No more stout

The last drops of the stout were finally finished this weekend. I've got two clean, empty kegs now. This was a funny brew, it seemed to get better and better as it aged. I think I tried a little too hard and experimented with too many things and as a consequence the beer had a bit of an uncertain mien and it took a while to come into its own. I speak of beer like a living thing, and it is. A homebrewed beer is alive, as is any unfiltered, unpasteurized fermented beverage. Their are still living yeasts (and perhaps other organisms) in the mix, and the slow settling out of proteins and other solids changes the taste and mouthfeel over time. I suppose oxygen in the beer gets taken up in chemical reactions, much like in a cellared wine bottle, and that certainly affects the flavor. This beer was under pressure (carbon dioxide) and in a stainless steel vessel at 34 ºF but that doesn't mean it wasn't still evolving. I should know, I tasted it over and over again! Now, alas, it is gone. Time to cook up a new batch!

a.d. VIII Id. Mai.

The end of a brew

We finished the keg of Elevenses Ale yesterday and watched the Giants play a spring training game. It was a good combo. The brew was tasty and the baseball was fun. And the Giants won. Elevenses Ale taught me to plan my hops a little better. The big earthy flavors of the Northern Brewer hops are best suited to a sweeter, more robust beer. This beer was supposed to have some crisp spiciness in the malt but it got a little overwhelmed by the hops. It was still good, just a little out of focus. I'll have to try some more rye malt in future batches.

There's still plenty of stout left. I plan to have some for Matt Cain's exhibition game tomorrow. Recently I had three other homebrewed stouts. Tommy-O, Steven Otto, and Mancy & Her Bitch all cooked up stouts for St. Patrick's Day. All were excellent and it was joyous to share the fruits of our labors. Homebrewing is a wonderful endeavor. You should try it. My final word on the stouts? Steven Otto's magically chocolate-y stout was my favorite. But Tommy-O's dry stout was mighty fine, and he did a brilliant job with his pupils (M&HB) and their outstanding first effort (more time in the fridge on the next batch, though). I'll be back with my thoughts on my version of a 2011 SP stout in another post.


a.d. VI Kal. Apr.

St. Patrick's Day Stout goes to the keg

Beer number 175 fermented out rather quickly and finished at a surprising 1.010, a little lower than I anticipated. Perhaps these first-runnings brews are richer in fermentables than I expected. Regardless, it looked and smelled great. I put the beer into two 2-1/2 gallon stainless steel kegs with 50 grams of corn sugar each. I expect to condition them for about two weeks. The closet is usually around 64 ºF (it varies from 62 to 66 ºF) and that should be just about right.

It is going to be a marvelous brew for St. Patrick's Day. I can't wait to taste the chocolate rye malt!

Today is the Ides of February (Idus Febrarius).

Elevenses Ale: status report

I was unenthusiastic about batch number 174, Elevenses Ale. The rye flavor didn't really come through--I need to use more next time. The earthiness of the Northern Brewer hops was overpowering and I couldn't get a sense of the beer. So, I gave it a little more time. We drew off and dove into a couple of pints each tonight. The hop flavors are still strong and distinctive, but they've softened enough to let the malt speak. There's a light sweetness and easy dry finish there and it's coming to the fore as the beer ages. I believe strongly that what homebrew needs, other than a fanatical devotion to cleanliness, is TIME. Wait. Be patient. Relax. The longer the beer spends in a dark, cool place, the better. Beer ages beautifully in the bottle and the keg. If your home-cooked batch is a little rough around the ages, just give it another week and it will improve markedly. I did that with Elevenses Ale and it has matured into a lovely beer.

a.d. V Id. Feb.

Super Brew Day: Stout for St. Patrick

I missed the Stupor Bowl. I spent the day brewing. It was a clear, warm, sunny day, odd for February around here, but welcome nonetheless. It all worked out as planned, and I got over 5 gallons of nice, clean-looking wort with an original gravity of 1.052 (13 ºP). I used TWO packs of Safale-04 instead of one and I hope I can rack this beer before the week is out.

This is going to be a very delicious and refreshing stout. I can't wait for St. Patrick's Day!!

a.d. VIII Id. Feb.