BeerBorg

Posted: **Wed Dec 24, 2014 10:48 am**

Based on the thread that Rebel_B referred to, my resolutions from last year were:

- I'd like to get back to a more consistent brewing schedule. Doesn't have to be frequent (I have plenty of beer on hand, so I don't need to brew every weekend), but just consistent. The last few years have had scattershot brewing... brew several in a month or two, and then not brew for several months.
- Also, I really want to work toward kegging this year (been saying that for the last three years).
- I want to get into some sour brewing and/or hit on some styles I haven't brewed before.
- I'm going to enter a competition or two this year. I entered one last year, but I wasn't really happy with the ones I brewed for it (I haven't been fantastically happy with a lot of them this year, though most have been Mr. B extract based from the contest winnings)
- In relation to the prior point, I really want to get back to AG brewing. These extracts are quick and all, and the beer isn't bad, but I don't feel as much ownership in them, even if I customize them with steeps/mini-mashes, etc.
- Finally, I want to get some regular rotation beers (I have never really done that, having only brewed a few beers multiple times).
- And then the long standing goal... to brew on some big boy equipment. I've made friends with several members of our local brewing community, and I actually feel that this could happen at some point... but that's not really a goal/resolution for this year as much as an ongoing hope/wish/goal...

Well, I didn't do great on this list.
- More consistent brew schedule? If anything, I was less consistent.
- Kegging? Nope
- Sour brewing? Yes! This one I actually followed through on.
- I'll count this one as a yes as well, as I entered one competition (finished in the final 8 in a "march madness" style bracketed competition).
- AG brewing? Yep, pretty much did that. Still a couple of extracts to kill off, so I did a few of those, but mostly AG.
- Regular rotation beers? Well, one was a rotation beer (I do the red ale every fall), but no others. So I guess this is a half win.
- Big boy equipment didn't happen this year, but I definitely made inroads. I have a lot of friends in the right places at maybe five breweries around town. I discussed this and received favorable response on one early in the year, but it never materialized. But it will...

OK, so maybe I did better than I thought. Three yes, one kinda yes, one no (but significant progress was made), and two outright no.

So, for this year I will rehash some of the same:
- More consistent and frequent brewing
- Re-do some prior recipes
- Brew with some other people in a homebrew sense (this year was totally solo efforts)
- Brew on big-boy equipment
- Meet up with some BeerBorg members (OK, that's a cheat, since it's already in motion)

Posted: **Thu Dec 25, 2014 4:25 am**

I the mediocre Zorak1066 do hereby resolve that I shall make no new year's resolutions for the coming ye... damn. oh well.

Posted: **Thu Jan 01, 2015 2:32 am**

I resolve to make more beer than last year. My goal for 2015 is to brew some sours. I vow to learn how to use the Brett!

Posted: **Thu Jan 01, 2015 8:50 am**

Knightmare wrote:I resolve to make more beer than last year. My goal for 2015 is to brew some sours. I vow to learn how to use the Brett!

Gee, maybe we should meet up sometime.

I brewed my first sour a year ago. Have two different 5 gallon batches going, have 3 gallons racked onto Raspberries, with 16 bottles of that mother beer carbing. I have 5 gallons of a Saison Brett bulk conditioning and another All Brett beer in the works. I'd be happy to educate you about everything that I don't know about what I'm doing,

but it sure is fun. Oh, and I have a new package of ECY20 that I need to pitch into something.
Me, I'm going to get my Lager on.

Posted: **Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:41 pm**

Inkleg wrote:
Knightmare wrote:I resolve to make more beer than last year. My goal for 2015 is to brew some sours. I vow to learn how to use the Brett!
Gee, maybe we should meet up sometime.
I brewed my first sour a year ago. Have two different 5 gallon batches going, have 3 gallons racked onto Raspberries, with 16 bottles of that mother beer carbing. I have 5 gallons of a Saison Brett bulk conditioning and another All Brett beer in the works. I'd be happy to educate you about everything that I don't know about what I'm doing, but it sure is fun. Oh, and I have a new package of ECY20 that I need to pitch into something.
Me, I'm going to get my Lager on.

Heck ya! I've got a buddy down here that might be able to help both of us master the art the sour. I have no idea, so I need to study up a bit.

Posted: **Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:01 pm**

FedoraDave wrote:Yeah, it seems like a simple enough recipe. Just 3# of Pale Malt and a mere 1.25 ounces of roasted barley. English hops (I chose Goldings; I already use Fuggle in my Trilby Brown Ale), and WLP028 Edinburgh Scottish Ale yeast.

I think the real trick for the success of this will be the fact that I'm going to utilize kettle caramelization on 25% of the first runnings, to concentrate some of the flavor and give it more mouthfeel.

If it turns out to be a pleasing session beer, I'll be very happy.

