Brewing Master

Question:

…this newsgroup slowed down a bit?  Everyone getting outdoors in the warmer weather and doing less brewing?  Just curious if everyone normally brews more batches during the winter months? I’m in Michigan and it’s 80deg today.  65 in my basement.  Looks like I’m moving the brewing equipment downstairs. I think I’m a little bassackwards here.  I have a strong scottish ale (OG: 1.082) ready to be kegged.  I should be drinking this in -20deg weather, not 80deg.  What do you all think about the idea of taking this ~8% abv brew, kegging it, purging it with co2, then sticking it down in the basement for about 6 months (checking once in awhile to make sure I still have co2 pressure in the tank)?  I think the brew will be awesome after 6 months, I’m just concerned about not having it refridgerated…should I be all set with storing this keg? Lastly, whats a good ale for the summertime?  I’m looking at a medium-light hopped brew, crisp/clear, smooth, abv about ~4.5%, ya know, the homebrew that you can carefully slam after working your ass off out in the yard?  Can anyone suggest a good extract/specialty grain recipe? (I think I’ll be all-graining by next winter..woo hoo!) Have a good summer all… j

Response:

75 degrees and sunny in Atlanta.  The weather has been perfect for the past month and looks to stay that way for the next week.  I don’t miss Michigan at all.  Cold winters, hot, humid summers.  Yuck. And yes, most people find better things to do than sit behind a computer when the weather gets warm.  Don’t you? : I just brewed a Belgian White myself (all grain).  It’ll be interesting because I did a couple of things wrong I think and also I dropped my hydrometer and shattered it, so it felt like I brewed the batch blind.  Beer is very forgiving though … I’ve made some (what seemed to be) nasty mistakes and it came out good.  I can convert the all grain recipe to extract/speciality grains if you’d like, but it’s probably a little too mellow (hop wise).  The IBU is probably around 15-20.  Personally, I think you should go with a hefeweizen.  Here’s one I made last year that turned out pretty good: http://www.ratebeer.com/ShowRecipe.asp?RecipeID=4 I used the Weinstephaner yeast (Wyeast), but the clove/banana flavor wasn’t as apparent as I had hoped for. If you want to step up the hop flavor from medium to high, check out my IPA. I liked this (as did others) better than the hefeweizen. http://www.ratebeer.com/ShowRecipe.asp?RecipeID=1 Enjoy, and let me know how they turn out if you try them! Bill

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …this newsgroup slowed down a bit?  Everyone getting outdoors in the warmer weather and doing less brewing?  Just curious if everyone normally brews more batches during the winter months? I’m in Michigan and it’s 80deg today.  65 in my basement.  Looks like I’m moving the brewing equipment downstairs. I think I’m a little bassackwards here.  I have a strong scottish ale (OG: 1.082) ready to be kegged.  I should be drinking this in -20deg weather, not 80deg.  What do you all think about the idea of taking this ~8% abv brew, kegging it, purging it with co2, then sticking it down in the basement for about 6 months (checking once in awhile to make sure I still have co2 pressure in the tank)?  I think the brew will be awesome after 6 months, I’m just concerned about not having it refridgerated…should I be all set with storing this keg? Lastly, whats a good ale for the summertime?  I’m looking at a medium-light hopped brew, crisp/clear, smooth, abv about ~4.5%, ya know, the homebrew that you can carefully slam after working your ass off out in the yard?  Can anyone suggest a good extract/specialty grain recipe? (I think I’ll be all-graining by next winter..woo hoo!) Have a good summer all… j

Response:

Thanks for the recipe links Bill.  I’ll definately try your IPA out, but it’s going to wait till I harvest my chinook and cascade hops at the end of the year..  :) Ahh, Michigan.  I love it, always have, always will.  It’s a variety of weather… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 75 degrees and sunny in Atlanta.  The weather has been perfect for the past month and looks to stay that way for the next week.  I don’t miss Michigan at all.  Cold winters, hot, humid summers.  Yuck. And yes, most people find better things to do than sit behind a computer when the weather gets warm.  Don’t you? : I just brewed a Belgian White myself (all grain).  It’ll be interesting because I did a couple of things wrong I think and also I dropped my hydrometer and shattered it, so it felt like I brewed the batch blind.  Beer is very forgiving though … I’ve made some (what seemed to be) nasty mistakes and it came out good.  I can convert the all grain recipe to extract/speciality grains if you’d like, but it’s probably a little too mellow (hop wise).  The IBU is probably around 15-20.  Personally, I think you should go with a hefeweizen.  Here’s one I made last year that turned out pretty good: http://www.ratebeer.com/ShowRecipe.asp?RecipeID=4 I used the Weinstephaner yeast (Wyeast), but the clove/banana flavor wasn’t as apparent as I had hoped for. If you want to step up the hop flavor from medium to high, check out my IPA. I liked this (as did others) better than the hefeweizen. http://www.ratebeer.com/ShowRecipe.asp?RecipeID=1 Enjoy, and let me know how they turn out if you try them! Bill …this newsgroup slowed down a bit?  Everyone getting outdoors in the warmer weather and doing less brewing?  Just curious if everyone normally brews more batches during the winter months? I’m in Michigan and it’s 80deg today.  65 in my basement.  Looks like I’m moving the brewing equipment downstairs. I think I’m a little bassackwards here.  I have a strong scottish ale (OG: 1.082) ready to be kegged.  I should be drinking this in -20deg weather, not 80deg.  What do you all think about the idea of taking this ~8% abv brew, kegging it, purging it with co2, then sticking it down in the basement for about 6 months (checking once in awhile to make sure I still have co2 pressure in the tank)?  I think the brew will be awesome after 6 months, I’m just concerned about not having it refridgerated…should I be all set with storing this keg? Lastly, whats a good ale for the summertime?  I’m looking at a medium-light hopped brew, crisp/clear, smooth, abv about ~4.5%, ya know, the homebrew that you can carefully slam after working your ass off out in the yard?  Can anyone suggest a good extract/specialty grain recipe? (I think I’ll be all-graining by next winter..woo hoo!) Have a good summer all… j

– "Mmmmmmm Beeeeeer" – Homer Simpson

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