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03 May
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On Tap (May 3rd 2010)

Another week on the road and a weekend full of sunshine, chores and playing with the kids :-). My eldest boy competed in a local Karate Tournament and managed to secure two second place trophies for weapons and forms 🙂

So another weekend of no brewing, but I have a very full cellar right now so no risk of running dry.  The Guinness Export clone from NB arrived so very excited to get going.  Also have the Nut Brown ready to go.  So what else is On Tap?

Primary

  • Nothing in the primary, first time I have had nothing in Primary or Secondary (except for the long-term secondaries that is)

Secondary

  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 5 mths (s)) – About to begin the final month of its 6 months rest. Must remember to buy my bottling yeast and dry hop with a week to go.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Brakespears Bitter clone (1 wk (p) 1 wk (s), 1 day (k) ) – Using the Brakespears yeast currently available from Wyeast.  FG came in on the money as did the colour. Went straight into the keg and the sample was crystal clear and very drinkable. It is a very very good clone of the Henley classic.
  • Left Overs Old Ale (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 1 wk (b) ) – So my left over recipe (sort of modeled after a Fullers Vintage) appears to be going fine. I don’t know if I can wait a year to try one of these. Came out of the secondary still with the rich full mouthfeel, strong caramel with a hint of marmalade.  Week 2 of 4 week rest before we sample
  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 1 mth 2 wks (s), 1 wk (b) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV. Week 2 of a 2 month rest. These cases are heading for the cellar when it arrives.

Drinking

  • Petite Saison d’Ete (1 wk (p) 2 wk (s), 2 wks (b) ) – A Belgium classic Saison from Northern Brewer. The ale came out really clear and tasted great, nice and spicy almost clove flavour from the Saison yeast. Great chilled and a nice early summer brew.
  • Old Speckled Hen clone ( 1 wk (p) 1 wk  (s), 1 mth 1 wk (b) ) – Came out great, see the review here.  I saved 3 bottles of this brew a few weeks back to test what a couple of extra weeks aging would do. I recommend laying this brew down for at least 5-6 weeks before drinking because the bottle I had last night tasted fantastic.
  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 3 wks (s), 1 mth, 2 wks (b) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series. This new ale from NB is a 5 star brew. Easily confused with a smooth session brew but don’t let it, it packs a massive ABV punch. Continues to age well.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 1 mth 3 wks (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG finished in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. Came out a 10/10 (see review) and promoted to the permanent recipes page.
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 5 mths 3 wks (b) ) – Looking forward to cracking the 6 month bottle open
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30 April
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Tips and Tricks: Kegging Tip

Pic of 78555I am due to keg my Brakespears clone this weekend and I am reminded of a tip I figured out a few months back. Now, the Brakespears has cleared really bright thanks to the Wyeast Special Thames Valley II Ales yeast but there always seems to be some trub left over that settles to the bottom of the keg. This trub can lead to cloudy kegged beer and annoying trub in the tap.

I have tried finings, longer periods in the secondary but the only tip I have found to really work is cutting an inch off the bottom of the out tube in the keg.  Works a charm.

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26 April
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On Tap (April 26th)

This weekend has been one of the busiest in a long time. We hosted what started off as a quiet dinner party with a friend but turned into a big affair with lots of adults and kids over enjoying a warm spring evening around the fire pit drinking homebrew, wine and some Fullers Pride brought over by a good friend.  Saturday was another warm spring New England day taken up catching up on garden chores so no brewing time. Saturday evening was spent at the local boat club for a surprise 40th.  Lots of fun again (and Happy Birthday P).

Sunday I finally got to the brewing. I moved the IPA and my own Left Over Ale into bottles (with the help of my younger son who has taken a fascination to the capper) and then moved the Brakespears into the secondary (it is so good, took me back to the river and Henley).  This was followed by a massive amount of sanitizing and cleaning the used carboys, airlocks, brewing bucket and tubes. It took the whole afternoon so no time left to actually brew a new batch.  Well I can save the new stuff for next week. I have the Nut Brown ready to go and a Guinness Export clone from NB.

Its going to be another busy week so I will try and get the Malt part II post out and some tips I have queued up.  But first whats On Tap?

