Basement Remodel - Update

Well many of you know our basement had a pretty significant grey-water (read as septic) backup in the Fall. We FINALLY got our money from an insurance company that will remain unnamed, after quite a fight. We've already cancelled with them as it was clear whose side they were on - Hint: it wasn't ours.

The basement is shaping up - drywall is done. Next step is moving all the rest of the items into the garage, living room, and storage room (not pictured). The living room is currently holding a new couch, game table and 6 chairs, and a cellar full of wine (it had to all be moved or it would've been destroyed by the heaters in the basement.

Rest assured, the man-room will be back to brewing soon (if I have time), and the basement will soon be ready for guests as the bathroom and guest room are getting a full makeover.

Come visit, just wait until April. :)

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

OK, so I like to make and drink beer. Not as much since I've been doing all this running and trying to lose weight, but I still partake from time to time. Depending upon the day, I will make it a choice to indulge. My choice is definitely one of the best lunch places in Tacoma, The Harmon. It's not just about the $8.88 specials (very good and fast) or the $1 10 oz. beer (cheaper than iced tea and much better) it's also about the best server around, Vanessa.

If you ever had lunch there you know who I'm talking about. She is pleasant to all her fellow teammates and greets everyone with a cheerful hello and great attitude.

I'm sure every day is not great, but you wouldn't know it by the way she personifies service.

She knows what I order and usually an IPA is delivered just a second after I find my seat. Quick Sidebar: If I'm with someone she doesn't recognize, she plays dumb and asks if we'd like anything to drink - something I appreciate. She remembers that I like to substitute salad for fries (the weight watching thing again) and even gets the dressing just right.

It would be easy for her to just take the orders and deliver the food, but she does more than that and for that she's worth so much more to The Harmon. Making customers feel valued, listening and learning preferences, and all the little things make the lunchtime rush feel more like a welcome retreat.

Summer Kolsch Review

My go to summer beer may have been replaced with the latest beer I have on tap. It is a summer Kolsch recipe that I modified from a few different recipes I've used in the past. For this one the focus was on keeping it a well-balanced easy to drink lawnmower beer.

This is also the first beer that I ran through my new filter system, which I can see will probably work very well, though it's hard to tell how effective it is due to the presence of wheat in this receipe. Those who brew will recall that you can't filter wheat out - think Hefeweizen - though not as much wheat.

In any case, the results are stellar, both out of the keg and from the beer gun into bottles. Could this be "Yellow Bike"?

Bavarian Weisen - Mostly Compliant

The keg is ready, and so like all good brewers I elected to give the latest brew a try. This Bavarian Weizen (Wheat) is a very good beer. While technically not fully compliant with Reinheitsgebot - The German Beer Purity Law which allows for only barley, hops, and water. This is pretty close as it has barley hops and water and wheat malt, (from Canada no less).

While I prefer the Belgian Wit, this is still a very good beer for summer. Too bad it's 48, rainy, and nearly Fall. :)

The best part of this beer is the fact that I brewed it with my Dad. We spent a Saturday in August and it tastes a bit better knowing that.

Here's the recipe (10 Gallons All Grain) :

10 lbs. Wheat Malt
10 lbs. Pale Malt (2-Row) - Breiss
1.5 lbs. Munich Malt 10L

1 oz. Tettnanger 2.8 - 60 min
2 oz. Tettnanger 2.8 - 30 min
1 oz. Tettnanger 2.8 - 0 min.

White Labs WLP351 Bavarian Weizen - Platinum

Next up - likely tomorrow - Wassail Christmas Ale

Alt Style Ale - Part Deux

Cracked open a bottle this afternoon of the Alt. I've previously discussed the first batch which was very good. I had bottled 5 gallons and kegged another 5. This second batch consisted of 10 gallons and I had bottled the entire batch. One of the benefits of brewing a lot of beer in a short period of time is you are not inclined (at least I'm not) to rush drinking it. So, it fermented in the primary for over 10 days, sat in the secondary for almost two weeks and has been bottled for almost a month. Thus, the beer is very clear and very good.

I did switch up the recipe from the first batch in that I used whole hops vs. pellets which has resulted in a less hoppy beer (I happen to like hops) and has increased the clarity. Although, I'm sure time has more to do with that.

I have a second batch of Belgian Wit still in the secondary which I will bottle this week. With the remaining Alt in the keg and several cases of Alt and some Belgian Wit...my guess is this second batch of Wit will get plenty of time to sit undisturbed prior to drinking.

Oh, what to brew next?

The Reveal - Belgian Wit Edition

So, I re-cleaned out all the lines in the fridge, re-sanitized everything in preparation for the tapping of the Belgian Wit keg. Today was the day. Verdict: Excellent!

Bottles will be ready in one more week!

Alt Style Ale - Another (Alt)ernative

So you may or may not have read my earlier post(s)

• Single Stab Wound to the Hand - Alt Style Ale
  
• Alt Style Ale Recipe

Mercifully, this post is more related to the second. My wound has healed and I have at least to this point avoided lock-jaw (much to the staff's chagrin).

