The Official Bay Area Beer Thread
06-18-2009, 09:48 AM
#301
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Okay, making another wheat and another ale like my first "wootbeer" but with Chinook hops for bittering instead of Galena. I liked that one better than the last one I made, so going back to that one and seeing how it is with the different hops. This one will have 8oz of hops like the last ale, but done using the method known as "the right way" so it's not overbearing. Wheat will be similar to the last, however a little lighter in color and taste. More to the point of a "summer beer" with the tartness of the lilikoi again.
I'm going to have to make them again with and without the Guinness. Stout is supposed to give red meats a "meatier" flavor, but I have nothing to compare it to.
06-29-2009, 11:47 PM
#302
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Whew been a little busy.. I did the new hefeweizen, then another hoppy pale, and after racking the wheat I realized I could do up a third, so I made a sort of lighter ale "Kolsch" type beer. Currently 3 fermenters at once for a grand total of 15 gallons of beer fermenting. It will be tricky to juggle the fermenters as I need to rack my ale to the secondary on Wednesday, but I need to bottle the wheat on Friday so that will free up another secondary. Biggest trick is coming up with, removing labels from, cleaning, sterilizing, drying, storing and finally bottling 150 beers. I am up to around 60 bottles so far and counting. *phew*
15 gallons of beer in my garage (stays close to 70, even in this heat):
Lower left is the hoppy pale, top middle is the kolsch, and the right is the wheat in the secondary fermenter.
So the last couple I tried taking pics of the process for any up-and-coming brewers out there. I did not do so great, but hey - it's a work in progress. Next time I plan to do a pretty basic west coast IPA, and I will do my best to photo-document the whole process.
Lilikoi Wheat #2
Hoppy Pale #3
15 gallons of beer in my garage (stays close to 70, even in this heat):
Lower left is the hoppy pale, top middle is the kolsch, and the right is the wheat in the secondary fermenter.
So the last couple I tried taking pics of the process for any up-and-coming brewers out there. I did not do so great, but hey - it's a work in progress. Next time I plan to do a pretty basic west coast IPA, and I will do my best to photo-document the whole process.
Lilikoi Wheat #2
Hoppy Pale #3
Last edited by wombatsauce; 06-29-2009 at 11:52 PM.
06-30-2009, 01:00 PM
#303
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I have an extra fridge you can store some of those bottles in 
Thanks for doing that little pictorial too! I should be brewing my first batch towards the end of the week. Since the temperatures in this house are nuts, I gutted the mini fridge in the garage and got an analog temperature controller. The 6 gallon carboy barely fits in there (since the bottom of the fridge isn't flat) and I can fit 24 22oz bottles in there, probably a little more with some creativity.
Eventually (maybe when the weather cools off and it isn't unbearable to work in the garage) I'm just going to do this: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/new-...-build-102846/
Thanks for doing that little pictorial too! I should be brewing my first batch towards the end of the week. Since the temperatures in this house are nuts, I gutted the mini fridge in the garage and got an analog temperature controller. The 6 gallon carboy barely fits in there (since the bottom of the fridge isn't flat) and I can fit 24 22oz bottles in there, probably a little more with some creativity.
Eventually (maybe when the weather cools off and it isn't unbearable to work in the garage) I'm just going to do this: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/new-...-build-102846/
06-30-2009, 03:11 PM
#304
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I have an extra fridge you can store some of those bottles in
Thanks for doing that little pictorial too! I should be brewing my first batch towards the end of the week. Since the temperatures in this house are nuts, I gutted the mini fridge in the garage and got an analog temperature controller. The 6 gallon carboy barely fits in there (since the bottom of the fridge isn't flat) and I can fit 24 22oz bottles in there, probably a little more with some creativity.
Eventually (maybe when the weather cools off and it isn't unbearable to work in the garage) I'm just going to do this: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/new-...-build-102846/
Thanks for doing that little pictorial too! I should be brewing my first batch towards the end of the week. Since the temperatures in this house are nuts, I gutted the mini fridge in the garage and got an analog temperature controller. The 6 gallon carboy barely fits in there (since the bottom of the fridge isn't flat) and I can fit 24 22oz bottles in there, probably a little more with some creativity.
