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Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:31 pm
by brewnewb
Jon !!!!

Would you believe I still make that cheap beer recipie you sent me on the old site? My kids and neighbors love that stuff.

I still have some Meridian hops from IBS to make it!

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 7:18 pm
by TonyKZ1
Would you mind sharing that "cheap beer recipe "?


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Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:20 pm
by brewnewb
TonyKZ1 wrote:Would you mind sharing that "cheap beer recipe "?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
CAB - Cheap Ass Beer

3# Light DME
1 or 1.5 cups of sugar
1 oz Meridian Hops (I've used cascade too)
1 Whirlfloc tablet
US 05 yeast

Boil about 2.5 gal add DME and sugar. Bring to back boil.
Add hops for 20 min boil
Add Whirlfloc at 15 min
Add water to 5 gal mark
Cool to 70* or less and pitch
Ferment for 14 - 21 days
Bottle or keg

If you have vagrants that drink all your beer like I do, this is the shizzle. Easy, cheap and they think its so cool that its home brew!

I've been adding some berry extracts to these just for fun.

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 1:52 am
by Jon
brewnewb wrote:Jon !!!!

Would you believe I still make that cheap beer recipie you sent me on the old site? My kids and neighbors love that stuff.

I still have some Meridian hops from IBS to make it!
Man, that's a solid cheap beer recipe! Glad you're still making it. :)

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 2:19 am
by mashani
I did a 20 minute boil wit/saison hybrid beer with Meridian in the past and that came out quite nice. I can imagine that this is tasty cheap ass beer.

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 9:41 am
by brewnewb
5 gallon cost

10.00 - DME
02.00 - Hops
03.00 - Yeast
00.25 - Sugar
00.10 - Whirfloc

15.35 - Total for ~2 cases of beer. + $2 per batch when we add berry extracts

A few of us "insiders" call it CAB but we tell everyone it's "Light Ale" hahaha

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 11:12 am
by TonyKZ1
brewnewb wrote:
TonyKZ1 wrote:Would you mind sharing that "cheap beer recipe "?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
CAB - Cheap Ass Beer

3# Light DME
1 or 1.5 cups of sugar
1 oz Meridian Hops (I've used cascade too)
1 Whirlfloc tablet
US 05 yeast

Boil about 2.5 gal add DME and sugar. Bring to back boil.
Add hops for 20 min boil
Add Whirlfloc at 15 min
Add water to 5 gal mark
Cool to 70* or less and pitch
Ferment for 14 - 21 days
Bottle or keg

If you have vagrants that drink all your beer like I do, this is the shizzle. Easy, cheap and they think its so cool that its home brew!

I've been adding some berry extracts to these just for fun.
Thanks for posting that. Sounds good, I'll have to try it. I guess you could add another lb of Light DME and drop the sugar, but that would probably change the taste and make it more malty? How does it compare to the "fill in the blank" Light type of beers that are mass produced here.

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 2:01 pm
by brewnewb
I think it's just as good as any of the fill in the blankers. Even a little more flavor in my opinion and at 1/2 the cost. I can't find a case of Miller Lite for under 17 - 18 bucks any more.

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 8:38 pm
by Jon
If you want the CAB to be even more like (insert cheap domestic lager name here), double up on the yeast and ferment at 58-60°! It'll take a little longer, but it'll be a little cleaner and crisper.

You could even try mixing one pack of US-05 or Notty and one pack of W-34/70, and ferment at 60° if you like that typical lager taste. :)

In other news, I think I might add a dry hop addition to my fermenting beer this weekend!

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 9:14 pm
by John Sand
Hi Jon, just reading this thread. You might try to find a cheap styrofoam cooler for temp control. They are fragile, but fairly effective. Good luck with everything.

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 7:43 pm
by Jon
John Sand wrote:Hi Jon, just reading this thread. You might try to find a cheap styrofoam cooler for temp control. They are fragile, but fairly effective. Good luck with everything.
Nah, I have a wine fridge that will be here in a few weeks...so I decided to do this first batch old-school...lots of added sugar and no temp control! :cool:

I did dry hop it with the last little bit of some Styrian Goldings today...but it was mostly dust, which didn't seem to break through the krausen!

I'll dry hop it some more in a few more days, and probably again before I cold crash it in the fridge.

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 10:12 pm
by John Sand
Well, let us know how it works out.

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 12:38 am
by Jon
Today, I dry hopped it with a full ounce of Fuggles. There was still a thick layer of krausen residue, but these were more pellet than poweder, so they broke through it, no problem.

I'll probably add another ounce of hops a day or two before I cold crash...which probably won't be before next weekend. With as much sugar as I added, I definitely want to be sure to give it plenty of time to ferment out before I cold crash and bottle.

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2016 9:26 am
by Jon
Yesterday, I dry hopped with an ounce of Kent Goldings.

I don't have a hydrometer or refractometer here, so I think I'll give it 'til at least Saturday afternoon before I cold crash it. I might even wait until Sunday.

Then it'll sit in the fridge for a few days until I bottle it...possibly until Friday or Saturday.

Re: First Brew of 2016 (and an update!)

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 6:40 pm
by Jon
Put this in the fridge to cold crash today. My bottles are all clean, but they do need to be santized before I bottle...what a PITA. Sooo, I guess I'll deal with it. I'll check on the settling of the beer in the fridge (it's right at eye level), and when everything looks well settled, I'll bottle.

I'll probably put the bottles on top of the fridge to carb up, and after 2 weeks, put them in the fridge to cold condition. Once they settle, I'll probably start drinking them. Just so I can tell the difference between them fresh vs conditioned, of course.

Not because I'm tired of buying over a case of beer every week or anything. ;)