posted by Jon
Last Saturday Ryan W and I spent the afternoon/evening brewing and drinking. We sampled a bunch of IPA's and DIPA's that I had bought in Florida. We also sampled a few homebrews and 3 Floyd's Arctic Panzer Wolf, a DIPA brought to us by some new friends.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
There is No vember
posted by Jon
November didn't exist this year. No Knoll Street posts, no beers brewed. Actually, that second part isn't true. We brewed our September beer in November. November's beer will be brewed in December. Tomorrow, actually. December's beer will also be brewed tomorrow. Come on out. Have a beer. Brew with us. Now jump.
November didn't exist this year. No Knoll Street posts, no beers brewed. Actually, that second part isn't true. We brewed our September beer in November. November's beer will be brewed in December. Tomorrow, actually. December's beer will also be brewed tomorrow. Come on out. Have a beer. Brew with us. Now jump.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Bottle Rinsing Rant
posted by Jon
So I'm kind of getting tired of cleaning out bottles that are returned to me without having been rinsed. I just timed how long it takes to rinse out a bottle by adding a bit of hot water, putting my thumb over the top, shaking it, dumping it out and repeating that process twice more. It took a whopping 23 seconds. That's less than 3 minutes per month. Please make this a habit.
Even with this post, I'm sure I will still continue to get bottles with stale beer and 3 months of mold growth in the bottom. I was thinking that maybe I would charge per dirty bottle returned to me. The problem is that I imagine some of you would rather pay a little more than make a habit of cleaning, which still leaves me to do the cleaning. What I think makes more sense is that I just stop cleaning your bottles. I'll just mark which bottles came from which person. When you crack open a nice IPA and have a massive chunk of red and black mold floating in it, you'll have no one to blame but yourself.
So I'm kind of getting tired of cleaning out bottles that are returned to me without having been rinsed. I just timed how long it takes to rinse out a bottle by adding a bit of hot water, putting my thumb over the top, shaking it, dumping it out and repeating that process twice more. It took a whopping 23 seconds. That's less than 3 minutes per month. Please make this a habit.
Even with this post, I'm sure I will still continue to get bottles with stale beer and 3 months of mold growth in the bottom. I was thinking that maybe I would charge per dirty bottle returned to me. The problem is that I imagine some of you would rather pay a little more than make a habit of cleaning, which still leaves me to do the cleaning. What I think makes more sense is that I just stop cleaning your bottles. I'll just mark which bottles came from which person. When you crack open a nice IPA and have a massive chunk of red and black mold floating in it, you'll have no one to blame but yourself.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
2011/12 lineup
posted by Jon
Trying to finish up planning for the current year. I will post my thoughts and edit as I get input.
Sep 11: "Gourdon Jr." Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Oct 11: Barleywine
Nov 11: Imperial Stout
Dec 11: Winter Warmer/Old Ale
Jan 12: Belgian Pale Ale
Feb 12: American Pale Ale
Mar 12: Berliner Weisse
Apr 12: Belgian Wit
May 12: India Pale Ale
Jun 12: DIPA/IIPA
Jul 12: Belgian Strong Ale
Aug 12: Stout
Trying to finish up planning for the current year. I will post my thoughts and edit as I get input.