Primary

  • Nothing in the primary, some stout and a Nut Brown on deck though

Secondary

  • Brakespears Bitter clone (1 wk (p) 1 day (s) ) – Using the Brakespears yeast currently available from Wyeast.  FG came in on the money as did the colour. Brew already crystal clear and very drinkable. It is a very very good clone of the Henley classic.  Refreshing session brew.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 4 mths 3 wks (s)) – Now 3 weeks into the final 1/3rd of its 6 months rest.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Left Overs Old Ale (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 1 day (b) ) – So my left over recipe (sort of modeled after a Fullers Vintage) appears to be going fine. I don’t know if I can wait a year to try one of these. Came out of the secondary still with the rich full mouthfeel, strong caramel with a hint of marmalade.  It has a long rest ahead of it but I will sample a bottle in 4 weeks.
  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 1 mth 2 wks (s), 1 day (b) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV. This is going to need some time to settle down, really hoppy with a small bitter aftertaste.
  • Petite Saison d’Ete (1 wk (p) 2 wk (s), 1 wk (b) ) – This is a first for me. Thought I would try a Belgium classic with this Saison from Northern Brewer. As reported last week I had to delay bottling due to very active yeast.  It was worth the wait as the SG came down quite a bit. The ale is also really clear and tasted great, nice and spicy from the Saison yeast. Week 2 of its 2 week rest.

Drinking

  • Old Speckled Hen clone ( 1 wk (p) 1 wk  (s), 1 mth (b) ) – Came out great, see the review here.  This is a REALLY popular drink in the house right now and I predict it will be gone within the week.
  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 3 wks (s), 1 mth, 1 wk (b) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series. This new ale from NB is a 5 star brew. Easily confused with a smooth session brew but don’t let it, it packs a massive ABV punch. Continues to age well. Will definitely lay some down for a while.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 1 mth 2 wks (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. Came out a 10/10 (see review) and promoted to the permanent recipes page.
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 5 mths 2 wks (b) ) – Looking forward to cracking the 6 month bottle open
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19 April
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On Tap Update (April 19th)

Whaheyyyy, finally managed to get a couple of posts out this week even with a busy work schedule. Despite my lack of blogging the ales are working and the Speckled Hen clone is most definitely a winner, probably the best one to date.  It has been a busy week though, on the road again meaning more ales left in the cellar at the end of the week (unless the wife is sampling a few). There has to be some silver linings.

I caved and went on eBay and purchased a beat up floor model wine cellar for the summer. It will take well over a case of beers and keep the brews at 55ºF. I have decided to lay down some of the Old Ales and Imperial IPA’s over the summer and will need a constant temperature to avoid spoiling.  I am really excited to sample these beers this time next year to see how the Old’s really mature when given a chance (not something that happens much in this house, most ales are shown no mercy).

I managed to get some brewing done over the weekend, my first weekend brewing in April.  I got the Brakespears Bitter clone off and running using the Special Edition Wyeast Thames Valley II strain, allegedly taken from the now defunct Brakespear Henley Brewery.  Very excited to see how the brew comes out. Be good to have a session brew or 2 along side all the heavy Old’s and Browns I currently have in the cellar.  Next weekend I am planning to brew a small experiment batch of my Samuel Smiths Nut Brown Ale clone, the last in the Olds and Browns series.  I am also considering putting together another stout, especially given that Wyeast has a Limited Edition yeast hailing from the Guinness St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin, a opportunity that cannot go to waste.

So lots of excitement to come but whats On Tap today!

Primary

  • Brakespears Bitter clone (1 day (p)) – Using the Brakespears yeast currently available from Wyeast.  The observed OG was well within range.  Yeast cake is beginning to form.

Secondary

  • Left Overs Old Ale (1 wk (p), 2 wk (s) ) – So my left over recipe (sort of modeled after a Fullers Vintage) appears to be going fine. I don’t know if I can wait a year to try one of these. It tasted really delicious out of the primary, hints of marmalade, with a really smooth mouth feel. One of the reasons I brought the cellar was to lay a couple of these down for at least a year. Have decided to extend the rest for an additional week. No hurry and no need for the carboy.
  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 1 mth 1 wk (s) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV, now in the final week of its 6 week rest.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 4 mths 2 wk (s)) – Now 2 weeks into the final 1/3rd of its 6 months rest.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Petite Saison d’Ete (1 wk (p) 2 wk (s), 1 day (b) ) – This is a first for me. Thought I would try a Belgium classic with this Saison from Northern Brewer. As reported last week I had to delay bottling due to very active yeast.  It was worth the wait as the SG came down quite a bit. The ale is also really clear and tasted great, nice and spicy from the Saison yeast. Will give this 2 weeks before trying a sample.

