Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Building the Stash

It's getting pretty close to the due date for #2, so I've been trying to get some batches bottled in case I can't get to them for awhile. Last Saturday the shared batch of double IPA (Hopslam clone attempt) was bottled. Kim and Cole and Kristen and I both walked away with a case of bottles each. This bad boy finally came in at 9% ABV and 100 IBUs. The sample we tasted was remarkably drinkable for such a big beer, so I'll be drinking this one fresh as soon as it's carbed up. It's probably not an exact clone, but it did taste damn good. I'll have a more detailed rating later when it's ready.

Last night I bottled the Cascarillo APA. The sample was good, but a little underwhelming. Hopefully carbonation and maybe a little bottle aging will do it some good.

My hops have still not popped out of the ground. Hopefully some warmer weather makes something happen. I'm trying to stay calm about it, but I'm tempted to get over to the garden and do some digging to see what' going on.

13 comments:

Bri said...

How much for a case of RT hopslam? I hope you save me a bottle or 12 of those.

I tapped the Meier Belgium Dubble today. 4 days at 20 psi was plenty. It was carbed perfectly. It tastes outstanding. It's right on for taste and aroma for a belgium dubble. I will have to pick up a few of my favorites to compair to now.

This is the first time I've had 2 kegs on tap. So I'm switching the CO2 line and tap line each time I want a different beer. That will not last longer than probably this weekend. I'll let this happen maybe 2 times max. I've done it once and hated every second of it.

This is my last week of school for several months, so I'm hoping to expand my homebrew collection, both equipment and beer. I've already got another keg lined up and I may not stop at 3.

richt said...

The hopslam is priceless. I'll crack one this weekend to test, or maybe tonight to celebrate the big 30 I turned today. I will definitely reserve a few for the summer camping extravaganza.

I got your text last night, glad to hear the dubbel turned out. Was that the NB kit? Westmalle and Ommegang make some good dubbels if you're looking for comparisons. What is the other keg you're drinking - coffee stout?

I got the ok to buy a keg system after my old stereo sells, so I'm really hoping craigslist comes through for me. I'll have to start shopping again soon and figure out what I'll need. I'm hoping to squeeze in another brew session before memorial day just to have something in the fermenter. Looking at my ToBrew list, what would you brew? The Jamil's American Amber is a clone of Bear Republic's Red Rocket, which I HIGHLY recommend if you can get it by you, it is an awesome hoppy amber ale.

Matt Andrews said...

Mmmmmmmm Hopslam! Just a note on the rhizomes, I've heard so many different stories of how some hops could take a few weeks to pop up. I have one that's up and one that's not. Both planted at the same time and the same variety and bought from the same place.

Get that kegging going! Bottling sucks!

Bri said...

Sorry I missed your B-day. I had a reminder even to help me out. I suck at calling people up. Did you pick up a 30 yr old bottle of Scotch? I wanted to do that for my 30th. I had a whole year to do it too and failed. Oh well.

Anyways I would give the Red Rocket a try. I've never done an amber homebrew before. I'm starting to consider my next beer as well. I have to get another batch going so that I don't drink up the dubble. (NB kit) I should be able to keg the SNPA in a week or two. That will help. I've almost knocked out the coffee stout and I didn't really share that beer with anyone either. Jenny didn't like it and hasn't had a glass. So I think I will need 4 kegs on tap at all times so that I don't suck down one style too quickly.

By the way, I've enjoyed blogging so much I'll likely make mine shortly now that I'm out of school, that is if the honey do list doesn't get out of control.

SWART said...

Hey, My ESB turned out great and the phat tyre is ok but very "bready". One issue I have is with clarity. I am very happy with the taste of my ESB but disapointed that despite using a clarifier and a secondary it is very thick with ample sediment. Is there anything you guys do to improve your clarity.
Im going to do an Imperial IPA this weekend. This is actually my first non-kit beer. Im a little nervous about it. Im trying to copy the Speakeasy Double Daddy Imperial IPA. I had a solitary beer tasting a couple of weeks ago of just IPA's and this was definetely the best. Are you guys able to get this??

PS. Love Bear Republics Red Rocket. The brewery is not far from us. We plan on going there on our next trip to the coast.

Bri said...