Sep 11: "Gourdon Jr." Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Oct 11: Barleywine
Nov 11: Imperial Stout
Dec 11: Winter Warmer/Old Ale
Jan 12: Belgian Pale Ale
Feb 12: American Pale Ale
Mar 12: Berliner Weisse
Apr 12: Belgian Wit
May 12: India Pale Ale
Jun 12: DIPA/IIPA
Jul 12: Belgian Strong Ale
Aug 12: Stout
Monday, October 10, 2011
Brewfest - Budapest Hungary
posted by Jack
As the Central European member of this Brew club, I assigned myself the important and daunting responsibility of attending the 1st annual Főzdefeszt (Brewfest) in Budapest on Saturday. The festival was actually billed as a craft-beer festival, with a number of Hungarian "brewers" represented. In Budapest a craft-beer brewer is generally a partner in a restaurant, and the actual product is only available if you visit the restaurant. The advance information on the website (www.fozdefeszt.hu) stated that eighteen Hungarian breweries would be represented, as well as a few "outsiders" from Austria, Germany, and Czech Republic.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
2010-2011 = Year in Review
posted by Ryan
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness." I couldn't let a year go by without reflecting on Knoll Street Brewing's many successes and minimal (but sometimes grave) failures. Over a year ago Jon and I decided to start this beer club. I had some initial hesitations because I know that all of us have different preferences on the style of beer we drink. Jon reminded me of the many reasons to start this club (Friendship, New Recipes, Drinking) and that one of our desires was to help people venture out of their comfort zones to find a new hidden gem or two in their beer drinking experience. I hope you feel like we helped you do just that. Jump.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness." I couldn't let a year go by without reflecting on Knoll Street Brewing's many successes and minimal (but sometimes grave) failures. Over a year ago Jon and I decided to start this beer club. I had some initial hesitations because I know that all of us have different preferences on the style of beer we drink. Jon reminded me of the many reasons to start this club (Friendship, New Recipes, Drinking) and that one of our desires was to help people venture out of their comfort zones to find a new hidden gem or two in their beer drinking experience. I hope you feel like we helped you do just that. Jump.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Finances
posted by Jon
A quick financial update. Last year Knoll Street Beer Club pretty much broke even financially. Some of the money was used to purchase new equipment (carboy, fermenter, siphon, thermometer, hydrometer). Since we shouldn't have to buy any new equipment this year (unless I break more thermometers or hydrometers) we should have extra money to spend. One of the most expensive parts of brewing is the yeast, which is why I started harvesting yeast last year. However, my harvesting and reusing practices aren't doing a good enough job. Yeast doesn't survive very long. The last couple of yeast starters I've done have had a much longer lag time, since there is less viable yeast left. This is why I have decided to start a yeast library in my freezer. The initial cost would be about the same as a new fermenter and carboy (about $50) and we would be able to reuse yeast for years, as yeast that is properly cared for will survive freezing temperatures for at least a year. Look for posts later this year explaining my new library.
Gourdon will be brewed this afternoon. I have a big ol' pumpkin roasting in my oven as I write this. More details later.
A quick financial update. Last year Knoll Street Beer Club pretty much broke even financially. Some of the money was used to purchase new equipment (carboy, fermenter, siphon, thermometer, hydrometer). Since we shouldn't have to buy any new equipment this year (unless I break more thermometers or hydrometers) we should have extra money to spend. One of the most expensive parts of brewing is the yeast, which is why I started harvesting yeast last year. However, my harvesting and reusing practices aren't doing a good enough job. Yeast doesn't survive very long. The last couple of yeast starters I've done have had a much longer lag time, since there is less viable yeast left. This is why I have decided to start a yeast library in my freezer. The initial cost would be about the same as a new fermenter and carboy (about $50) and we would be able to reuse yeast for years, as yeast that is properly cared for will survive freezing temperatures for at least a year. Look for posts later this year explaining my new library.
Gourdon will be brewed this afternoon. I have a big ol' pumpkin roasting in my oven as I write this. More details later.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Gourdon's Return
posted by Jon
On my way home from work today I saw pumpkins being sold. This means that instead of a barleywine, we will be brewing "Gourdon" this weekend. Barleywine will now be brewed as our October beer (October 2). "Gourdon" should be ready to drink on Halloween and the barleywine will still be ready around Christmas.
On my way home from work today I saw pumpkins being sold. This means that instead of a barleywine, we will be brewing "Gourdon" this weekend. Barleywine will now be brewed as our October beer (October 2). "Gourdon" should be ready to drink on Halloween and the barleywine will still be ready around Christmas.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Catching up is hard to do
posted by Jon
Well, it's been almost 2 months since the last post. Summer is over, kids (and teachers) are back to school, the weather is gettingcooler insanely hot (???) and I should probably give an update.
