Batch Three Update

I was being an optimist when I said batch three would be ready today; next Friday was the scheduled arrival date. Nonetheless, I cracked one early and was rewarded with a smooth if slightly yeasty Altbier. I'll let it settle and carbonate a bit more before enjoying it in bulk.

Brewing a Batch

Tonight's batch was a brown ale. I picked up the ingredients on Saturday at my local homebrew supply store, which is conveniently located next to the best beer store in the area. I had activated the yeast yesterday afternoon, so everything was good to go.

First up was setting the grains to soak. I heated about 2 quarts of water to 160-170 degrees, turned off the heat, and dumped in my crushed grains. I left these to sit, and after about 20 minutes I added a little bit more water so that the grains, which had swollen up, were fully covered with water. At the next check 20 minutes later the grains were still fully covered, so I just stirred them a bit. I let the grains soak for about an hour in all.

While the grains were soaking I heated some more water in the main boiling pot. I used about 1.5 gallons, but this turned out to be a bit much. I let the water get warm enough to steam, then turned off the heat and poured in the malt extract. I then stirred the water until all the extract was dissolved. I also ran some hot water into the bucket used to transport the extract to dissolve what remained there, which can be significant as the extract has the consistency of runny molasses. I shook the bucket of water and extract, and poured the contents into the pot.

Once the grains were ready I placed my new strainer on top of the boiling pot and dumped the grains into it. I then poured a couple of buckets of hot tap water slowly over the grains to extract more flavor and sugars. Unfortunately my pot was full up to the 3 gallon mark after a few buckets, so I didn't wash the grains as much as I would have liked.

Now it was time to boil the wort. I made one last stir to make sure there was no extract stuck on the bottom, and then turned on the heat. And waited. My stove has some wimpy burners so it took 20 minutes or so for this particular watched pot to boil. And despite my best efforts to remain fully attentive I drifted at the last moment, leaving the foam on top of the wort to boil over and make a minor mess.

Once I pulled the lid off and cleaned up the worst of the mess, I added the first of the pressed hops. Hops are critical element to beer as we know it, though they weren't widely used until the late 1700s. Hops have no other use than flavoring and preserving beer. Dumping in the first hops caused the wort to foam up again, so I turned down the heat for a minute. Once the foam subsided I scraped the hop bits off the side of the pot, turned up the heat, and let the boil proceed on slightly reduced heat.

While waiting to add the next bunch of hops I started sterilizing the fermenting bucket and the other tools that would touch the wort once the boil was done. I ran enough hot tap water into the fermenting bucket to cover the basket of the strainer, and added the appropriate amount of sanitizer - in this case, 5 tablespoons. I have a scrub brush I use exclusively with the sanitizer to clean areas that aren't fully immersed, and I sanitize that item during both brewing and bottling sessions. I also sanitized the fermenter lid by placing it on the kitchen counter and adding enough hot water to flood it, along with a bit of sanitizer.

More hops were called for at the 30 minute mark and 5 minute mark (or 55 minute mark, depending on which way one counts). Adding these didn't cause the wort to foam up, so I left the heat on medium-high and the lid slightly-cracked.

Once the standard boil of 60 minutes was done, the wort needed to be cooled so that the yeast could be pitched without being killed. I put the pot in my kitchen sink and ran cold water into it. Once the sink was full I turned down the flow so that the water overflowed slowly into the other half. Bubbles formed on the outside of the pot, giving it a nice layer of insulation, so I lifted the pot out of the water every few minutes to knock them off. I also stirred the wort with the thermometer that was floating in it, taking care not to touch the wort or let the top of the thermometer dip back into the liquid.

Once the wort reached about 80 degrees I poured it through the new strainer into the fermenting bucket. I then added about 1 gallon of room-temperature tap water, stirred vigorously with my long-handled paddle, and checked the temperature. Ale yeast should be pitched between 70 and 75 degrees, but my wort was still around 80 degrees. I ran in another gallon of tap water, this time much cooler, and stirred again. The temperature of the wort was now around 74 degrees.

