Homebrew

[chefchris]

Just brewed a batch of Scottish 60 shilling, have a English Bitter in the secondary. Anyone have anything good brewed or on deck?

Sweet. I just brewed this past Sunday at my new apartment with a two friends. One's never brewed a beer, just a couple of ciders using my equipment. So I just sat back and told him what to do. It was awesome. Brewed a Double Chocolate Sweet Stout. It's a recipe I put together.

Efficiency: 93%
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.39 gal
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 46.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.1 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item
5.25 lb UK Pale Malt (2 Row)
1.00 lb Black (Patent) Malt
0.75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L
0.55 lb Chocolate Malt
1.60 oz Williamette [5.50 %] (60 min)
1.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 min)
1.00 lb Milk Sugar (Lactose)
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04)

Add 8 oz of Hershey's Baking Cocoa Powder and 1 lb of Lactose near the end of the boil.
Add 8 oz. Cocoa Nibs to secondary fermenter at transfer and age for two weeks.


I've also started kegging since I last chimed into this thread. I it !!! I brewed a Stone IPA clone but messed up when putting in the grain bill and forgot to up the recipe to my efficiency. The OG was suppose to be around 1.060 or so and I ended up with 1.090 OG !!! Whoops. Best beer I've made to date. Also got the highest attenuation I've ever had with that beer. FG was 1.012 ! Came out at 10.5% ABV. Man is this thing good, no taste of alcohol, dry and drinkable. Sending a couple off to a competition. Hopefully I'll get to post some pics up of my awards.


Also, I've started a homebrew club here in Gainesville. There's one already here but they're a bunch of snobs. So I figured I'd make my own. Got about 15 people on board so far and a homebrew shop to back us up all the way. In fact, one of the guys who worked lives in my complex and just left my house after sharing a couple beers. We're called Motley Brew.

[wild]

Is that the club out of Broken Bow?
If not, im me the your club contact info so I
can notify you of upcoming competitions.

[chefchris]

Well, the IPA that I was talking about in my last post took 2nd place out of 51 beers in the category. Not too shabby.

[FactoredReality]

Well, the IPA that I was talking about in my last post took 2nd place out of 51 beers in the category. Not too shabby.

Congratz! I'm studying for the BJCP exam now. Last batch didn't come out too good. Breakfast stout is going into secondary tomorrow and after the boil tasted amazing. Anything else brewing?

[chefchris]

Congratz! I'm studying for the BJCP exam now. Last batch didn't come out too good. Breakfast stout is going into secondary tomorrow and after the boil tasted amazing. Anything else brewing?

Are you doing the Founder's Breakfast Stout from BYO? I've been wanting to do that for quiet some time. I just entered 4 beers into our local competition - Moose Drool Brown Ale Clone, Dry Stout, Christmas Ale and a Coffee Stout. None of the beers are just flat out amazing but I figured what the hell. I've already started preparing myself to be let down with the results.

We also did a Double Chocolate Sweet Stout that tasted amazing in the primary, was for sure the best beer I had brewed, but it got infected in the secondary from the cocoa nibs that we added. If you ever use cocoa nibs put them in vodka first, then toss them in. I noticed the infection immediately and racked underneath the layer into a keg and threw it in the fridge. Everyone says they can't taste the infection but I can. I poured a glass the other night and couldn't finish it. I need to bottle it up and give it to them since they like it so much.

That exam is pretty tough. I've had a friend studying for it for the last 8 months. I think it's a 3 hour essay exam. Does it cost anything to take it?

[FactoredReality]

Wow it sounds like you've been busy. Its similar to the founders breakfast stout (we just got distribution of founders in VA so its awesome! Can't wait for their Kentucky breakfast seasonal.) but I think my recipie calls for more lactose than the founders.

Yeah the stuff you have to know for the test is crazy. And you are correct in it being a 3 hr essay test, but 1 hr into it you have to judge 4 beers (you are graded on your judging) so you write for 1hr then drink 4+ beers to do a proper judging then write for another 2 hrs. I think it will be a test of my bladder more than anything else.

I'm a huge fan of xmas ales, sometime we should work a trade of some brew and sticks if your interested. We also have some homebrew comps around here if you want info on them let me know.

[Irish79]

Well, you guys have inspired me. I just registered the wife & I for a free homebrewing class on June 6th. I am probably not going to buy any equipment just yet, but in a month or two when my job becomes more secure and we look to buy a house, then it is game on! Er, brew on?