Drinking

  • Old Speckled Hen clone ( 1 wk (p) 1 wk  (s), 3 wks (b) ) – Came out great, see the review here.  This is a REALLY popular drink in the house right now and I predict it will be gone within the week.
  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 3 wks (s), 1 mth (b) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series. This new ale from NB is a 5 star brew. Easily confused with a smooth session brew but don’t let it, it packs a massive ABV punch. This ale will age well and I will be laying a couple down  in the cellar when it arrives.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 1 mth 1 wk (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. Came out a 10/10 (see review) and promoted to the permanent recipes page.
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 5 mths 1 wk (b) ) – Looking forward to cracking the 6 month bottle open
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12 April
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On Tap Update (April 12th)

Another week and still nothing in the primary. I cannot remember a time since I started home brewing again that I have gone 2 weeks without brewing something new.  But with the Barleywine, IPA and Left Over Ale are all in a long secondary that just leaves the Saison, which was due to get bottled this weekend. But I go downstairs to find a secondary still active with the SG still dropping and a layer of yeast cake on top.  So my Brakespear Bitter clone will have to wait until next week.

In the meantime I will be getting a yeast starter going for some PacMan yeast I have in the fridge. It will go to a good cause, saving a stalled carbonation for a good friend.  This week will be another busy work week, I have some ideas for posts brewing (pardon the pun) and the Malt post series is still sitting incomplete in the Drafts section.  I should also be reviewing the Old Speckled Hen shortly, maybe even by next week.  So with a pending shortage of ale loomin, whats On Tap.

Primary

  • Nothing this week, all the carboys are still in good use.  The Brakespears Ale is still on deck and will definitely get brewed next week. Very excited to get a chance to brew this clone with the now closed breweries original yeast, as is my father. Its his favorite beer.

Secondary

  • Petite Saison d’Ete (1 wk (p) 1 wk (s) ) – This is a first for me. Thought I would try a Belgium classic with this Saison from Northern Brewer. So last week I reported the FG came out of the primary a little under what I was hoping and as reported above it would appear the secondary has re-invigorated the yeast and it is currently very active. Should be bottling this next week.
  • Left Overs Old Ale (1 wk (p), 1 wk (s) ) – So my left over recipe (sort of modeled after a Fullers Vintage) appears to be going fine. I don’t know if I can wait a year to try one of these. It tasted really delicious out of the primary, hints of marmalade, with a really smooth mouth feel. I am going to lay a couple of these down for at least a year. Now in week 2 of a 2 week rest.
  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 1 mth (s) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV, now on week 5 of its 6 week rest.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 4 mths 1 wk (s)) – Now a week into the final 1/3rd of its 6 months rest.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Old Speckled Hen clone ( 1 wk (p) 1 wk  (s), 2 wks (b) ) – I have had a lot of interest in the outcome of this clone. I can tell you the sample from the secondary was very good indeed. It was bright, crystal clear and the taste seemed close.  We won’t know for sure until the ale is conditioned. Week 3 of its 4 week rest but will probably try some next weekend.

Drinking

  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 3 wks (s), 3 wk (b) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series. This new ale from NB is a 5 star brew. Easily confused with a smooth session brew but don’t let it, it packs a massive ABV punch. This ale will age well and I will be laying a couple down.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 1 mth (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. Came out a 10/10 (see review) and promoted to the permanent recipes page.
  • Grateful Dead Guy Ale (1 wk (p), 2wks (s), 2 mths 1 wk, 3 days (b)) – Another special edition kit from Northern Brewer featuring the newly released PacMan Ale yeast strain from Wyeast/Rogue Breweries, this one is a Rogue Dead Guy Ale clone. I did a side by side taste test with an actual Rogue Dead Guy Ale, colour and flavour are so close its hard to tell which one was which. Taste tested by my good friend Mike Chase who ranks Rogue Dead guy as his favorite ale. He loved it. Down to my last bottle 🙁
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 5 mths (b) ) – Looking forward to cracking the 5 month bottle open
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05 April
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On Tap (April 5th 2010)

So it has finally happened, I have gone a week without a post.  I can blame it all on work and significant time taken up by goings on at the kids school. So no free time until this weekend and what a weekend. Sunday the temps were 75ºF, so outside we all went cleaning patios, scrubbing the grill and having a cookout. A slow cooked 6 lb leg of pork on the grill (with a selection of fine ales to accompany to food of course).

