Roasted Barley, Dingeman's Special B Malt, Weyermann Melaniodin Malt, Weyermann Rye Malt, and Weyermann Chocolate Rye Malt. I'm seeking the raisin/prune flavors from the Special B, and the spiciness from the Weyermann Rye to add some uniqueness to this Russian Imperial Stout. It will be pushing 10% ABV, so it will indeed require some aging. This may be my holiday beer for 2015! I'll be posting again when I brew. Thanks for reading!
CHEERS!

Halter Top, Dusseldorf Style Altbier

Hello! Bottled today with an final gravity of 1.016, which is higher than I was expecting. Projected was 1.009. The ABV on this one will be lower than expected at about 4%. (This will be easy an easy drinking beer!)

Aromas of caramel, toffee, and brown sugar, with some spice and floral notes from the hops. Flavor is good, nice smooth malty backbone, with flavors of toffee and sweet malt, which gives way to a moderate but smooth bitterness with hints of spice.

Color is an orange/amber with ruby hues to it. Quite pretty!

I'll post again in a few weeks at tasting time after conditioning has completed.

CHEERS!