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| By ibrewaletx on Jul 18th 2007, 1:39 am | Permalink |
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Kegged and force carb'ed that 'Cream Ale' tonight. It had cleared well with the addition of the gelatin 3 days ago. Actually pretty impressive. I guess I will use this in the future for beers I want to have clear. OK, this is my first taste ever of a cream ale. This recipe tastes like an ale version of 'natural light' - at 4.6% abv. Sorry to abuse myself by admitting that, but it is what it is. The whole intent was to have something the non-craft brew drinkers would like. Well, this should be fine for that. If I do this again, and likely will in 3 or 4 batches I will reduce 1 pound of the rice and 1/2 pound of the corn, add 1.5 pounds more of 2 row, and mash a few degrees higher. It could use more body, that is for sure, some more malt flavor as well.... Not bad for an experiment. I will be buying supplies for a 'pale ale' and a 'wheat ale' this Saturday, brewing the pale ale on Sunday. |
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| By ibrewaletx on Jul 14th 2007, 11:20 pm | Permalink |
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Cream Ale that I brewed on the 4th of July (first full batch all grain) was at 1.010 today. I tested my hydrometer in pure water today since I measured 1.005 in the beer. Came out that it indicated 0.995 with water. That likely puts my starting gravity ~1.045 instead of 1.040, which makes me feel a little better. I moved the 'tuft tank' (aka "vittles vault") to my fridge and added 1 cup of Knox gelatin, my first trial with gelatin for clarifying. I will leave at 36F for 3-4 days, and then keg it. Wish I had supplies on hand to make the Pale Ale I am planning, I would brew it up tomorrow. I will just wait for next weekend now. |
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| By ibrewaletx on Jul 4th 2007, 8:17 pm | Permalink |
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Well, my first full batch mash went rather well, and uneventful! Fun it was. A lot of waiting around it seemed as well, so very very relaxing! I did a version of Dennys Cream Ale, using: 2 lbs 6 row 2 lbs 2 row 3 lbs flaked rice 1 lb flaked maize. My efficiency was crappy though, but I don't really mind too much. I ended up at 1.040, should have been higher. The color was amazing light, like a typical bud/miller/coors, and will no doubt clear and seem even lighter. This was a beer for my wife and her friends. It will go in the primary for 2 weeks likely, rack and put in the fridge at 34F for 1 week. Then, I will brew a Pale Ale that I plan to dry hop with a crap load of Amarillos, want to smell a bag of hops when I drink it!! The weather was amazingly terrible, rain rain rain, but that kept the temps outside down to the low 80's and kept me in the garage for this session. It actually was very convenient to brew in the garage, I may do this every time from now on. |
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| By ibrewaletx on Feb 11th 2007, 3:12 am | Permalink |
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Today I kegged my Amber Ale that I brewed on January 15th. I would have kegged a week or more ago, but decided to let the carboy sit and 'cold condition' in the fridge around 40F for a while. This batch I got from 1.045 to 1.009 with Nottingham, I didn't have the issue that my last batch did when it stalled at 1.022 or so... I noticed the nottingham yeast cake floc'ed pretty good, and didn't stir up much at all as I was mucking with the beer in the carboy while transfering. I started to force carb this beer, about 30psig and rocked the keg back and forth for 5 minutes or so. I put it back in the fridge and then a few hours did it again. After the 2nd go round, I started to vent the keg off after I was done rocking at 30psig, to get it to 10psig or so. Well, as soon as I started to vent, beer sprayed everywhere from the vent. I let it sit another couple of hours in the fridge and now I was able to vent down to the 10psig or so. I poured my first pint, but it was still overfoamy from the 30psig rocking I think. I'll give it a shot tomorrow night. The beer seemed to be more bitter then I wanted for an Amber, and not enough body. I did mash at 150F and I will try this recipe again and mash at 154F or 155F maybe, as well as cut back just a little on the bittering. Great learning experience (mashing and kegging)!! Jerry |
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| By ibrewaletx on Jan 15th 2007, 11:35 pm | Permalink |
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I did a 'countertop' mash for an Amber ale today. 2.5 gallon batch: 2 lbs 2 row 1 lbs Crystal 40 1 lbs German Vienna. 1 lbs Light Liquid Malt extract Batch sparged 150F 1/2 oz Cascade 60 mins 1/4 oz Cascade 30 mins 1/4 oz Cascade 15 mins I originally planned on Munich, but had to settle for the Vienna as the LHBS was out. I was dissapointed that I didn't have a packet of US-56, I had already forgot I pitched it on my Pale Ale after it seemed stuck. I did have Nottingham, so I will see if this produces the 'tart' character so many have noticed. A 'cold' front came in last night, so temps dropped outside to 42F, putting my faucet water at 54F for my immersion chiller. I ended up with my wort at 64F and pitched. All in all, not a bad experience other than being too d*mn cold outside to brew almost. |
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