Since my last post, three batches of beer have been brewed: Caspian, Batch 22 and The Queen's Rye. If you want the play by play it is in the previous post.
"Caspian" was brewed on 7/18. It is a robust porter styled after GLBC's Edmund Fitzgerald. Should end up around 5.5-6% ABV. I will be bottling it today. [edit: bottled 9/3, F.G. = 1.010, 5.9% ABV]
"Batch 22" was a lot of fun to brew. You may remember that originally is was going to be called "Batch 20" as it was the 20th batch of beer that I had done as a Professional Brewmaster (tic). It was going to have 20 different ingredients. However, since we brewed the Caspian first and I did a side batch of IPA, this beer ended up being my 22nd batch of beer. This meant we now needed 22 ingredients. On brew day, 7/30, Ryan W and I went to the store to pick up our final few ingredients. We decided on fresh ginger root (requested by Ryan B), a 7 oz bag of coconut (which we toasted), 2 chipotle peppers in adobo (yes, you read that correctly) and a stick of brewer's licorice. We added these to our normal ingredients and also added .25 lb of maple syrup than Ryan brought, .6 lb of molasses from the Ippel house and 2 1/2 vanilla beans. I tasted the beer when racking it to the secondary and it has the potential to be the best beer I've done. It should clock in around 10% ABV.
Finally, "The Queen's Rye" was an IPA that turned into a RyePA. This was the final batch of beer to be done in KSB's first fiscal year, so the funds were all tapped out. Ryan W had enough interest in making it a RyePA that he was willing to use his own money to buy a lb of rye malt and a lb of flaked rye. We brewed it on 8/26 with a crazy amount of hops and I will be racking it to the secondary on top of a couple oz leaf hops. We're looking for 6% ABV by the time it's done, so this will be a nice IPA.
We are still looking for suggestions for our next few beers. We will be rebrewing the Gourdon, but still need 11 more recipes. Feel free to comment.
Well, it's been almost 2 months since the last post. Summer is over, kids (and teachers) are back to school, the weather is getting
Since my last post, three batches of beer have been brewed: Caspian, Batch 22 and The Queen's Rye. If you want the play by play it is in the previous post.
"Caspian" was brewed on 7/18. It is a robust porter styled after GLBC's Edmund Fitzgerald. Should end up around 5.5-6% ABV. I will be bottling it today. [edit: bottled 9/3, F.G. = 1.010, 5.9% ABV]
"Batch 22" was a lot of fun to brew. You may remember that originally is was going to be called "Batch 20" as it was the 20th batch of beer that I had done as a Professional Brewmaster (tic). It was going to have 20 different ingredients. However, since we brewed the Caspian first and I did a side batch of IPA, this beer ended up being my 22nd batch of beer. This meant we now needed 22 ingredients. On brew day, 7/30, Ryan W and I went to the store to pick up our final few ingredients. We decided on fresh ginger root (requested by Ryan B), a 7 oz bag of coconut (which we toasted), 2 chipotle peppers in adobo (yes, you read that correctly) and a stick of brewer's licorice. We added these to our normal ingredients and also added .25 lb of maple syrup than Ryan brought, .6 lb of molasses from the Ippel house and 2 1/2 vanilla beans. I tasted the beer when racking it to the secondary and it has the potential to be the best beer I've done. It should clock in around 10% ABV.
Finally, "The Queen's Rye" was an IPA that turned into a RyePA. This was the final batch of beer to be done in KSB's first fiscal year, so the funds were all tapped out. Ryan W had enough interest in making it a RyePA that he was willing to use his own money to buy a lb of rye malt and a lb of flaked rye. We brewed it on 8/26 with a crazy amount of hops and I will be racking it to the secondary on top of a couple oz leaf hops. We're looking for 6% ABV by the time it's done, so this will be a nice IPA.