I must also report a sad loss.  An ale that failed to accompany the delicious pig leg was the Rogue Shakespeare Stout clone. It was DOA. I attached the gas and stout came out the lid. So I guess it was not air tight and sure enough a quick taste test revealed a heavy oxidized ale. Very unhappy. I did however manage to get a few minutes to transfer the Saison (which I really could have drunk on the spot with a slice of lemon) and my Left Overs Old Ale which is surprisingly delicious, maybe I have stumbled up a unique recipe of my own. So what else is On Tap?

Primary

  • Nothing this week, all the carboys are in good use.  Have a Brakespears Ale on deck though. Very excited, as is my father. Its his favorite beer.

Secondary

  • Petite Saison d’Ete (1 wk (p) 1 day (s) ) – This is a first for me. Thought I would try a Belgium classic with this Saison from Northern Brewer. With all the Old Ales in progress with long conditioning times thought it was time for some variety plus something that would be ready to drink quickly or I risk running dry in a month or so. The FG came out of the primary a little under what I was hoping but tasted great. Only a week in the secondary then into the bottles for a couple of weeks.
  • Left Overs Old Ale (1 wk (p), 1 day(s) ) – So my left over recipe (sort of modeled after a Fullers Vintage) appears to be going fine. The second hand yeast performed well, with 75% attenuation and a FG of 1022 (9.0% ABV). Tasted really delicious, hints of marmalade, with a really smooth mouth feel. I am going to lay a couple of these down for at least a year. Now in week 1 of a 2 week rest.
  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 3 week (s) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV, now on week 4 of its 6 week rest.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 4 mths (s)) – 2/3rds of the way through the 6 months rest.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Old Speckled Hen clone ( 1 wk (p) 1 wk  (s), 1 wk (b) ) – I have had a lot of interest in the outcome of this clone. I can tell you the sample from the secondary was very good indeed. It was bright, crystal clear and the taste seemed close.  We won’t know for sure until the ale is conditioned. Week 2 of its 4 week rest
  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 3 wks (s), 2 wk (b) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series. Came out of the secondary a beautiful deep copper, crystal clear and tasting great. Now in its final weeks rest.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 3 wk (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. Week 4 of a 6 week rest before a sample to check on performance. Might be tempted to lay some of this case down for a while

Drinking

  • Grateful Dead Guy Ale (1 wk (p), 2wks (s), 2 mths 3 days (b)) – Another special edition kit from Northern Brewer featuring the newly releasedPacMan Ale yeast strain from Wyeast/Rogue Breweries, this one is a Rogue Dead Guy Ale clone. I did a side by side taste test with an actual Rogue Dead Guy Ale, colour and flavour are so close its hard to tell which one was which. Taste tested by my good friend Mike Chase who ranks Rogue Dead guy as his favorite ale. He loved it. Good job NB.
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 4 mths 3 wks (b) ) – Another week before I crack another bottle to test what 5 months tastes like
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29 March
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On Tap (Mar 29th 2010)… plus a small recipe I made up

Another week another paycheck. Brews are created and consumed and for some reason our Spring, which appeared to be approaching with a vengeance last week, has retreated to the shadows. We have had snow, rain and freezing temperatures all week.  I did have some fun with the brewing though.

Every so often I get a mix of left over ingredients from my various recipes and throw them together to just see what happens.  In this case I had a bunch of Crystal 80L left that has been sitting around for months from my Greene King clone, some flaked Maize from my Fullers Pride and ESB clones, and a little Black Malt.  I also had various amounts of US Goldings, Northdown, Fuggles and Challenger hops in open bags, all drying out and crying out to be used.  In the fridge I had some old Fullers ESB yeast I had captured from the London Pride clone and definitely getting near the end of its usable life.  So I made up a small yeast starter and poured in the captured yeast to see if it had any life left. Sure enough next morning the yeast was a raging. Luck would have it I also had some liquid malt extract and a couple 1 lb bags of Light DME left over from a couple of recent brews.

Off to Hopville I went, put in the ingredients and viola I have a recipe I chose to call my Left Overs Old Ale.  I chose the BJCP Old Ale style as we are doing Olds right now and it seemed the nearest fit in both strength and bitterness. Check it out on Hopville.  It was fun to brew and most importantly it was free! I did not have to purchase a single ingredient.