Earlier I washed the outside of the yeast packet with soap and water, and it had air-dried by now. The packet had swollen even more during the brewing process, so ripping it open by hand was a slight pain. I notched the side with a clean knife and tore it open, and poured the small amount of liquid into the wort. The interior pouch came out as well but floated on the foam that had formed on top of the wort, so I was able to retrieve it without touching the wort. The interior packet actually had two chambers, one that was fully opened and one that had only a pinhole. I don't know if this will affect the beer. Once the yeast was in and pouch retrieved I have the wort another hearty stir.

Now the yeast needed some time and some privacy to do their thing. I put on the lid, flipped up the handle, filled the airlock halfway with water, and jammed it into the small grommeted hole in the lid. My basement is uninsulated and I let the first floor get cold at night during the winter, so the best place for the fermenting bucket and recently bottled beer to sit has been in an upstairs closet. I lugged the 40+ lbs of beer up the stairs and set it in place. It will live here for a week or so, until it is ready to bottle.

Back downstairs there was some cleanup to do, with the hardest part being the gunk on the stove. The spent grains went out to the trash and the hop sludge was washed down the sink. A little scrubbing of the pot and the evening was done, except for a nightcap of a fine homebrew.

Magic Hat hI.P.A.

Style: American India Pale Ale
Appearance: Deep gold color, clear, light-colored head that subsided almost immediately, minimal lacing
Aroma: Floral/herbal, very big
Mouthfeel: Moderately full
Taste: Very distinct taste of hops, bitter, fruity
Verdict: A decent IPA
Comments: Magic Hat tries to be different and somewhat succeeds with this ale. It is very hoppy aroma with a definite bitter taste. As such it isn't the smoothest beer, but it is still quite drinkable.

Links: Magic Hat Brewing, Rate Beer, Beer Advocate

Notes: The latest 12-pack I bought had twist-off bottles. I hope Magic Hat isn't making a wholesale switch away from pry-offs as most of my bottles originally contained their beer.

Pack-smacked!

For tonight's brewing session I'm using a Wyeast "smack-pack" containing their London Ale III yeast (#1318). The smack-pack name comes from the fact there is an inner pouch that needs to be burst so that the yeast and nutrients can combine and start replicating. The "Propagator" series is contains 50mL of yeast and nutrient at the start. It is nearly flat to begin with, but swells considerably with carbon dioxide once the yeast are activated. The pack should be activated about 24 hours before pitching, and refrigerated prior to activation.

This particular pack was a bit of a pain as the inner pouch kept squirting out from under my hand when I pressed on it, and I finally had to use both hands. The European Ale yeast pack (#1338) I used in the previous batch was more cooperative.

As for the results of using live yeast instead of dry yeast, I'm a bit too inexperienced to say. Certainly the Safale dry yeast I used on batches one and two worked quite well. I have yet to sample the results of batch three, which will happen at the end of the week.

Porter Roundup

Sampling these porters has been quite pleasant, and my first adventure into serious beer tasting. Comparing my porter to a range of commercially-made beers was quite informative as well. The beers fell into two categories: ones with both sweet and smokey flavors, and ones that were basically smokey. Mine was in the second category, while all of these beers were decent and drinkable, they weren't as complex as the ones in the first category. I will definitely try to tune my next porter to be a little sweeter. And I definitely will be buying more of my top two porters.

Good Porters
Anchor Porter
Smuttynose Robust Porter

Decent Porters
Homebrew Batch Two
Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter
Butte Creek Organic Porter
Rogue Mocha Porter
Sunday River Black Bear Porter

Sláinte!

Sunday River Black Bear Porter

Style: Porter
Appearance: Very dark, black with a hint of red, brown-colored head that subsided in a few minutes, light lacings
Aroma: Slightly smokey, slightly sweet
Mouthfeel: Full
Taste: Slightly smokey
Verdict: A decent porter
Comments: Another decent porter that had just the slightest hint of sweetness. A bit hoppier than some of the other porters.

