On Tap (Jan 3rd 2010)
The kids have been off for a second week and we have had a friend over, its been a pleasant, and dare I say it, restful week. We managed to polish off the Kentish Best to some good reviews, though I still think there is work to be done. The Greene King clone goes down really easily and the keg is almost done, looks like I will be out of ale again. At least I have 4 cases conditioning in the cellar and a healthy pipeline in the works. Its time for the first “On Tap” of 2010.
Primary
- Draught Irish Ale (5 days) – my first attempt at Northern Brewers Irish Ale, this one is destined for the keg.
- Dry Irish Stout (4 days) – my second batch of Northern Brewers Guinness clone and a faithful reproduction it is. This batch is a pre-order keg for a friends poker night though I hope to get a couple of bottles for myself.
Secondary
- Swampswill 6X (1 day) – my first attempt at a true Wadworth 6X clone, only doing a 2.5 gl batch as an experiment which should yield just under a case. Primary fermentation completed with the FG on target and the taste and aroma close, but we need to wait for the secondary to complete before we can begin to get excited.
- Lord Fatbottom Ale (1 week 3 days) – This 13% beauty cleared completely in the first week. 1 1/2 weeks of a 6 month rest down
Bottle Conditioning
- American Style IPA (1 week 3 days) – nice hoppy IPA, not quite an Imperial but its close. Still needs another week at least but the sample showed promise after a week in the bottle. I will have a couple of six packs up for grabs next week if anyone wants some.
- Chiswick ESB (1 week 3 days) – version 1.0 of my Fullers ESB clone I covered in an earlier post. The 1 week sample was a disappointment, the sample has darkened and was not as bright as I had hoped. It still seems a little sweet and the carbonation is flat. This brew is really puzzling me as the primary showed so much promise.
- Dogfish Head 90 min IPA clone – (1 month, 2 weeks) Half way done, cannot wait
Drinking
- Abbots Special Ale (3 days) – this is my first attempt at a Greene King Abbot Ale clone. It has proved to be a very pleasant, smooth ale, though not quite a Greene King. Its almost done as we had friends over New Years to help us drink it, proved very popular.
