My mission: to discuss new and old issues in the homebrewing of beer, as well as humor myself every once in a while.
My tools: computer, brewkettle, pint glass, and trusty ol' Tonguey.
My deadline: when the reaper bids me dance one last time.
Frankly, I won't waste your time unless I have something of substance on which to report, so I'll just jump right on in!
Discussion of the day:
Is it a Beer or an Ale? Trick question. All ales are beer, but not all beers are ale. Kapish? Ale is made using a top-fermenting yeast and is an older style than lager, which most people think of as 'beer.' Lager is bottom-fermented and kept at a cool temperature for a period of time to allow big particles to settle out, resulting in a 'clean' flavor and altered mouthfeel. There are other conventions that are followed, but the main differences are storage technique and yeast type.
In Current News:
I also just finished a great beer that I'm very pleased with, an American Pale Ale (APA)-style partial mash. It's been charging in the bottle for around three months now; all the yeast has settled out and it's a very pleasant drink with a spritzy, grapefruity nature and tons of hoppiness. Yum! Here's the hop profile: 1oz UK Northern Brewer at 60min, 1/2oz Amarillo at 20min, 1/2oz Amarillo at 15min, 1/2oz Centennial at 10, 1/2oz Centennial at 5, and 1oz Cascade at 1.
Meanwhile, my newest creation is five weeks in the bottle after a week in primary and four in secondary. It's charging nicely for its alcohol content (about 7.5ABV). It's thick and creamy and in the words of a friend, "If I fall over and I have money in my hand and it happens to fall in your pocket I won't feel bad about stealing your beer, which I am doing regardless." I was going for a slightly stronger brew but I used dried malt extract (DME) instead of liquid for the extra sugars. In addition, the yeast used was an English one (Safale S-04) that was really intended for medium-gravity beers. It worked out alright when all was said and done though.
And today I begin with wheat beer. I'm afraid I'm starting at square one again with a full-extract, but hey, the other extract worked well, right? Sure, it wasn't as pleasant as the partial-mashes that followed, but I'm looking for wheat flavor without wheat work, because I'm a sorry brewer like that. I've got some Tettnanger hops and I know how to use 'em! I'll report back on this beer in due time.