Links: Stone Coast Brewing (Sunday River is a trade name, apparently), Rate Beer, Beer Advocate

Rogue Mocha Porter

Style: Porter
Appearance: Dark reddish brown, brown-colored head that subsided in a few minutes, moderate lacings, small amount of light-colored sediment
Aroma: Slightly smokey
Mouthfeel: Full
Taste: Slightly smokey, coffee aftertaste
Verdict: A decent porter
Comments: This was another decent porter, but given the name I was expecting more coffee or chocolate flavors. No real sweet flavors, unlike some of the other porters, but it had fair amount of bitterness. I'm not sure if sediment is normal for this brew, but the beer didn't have any negative flavors.

Links: Rogue Brewing, Rate Beer, Beer Advocate

Notes: Rogue's larger bottles are often silk-screened, which is always a nice touch (definitely the best thing about Rolling Rock), but the ones I got had paper labels.

Homebrewing - the numbers

Homebrewing is cost effective compared to buying quality beer only if your time is free and you are interested in making many batches. Happily, there looks to be some cost savings in my future.

Equipment costs
Most people buy a basic kit that includes the items below, plus a few items that aren't strictly necessary. I've listed the required ones and the prices if purchased separately. The kit ran me $69.99, so you really don't save much money by being selective, especially as you may want the other items (hydrometer, bottle brush, bottle filler) at a later date.

6.7 gallon plastic fermenting bucket with lid $11.99
floating airlock $1.19
bottling bucket with spigot $12.99
auto siphon $10.99
siphon tubing $2.99
double-lever capper $13.99
stick-on thermometer $3.99

The kits are somewhat incomplete, but the rationale is that you may have some of the other items already. I didn't, unfortunately, and here's what I paid for the rest of the items.

Papazian's Joy of Homebrewing $14.95
floating thermometer $6.50
5.0 gallon boiling pot $44.99
long-handled paddle $3.99
scrub brush $3.99
strainer $29.95
malt bucket $2.79

Total equipment costs: $180

Ingredient costs
The ingredients vary between batches, naturally, but most fuller-flavored beers are going to be similar. These costs are for the brown ale I am going to brew tomorrow, but I rounded up the total as a fudge factor.

specialty grains $1.73
malt $15.69
hops $1.59 and $1.49
yeast $4.99
priming sugar $0.79
caps $0.72

Total ingredient costs: $28

Miscellaneous costs
A lot of water is used in the process of brewing to sanitize various things, to cool the wort, and to clean up afterwards. My guess is that I use 20-30 gallons. A fair amount of energy goes into boiling the wort. For half the year in Vermont that heat is easily 're-used' for space heating. I have no idea how much energy is involved. There is also the cost of going to the store and getting the ingredients, but I usually roll that trip in with other errands. Finally, some cheap dish soap and some more expensive sanitizer are used to keep everything clean.

water and water heating fuel unknown
cooking fuel unknown
transport unknown
soap $0.10
sanitizer $0.90

Total miscellaneous costs: $1.00 (plus unknown)

Analysis
My goal is to brew at $1 a beer for a 48 bottle batch of beer. $1 is roughly what quality beer costs when bought in 12-packs. Identifiable incremental costs per batch are roughly $30. There are some unknown incremental costs which almost certainly are not more than $6 (probably less, but I like round numbers). $36 for 48 beers is $0.75 per beer.

That leaves me with $0.25 per beer, or a total of $12 per batch, to cover the capital cost of the equipment. I had total capital costs of $180, so after 15 batches I will have reached my goal. If I brew every other week (my pace so far) I should reach my target by October. After that, it is all gravy. I'll celebrate by brewing myself an Oktoberfest beer!