We are still looking for suggestions for our next few beers. We will be rebrewing the Gourdon, but still need 11 more recipes. Feel free to comment.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A post about beer
posted by Jon
Hey, all. Just a heads-up on some of the goings on around here. But first, let's check our mailbox (or, comments from the last post). And, actually, before we do that, let's jump!
Hey, all. Just a heads-up on some of the goings on around here. But first, let's check our mailbox (or, comments from the last post). And, actually, before we do that, let's jump!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Distribution
posted by Jon
Most of you have gotten your "Biran" and "Beatrice". Both of these are beers that will continue to develop in the bottle. The "Biran" will definitely get better with time, the "Beatrice" will probably get a bit more funky the longer it sits (until the bottles explode).
The "Dogen" was bottled last week and the "Vivian" was bottled this afternoon. Both of them will be heading out the door in a couple of weeks and should be quite quaffable right away. By the way, for those of you keeping track, the "Biran" weighs in at 10.7% ABV, the "Beatrice" at 6.75%, the "Dogen" at 7.2% and the "Vivian" at 4.25%.
Most of you have gotten your "Biran" and "Beatrice". Both of these are beers that will continue to develop in the bottle. The "Biran" will definitely get better with time, the "Beatrice" will probably get a bit more funky the longer it sits (until the bottles explode).
The "Dogen" was bottled last week and the "Vivian" was bottled this afternoon. Both of them will be heading out the door in a couple of weeks and should be quite quaffable right away. By the way, for those of you keeping track, the "Biran" weighs in at 10.7% ABV, the "Beatrice" at 6.75%, the "Dogen" at 7.2% and the "Vivian" at 4.25%.
Friday, June 3, 2011
6/3/11 Update
posted by Jon
Hey loyal readers. Ready for some beer? Here it comes. The "Biran" and "Beatrice" have had enough time conditioning in the bottle. You will be seeing them in the next couple of weeks. The "Dogen" and "Vivian" are currently in the secondary. Both will be bottled in the next week and distributed in early July. We will be brewing "Batch 20" sometime soon. The 1st annual KSB anniversary party is in the planning stages. It will be happening in mid/late August. Look for more updates on all of this in the next few weeks.
Hey loyal readers. Ready for some beer? Here it comes. The "Biran" and "Beatrice" have had enough time conditioning in the bottle. You will be seeing them in the next couple of weeks. The "Dogen" and "Vivian" are currently in the secondary. Both will be bottled in the next week and distributed in early July. We will be brewing "Batch 20" sometime soon. The 1st annual KSB anniversary party is in the planning stages. It will be happening in mid/late August. Look for more updates on all of this in the next few weeks.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Vivian
posted by Jon
Last night we brewed "Vivian", our Belgian Wit for the month of May. Ryan W and I were joined by Kevin and Kreg Sills. Kreg works for a competing brew club. His club has double the capacity of Knoll Street Brewing, but only 1 member.
Play-by-play after the jump.
Last night we brewed "Vivian", our Belgian Wit for the month of May. Ryan W and I were joined by Kevin and Kreg Sills. Kreg works for a competing brew club. His club has double the capacity of Knoll Street Brewing, but only 1 member.
Play-by-play after the jump.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Anyone read this thing?
posted by Jon
No, I'm not discouraged by the lack of comments, especially when I ask specific questions about the future of the club. I guess that just means that I'm the one in charge of all of the decisions.
Our July beer is going to be "Dogshit IPA", brewed with a late addition of Schnauzer poop and dry-pooped with Malamute excrement. If you'd like something else instead, please give me suggestions (in the comment section).
Less snark after the jump.
No, I'm not discouraged by the lack of comments, especially when I ask specific questions about the future of the club. I guess that just means that I'm the one in charge of all of the decisions.
