Brew Thru #6 Updates

When you don't post often, there is always something to discuss!  In this Brew thru...

• Sharing Homebrew
• Why I am switching (back) to Five Gallon Batches
• Alcoholic Root Beer
• Shegogue Brew Around the Web

Sharing Homebrew

(Eight Taps for the picnic)

Last month I attended a community picnic featuring a homebrew tent.  Eight different home breweries (Shegogue Brew included) provided a variety of beer for all to enjoy.  I brought my session IPA (recipe and review to be posted soon) and it seemed to be well received.  Its always nice to see smiles on the faces of complete strangers enjoying your beer.

(Sensory Analysis for new brewer's beer)

Five Gallon Batches

I have reverted back to five-gallon batches and I want to explain why...

In the beginning, 99% of homebrewers follow their extract recipe and kit to "a tee," and I was no exception. All of those extract recipes are designed for 5 gallons post-boil (with top off water). It's easy since all ale pales have a clear demarcation at the five gallon mark. So why does it seem that a lot of brewers move onto batch sizes which not divisible by five?

My guess is Brewing Classic Styles - To some this is their homebrew recipe bible.  All of the recipes in this book are formulated for 6 gallons post boil, leaving a half gallon of trub/hops etc in the kettle.  The remain five and a half gallons is fermented leaving at least five full gallons to go into the keg.

This may work for some, but looking back I can see all the headaches it caused me!

I ferment in six gallon better bottles.  You know what is a sure way to make a mess or require a blow off tube, which can still make a mess?  Fermenting five and half gallons of wort in a six gallon better bottle.  I did this for a while and just used a blow off tube, but it is a pain cleaning both airlocks and blow-off tubes all the time.  Not to mention liquid suck-back if I chilled the beer down quickly.

You know what doesn't make a mess or require a blowoff tube (in most cases)?  Filling that six gallon better bottle with five gallons or less of sweet wort.

Five gallon kegs hold five gallons, not five and half.  If you aren't paying attention you can fill the beer in the keg so high that it covers the CO2 dip tube.  This is a sure way to spray beer everywhere when you "burp" air out of a pin lock keg (ask me how I know).

So in an effort to make less of a mess while also saving money on ingredients, I am going back to 5 gallon batches.  If you are interested in any of my recipes, please take note of the batch size as the older recipes will still utilize a six gallon size.

Not Your Father's Root Beer

A friend gave me a bottle of this on Labor day weekend.  If you have not had this one yet I will tell you it does taste exactly like root beer.  Only difference is it hash a slight boozey note in the finish.  My reaction was much like my friends - you start out amazed at the sorcery that is conjured to create an alcoholic root beer and think "Man, I could drink a whole six pack of this!"  By the end of the glass, however, you are changing your tune.  I was on a rather empty stomach, but even so it was just too sweet.  I have mixed beer and sweets in the past and never makes my stomach feel good.  This beverage just expedites that feeling by putting the two together for me!  Would still recommend trying one if you haven't.  I may have to look into creating something similar in flavor but decreased sweetness.

Shegogue Brew Around the Web

Only one article to note since the last brew thru - Organizing Tips for Homebrewers.


Well, that is it for now!  I am about to put my brown ale on tap and when I get a chance I will be posting that recipe as well as the session IPA.  Looking to try and brew this weekend, but having trouble deciding what to make... suggestions welcome.

Cheers!

Brew Thru #5 - Ventilation progress, BJCP Written Exam

Slowly but surely I am working on finishing the basement brewery. I can't believe it has almost been a full six months since I last brewed up a batch of beer...unacceptable, right? Well that's what happens when you tell yourself you won't brew again until the new setup is finished. But I have good news since I am almost finished! Check out the video below for my updates on the build.

I just need to wire up my variable speed control and clean up the basement.  Then I will be good to brew!  Looking to make something hoppy the weekend of the 20th.