New brewing equipment - strainer

And what a strainer it is: a double layer mesh bowl, a metal handle with wood insert for comfort, and a second handle so that the strainer can be placed securely over a wort pot or fermenting bucket. It cost a whopping $29.95+tax at my local homebrew supply store. Solid construction is something I expect at that price.

I'll be putting it to use tomorrow in the latest batch, a brown ale.

Butte Creek Organic Porter

Style: Porter
Appearance: Very dark, black with a hint of red, fizzy during pour, tan-colored head that subsided almost immediately, no lacings
Aroma: Slightly smokey, slightly sweet
Mouthfeel: Average
Taste: Slightly sweet, slightly smokey
Verdict: A good porter
Comments: The hits keep coming! Another good porter that was tilted more towards the sweet side, but still had plenty of dark flavors.

Links: Butte Creek Porter, Rate Beer, Beer Advocate

Notes: While I have no opposition to organic beers, I haven't come across a story about how pesticides, herbicides, etc. are being over-used on the ingredients in beer. Organic ingredients probably make beer slightly healthier, but I doubt they outweigh the negative health effects of alcohol. I'll be keeping my worries focused on bigger issues like peak oil, global warming, and what's for dinner.

Smuttynose Robust Porter

Style: Porter
Appearance: Very dark, black with a hint of red, tan-colored head that subsided in just a few minutes, mild lacings
Aroma: Slightly smokey, hint of sweet
Mouthfeel: Moderately full
Taste: Slightly smoky, slightly sweet
Verdict: A decent porter
Comments: Yet another good porter that had just a hint of sweetness in the darker flavors. Wonderfully smooth.

Links: Smuttynose Brewing, Rate Beer, Beer Advocate

Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter

Style: Porter
Appearance: Very dark, black with a hint of red, fizzy during pour, tan-colored head that subsided in just a few minutes, mild lacings
Aroma: Slightly smokey
Mouthfeel: Moderately full
Taste: Slightly smoky
Verdict: A decent porter
Comments: Another good porter that is dominated by dark flavors. Unfortunately (or not) I had this along with a spicy Thai red curry, so my taste buds were on tilt during the sampling.

Links: Otter Creek Brewing, Rate Beer, Beer Advocate

Notes: For some reason Otter Creek/Wolavers uses shorter twist-off bottles instead of the standard longneck. Unfortunately, twist-offs can't be used for homebrewing because they don't work well with a hand capper. The choice has no effect on their beers - which I've enjoyed so far - but means that homebrewers on the hunt for usable bottles should look for other brands.

Anchor Porter

Style: Porter
Appearance: Very dark, black with a hint of red, fizzy during pour, brown-colored head that subsided almost immediately, no lacings
Aroma: Slightly smokey, slightly sweet
Mouthfeel: Moderately full
Taste: Slightly smoky, somewhat malty
Verdict: A decent porter
Comments: I enjoyed this beer from the well-respected Anchor Brewing Company. It has a nice, sweet nose and flavor to it that almost reminds me of a dark red wine. Unfortunately (or not) I had this along with a spicy Thai red curry, so my taste buds were on tilt during the sampling.

Links: Anchor Brewing, Rate Beer, Beer Advocate

Notes: Anchor uses an attractive but non-standard bottle that is neither a stubby nor a longneck. Unfortunately, it is a twist-off, so not much use for homebrewing.

Homebrewing Observations - The Early Edition

Homebrewing is a new hobby of mine. I have a few early observations which may change as I learn more.

1) Homebrewing is relatively easy. It takes about 4 hours to brew, 4 hours to bottle, and 2 hours to clean 48 store-bought bottles of their labels for their first use. The process is no harder than making lasagna, and shouldn't intimidate anyone. Just follow the instructions, which mainly have to do with timing and temperature.

2) Homebrewing is cost-effective compared to buying quality beer only if you make more than 12-15 batches and your time is free. Fortunately, my time is very free these days, and since I like beer a lot, I'm willing to make quite a few batches. Homebrewing is not cost-effective compared to mass-produced beers (a.k.a. American style-lagers, macrobrews, macroswill, etc.), but unless you drink for effect that comparison doesn't matter.