Our July beer is going to be "Dogshit IPA", brewed with a late addition of Schnauzer poop and dry-pooped with Malamute excrement. If you'd like something else instead, please give me suggestions (in the comment section).
Less snark after the jump.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Homegrown
posted by Jon
Starting this spring, KSB will be growing their own hops. I just ordered 3 Centennial hops rhizomes online. Shortly after they arrive they will be planted, 2 of them in the garden of Kris Sills, 1 of them in a location to be determined at a later point. Look for a small harvest this fall and larger ones in years to come.
Starting this spring, KSB will be growing their own hops. I just ordered 3 Centennial hops rhizomes online. Shortly after they arrive they will be planted, 2 of them in the garden of Kris Sills, 1 of them in a location to be determined at a later point. Look for a small harvest this fall and larger ones in years to come.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Beatrice and Scotch Ale tasting
posted by Jon
On Monday I was joined by Ryan, Ryan and Ryan (Aukeman, Beld, Wallace) for the first ever Knoll Street Scotch Ale tasting.
On Monday I was joined by Ryan, Ryan and Ryan (Aukeman, Beld, Wallace) for the last ever Knoll Street Scotch Ale tasting.
We also brewed Beatrice, our Belgian pale that will be funked up with some Brett.
Details on the other side of the jump.
On Monday I was joined by Ryan, Ryan and Ryan (Aukeman, Beld, Wallace) for the first ever Knoll Street Scotch Ale tasting.
On Monday I was joined by Ryan, Ryan and Ryan (Aukeman, Beld, Wallace) for the last ever Knoll Street Scotch Ale tasting.
We also brewed Beatrice, our Belgian pale that will be funked up with some Brett.
Details on the other side of the jump.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Quick update
posted by Jon
I bottled the Bastogne tonight. Gravity was at 1.011, putting it just over 7% ABV. It smells/tastes absolutely amazing. Great Amarillo hops nose. I also racked off the Biran to the secondary (we need the fermenter tub for brewing tomorrow night). Gravity is at 1.022, weighing in at a whopping 10.7% already. This is going to be a warm beer.
I bottled the Bastogne tonight. Gravity was at 1.011, putting it just over 7% ABV. It smells/tastes absolutely amazing. Great Amarillo hops nose. I also racked off the Biran to the secondary (we need the fermenter tub for brewing tomorrow night). Gravity is at 1.022, weighing in at a whopping 10.7% already. This is going to be a warm beer.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Facebook reminder
posted by Jon
Just a little reminder to "like" our page on facebook. It's a good way to be updated on new posts and brewing dates.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Knoll-Street-Brewing/161877207194750
Just a little reminder to "like" our page on facebook. It's a good way to be updated on new posts and brewing dates.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Knoll-Street-Brewing/161877207194750
A rose by any other name...
posted by Jon
Ever wonder where these beer names are coming from? Answers after the jump.
Ever wonder where these beer names are coming from? Answers after the jump.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Biran
posted by Jon
This past Tuesday (2/8/11) Ryan and I brewed our Belgian quad, "Biran". This was a bit of a spur of the moment brewing. We didn't actually make the decision to brew until Monday afternoon, which didn't leave much time for the yeast starter. Fortunately we are still using the WLP545 Von Bora yeast which is a pretty aggressive strain. By Tuesday the airlock on the starter was bubbling quite well. I also made another 3 lbs of Belgian candi sugar on Monday.
Brewing details after the jump.
This past Tuesday (2/8/11) Ryan and I brewed our Belgian quad, "Biran". This was a bit of a spur of the moment brewing. We didn't actually make the decision to brew until Monday afternoon, which didn't leave much time for the yeast starter. Fortunately we are still using the WLP545 Von Bora yeast which is a pretty aggressive strain. By Tuesday the airlock on the starter was bubbling quite well. I also made another 3 lbs of Belgian candi sugar on Monday.
 |
| 3 lbs of Belgian candi sugar in the form of 8 panes |
Brewing details after the jump.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Patience, part II
posted by Jon
In the last few days I've been doing some research on bottle conditioning. I've found a few interesting things.
