Beer updates
Monday, April 16, 2007 - 03:39 PM
Well, the whole reason I changed this site into a “blog” was to be able to talk about my home brewing experiences. Now I notice that I really haven’t done that, and I’m on my second batch since I changed over the site!
So, here are the updates:
Two weeks ago I bottled my Vanilla Porter. This beer was inspired by the Breckenridge Vanilla Porter I wrote about in a previous post. I sampled some over the weekend (I know, two weeks in the bottle is still pretty young for a beer, but I find with porters and stouts that they seem to have matured enough by that point. Anyways, I like to sample here and there to see how they’re coming along) and it tastes pretty damn good! I think it may be my best batch yet (it’s a close draw between this and the Oatmeal Stout I did back in December). It doesn’t taste like the Breckenridge one, but I really wasn’t trying to duplicate that. Basically, I took a standard porter recipe and added some licorice root and vanilla beans to the boil.
I also brewed my 10th batch this past weekend. I wanted to brew, but didn’t have anything in mind, so Carrie and I went to the home brew supply store on Saturday (after lunch at Goose Island - I had the Fulton Wood Bitter, which has a really nice hop flavor to it without being overly bitter like some very-hoppy beers) and looked at the kits they had in stock. It was a draw between the Scotch Ale and the Brown Ale. We ended up going with the brown. Nothing special, I know - just an off-the-shelf kit (except I used a 1028 London Wyeast pack instead of the dry yeast that it came with) - I just wanted to brew something.
R.I.P., I.P.A.
Monday, March 19, 2007 - 05:13 PM
I finished off the last of the batch of my IPA this weekend. I’m always a little sad when I finish of the last of a batch. It’s weird, when you brew your own beer, because you think of what went into making that batch. Sure, you could make another batch with that same recipe, but that batch, that little piece of you is now gone forever.
At the same time (well, not exactly at the same time - it’s just a figure of speech - but you get my meaning) I racked the Porter that I brewed last weekend to the secondary (for those of you not in the know, that means I transferred the beer from the primary fermenter to the secondary). So, the circle of Life (beer is Life, after all) continues.
I can’t wait to try the porter, by the way. I added some licorice and vanilla beans to the boil. When I was transferring the beer I could smell a hint of those ingredients in it. That gave me high hopes for the end product!
An open letter to Jim Koch
Wednesday, March 07, 2007 - 01:36 PM
I’ve been really enjoying the Samuel Adams Brewmaster’s Collection, but I have a minor complaint. Why the hell does this collection include the Boston Lager and Boston Ale?? Don’t get me wrong, I like both of those beers. But, I can get them anytime, anywhere. The other beers in the Brewmaster’s Collection are not so easy to come by. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen the other beers available for sale on their own, outside of a “mix-pack”.
There are some really great beers in this collection. However, with the inclusion of the Boston Lager and Boston Ale, it means that you only get two of each style of beer. I would much rather have three each of the other styles than to have the two more common beers included in this. Again, I can get the Lager and Ale anywhere.
How do the two most common Sam Adams beers even warrant being a part of the “Brewmaster’s Collection”? I know they are your “flagship” beers, but, come on. Do they really stand up next to the Scotch Ale or the Honey Porter? (FYI, my absolute favorite in this collection is the Scotch Ale - I really do wish I could find this for sale separately.) Again, nothing against the Boston Lager and Ale, but I would so much rather have more of the other styles of beer in this collection.
So please, next time around consider leaving out the more common beers in these otherwise magnificent collections.
Mmmm… Vanilla
Thursday, March 01, 2007 - 06:16 PM
I’ve been drinking this Vanilla Porter from Breckenridge Brewery that is just amazing. Drinking this beer is like drinking a root beer, or sarsaparilla soda. I highly recommend this if you’re into porters and stouts, or if you like spiced and/or flavored beers.
I also recommend pretty much anything else by Breckenridge (especially their Oatmeal Stout). They’re a really fantastic brewery.
Irish Stout
Saturday, February 24, 2007 - 10:46 PM
I bottled my Irish Stout tonight. It should be ready in time for St. Patrick’s day. I brewed it from a standard kit, but I used WYeast Irish instead of the dry yeast that the kit came with.
I can’t wait to taste it! 