Beer

Back in the brew of things

February 16, 2016

On a cold day off, I decided to take advantage of things and brew a beer.

It’s been a while, too.

The one I chose? A kit from the Brooklyn Brew Shop – peanut butter porter. Yeah, it sounds awesome I’m thinking. And, in about a month or so, I’ll have the chance to tell you how it tastes.

Brewing day!

Anyway, I did all that was said to be done, but somewhere along the way, I must have done something wrong with this batch. I’m hoping I didn’t, but it’s highly possible.

The directions from the Brooklyn Brew Shop are easy to follow.

Sanitize. Mash. Sparge. Boil. Fermentation.

Bottling will come later. But for now, everything was easy enough. I measured everything out, but in the end, I still needed to add about a quarter of a gallon of water.

Maybe my boil was too much?

I didn’t think so, but it’s possible.

I also made sure to strain everything. But in the end, I still got a bunch of excess “crap.” So, honestly, I have no idea if I am doing something wrong or not.

So, this is what I did – and maybe I did some things that shouldn’t have been done, but even when I did things in the past, it seems to sometimes end up the same. So… here we go.

Mash

One mistake I made was the size of the pot for the mash. I should have used a slightly smaller one as I think it would have heated a little more even. I ended up adding a little water to the mash as it seemed to be burning on the bottom a bit, so I think it might have been a little dry. Also, it didn’t seem to heat evenly. I’d have a good temp in one spot, and not in another. So I’d mix it all up and heat a little bit to get it to the spot.

Outside of that, the mash seemed to be ok. Things looked fine.

The Sparge

OK, this is where things might have gotten dicey – but this is the only place.

With many kits I use, the sparge isn’t done. With the all-grain brewing, it’s a necessary step. One thing I’d like to figure out is how to brew in a bag as I think it would help me with several aspects. I need to do some research to figure out how the best way to attack that would be, though. I’d also have to find some good brew bags.

Anyway, with this one I did as the instructions said. I boiled up the right amount of water (actually may have had an extra cup or two in there) and got things ready. This is where I realized I had one issue – my strainer isn’t big enough to hold all the grain. I had to figure the best way to tackle this, so I put half of the mash into the strainer and did the sparge, and then did the same with the second half of the mash.

But, my thought here is – did the mash get too cool in that amount of time? Did I do something to mess up the normal way of going? If I am going to do this the regular way, I think I need to invest in a bigger strainer. If I am going to the brew in a bag method, I might not need to worry about it.

Outside of that, things seemed find. I got a nice dark wort, and it was ready for the boil.

Some goodies to add to the boil.

The Boil

Ok, here’s my question for those who know brewing – do I start the timer (the directions said 75 minutes) as it heats up, or not until it actually starts boiling? I didn’t start the timer until the boiling started as it made more sense and I think that’s how I’ve done it in the past (note: I haven’t brewed in a while and even longer for all-grain), so hopefully that was fine.

I did have one issue during the boil, though. I got the “light boil,” but on the low heat, it lost that low boil. So I had to crank it up (probably 10/15 minutes into the boil) to get it back to a good spot. From then on, it seemed to hold well.

Everything was added when I was supposed to (and with that peanut butter addition – it smelled good!), so it was time to continue on.

Cooling down

I put the pot into an ice bath and I had a mixture of water and ice, so the pot kind of bobbed a little. Eventually I axed the water and went with all ice, figuring that was best. I’m not sure if it was exposed too long, but that wouldn’t have done anything to the amount of liquid. Once I hit the target temperature, it was time to put it in the fermenting jug.

Fermenting

I set up the strainer and the funnel and started to pour. I loved the look of this porter. The smell was outstanding. If it tastes as good as it smelled, I will look forward to it.

But, there was a lot of junk still being caught. I thought most of it was gone during the sparge, but apparently not. It caught a lot and I think some might have even made it into the fermenter, which is fine as I can deal with it.

Still, I was looking for something a tad smoother (which is why I think brewing in a bag might be my best bet), so I got wondering as the jug started to fill – and it only got to about 3/4 of a gallon. Maybe a little less.

As per the instructions, I added tap water to bring it to the gallon line, but not sure what it will do having to add that much water.

Looks good, but we shall see in time!

End result

I didn’t take an ABV reading on this as I am worried I did something wrong, so I’m just going to figure it’s about (or a little less) than what is estimated for this brew. It definitely looks like a porter, so that’s good. However, you can see some floaties in the jug, but I am pretty sure that’s somewhat normal, especially for a gallon brew where I don’t necessarily do everything one might for a five-gallon or higher brew.

It’ll be about two weeks before I bottle it, then another two in the world of carbonation. From there, I’ll be able to test what this beer tastes like.

Final thoughts

I have several other kits from the Brooklyn Brew Shop that I plan on brewing up. The kits they have are incredibly excellent in regard to flavors and such, so I am looking forward to doing them (I have some stouts, wheat beers etc.), and I am hoping I can make the process a bit smoother.

For you brewers out there, any thoughts? Did I mess something up with this one, or should things be fine? Any tips for brewing in a bag? Or any other tips?

