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.
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.
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