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.

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.