BJCP Written Test

Well, I took the test a few weeks ago and I don't expect to receive a good score once I get the grades back.  We all know that feeling from our days back in school when we were ill-prepared for a test. I knew my preparation for the exam was nowhere near where it needed to be - and the test confirmed that. It is unfortunate because the test itself really wasn't difficult.  [If you weren't aware the full list of potential questions is available over at bjcp.org]  Some would say the questions were the easier ones from the pool of questions which could be asked on the exam. I just didn't have styles memorized and that is always a big part of the exam because you have to compare and contrast two sets of three different styles.


I am still waiting on the results, but if I get anything above a 70 I will be surprised. I need a 75 to get the necessary score to move up to "National" - I also need 9 more experience points so regardless it will definitely be a little while until I achieve a higher rank.

Shegogue Brew around the Web

I was featured in another article over on HomeBrewTalk where I give some suggestions on how you can Speed Up your Brew Day.  Additionally, the folks that run HBT have entered into the homebrew business and I have penned some tutorials over on their new website: http://www.homebrewsupply.com/learn be sure to check them out, especially if live around San Marcos, TX.


I also have been trying to post up more Homebrew Wednesday videos.  If you enjoy watching me talk to the camera, sample beers, and make a general fool of myself then you NEED to subscribe to the YouTube channel - you won't be disappointed.

On Deck...

Heading to Vermont next week for a little vacation. I will try and grab and document some of the wonderful beer the state is known for so I can share on this blog. Stay tuned, cheers!

Brew Thru #4 - Sink Video, BJCP Comp, Articles on Other Sites

Well, I haven't been doing too well in the blog frequency department have I? But quality over quantity right?

Brewery Updates

I installed the sink and ordered some of the parts for the ventilation.  I went with the Tjernlund M-6 6" fan which can pull a whopping 530 CFM of air and a variable speed control to go with it.  Hoping to get to installing this in the next couple of weeks and ideally brew my first batch on the new system by Memorial day at the latest. 

Video of the sink:

BJCP Judging and Test

I judged at the Spirit of Free Beer competition on April 17, and April 18, 2015.  I participated in both the Friday and Saturday judging sessions and there were some really great beers!  I got to judge Belgian Specialty, and American Ale (all American browns) categories on Friday night and the Specialty, and Pilsner categories on Saturday. 


I have said it before, but it needs to be repeated: When entering the specialty category only state "special" ingredients that are noticeable.  Often times I will get a beer in the specialty category that has the "kitchen sink" added to it and only one of those ingredients was noticeable compared to the base style.


Judging 40+ beers in two days is a lot of writing, but it is good preparation for the written BJCP Exam I am taking next month!  I am trying to study my butt off to and from work on the commuter train so I can hopefully get a high enough score to become a National judge.

Shegogue Brew Around the Web

I recently had a new article posted over at Homebrewtalk in regards to Recipe Development.  Be sure to let me know if  you develop and brew any "3-2-1" recipes.  Additionally, I wrote a textbook article on beer math which is good for beginning brewers looking to understand how to derive ABV, attenuation and gravities. 


Lastly, I had an article about dialing in your system posted over on Homebrew Academy

Brew Thru #3 - Beer Style Finder and Guest Post Link

Wow, we are in March already!  We just got hit with hopefully our LAST Snow of the winter...

In this Brew Thru I will discuss:

• Basement induction brewery updates 
• A cool new beer style finder tool
• Posts made on other sites and YouTube

Brewery Updates 

Currently over-analyzing what type of faucet for my utility sink will be the best "bang for my buck."  Also need to decide on what type of fan I want for venting the steam.  I really need to get moving on this though so I can start make some beer.  This winter has seemed like forever, and not having the indoor brewery setup is a constant slap in my face

Beer Styles Finder

Most of the homebrewing community is already aware of the imminent style updates coming to the BCJP Style Guidelines.  But what about just the beer lovers?  With the craft brew expanding to the masses the Craft Brewers Association as come up with a cool new tool on their web site to discuss beer styles!

(Beer Styles)

It is pretty nice tool which will help potential beer lovers find a beer that meets their palate needs.  In the picture below I selected 'Malty' and 'Hoppy' and was present with the following applicable styles: American Brown, American Imperial Red, American Stout, and Specialty.

Give it a try and see what you think!