I also found time to bottle the Speckled Hen and kick off the NB Petite Saison d’Ete. So despite being a crazy cold wet week and a really busy work week I have managed to wind down this weekend with my favorite of all hobbies, my brews.  So whats On Tap?


Primary

  • Petite Saison d’Ete (1 day (p) ) – This is a first for me. Thought I would try a Belgium classic with this Saison from Northern Brewer. With all the Old Ales in progress with long conditioning times thought it was time for some variety plus something that would be ready to drink quickly or I risk running dry in a month or so.
  • Left Overs Old Ale (2 days(p) ) – See write-up above, it was fun to brew and even caused a blow-out in the fermenter. The OG came in at 1088, just under the required 1090 limit for an Old Ale.

Secondary

  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 2 week (s) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV, now on week 3 of its 6 week rest.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 3 mths 3 wks (s)) – well into the second half of its 6 months rest.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Old Speckled Hen clone ( 1 wk (p) 1 wk  (s), 2 days (b) ) – I have had a lot of interest in the outcome of this clone. I can tell you the sample from the secondary was very good indeed. It was bright, crystal clear and the taste seemed close.  We won’t know for sure until the ale is conditioned. I am giving this one 4 weeks in the bottle for sampling.
  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 3 wks (s), 1 wk (b) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series. Came out of the secondary a beautiful deep copper, crystal clear and tasting great. Now in week 2 of a 4 week rest.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 2 wk (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. Week 3 of a 6 week rest before a sample to check on performance. Might be tempted to lay this case down for a while

Drinking

  • Twelfth Night Stout (2 wk (p), 2 wks (s), 4 wks (k) ) – A new extract clone recipe of Rogues Shakespeare Stout from Northern Brewer featuring the PacMan Ale yeast strain from Rogue. This one is an ass-kicking 70 IBU stout and is sitting in the keg for its 5th week.  Will be firing up with BeerGas this week and trying some out.
  • Grateful Dead Guy Ale (1 wk (p), 2wks (s), 7 wks 3 days (b)) – Another special edition kit from Northern Brewer featuring the newly released PacMan Ale yeast strain from Wyeast/Rogue Breweries, this one is a Rogue Dead Guy Ale clone. I did a side by side taste test with an actual Rogue Dead Guy Ale, colour and flavour are so close its hard to tell which one was which. Good job NB.
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 4 mths 2 wks (b) ) – Letting them rest again to see what another month in the bottle will bring
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22 March
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On Tap (Mar 22nd 2010)

It has been a wonderful weekend and a great first day of spring. We had clear blue skies and temps in the 70s. Pretty lite beer weekend due to the great weather, I even had a Saison on deck ready to brew. But the weather came as such a surprise we just had to get outside and prep the garden and prepare the planting beds ready for the veggies. It was also a weekend to meet up with homebrew friends (and readers of this blog) to discuss and more importantly drink homebrew. Thanks to Kurt and Kristen for a wonderful afternoon and your IPA was really worth the wait. I love the burner setup outside and now I have to get myself a similar rig as the weather gets warmer. Who knew the uses for an old bilge pump would include bottle sanitation.

I did get some beer time in but only to move brews around. I also kicked off research into my next recipe, a Fullers Vintage Ale, a classic and probably my favorite Old Ale. Its taking a while to piece together as there is very little data out there. Any help on resources to figure out hop and malt mix greatly appreciated. On that note here is the On Tap Update.

Primary

  • Nothing going right now but have a NB Petite Saison d’Ete (translate as little summer season) ready to go and am working on a Fullers Vintage Clone

Secondary

  • Old Speckled Hen clone ( 1 week (p) 1 day (s) ) – The Thames Valley yeast went nuts, and came in a whopping 82% attenuation (expected 77%), the rough sample appears good and the colour seemed to work though maybe a little lighter than the burnt gold I was shooting for.
  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 1 week (s) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV, now on week 2 of its 6 week rest.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 3 wks (s), 1 day (b) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series. Came out of the secondary a beautiful deep copper, crystal clear and tasting great. So begins week 1 of a 4 week rest before drinking.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 1 wk (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. Week 2 of a 6 week rest before drinking.
  • Twelfth Night Stout (2 wk (p), 2 wks (s), 3 wks (k) ) – A new extract clone recipe of Rogues Shakespeare Stout from Northern Brewer featuring the PacMan Ale yeast strain from Rogue. This one is an ass-kicking 70 IBU stout sitting in the keg and in its 4th and final weeks rest.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 3 mths 2 wks (s)) –well into the second half of its 6 months rest.