In any case, during Dad's weekend, I elected to brew late last night after the kiddies were in bed and expanded upon the Alt Ale recipe previously discussed. In this case all remained the same EXCEPT, I replaced the Hallertauer hops with Mt. Hood. Why? I dislike pellet hops.

Fermentation is currently rip-roaring and it appears we will have 10 gallons in a couple of weeks. We'll see how it differs from the previous batch.

Also while wart was boiling I bottled the Belgian Wit and kegged 4 gallons. I was a fun late night/early morning.

Grand Opening

During yesterday's perfect afternoon I decided it would be as good a time as any to crack open the first bottle of the Alaska Frontier Ale. It did not disappoint. I will be dropping off a few for friends around Seabrook.

Belgian Wit to Secondary

So tonight I took the Belgian Wit from 9 days ago and transferred it to the secondary fermenter. This will allow me to clean out the primary and make them into secondaries for the Alt done over the weekend. I allowed myself a small sip whilst transferring and while a bit yeasty will definitely be good in a couple of weeks. So good in fact, that I will be picking up another set of ingredients to do another batch.

Alt Style Ale - Recipe

So, the process has begun...heating the water now!

BC Alt - All Grain (10 Gallons)

22 lbs - Briess Pale Malt
1 lb - Crystal 60
.25 lbs - Chocolate Malt

5 oz - Hallertauer (60 minutes)
1 oz - Hallertauer (10 minutes)

White Labs WLP036 - Platinum Dusseldorf Alt Yeast

More to come...

Single Stab Wound to the Hand & Alt Style Ale Coming Soon

I stabbed myself today for the first time ever. It was not fun.

I was using a Leatherman to cut a plastic pot off a plant I was preparing to put in the ground, but the only thing that got put anywhere was the Leatherman into me.

The wound is not bad, nothing like the time I tore my ear off riding my bike home from Paul Mudget's house. It was traumatic enough however, to mention here. For a split second I thought to myself, "What are you doing? You just stabbed yourself..." I'll spare you the photos and no, Mom, it does not need a stitch. :)

In any case it's in the meaty part of my right hand under the thumb, a little neosporin and I'm good to go...

In the interest of ending this post on a lighter note. Everything else is great. The weather is perfect...the kids are doing fine and over the weekend I'll be brewing a Summer Alt Ale...

Tomorrow Ian has his last conference of 1st grade. I can't believe it, 1st grade. He is such a great kid! I will be taking him and Charlotte to a Tacoma Rainiers game tomorrow night, shhhh, they don't know...

Samiclaus Christmas Ale

Meant to add this entry yesterday, but did not want to preempt Mother's Day with a post about Christmas, especially when it included Ale. However, the bottling was a success. 23, 22 oz. bottles with gold caps. Look for these this coming winter.

Note to self: New tradition, brewing 12/6...Nice, this year it's a Saturday.

Belgian Wit

So it's steeping. A sort of wonderful tea that ends up with the attractive name of wort. Which in turn after fermenting for a few weeks is known as beer. This time, it's Belgian Wit.

Belgian Wit is a "wheat" beer, often whitish in color from suspended yeast. Learn More.

This is not a clear beer, but is very refreshing. I brew mine using 1/2 Belgian two row malt, and 1/2 wheat. The rest of the recipe is below, but it all adds up to a very good beer.

10 lbs. 2 Row Belgian Pale Malt (Dingmans)
10 lbs. German Wheat Malt
.5 lbs. Rice Hulls
4 oz. Saaz Hops
2 oz. Sazz Hops (finishing)

Gruut

2 oz. Corriander Seed
1 oz. Bitter Orange Peel
1 oz. Sweet Orange Peel
White Labs WLP Belgian Wit II Ale - Platinum

Prost!

Alaska Frontier Ale - Bottled

So, last night I bottled my Alaskan Frontier Ale. Brewed it two Sunday's ago and it looks to be very good. I originally intended to do 10 full gallons, but ended up with a bit more than 9 due to some problems getting the wort transferred into the carboys.

The recipe for 10 gallons is below for all grain.

• 20 lbs. Pale Malt (2-Row) Gambrinus
• .80 lbs Crystal 80
• 1.5 lbs Crystal 120
• 1 lb Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt
• .20 lbs. Special B
• .12 lbs. Roasted Barley
• 4 oz Fuggle Hops - 60 min
  
• 4 oz Mt. Hood Hops - 15 min, and at end of boil
• Yeast White Labs WLP002 English Ale
  

I have 23, 22-ounce bottles that will be ready to roll in two weeks and about 4 gallons in a keg that will be ready to sample Tuesday. Next up for brewing is a Belgian Wit (my absolute favorite from last year) Likely will do this tomorrow or Monday evening depending upon when I can get my Christmas Ale bottled.

---UPDATE---

Tried a sample a day early...still needs some time, but will be good. Definitely dark though so I am updating the label to include American Dark Ale as well.


--- UPDATE 2 ---

Poured a pint (see photo above). Very good. Should approach perfect in a few days once it has cleared up a bit.