Shegogue Brew around the Web

If you didn't see I had a guest post over on The Homebrew Academy where I talked about induction brewing.  I seem to mention it a lot here on my blog, but if you want to learn more about how it works I recommend check out the post.

I also just uploaded my second Homebrew Wednesday video where I give a visual walk-through of what I would do on a brew day and give an organization quick tip.

Other Thoughts

Really need to get back to updating/creating labels.  I am trying to do some GIMP tutorials to figure out how to make a new logo.  Any thoughts or tips in this area would be much appreciated!

Brew Thru #2 - Workbench

Time flies, doesn't it?  Already in February of 2015 and things are plodding along nicely.  In the second Brew Thru I will be talking about some Social Media Updates, my first Homebrew Wednesday, recapping the Superbowl, and my workbench.

Social Media and Homebrew Wednesday

So I have recently learned of this Homebrew Wednesday (HBW) thing going on over on YouTube.  It is pretty cool and equally dorky at the same time = right up my alley.  Homebrewers record updates for their brews, brewdays, or just anything related to their homebrewing and post it up on Wednesdays.  I just launched my first HBW video as the debut of the Shegogue Brew YouTube channel.  Be sure to subscribed to stay on top of all things Shegogue Brew.

I also have launched a Facebook Page for you to 'Like.'  If you are an avid FB'er you can stay in touch that way.  Considering twitter...but I am not a huge fan...we will see.

Super Bowl Recap - The Welker's first Homebrew

Most of us gather to watch the Superbowl.  It is the time of year I  look forward to as another reason to continue - my birthday usual falls the week before the superbowl - eating good-tasting, but bad-for-me foods like these ham and cheese sliders, and seven layer dip.  My wife and I had our friends, whose namesake claims the Witty Welker, over to enjoy the game.

The Welker's have caught the brew bug and brought over their first batch of homebrew!  Its always interesting being on the receiving end of other brewers first batch.  They are usually worried I won't like, and watch my first sip with bated breath.  No worries necessary though as the beer was excellent!  They made a Brewer's Best Weizen and it was delightful.  They didn't remember which yeast was used (I'm letting the lack of note-taking slide this time you two!) but it favored my weizen preferences of a stronger clove phenol, over banana esters.  The only real things I could knock the beer for was its clarity and that it was a little thin in the mouthfeel.  We will ignore the clarity by claiming this a kristal weizen.  The thinner body made for a very easy drinking beer.  Once again, well done!

Then there was the infamous Budweiser commercial.  I am not going to link to it since I don't want to promote AB-InBev.  I think they are horrible stewards of the beer industry, but not because of the commercial.  If anything I was more disappointed that they didn't come up with something funny - though I guess that is saved for Bud Light commercials - remember the one about ten years ago where the guy only had enough money for the 6-pack of bud light or toilet paper?  He ends up choosing the Bud Light and when asked by the cashier if wants paper or plastic, he promptly states paper.  Now, that is a good commercial!  This year's defensive stance against craft beer and its drinkers just goes to show they are really starting to feel the pain of continued declining U.S. sales OR they are marketing genius's and trying to drum up sales for their newly bought-out Elysian Brewing's pumpkin beers!

Workbench

Until recently I didn't have a workbench.  I had a set of plastic sawhorses (real cheap) which broke, so I made a sturdy 2x4 set which I utilized for the deck project and they work great, but they are rather bulky and remain outside for use on bigger projects.  I was in need of a multipurpose workbench.  It will be used for anything and everything.  Here are the build pics:

Just barely fit in my toyota corolla.  2'x6' is plywood cuts is about all that would fit

All the lumber laid out, changing my saw blade

Cuts made - I found one really nice knotted piece of 2x6

Can never have too many clamps - using this setup to keep the cross piece flush

Used one screw to hold together so I could drill a 5/8" hole for the oak dowels

The legs

Pretty precise and accurate cuts there

Another view of the dowel joinery. Oak dowel glued with Titebond II

Cutting the dadoes on the apron to prevent racking on the legs

Dadoes cut and chisseled out (I need better chisels if I get into woodworking)

One side together

Second side added

Bench frame all set to go!