Drinking

  • Fullers London Pride clone (1 wk (p), 1 wk (s), 5 wks 3 days (b) ) – came out crystal clear from the primary with the FG exactly on target. Tasting great and promoted to the permanent recipes page. See review from earlier in the week. We have been hitting this mini batch a little hard and only have a 6 pack left.
  • Spitfire Premium Ale clone (1 wk (p), 2wks (s), 6 wks, 3 days (b)) – my 2nd pass at Spitfire Ale, the Shepherd Neame classic from Kent UK. Only a couple left 🙁
  • Grateful Dead Guy Ale (1wk (p), 2wks (s), 6 wks 3 days (b)) – another special edition kit from Northern Brewer featuring the newly released PacMan Ale yeast strain from Wyeast/Rogue Breweries, this one is a Rogue Dead Guy Ale clone. I did a side by side taste test with an actual Rogue Dead Guy Ale, colour and flavour are so close its hard to tell which one was which. Good job NB.
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 4 mths 1 wk (b) ) – Continues to mature with age. Cracked a couple open this weekend and this ale continues to improve with age.
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15 March
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On Tap (Mar 15th 2010)

What a week, the wife and kids have been in San Diego, I have been as sick as I think I have ever been, I managed to finally watch Beer Wars and even brewed some beer.  Well brewing beer wasn’t the forgone conclusion I thought it was going to be with the family away. Getting the flu, immediately followed by a stomach virus actually left me not wanting to even smell ale, a first for me, let alone the pungent delicious aromas of boiling wort filling my house.  It was not until Sunday I finally felt well enough to move some ales around and get my Old Speckled Hen clone underway.  I am looking forward to the rest of my time alone, I hope to get my Fullers London Pride clone review done and finally begin my malt post which I have been working on but it has been taking a while.  So hears to staying healthy for a week, drinking some great beer and happy reunions when the family returns all sunned up from San Diego, its time for an On Tap Update.


Primary

Secondary

  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 2 wks (p) 1 day (s) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered a few weeks back. It came out of the primary a whopping 1015 FG, almost 83% attenuation from the mighty American Ale yeast and checking in at over 10% ABV, so begins week 1 of its 6 week rest.
  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 2 wk 1 day (s) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series.  Final week of its 3 week rest.

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 3 wks(s) 1 day (b)) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. But the tail does not end here.  As reported the yeast fired up again leaving a layer of cake on the surface of the secondary and sure enough I retested the FG before bottling and it had fallen from 1016 to 1012, the yeast in my cellar is really rocking this year.  Smelled delicious but definitely in for at least a 6 week rest before sampling.
  • Twelfth Night Stout (2 wk (p), 2 wks (s), 2 wks 2 days (k) ) – A new extract clone recipe of Rogues Shakespeare Stout from Northern Brewer featuring the PacMan Ale yeast strain from Rogue.  This one is an ass-kicking 70 IBU stout sitting in the keg and in its third week rest out of  four.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 3 mths 1 wk (s)) –beginning the second half of its 6 months rest.

Drinking

  • Fullers London Pride clone (1 wk (p), 1 wk (s), 4 wks 3 days (b) ) – came out crystal clear from the primary with the FG exactly on target. Looking forward to seeing how this brew finishes off.  So its done, its great, special review to come this week. Yeah I am really happy about this one.
  • Spitfire Premium Ale clone (1 wk (p), 2wks (s), 5 wks, 3 days (b)) – my 2nd pass at Spitfire Ale, the Shepherd Neame classic from Kent UK.  I am drinking one now as a matter of fact.
  • Grateful Dead Guy Ale (1wk (p), 2wks (s), 5 wks 3 days (b)) – another special edition kit from Northern Brewer featuring the newly released PacMan Ale yeast strain from Wyeast/Rogue Breweries, this one is a Rogue Dead Guy Ale clone. I did a side by side taste test with an actual Rogue Dead Guy Ale, colour and flavour are so close its hard to tell which one was which. Good job NB.
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 4 mnths (b) ) – Continues to mature with age. Cracked one open last night on its 4 month birthday. It continues to age beautifully, really smoothed out and I still think it could a few more months. I will pace these for a while.
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08 March
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On Tap (Mar 8th 2010)