For clarity, are you pouring your wort into the primary through a filter to remove most of the hops? Also, do you have an auto-siphon? If you are using just a racking cane you will be sucking from underneath and picking up a lot of sediment from primary to secondar, then to bottle or keg. If you use an autosiphon the fluid flows in about a half in up the cane from the bottom and also comes in horizontally. So this reduces a lot of sediment that is transfered.

I haven't had an imperial IPA in a while. Along with the red rocket, I know what I'll be drinking tonighit. How's the weather out west these days?

richt said...

I use an autosiphon but don't filter or use any clarifier. Just pitch a lot of yeast, let it sit for 3 weeks in the primary and I'm good to go. My beers are usually pretty clear, but that's something that doesn't really bother me much. You might try wedging one end of your carboy up to help reduce sediment? Some of the problem might be yeast - some of those asexual bastards just aren't very flocculant. Do you have a basement and do you use a secondary? If you answer yes to both, you could try putting your secondary in the basement (or wherever is coldest in your house) to crash out more yeast. Other than that, if it was me, I wouldn't worry too much. If it tastes good be proud!

Jeremy, have you had BR's Racer5 or XPA? I want to try those but Woodman's was out last time I went to Wisconsin. I'm thinking about brewing up the RedRocket clone first. I'll be sampling my Hopslam clone tonight and possibly drinking Avery's Maharaja DIPA or Surly Furious tonight. What's your recipe look like?

SWART said...

I always use a secondary and typically try to rig my tube so that I am not sitting on the bottom. Unfortunately we do not have basements out here so I typically keep all my beer in a bedroom closet (coolest place in the house). Its been over a 100 all week so I have put off doing my beer this weekend and am going to wait till next when its supposed to be a little cooler. As for clarity, I have not used an auto siphon or a filter so I think I should start with that.

My recipe for the DIPA calls for the following:
8lbs pale malt extract
3lbs Munich Malt
2 oz East Kent Goldings
1 oz Cascade
1 oz Columbus
1 oz Cascade (dry hopped)
Safale US-05 Yeast

I have tried Racer5 and am a big fan. Also, I was home a few weeks ago for a bachelor party and I showed up with a mixer of Leinies and a 12 of Bells Pale Ale. I was real excited because I cant get Bells here. These were of course taken right away and I was left with nothing but Blatz and Miller Lite the rest of the night. Gotta love Milwaukee!

Bri said...

Rich,
what was the recipe for your Bourbon Barrel Brown?

Matt Andrews said...

I must know if you catch that massive hop aroma that the Hopslam has. It smells very citrus, strong on the grapefruit! If it wasn't $14 for a six pack, I would have many more of these beers in me!

Drinking the Two Hearted Ale clone right now and she is very tasty! I wish the dry hops would have given me a BAM hop aroma, it's not as strong as I wanted, but it's still damn tasty! The centennials do have a very good aroma, not citrus. I need to get a six pack of Two hearted and do a comparison.

My next dry hop will be with pellets and I may try to dry hop the keg and not the secondary.

richt said...

Jeremy, the DIPA sounds good. Are the EKG your bittering hop? If not, making the Columbus bittering and then moving the rest to 10 and 1 minutes might not be a bad idea. Let me know how it turns out.

Matt, I only sampled one of the clones so far and it was a little undercarbed so aroma wasn't as big as it hopefully will be, but there was definitely some grapefruit action there. I'll be sampling more this weekend and will probably post about it after I do. As far as the 2hearted goes, I just had one on tap last night and it didn't seem to have nearly the aroma that I remember it having. It's been awhile, but it made me think that maybe they've dropped the amount of hops they put in? I'm not sayin, I'm just sayin.

Bri, I'll post the recipe in a new post.

Matt Andrews said...

That's great to hear! What hop do you think gives you the grapefruit action? I would love to work that in!

Just after I replied last time I decided I had to do another test run. It smelled great, I think it could just have been the mood. I don't know, it was better, or so it seemed! either way, it's homebrew and it tastes so good

richt said...

Matt, the Hopslam is still not carbonated, so aroma is not quite where it should be, but after sampling my Cascarillo APA, I think Amarillo is a grapefruity hop. My Hopslam does not really taste like real Hopslam, although it is a really good DIPA IMO, but I think that Amarillo or a mixture of Simcoe and Amarillo will be a step in the grapefruit direction.