Cascade Range - India Pale Ale

The picture used in the above label is one I took back when I lived in Vancouver, WA, my home. It was taken from the banks of the Columbia River, right over the bridge from Portland, OR. The cascade mountain range was all around me, and I definitely miss the view I had every day. 

For my "Cascade Range IPA" as you may have guessed, I used only cascade hops. The specific hops I bought were grown in Yakima, WA, which happens to be where I was born. As result, this beer is me. My tasting group (my office) is partial to less hoppy beers, but this one had great response. The strong floral and grapefruit flavor from cascade hops drew everyone in, and they loved it. Below is my recipe:

Bourbon Stout

Brewed with oak cubes soaked in Maker's Mark. Need I say more? This was my first stout, and I set out to brew it because multiple people in my office requested I do so. I am partial to the hoppier styles, but still don't mind a dark beer by any means. I wanted to something a little different than a regular old stout however, and I stumbled upon a recipe for a bourbon stout. I threw my own spin on it, and I'm satisfied with the outcome. So were the guys at work. 

Toasted Wheat (What was supposed to be Chocolate Wheat)

I had the idea of making a chocolate wheat beer. With so many deviations to wheat beers in general, I was surprised I could not find a chocolate wheat. I set out with the following recipe:

The response received from those who have tried it has been really good, but I admit that it doesn't have any remote chocolate flavor. It turned out as a darker wheat, hence the "toasted" name. 

I plan to create my initial goal in the future and I will step up the chocolate malt and also and some chocolate nibs to the secondary. 

IT'S DIPA TIME!

Last night I brewed my first Double IPA. I love IPAs, DIPAs, IIPAs and anything with a good hoppy flavor so obviously this is one style of brew I would eventually set out to create. I've had good response to the IPAs I've brewed (from those buddies that can stand them) so I'm a little anxious to see how this one turns out. Too bad it will be another 1 1/2 - 2 months till drinking time...

Desert Honey American Pale Ale - Recipe Review

My tasting of this beer began with an unexpected surprise...

As you can see, this batch contained my first bottle bomb! Needless to say, I panicked. Was my whole batch ruined, was it all going to be way over carbonated, was it the bottles I used? These were some of the questions running through my head.

Luckily, I found plenty of websites where other people dealt with the same thing. After my research I decided to lift each cap to let some CO2 out, in order to prevent another bomb going off. So far so good. I also threw (placed very gently) some of the bottles in the fridge for drinking a few days sooner than I had planned, but obviously they were plenty carbed.

That all happened Friday, and after two days in the fridge, I figured it was time to pop a top and take a swig. The bottle was pleasantly carbonated, and with careful pouring, I had no problems with it. Success!

As you can expect, the first flavor I was tasting for was the honey. I had heard it often disappears in the boil, so I adjusted accordingly, adding the honey just before flame out. The first flavor I ended up tasting in this recipe though, was the wheat. With nearly 50% of the fermentables being Wheat DME and White Wheat steeped grain, it is definitely a wheaty beer. I used magnum hops for bittering and cascade (a favorite) for aroma. After the initial wheat flavor, the hops come through, and you can tell it is not a traditional witbier. Finally, the honey. A pleasant sweetness, defined honey character, and a good melding of all the flavors at the finish. The honey and sweetness does stick around afterward and I expect this may be the most controversial point of this beer. Some will like it, other may not. All in all, I think I will be brewing this one again. 

  

Yerba Mate' Black - Recipe Review

Right at this moment, I am drinking the first bottle of Yerba Mate' Black. I have to say, I'm quite impressed with myself on this one. So much thought and anguish went into the success of this beer, and more than any other beer I've brewed, I wanted this one to be good.

My review:
The chocolate malt is the first thing I noted. As the cocoa flavor settles you taste the bitterness of the hops and Yerba Mate'. I believe only with a prior knowledge of the flavors of Yerba Mate' will you be able to distinguish the difference between the two, but both are definitively there. Overall I think this will have a larger fan base than expected, simply because I was expecting more of a Mate' kick, a taste which if you are familiar with, is one to be acquired. I'm quite proud of this beer, but next time I will use more Mate' following the boil, and possibly dry hop with it also. Finally, if you are interested in brewing up a Mate' batch yourself, shoot any questions my way and I'd love to help out.

My recipe:

4th of July - Cherry Wheat Ale Unveiling

The 4th of July has come and gone, and I spent my evening helping out with the pre-firework show picnic on DM. It was a great time, with a great show to close out the night. Also that night I brought a fresh carb'd six pack of my Cherry Wheat Ale. I shared it with my friends from the office, and it got great reviews. Just enough sweetness and cherry flavor, highly drinkable and a great summer beer overall. It was compared to Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, although I know mine was much more simply made, and was said to be a little less sweet than Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. All in all, I'm quite happy with it. I have a feeling this batch is gonna go quick.