The Brew

[smeggy]

This past weekend I finished and kegged my first 5-gal all-grain IPA. Came to a decent 5.51% abv. Also cleaned up my old chest freezer and converted it into a keggerator/keg keeper.
I'll get some pictures later.

Now to plan the next brew for later this month....imperial stout? Any good recipes?
If I do that style, I'm going to secondary with oak chips soaked in scotch, brandy, or rum. Oh, those oak chips were used a year ago by a colleague to age an urban whiskey (his family runs a small distillery).

Also, what would qualify as a TEST beer? Our colors are black and yellow, so maybe like black IPA or black lager?

 

[Smithory]

Thanks for keeping the thread alive Smithroy! I have a little bit of Red Ale left I made a while back. Think I will crack one open. I also Keg, but all my porters/stouts get flip-topped and stored. Kegging is the way to go, cuts the wait in half and I hate cleaning bottles. I currently have Blood-and-Honey clone on tap that sure is refreshing!

I have a recipe for a blood orange wheat beer that I want to try, I dubbed it Blood Moon

 

[Bambooza]

Thanks for keeping the thread alive Smithroy! I have a little bit of Red Ale left I made a while back. Think I will crack one open. I also Keg, but all my porters/stouts get flip-topped and stored. Kegging is the way to go, cuts the wait in half and I hate cleaning bottles. I currently have Blood-and-Honey clone on tap that sure is refreshing!

How long does the keg last once tapped before going bad?

 

[Smithory]

How long does the keg last once tapped before going bad?

with a good seal and CO2 a few months

 

[smeggy]

My IPA was ready the evening, I kegged in the morning.
I put it at 30psi, and roll it around for a while on top of my chest freezer/kreezer for about 15 min (make sure the in is the lower port so it goes through the liquid). After rolling around for the 15 min, turn off the gas and purge, then reconnected and set at 12psi. That evening it was ready.

 

[Vhexxus]

I have Helles that was kegged in late December that still is decent

 

[Smithory]

Did someone say 3.7 Harvestables?

5 oz from 1 vine, going to harvest the second one tomorrow

 

[Bambooza]

And this is why you shouldn't eat your greens but drink them instead.

 

[smeggy]

So last Sunday I brewed a modified clone of Old Rasputin, changed from chocolate malt to chocolate rye and increased some of the other malts. The OG was 1.072, bit lower than what I wanted it to be. Today I measured it again, at 1.011. Thus putting it at 8.01% ABV, one percent below what Old Rasputin actually is.
And that is before aging it for a week on oak chips soaked in bourbon and adding a little espresso a couple days before kegging.

 

[smeggy]

Hmm, maybe we should get a TEST Brewer's group going?

 

[Smithory]

Hmm, maybe we should get a TEST Brewer's group going?

I'm game

 

[smeggy]

TEST: Beverage Division

Can just image the badge. TEST one with mash paddles. Or a corny keg wearing a party hat.
The propaganda poster: a couple guys in TEST colored armor carrying a couple corny kegs each, with a heavy armor carrying a full keg over shoulder.
TEST Beverage Division: we know how to use the paddles...and party.

 

[Deroth]

If I understand correctly from past Divisions being setup a leader that is interested in running it needs to contact @Montoya with their (informal) proposal for it.

 

[smeggy]

Hmm. Wonder if I could run a mini/micro-brewery out of a back of a Reliant and then Freelancer.

 

[Smithory]

Hmm. Wonder if I could run a mini/micro-brewery out of a back of a Reliant and then Freelancer.

I would have no problem converting my C2 for this

 

[smeggy]

Hmmmm, in theory with the right BUCs an Endeavor could be a semi-self sustaining brewery. Have a couple bio-dome units for growing the barley and hops), a roasting (for malting the barley) and brewing, then another as the pub.