I am hoping after I finish these kits (again, I have several), I might be gutsy enough to think about going to the five-gallon brews, though I have to admit I like the smaller batches. That way, if it’s a beer you aren’t too fond of, you only have 10-11 bottles to worry about!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please Like HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

It’s time to start up again

September 22, 2015

It’s been a while since I’ve brewed any beers.

I miss doing it, too. The process is fun. The outcome is usually fun. I enjoy seeing people try my beer and finding out if they like it or not.

But I’ve gotten away from it. And I need to get back into it.

I have several kits to work on getting done. And then I have to find some recipes of grain that I have bought in the past.

I need to get back into brewing again!

Here’s my hope – said grain hasn’t gone bad. I can always pick up some new hops if I need to. We’ll see how it goes, right?

But I also want to mess around. For example, I picked up – at some point – three kits for a wheat beer. I got them at a cheap price and such, but I don’t want to brew three of the same one. So what should I do?

I was thinking of making one of them a blueberry/honey wheat … how’s that sound?

Maybe I can put some maple syrup in the other one. A maple wheat? Hmmm. Or, the fall is coming. Maybe some apples and cinnamon?

I also have a few stout mixes. I need to work on those. I’ve long wanted to do a blueberry stout. God that sounds good.

So it’s time for me to start peeking around and getting back into it. Getting some brews going. I think, eventually, it would be fun to graduate to a 5-gallon brew. The only issue there is I really need to make a beer that I’d like. I have some ideas, so we’ll see how that goes. I might get into a point where I do both 5-gallon and 1-gallon … and save the 5-gallon for times when I know a larger quantity would be good.

So if any of you are brewers … have any tips for adding fruit? I’ve done it once or twice and it was OK, but I want to make sure you get the hint of it. Any other tips as I get back into the brewing world?

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Day Zero Project: Completed No. 100

July 8, 2015

A Day Zero Project goal of P.J.’s has been completed!

Goal completed: Design and create a t-shirt for HooHaa Brewing and submit on TeeSpring (and sell 10)

Date completed: January 25, 2015

Number: 100

Description: The goal was to design a logo and make a t-shirt via TeeSpring and set a goal of 10 for my home brew “company.” Obviously, I’m not a real brewery or anything, but I thought it would be a lot of fun to do.

hhbc_shirt

Why I wanted to do it: Why not? I love having my own shirt designs made. I’ve done it before on small runs of things (print on demand is a wonderful thing). And it’s always cool to see a design on a shirt. I had a few people, too, say I should get some shirts made with the “brewery” name on it, so I figured why not?

How I did it: I had worked on a mini design for custom bottle caps I had made, so I used the same idea for the t-shirt logo. I added a few things, if I remember right, to the shirt. I then just had to select the items (t-shirt/sweatshirt) and colors to put it out there. I set the goal at 10 to make it easier to be done and I shrunk the prices to make it easier for people to buy (I didn’t need profit … I just wanted to see campaign succeed). In the end, I sold 10 of the shirts/sweatshirts, which was quite cool. And now I have a t-shirt and sweatshirt with my “brewery” logo!

About P.J.’s Day Zero Project: Day Zero is a project where people come up with 101 things to do over 1001 days. I started the project on August 1, 2014 with an anticipated finish date of April 28, 2017. Goals will not be revealed until they are completed. A private list is at the Day Zero website and the list will be made public upon completion of the project. It’s my thoughts that if things are kept private, should I not do them, change or find a way around it, I’d only be cheating myself.

Day Zero Project: Completed No. 67

March 13, 2015

A Day Zero Project goal of P.J.’s has been completed!

Goal completed: Have my own beer caps made for my home brew

Date completed: January 12, 2015

Number: 67

Description: I had looked at personalized bottle caps for my home brews for a while. I thought it could be a fun personal touch to add them to the beers I bottle.

Personalized caps.

Why I wanted to do it: For the first several home brews I made, I went through the process of making labels. Though they came out well, they turned out to be a pain in the rear to get back off the bottles — even more so than the original label (such as a Sam Adams). So, I needed to do something to be able to keep what beers they were apart. I started with smaller labels, but it was still a pain. Then I found out about semi-cheap personalized beer caps. What a deal!

How I did it: I started by finding Bottle Mark, which is a company that specializes in inexpensive personalized caps. I did the research and such and realized they do different colors, too. What makes that nice is I could eliminate the labels as the beers could be identified by the color of their caps… score! So I took the “logo” I had made for my “company” and sent it in with different color backgrounds. A couple of weeks later, I had the caps in my hand. To date, I’ve only capped twice with them, but I think they look good and seem to do the job very well.

About P.J.’s Day Zero Project: Day Zero is a project where people come up with 101 things to do over 1001 days. I started the project on August 1, 2014 with an anticipated finish date of April 28, 2017. Goals will not be revealed until they are completed. A private list is at the Day Zero website and the list will be made public upon completion of the project. It’s my thoughts that if things are kept private, should I not do them, change or find a way around it, I’d only be cheating myself.

The Snommegang experience

March 9, 2015

For several years, I have wanted to attend a beer festival. I always thought it would be a fun experience to be able to try some decent beer, maybe get some good food, and hang out with some cool people.