Apologies for the lite post week, it was a busy busy week at work with some long days and late nights. I was also working on a long post for Inly School where I am a sometime middle school guest speaker on a class I taught recently. I will post the link when its up.  It has been a lite brewing week to as all the fermenters are full with fermenting and conditioning ale with none ready to be transferred.  This is the problem when brewing heavier ales like Olds and Imperials, they take longer to condition. Take a look at my cellar inventory below and everything is in a 3-4 weeek rest (or more).

So we will have to wait a week for the Speckled Hen clone to get started.  My kids are off school this week and next and the wife and kids will be off west to LA to visit Grandpa, so poor old me is left alone with my brewing, I just wish I had timed this event better. I could have used the time to brew every night! I will miss them all very much, its a big empty house without the sound of two little boys running around, laughing, joking.. I digress, its time for the On Tap update


Primary

  • Nothing new I am afraid, Old Speckled Hen clone is on deck
  • 115th Dream Imperial IPA ( 1 wk  1 day (p) ) – A rather extreme IPA, high in ABV and a whopping 120 IBUs with over a 1 lb of hops using a technique called Hop Bursting I covered in a post last week.

Secondary

  • Olde Luddite English Strong Ale (1 wk(p) 1 wk 1 day (s) ) – A new Old Ale kit from Northern Brewer, thought I would add some Old Ale kits to my current Old’s and Browns series.  The FG came in at a whopping 1017, almost 6% over its max attenuation, the Fullers yeast was very active.  The sample was already very clear and I could have drunk the whole thing.  This is going to be a very smooth, Old Ale. Second week of its 3 week rest.
  • Theakston Old Peculier Clone (1 wk(p) 2 wks, 2 days (s) ) – My first pass at this classic old ale, FG came out in range along with the colour, that is all we can ask. It would appear the Trappist yeast is still working as a thin layer of yeast cake has formed on top of the conditioning ale. I am intrigued to find out what if anything has happened to the FG.  Now for 1 more week in the secondary

Bottle/Keg Conditioning

  • Twelfth Night Stout (2 wk (p), 2 wks (s), 1 wk 2 days (k) ) – A new extract clone recipe of Rogues Shakespeare Stout from Northern Brewer featuring the PacMan Ale yeast strain from Rogue.  This one is an ass-kicking 70 IBU stout sitting in the keg and in its second week of rest. I will probably give this at least 4 weeks before tapping
  • Fullers London Pride clone (1 wk (p), 1 wk (s), 3 wk, 3 days (b) ) – came out crystal clear from the primary with the FG exactly on target. Looking forward to seeing how this brew finishes off.  In its final week of conditioning so look for a review on this next week, I am quietly confident.
  • Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 mth (p), 3 mths 1 wk (s)) –beginning the second half of its 6 months rest.

Drinking

  • Spitfire Premium Ale clone (1 wk (p), 2wks (s), 4 wks, 3 days (b)) – my 2nd pass at Spitfire Ale, the Shepherd Neame classic from Kent UK.  Completely cleared but with a lot of sediment in the bottle.  Took 2 weeks to finish off the first case, a little too quick given this ale is pretty strong. It just goes down like a session brew 🙂
  • Grateful Dead Guy Ale (1wk (p), 2wks (s), 4 wks 3 days (b)) – a new special edition kit from Northern Brewer featuring the newly released PacMan Ale yeast strain from Wyeast/Rogue Breweries, this one is a Rogue Dead Guy Ale clone. I did a side by side taste test with an actual Rogue Dead Guy Ale, colour and flavour are so close its hard to tell which one was which. Good job NB.
  • Flowers Original Ale clone (1 wk (p), 1 wk (s), 6 wks (b)) – my first brew of 2010 and first attempt at the classic Flowers recipe. See review from earlier, its a winner and has been promoted to the recipe page. Only one bottle left, this will be finished this week. Only made 3/4 of a case and look forward to brewing a full 5 gallons later in the year. This ale appears to peak in flavour after ~5 weeks in the bottle
  • Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone (1 wk (p), 3 wks (s), 3 mnth 3 wks (b) ) – Continues to mature with age, been holding back on these to see how they pan out.
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