Eventually (maybe when the weather cools off and it isn't unbearable to work in the garage) I'm just going to do this: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/new-...-build-102846/
Just noticed that guy mentioned the fermentation smell as well. Maybe my kitchen is just well ventilated, but I only smell the beers when I am right up next to them. I asked my wife if it bothered her, and she said not at all and she hadn't noticed they smell. I turned the carboy boxes into "hats" for the carboys to keep them dark, and when I lift one off I get a whiff but it smells nice.
Last edited by wombatsauce; 06-30-2009 at 03:14 PM.
06-30-2009, 03:22 PM
#305
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whew been a little busy.. I did the new hefeweizen, then another hoppy pale, and after racking the wheat i realized i could do up a third, so i made a sort of lighter ale "kolsch" type beer. Currently 3 fermenters at once for a grand total of 15 gallons of beer fermenting. It will be tricky to juggle the fermenters as i need to rack my ale to the secondary on wednesday, but i need to bottle the wheat on friday so that will free up another secondary. Biggest trick is coming up with, removing labels from, cleaning, sterilizing, drying, storing and finally bottling 150 beers. I am up to around 60 bottles so far and counting. *phew*
15 gallons of beer in my garage (stays close to 70, even in this heat):
lower left is the hoppy pale, top middle is the kolsch, and the right is the wheat in the secondary fermenter.
So the last couple i tried taking pics of the process for any up-and-coming brewers out there. I did not do so great, but hey - it's a work in progress. Next time i plan to do a pretty basic west coast ipa, and i will do my best to photo-document the whole process.
lilikoi wheat #2
hoppy pale #3
15 gallons of beer in my garage (stays close to 70, even in this heat):
lower left is the hoppy pale, top middle is the kolsch, and the right is the wheat in the secondary fermenter.
So the last couple i tried taking pics of the process for any up-and-coming brewers out there. I did not do so great, but hey - it's a work in progress. Next time i plan to do a pretty basic west coast ipa, and i will do my best to photo-document the whole process.
lilikoi wheat #2
hoppy pale #3
06-30-2009, 07:19 PM
#307
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Wow, fancy! That temp controller is pretty cool. I have been waiting on a mini-fridge that is supposed to return to me at some point - I need to check on that. Was hoping to be able to do up a lager in there. I only need to fit my 5gal carboy in there though since it would need to stay cool for the secondary ferment. My garage stays around 70 even in this heat since it's a concrete building and the carboys are sitting on the slab. If I get that fridge though, the Kolsch is going in there for 3 weeks once in bottles. If that works out, I am going to try my hand at a lager. That "fermentation chamber" idea is pretty cool though.
Just noticed that guy mentioned the fermentation smell as well. Maybe my kitchen is just well ventilated, but I only smell the beers when I am right up next to them. I asked my wife if it bothered her, and she said not at all and she hadn't noticed they smell. I turned the carboy boxes into "hats" for the carboys to keep them dark, and when I lift one off I get a whiff but it smells nice.
Just noticed that guy mentioned the fermentation smell as well. Maybe my kitchen is just well ventilated, but I only smell the beers when I am right up next to them. I asked my wife if it bothered her, and she said not at all and she hadn't noticed they smell. I turned the carboy boxes into "hats" for the carboys to keep them dark, and when I lift one off I get a whiff but it smells nice.
07-03-2009, 06:21 PM
#309
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Ill be tearing these apart this weekend... a case of Sierra Kellerweis ! Not in the market just yet... the Sierra Nevada rep hooked it up ! Sierra's take on a Hefe ! Gettin em cold and then tearin em up !
07-03-2009, 08:06 PM
#310
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Oh man - this stuff is really good, like Hoegaarden but with more character. Had about 5 today - they have it at Whole Foods. I also grabbed a 4pk of Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA which is just amazing. Bottled my wheat today - only got 45 bottles this time.
07-04-2009, 10:07 AM
#312
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Just bottled my new wootwheat which tastes awesome (tried some during the process). Racking the kolsch today and bottling ale next week. I need to find about 50 more bottles.
07-04-2009, 10:32 AM
#314
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Yesterday I started and used there deluxe kit (the $215 one) and everything was super easy. The only thing I'd suggest getting that they don't supply is a "wine thief" or a turkey baster to take samples from the fermenter with.