In the last few days I've been doing some research on bottle conditioning. I've found a few interesting things.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Bottling
posted by Jon
Last night Ryan and I bottled the Von Bora and the Fekete Mokus. We also racked the Belgian IPA to the secondary. The Mokus and Intruder will be delivered to all of you in a couple of weeks.
Be careful when bottling. Sometimes the bottles bite.
Last night Ryan and I bottled the Von Bora and the Fekete Mokus. We also racked the Belgian IPA to the secondary. The Mokus and Intruder will be delivered to all of you in a couple of weeks.
Be careful when bottling. Sometimes the bottles bite.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Belgian IPA
posted by Jon
If you've never tried a Belgian IPA, I would highly recommend trying a Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel. Our January beer is loosely based on it.
Ryan and I brewed this past Thursday. Ryan Beld was also invited, but like last time, he was extremely late. He still hasn't shown up. Brewing details after the jump.
If you've never tried a Belgian IPA, I would highly recommend trying a Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel. Our January beer is loosely based on it.
Ryan and I brewed this past Thursday. Ryan Beld was also invited, but like last time, he was extremely late. He still hasn't shown up. Brewing details after the jump.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Patience
posted by Jon
No, this is not about how you haven't gotten a new beer in a while and need to be patient about it. This is about what to do when you receive your next beers. Certain styles of beer get better with age, much like a wine. A couple of styles that do are Imperial Stouts and Belgian Strong Ales. When you get your next batch of beer, you will be getting a couple of six-packs, one of the Intruder and one of the Fekete Mokus. You've paid for both of them. They are yours. Do with them what you will. If you want to feed them to your cat, by all means do. I, for one, will be letting my Intruder sit for a while. These bad boys will condition in the bottle for years. They will be exponentially better tasting one year from now than they will be once you get them. And if you have a whole ton of self-control and can wait a couple of years, you won't be disappointed. If you don't believe me, try tasting a 2007 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. A couple of you know exactly what I'm talking about.
No, this is not about how you haven't gotten a new beer in a while and need to be patient about it. This is about what to do when you receive your next beers. Certain styles of beer get better with age, much like a wine. A couple of styles that do are Imperial Stouts and Belgian Strong Ales. When you get your next batch of beer, you will be getting a couple of six-packs, one of the Intruder and one of the Fekete Mokus. You've paid for both of them. They are yours. Do with them what you will. If you want to feed them to your cat, by all means do. I, for one, will be letting my Intruder sit for a while. These bad boys will condition in the bottle for years. They will be exponentially better tasting one year from now than they will be once you get them. And if you have a whole ton of self-control and can wait a couple of years, you won't be disappointed. If you don't believe me, try tasting a 2007 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. A couple of you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Monday, January 3, 2011
January, February, March
posted by Jon
I am on a bit of a Belgian-style Ale kick. Ryan is currently in Northern California and was able to stop at Russian River Brewing Co. a couple of nights ago. Russian River brews the best Belgians outside of Belgium. They have 4 Belgian-style ales in Beeradvocate's top 100 beers. Chances are, Ryan is also on a Belgian-style Ale kick. For the next 3 months, we will be doing Belgians. The plan is to do a Belgian Pale/Tripel in January, a Belgian Strong/Quad in February and a Belgian Pale/Strong (with Brettanomyces added) in March. If you've never had a beer brewed with Brett, you're going to be blown away. Pretty much everyone I know who's tried one hated it the first time. After you've tried a couple you start craving them. At least most of us do. You all signed up for beer club with the knowledge that you were going to get some crazy stuff. This will be your first adventure into crazy. If the yeast does what it's supposed to, it might be really crazy. Really, really crazy.