Though the opportunity has been there before, I never have taken the chance until a couple of weekends ago, when I went to the Snommegang Invitational with my brother and his wife. The event was in its second year and the theme was perfect for this area, and for the winter we’ve been having. It was put on by Brewery Ommegang, which is a highly popular and well-known brewery in our area.

They teamed, too, with America On Tap, which is one of the top companies to put on beer festivals.

Some decent beers at this festival.

I’m going to call it straight here, too. I truly didn’t have the best of experiences. It wasn’t the worst, by any means, but I have a hard time believing I’ll go back to it next year.

First, it was $50 (plus a $3.50 fee). Many other festivals I’ve looked at in the past have been well less than that (in the $35 range), including a pretty big one (also put on by America On Tap) in Binghamton each year – with this year’s being the weekend before Snommegang.

Something to keep in mind, too, is that I’m not a heavy drinker. I like to taste and experience a good beer, which is why a festival seemed perfect. My goal wasn’t to get drunk at this, it was to enjoy the experience and have all my faculties when it was over. Simple enough, right?

But… if I pay $50 (plus fee), I expect to get a $50 experience. Instead, I felt like, at times, I was at a frat party.

Let’s start in the beginning.

When we checked in and such, we were given our tasting glass. I use that term lightly. Why?

Because the “glass” was plastic.

Now, I know many people who go to these festivals and they all have talked about how the glass is nice, rugged and one that will likely not break. It’s also a cool little keepsake. I know there must have been some glass glasses given out because I watched somebody drop one later in the day. It didn’t shatter; it bounced a little and … it definitely didn’t sound like plastic. It was glass.

So did they not plan enough glasses? Maybe only certain people got the glass? In my eyes, that can’t happen.

Think about it, though. You pay $50. And get a plastic 5-ounce pilsner-style glass (cup). That’s it.

Now, this was also outdoors. I knew this coming in, so I can’t – and won’t complain – that it was cold out. I dressed accordingly. I remember seeing something about heated tents, though, and that heat was done more by body heat, I think. But in the end, that actually wasn’t too bad. If they had massive heaters there, it would have taken up more precious space and it might have gotten uncomfortable in the tents.

The issue was how crowded it was. The tents couldn’t have been more than 15 feet wide or so (if that), and part of it was taken up by the tables for the breweries and space behind there. There were also random tables on the opposite side of the tent, and the only thing I saw on said tables were big jugs of water. So the people were crammed in. And people didn’t move. That says more about people than the festival, though. So you would get log jams all over the place. Squeezing through was not easy.

One thing to note – I realize the tents could only be so wide on the closed-off streets because emergency vehicles need a certain amount of room if they are called upon. Still, there are ways it seems like it could have been worked to give the people paying to be there more room.

Let me talk about the beers. I tasted many that day. Even if just a sip or two. I tasted a lot I liked, and many others I didn’t like. It was a good mix. When things were overly hoppy, I didn’t like them. But I did have a few stouts and other dark beers that were divine. But this isn’t reflective on the festival or organizers. This would be the same at any festival. It’s all based on personal taste.

There are many check-ins on my Untappd profile that I will be revisiting, that’s for sure. I also got to test things I’m not sure I ever would have, besides at a festival. I enjoyed the aspect of seeing some people I know and chatting with brewery reps and such. What was really nice is the amount of smaller breweries that were there.

One thing to note is I didn’t see any food vendors. Now, we were on a main drag, so there were places to go eat (midway through, we went and got some pizza), but I think the experience of things like this is when they bring in different food vendors. Unless I totally missed seeing any, I don’t think there was anything other than the local places to eat. Which, hey, that’s great for local business. But for those who just wanted to grab some grub and keep going, it’s a little harder.

The problem was the overall experience just didn’t live up to things I had hoped for. I brought my camera with me hoping to get some cool shots. But I was so crammed and rushing along with people behind me that there was no time to pull the camera out, so I got three or four shots with the iPhone.

Look, a lot of people seemed like they were having a good time. And I’m sure many people got their money’s worth (I saw a ton of people who seemed like they had tried each beer – more than once!). The brewery reps I spoke with were, for the most part, friendly and engaging. The few people who seemed to be connected with Ommegang were, as always, amazingly friendly and outgoing. That’s the experience you get when you go to the brewery, too.

But this is just about the festival. When I left (and I left a tad early, actually), I did so with the feeling that the experience just wasn’t worth the price of admission.

It’s a shame, too. I’ll probably never use the taster glass again (I likely would have with a glass one as it’s a perfect size when testing home brew), and I’m not sure I’ll ever attend this festival again. I’d love to attend the one they hold at the brewery itself as that seems like it would be a fantastic time and, probably, much more space.

A lot of people definitely had a good time. I’ve talked to a few people I knew who were there and it’s a mixed bag of reactions. Some really liked it and some felt the way I do — a fun time, worth the experience of trying, but likely not a repeat one. This was only the second year, though, so hopefully it will grow and continue to improve and maybe down the line I’ll give it a go again — as long as I get my actual glass!