Brew at the Zoo

Saturday, June 15th was "Brew at the Zoo" at Reid Park Zoo. The event was formed to promote and raise funds for the return of the black bear exhibit to Tucson. Having plenty of local Arizona breweries in attendance, it was a great time! Jenn and I loved that all the animals were out and about, as normally in Tucson during the day it's just too hot!

Jenn of course loved feeding a giraffe (her favorite animal).

I of course loved the beer. We both had a great time.

Back with a Vengeance! Two weeks, four new brews.

Once the weather got quite warm, and while I was building my fermentation cabinet, I did not brew. Horrible, I know, and this was from February to the end of May. During this time however, I was anxiously planning my come back. I had completed four successful brews at the end of February (and one Mr. Beer kit that tasted exactly like liquid bread - shoutout to Dave Maida for drinking a bottle with me). During that few month break though, I formulated a couple recipes through lots of web browsing, and both are currently fermenting.

The first and one I am most anxious for is a Yerba Mate' Black IPA. I have been a lover of Yerba Mate' since my brother introduced me to it back when I was about 16. It is a wonderful tea, full of nutrients, caffeine, and boy oh boy did I want to make a beer with it. I have had the Mate Veza IPA and Black Lager, and liked both, so I knew this adventure wasn't far fetched either. Another of my favorite yerba mate' variations is to brew it in a French press, then add a half packet of hot chocolate to my mug. I call that one a mate' mocha. Using that style, I started planning my recipe. Yerba mate' being bitter and earthy, quite frankly tasting like dirt, I decided to go with the style of an IPA. I also knew I wanted a cocoa flavor, so I was set on adding chocolate malt. After the brew, I was happy with the strength of the mate' (tasting the wort after the hydrometer test), as my worry was that it would be overwhelmed by the chocolate malt or hops. It is currently in the secondary, and I'm planning to bottle in about a week. Updates on that one are forth coming.

The second is a use of local flavors. Purchasing 24 oz. of "Desert Blend" from Holly's Little Farm (http://www.hollyslittlefarm.com/site/index.php/2010112547/raw-honey-brief.html), I created an American Pale Ale I titled, Desert Honey APA. Still in the primary, it's fermenting great, and I'm excited to see how it turns out. More to come on this one also.

Also in my fermentation cabinet:
Cherry Wheat - Secondary (near ready for bottling)
Northwest Amber; a partial clone of Alaskan Amber, using Cascade Hops. - Primary

Obviously I'm still learning, having only brewed 8 batches total. My vengeance of coming back to brewing is evident of my having 20 gallons of beer fermenting in the house though. Needless to say I'm excited to keep going. I can't think of a better hobby, especially while enjoying the fermented fruits of my labor.

It's Hot in Tucson - My Fermentation Cabinet

The first four brews I did were in the months of January through March. Even in Tucson, AZ, the weather is cool. While fermenting, the house was kept at 70 degrees, and there was no need to cool the fermenting buckets separately. The fifth brew was planned for May, and I knew I wasn't going to keep the house at 70 degrees through the summer (partially because it's expensive, partially because my wife can't stand less than 75 degrees). As result, I needed a cool place for fermentation. I found some great blogs on making fermentation cabinets, and ending up designing my own. Here is the stages I went through:

2x2 Frame

Stained and put on 3" casters. I wanted it mobile.

Galvanized steel sheets stapled on interior of frame, insulation fitted around entire interior.

Boxed out for compressor. Compressor taken from mini fridge, very carefully!

The work zone.

 Everything but the top put on (1x8 panels stained to match).

In use! Maintaining a wonderful 68 degrees.

By all means, if you have any questions on the construction, send them my way. I loved designing this thing, and would love to assist in you creating yours. I use a Johnson Controls Temperature control to turn the compressor on and off, and it works beautifully. Part number:  A419ABG-3C. It cost me $70. I bought the mini fridge I used through craigslist ($40) and here are couple pictures of it, including the salvage:

The fridge.

                                     After I got done with it.                 The usable components.

I admit I am quite proud of my fermentation cabinet. It looks great and works great too. Overall I spent more than I would have if I bought a chest freezer and the same Johnson Controls temp controller, but it was a fun project none the less. It's something to take into consideration if you're looking into building your own though.

The Evolution of a New Tradition

The first brew I boiled was done on an electric stove. For what I consider obvious reasons, the next was done on a brand new turkey fryer. Oh the difference it made. Along with the addition of the turkey fryer, I put together a couple shelving units that doubled as counter tops in the garage. Here is the garage setup I started with:

By all means, the garage was cluttered, but for my second brew, I think it was a decent setup. At the very least, I had everything I needed. Shortly I reorganized, decluttered, and now I have a larger more comfortable area to work in:

 A different lens was used for this picture, but trust me, I have more room. I also added a couple extra shelving units for all the bottles I've collected. 

I have three recipes planned for the upcoming month, and I'm excited to get them going.

Welcome to brewing, "New Tradition" style!

New Tradition Brewing Co.
A Beer Brewed to Share

My name is Mitch and I began brewing in January, 2013.

Before we get on to the beer, here is a short bit of info about me:

I am Air Force (active duty) and enlisted in 2008, the first in my family. Native to Washington state, I grew up in a suburb of Portland, OR (Vancouver, WA). Portland being known for the quantity and quality of micro breweries, my own home brewing includes a bit of sentimentality for the Portland culture. I have a wonderfully understanding wife, allowing me to brew, take over portions of the kitchen and the guest room at times, but luckily I don't have to get permission for the garage which holds the greatest amount of my supplies. Jenn and I have two dogs, bull-mastiff mixes, that are our kids.

Hunter, the black one, often lays in the garage and watches as I brew. He's my buddy. Sheba, the one with German-Shepard coloring, is my girl. She's a lover, and at 100 lbs, still thinks she's a lap dog.

Now on to the beer!

I started out with supplies purchased from the local store, "Brew Your Own Brew" www.brewyourownbrew.com. The guys there are great, and have given a wealth of information and tips of the trade.
If you are just getting into brewing, the first thing to note in my mind is that you can't not like to clean or do dishes. Brewing, you will constantly be sterilizing, scrubbing and washing. Cleaning is of extreme importance in brewing, and the part I probably take the most time with. In the end, it ensures the quality of every brew made.

Since I began this adventure, I have brewed the following:

Amber Ale (Alaskan Clone)
Raspberry Framboise
an IPA
Irish Red
Cherry Wheat (in secondary)
Yerba Mate' Black IPA (in primary)

In the upcoming posts I will share my techniques, recipes, use of equipment and many other things. That's it for now though. Once again, welcome to "New Tradition Brewing Co.", a beer brewed to share.