I am on a bit of a Belgian-style Ale kick. Ryan is currently in Northern California and was able to stop at Russian River Brewing Co. a couple of nights ago. Russian River brews the best Belgians outside of Belgium. They have 4 Belgian-style ales in Beeradvocate's top 100 beers. Chances are, Ryan is also on a Belgian-style Ale kick. For the next 3 months, we will be doing Belgians. The plan is to do a Belgian Pale/Tripel in January, a Belgian Strong/Quad in February and a Belgian Pale/Strong (with Brettanomyces added) in March. If you've never had a beer brewed with Brett, you're going to be blown away. Pretty much everyone I know who's tried one hated it the first time. After you've tried a couple you start craving them. At least most of us do. You all signed up for beer club with the knowledge that you were going to get some crazy stuff. This will be your first adventure into crazy. If the yeast does what it's supposed to, it might be really crazy. Really, really crazy.
Fekete Mókus
posted by Jon
On December 19 we brewed our smoked porter. In honor of our Hungarian beer club members it will be called "Fekete Mókus" (pronounced FEH-kuh-tuh MOE-koosh). While the boys brewed, the girls and kids celebrated the season with the building of a gingerbread house.
On December 19 we brewed our smoked porter. In honor of our Hungarian beer club members it will be called "Fekete Mókus" (pronounced FEH-kuh-tuh MOE-koosh). While the boys brewed, the girls and kids celebrated the season with the building of a gingerbread house.
I cheated
posted by Jon
This will be the first of a few catch-up posts, as I haven't had time to post about all of the recent goings-on at KSB.
We ran into a problem with the Intruder. The Intruder starts out with an original gravity around 1.082. It should finish around 1.020, giving it about 8% ABV. On November 29 I racked it off to the secondary and added the vanilla and oak chips. When I did this is was at about 1.032. After a couple of weeks I checked the gravity and it hadn't budged. It was right around 1.030. I tried adding dry champagne yeast. Champagne yeast is a yeast that can work at higher percentages of alcohol. I checked again a couple of weeks later and it still hadn't moved. If the beer is bottled as is, it will be lower alcohol and much sweeter than it is supposed to be. I brought out the big guns. That's right, the Von Bora. On December 22, I siphoned off a bit of the sludge and yeast in suspension from the bottom of the fermenter that held the Von Bora into the Intruder. The thought is that it would finish off the Intruder and it shouldn't really affect the taste. Within a few days the airlock was bubbling every 20 seconds of so. A week later it was bubbling even faster, every 10 seconds. It is starting to peter out now. I should be able to cold crash the Intruder and have it ready for bottling in a week or so.
The bad news is that if this is the best beer we've ever brewed it might be difficult to replicate it.
This will be the first of a few catch-up posts, as I haven't had time to post about all of the recent goings-on at KSB.
We ran into a problem with the Intruder. The Intruder starts out with an original gravity around 1.082. It should finish around 1.020, giving it about 8% ABV. On November 29 I racked it off to the secondary and added the vanilla and oak chips. When I did this is was at about 1.032. After a couple of weeks I checked the gravity and it hadn't budged. It was right around 1.030. I tried adding dry champagne yeast. Champagne yeast is a yeast that can work at higher percentages of alcohol. I checked again a couple of weeks later and it still hadn't moved. If the beer is bottled as is, it will be lower alcohol and much sweeter than it is supposed to be. I brought out the big guns. That's right, the Von Bora. On December 22, I siphoned off a bit of the sludge and yeast in suspension from the bottom of the fermenter that held the Von Bora into the Intruder. The thought is that it would finish off the Intruder and it shouldn't really affect the taste. Within a few days the airlock was bubbling every 20 seconds of so. A week later it was bubbling even faster, every 10 seconds. It is starting to peter out now. I should be able to cold crash the Intruder and have it ready for bottling in a week or so.
The bad news is that if this is the best beer we've ever brewed it might be difficult to replicate it.
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