I did that once. I was very happy with the result. I absolutely LOVE Scottish Ales. And they are really simple to make. the difference between a 60, 70, and 80 shilling is simply the amount of grain you use. And you don't want to just use any pale malt. Use a British pale such as golden promise or Marris Otter. I tend to be partial to the Marris Otter. But there is a difference between those and something like 2 row. They have a more bisquit like character which is what you want in any British Ale.

Posted: **Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:03 pm**

I am going to do more IPAs this year. I am really getting to where I favor those.

Posted: **Fri Jan 02, 2015 5:41 pm**

Gymrat wrote:
FedoraDave wrote:Yeah, it seems like a simple enough recipe. Just 3# of Pale Malt and a mere 1.25 ounces of roasted barley. English hops (I chose Goldings; I already use Fuggle in my Trilby Brown Ale), and WLP028 Edinburgh Scottish Ale yeast.

I think the real trick for the success of this will be the fact that I'm going to utilize kettle caramelization on 25% of the first runnings, to concentrate some of the flavor and give it more mouthfeel.

If it turns out to be a pleasing session beer, I'll be very happy.
I did that once. I was very happy with the result. I absolutely LOVE Scottish Ales. And they are really simple to make. the difference between a 60, 70, and 80 shilling is simply the amount of grain you use. And you don't want to just use any pale malt. Use a British pale such as golden promise or Marris Otter. I tend to be partial to the Marris Otter. But there is a difference between those and something like 2 row. They have a more bisquit like character which is what you want in any British Ale.

I'll see how I like this beer (although it's so simple, it should turn out quite satisfying), and then I'll try using Maris Otter the next time. I'll have to check with my LHBS to see if they carry Golden Promise, but I know they have Maris Otter.

Posted: **Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:30 pm**

Please dont base your opinion of this beer on an American Pale malt. Almost the entire character of a scottish ale comes from the British pale malt.

Posted: **Fri Jan 02, 2015 11:00 pm**

Understood. I'll have beer, but it won't be according to style, and I'm perfectly willing to make another batch with British Pale malt and go from there. I should have realized this when I was formulating the recipe, but I guess my brain was a little fried as I anticipated my upcoming vacation and the holidays.

Thanks for your input. I'm sure I'll enjoy it much more with the proper malt. And the second batch should be ready just in time for me to savor this session beer in the early summer!

Posted: **Fri Jan 02, 2015 11:02 pm**

Gymrat wrote:I am going to do more IPAs this year. I am really getting to where I favor those.

Me too. I like the bitterness and the balance of malts all working together, especially in the summer. I made two or three new IPA recipes in 2014 that I'm definitely keeping in the rotation, especially the 100 Years War. It's a simple extract recipe, but the combination of Warrior and Centennial is a winner in my book!

Posted: **Tue Jan 06, 2015 6:28 pm**

So I've refined my resolution a bit tonight.

Since I have a three-week rotation on my carboys, I figure it this way; I can make a tried-and-true recipe for the fivers, and for one of the 2.5s. But the other 2.5 will be when I try something new. So next Sunday, I'll be brewing the Great Scott 60/- and three weeks from then, I've decided to try a Weizen. Seems a simple enough style, according to BJCP, and the numbers I put into Brewtoad gave me something pretty much right in the middle of the numbers ranges.

Here's what I got:

2.5 pounds Wheat Malt
2 pounds Pilsner

90 minute boil

0.5 oz. Saaz for 60 minutes

White Labs WLP351 Bavarian Weizen yeast

Posted: **Sat Jan 10, 2015 11:08 am**

My Goals for 2015

01) Maintain an accurate and up-to-date inventory of brewing supplies. No more, "I think I have another ounce of that hop in the garage freezer. Don't I?"

02) Brew regularly. Brewing is something that I love and I need to make time for it. Life is too short to ignore the fun stuff.

03) Continue learning. I have come a long way, and learned a great deal, but there are countless styles, methods, and procedures yet to try.

Posted: **Sun Jan 25, 2015 5:58 am**

FedoraDave wrote:I want to develop new recipes for the pipeline, and explore some styles I haven't really tried. So my mission in 2015 is to make more batches of totally new things. New recipes may also include styles I've done before, such as APAs and blonde ales, but I may try different grains in them, and certainly different hops. New styles will have to be researched and developed, and, of course, those recipes will be new ones, as well.

I'll be looking over the BJCP style guidelines for help and inspiration, and I'm going to try to plan recipes at least two months ahead. I figure every third or fourth batch should be a brand new experience.

So far I've got things planned out nearly to mid-March, which I'm pleased with. The first weekend of March should be a new style/recipe, and I was a bit stumped as to what I wanted to try, but then it occurred to me that I would like to attempt an American Rye IPA. I put a bit of rye into some of my recipes, but only a very small percentage of the grain bill, to give them a little bite and texture. But it's time I worked on letting that rye really shine through. More research on the percentages is needed, of course, and I think I'm going to use Cascade, Centennial, and Amarillo. This should really be something of a departure from what I've been brewing up to now.

BeerBorg

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