BeerBorg

Right around Labor Day, I pulled out the recipe book and set a brewing schedule up in iCal, so I can take a quick peek at what I want to brew on a given Sunday. I got it scheduled all the way out to November 9th, and I thought that was kind of over-planning, but now I realize that's only a month away, and I need to plan more.

What I've done so far is make recipes I've developed before, because work is still kind of busy, and I don't want to take the time and energy to formulate new recipes. But by mid-November through March, things slow way down for me, and I'd like to make new recipes, explore new styles, get creative.

I don't know if I want to commit to any lagers, although if the pipeline is really full, I might make one or two small batches, so I may experiment with an Oktoberfest. If I make it in early spring, by autumn it should be perfect.

I may try making a kolsch, although the commercial examples I've tried underwhelmed me. I'm not real big on wheat beers, but it might be a good experience to make one. And just for fun, I'm thinking of trying to make a shandy.

This is the real fun part of brewing, for me. Researching styles and putting a new recipe together, and then seeing how well the finished beer turned out. I know I can always throw XY and Z together and get pretty darn good beer, and I've kept some of the simple recipes I've made, because I liked the result, and they're easy recipes for a quick brew day. But stretching the brewing muscles and expanding my comfort zone keeps me on my toes.

I'd be open to other style suggestions, to chime in!

FedoraDave wrote:I don't know if I want to commit to any lagers, although if the pipeline is really full, I might make one or two small batches, so I may experiment with an Oktoberfest. If I make it in early spring, by autumn it should be perfect.

Let me throw this out there. I was talking to a local brewer that has won.........many would not be the word here......he has no more wall space to hang any more medals and puts them in a box.
Anyway, he told me that he will brew 5 gallons of wort then split that between 5 one gallon jugs and each jug will get a different yeast. Other than the yeast, all beers are treated the same from fermentation to bottling. Then he'll pick which one he wants to do 5 gallons of. His one advantage is that he has a fridge set up that will hold all of the jugs. I know your tight on space, but you do have a basement. While not perfect for lagering it my give you an idea. If you could swing small batch lagering now, then come spring you'll know what you would like 5 gallons of for next fall.

Jeff, thanks for chiming in. Interesting technique on splitting 5 gallons of wort between 5 one-gallon carboys. Although that sounds suspiciously like work to me....

I have a five-gallon carboy, and two three-gallon carboys, and as you know, I rotate weekly, bottling and then brewing from the same carboy. Splitting a fiver between two 2.5 batches, just to see what the yeast does kind of ties up both of those carboys, when I could be making more beer, even on a small scale. And, besides the occasional lager, my basement temperatures during the winter stay in the low 60s, and I love the ale I get from it. The lager fridge can't accommodate more than one of anything, be it 5 or 2.5, so if I'm going to lager, I'd prefer to lager large, since I get more bang outta my buck with a 5 gallon batch, and now I can actually keg it and condition it in the keezer and free up space in the lager fridge.

I get what you're saying in terms of planning ahead for the best recipe when I'm ready to celebrate Oktoberfest at Casa Dave-Guy. But space limitations don't allow for the luxury you describe. In a case like this, I'd probably create a "safe" recipe; one that couldn't go wrong unless I threw a dead possum in there. I'll get beer; I will like said beer; I will drink said beer. I will be a Happy Hat.