3) Read Charlie Papazian's classic The Complete Joy of Homebrewing before you start. Not only does he present the basics very well, his Stuart Smalley-esque approach ("Relax, have a homebrew.") is absolutely spot-on. Remember, the worst thing that could happen is that you have to go out and buy beer. You've done that before, right?

4) Making lagers requires a higher level of commitment than making ales. This is mainly due to the need to acquire a second fridge (or cool cave - your pick) to cool the brew to proper lagering temperature. Lagers also require the purchase of a glass carboy for the lagering process, though some ales require one as well. Lagers also take a lot longer. Fortunately, the world of ales is wide and fruitful, so making lagers is not something that needs to be done at the outset.

Those are my high level-observations so far. Not revolutionary, but hopefully helpful.

Homebrewing Tip One

Always rinse out your bottles, whether they are store-bought or recently relieved of your own excellent homebrew. That little bit of beer left at the bottom of your favorite microbrew is enough to feed lots of hungry fungi, who will die eventually die and leave a rock-solid crust coating the bottom. Homebrews, especially ones that don't spend time in secondary fermentation or lagering, will have a nice layer of dormant yeast at the bottom that will surely be hard to remove if it dries (so far I haven't let this happen).

The process: First, swirl whatever is still in there and dump it in the sink. Second, run in some fresh water, swirl vigorously and dump again. Third, give the bottom bottle a looksie. Repeat steps two and three if necessary. Fourth, store the bottle in a way so that it can dry out.

Your properly treated bottle will be ready for reuse with minimal effort on bottling day.

Happy brewing!

Homebrew Batch Two

Style: Smoked Porter
Grains: 36 oz., 60 minute soak in 1.5 gal.
Malt: 7.0 lbs Muntons amber, 60 minute boil in 3.0 gal.
Hops: 1.0 oz. Northern Brewer @ 60 minutes, 1.0 oz. Bullion @ 40 minutes, 0.5 oz. Mount Hood @ 5 minutes
Fermentation: 5.0 gal. total liquid, Safale dry yeast, 14 days primary
Yield: 48 12 oz. bottles, 3/4 cups corn sugar as primer

Appearance: Very dark, black with a hint of red-brown, brown-colored head that subsided after several minutes
Aroma: Smoky
Mouthfeel: Very full
Taste: Slightly smoky, not overdone
Verdict: A good, mild smoked porter
Comments: Another good beer. Some smoked porters overwhelm with the smoke flavors, making for a somewhat harsh beer. This beer is smooth, with the smoke flavor remaining subtle. I left the batch in the fermenter too long, but my house is pretty cool at this time of year, so the yeast didn't break down and produce any negative flavors.

Prost!

Homebrew Batch One

Style: American Pale Ale
Grains: 16 oz., 60 minute soak in 1.5 gal.
Malt: 6.5 lbs Munton light, 60 minute boil in 3.0 gal.
Hops: 1.0 oz. Chinook @ 60 minutes, 0.5 oz. Cascade @ 30 minutes, 0.5 oz. Cascade @ 5 minutes
Fermentation: 5.0 gal. total liquid, Safale dry yeast, 8 days primary
Yield: 48 12 oz. bottles, 3/4 cups corn sugar as primer

Appearance: Nice amber color, somewhat cloudy, decent head that subsided after a few minutes
Aroma: Definite hop aroma, fruity
Mouthfeel: Full but not thick
Taste: Hoppy but not overpowering, hop aftertaste, smooth with a capital 'OO'
Verdict: Homebrewing rules
Comments: My first batch. A very good beer, and not just because I made it. I bought a Samuel Adams sampler pack and my beer was most similar to the Boston Ale, and compared favorably.

Cheers!

Welcome

Welcome to the blog. Relax, have a beer - homebrew, localbrew, microbrew, craftbrew - it doesn't matter, as long as it is good.