Almost Complete!  Two sheets of 3/4" BC grade plywood screwed ever foot

Unfortunately, even though the plywood was grade BC, it was providing quite a few splinters.  I decided to pick up a few sheets of tempered hardboard.  I got 1/8", but probably should have gotten 1/4" time will tell.  I drilled a tiny hole so I could counter sink the thin tack nails.

Tack nails holding tempered hardboard down

Finished!

I based the bench build off of the quick workbench from woodgears.ca/workbench/, but used 2x6 for the legs and the top cross-piece. This was secured with two 5/8" dowels and glue on each side. I used a 2x4 on the bottom of the legs and two 1/2" dowels glued.  The apron rails are 2x6s with six 2" screws on each leg connection.  I also finally installed the 48" powerstrip above the bench for quick-access.  As Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor would say, "More Power!"

Now to build the brewstand!

Brew Thru #1 - Other Blogs, Small Batch Bottling Tips, and Equipment upgrades

So in the past I had written some blog posts that I just simply titled "Brewery Update [insert date]" and while that was appropriate, because it was an update, I want to try and better categorize any and all update-type posts in the future.  I also want to try and label posts with appropriate tags to be able to search my growing list of posts better.  I am deeming these smorgasbord posts as Brew Thru's.  I liken this much to the growing youtube tag Homebrew Wednesday (HBW).  If you aren't aware, HBW is the acronym people use when they make short videos every Wednesday and post the video on youtube.  These videos usually feature a guy tasting a beer and giving any updates related to their homebrew gear or gadgetry.  They can be very entertaining, however, only 5% - 10% of the video provides informative information.  I hope to outline these updates in a way which allows readers to quickly skim and extract any informative content they may find useful.

Without further ado, lets brew thru!

Other Blogs

I have a lengthy commute, sure I have mentioned that before, and I utilize my time on the commuter train to to read other homebrewing blogs.  I cam across a few recently which I am really enjoying and want to highlight them.  As usual, you can view all my blogs over in the right sidebar:

• Sui Generis Brewing - Homebrew blog with a focus on yeast.  The author has developed a great series of youtube videos for the beginner in yeast culturing and working in an aseptic environment.  If you are interested in start a small homebrew yeast lab, definitely check out this site.
• Eric Brews - This is somewhat of a new blog created back in November to document the brewing of a ton of beer for the authors coming nuptials which are this weekend, I think?  I stumpled upon Eric's blog doing my semi-weekly google searching for "induction" or basement brewing setups.  Eric is using the avantco burner, too.  I am hoping his blog stays frequently updated once his marital status changes.
• Shegogue Brew on HomebrewTalk - I have written a few articles and plan to write some more for the popular online homebrew community.  I have also provide a link to the right specifically for my posts.  I will try to plug them through future brew thrus.

Cool New Ideas - Small Batch Bottling Tips

Has your significant other every told you that you brew to often?  If not, you may not be brewing enough!  If so, I may have found some rationale for you to justify how infrequently you do brew, in comparison... thanks to Matthew Murray.  Matthew is a homebrewer from NC who has probably been brewing more often than a lot of commercial breweries.  He started a website to document his journey of brewing a beer everyday for an ENTIRE YEAR.  Matthew is a little over a year into this and posted a new idea which I haven't seen before.  If you are a small batch (1-2 gallon) brewer, his tips on bottling are must see will definitely speed up your process.  

Equipment Upgrades

I have been using a new 9 gallon Bayou classic (1036) pot for my last 5 or so brews.  I made this kettle change in my anticipation of going electric.  The 15 gallon aluminum pot I used to use was not induction capable.  The new pot came with a ball valve, and although the pain of cleaning and sanitizing my autosiphon is now relegated only to packaging day, I learned the hard way how messy it can be to try and get wort from the kettle to the fermenter with just a ball valve.  I decided to solve this issue and future-proof my kettle by ordering a set of camlcok quick disconnects and silicone tubing from brewhardware.com.  I used the setup to drain from my kettle to a Better Bottle on Monday when I brewed and it worked like a charm!  Yet another small step in my constant goal of brewday time optimization.