Entering 'Phase 3' of my brewing career

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Walker

I use secondaries. :p
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No questions here, just my own out-loud thinking and a description of how my brewing will change in the next year. It's a long post, and I don't think I really expect anyone to read it all. I just need to put it all into words.

I started brewing 8 years ago, and for the first 4 or 5 years I brewed only from kits. The beers were good and I learned that I really loved the hobby, but I wanted to expand my options, so I moved away from this "Phase 1" brewing.

For "Phase 2" I started brewing the occasional recipe found in a magazine or on-line someplace. This allowed me to learn more about controlling my brews and what to add to achieve specific goals. This phase lasted up until a few months ago (right about the time I joined this forum).

Thus began "Phase 3". Well... more accurately, Phase 2 has been turning into Phase 3 for the last few months, and I now know what I what direction I am headed. Since September, I have been formulating my own recipes. This has proven to be the most satisfactory phase, as I am in control of what I make, and all success (or failure) is totally my own. I am not limited by the styles available in kits, and I am not just cooking up someone else's recipe. These beers really are MY beers; conceived by me, brewed by me.

However, I had been enjoying the process of making up the recipes so much, I began to feel like I was flitting all over the place, always eager to try something new or different, cranking out recipes and batches like a machine and having mixed success (mostly pretty good, but that damn porter is just a bottle stealer.... I have no desire to drink it at all.)

So, I have decided that "Phase 3" is really about perfecting my arsenal of beers... having a core set of beers that I designed and making them be all that they can be. This core set of beers is as follows:

The House Brown
Description: The stock beer in the house; always available. Not too bitter, not too malty, slightly nutty and always thirst-quenching. Relatively low ABV.
Thoughts: A brown ale has always been a standard in my house. I've got a loose recipe that changes from batch to batch, depending on what hops and yeast I happen to have lying around. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's just OK, rarely it is not so good. I have decided to stop varying the recipe, select 'my' hops/grians/yeast, and turn this beer into a crowd pleaser.

Kaduva IPA
Description: The wife's choice. VERY hoppy, VERY light colored. Smacks you in the face when you drink it.
Thoughts: I was never really too much of an IPA fan until recently. I had found a few that I thought were fantastic (and I think I started to become a Hop Head b/c of this.) My first self-concocted attempt at an IPA turned out pretty damn good, despite some off flavors from having too high a fermentation temp. I am going to start refining this one by dropping the bittering hops a touch, upping the flavor and aroma hops a couple notches, and fermenting it at the right temp. This beer should have a short life on the shelf; once it's ready to consume, it will go fast... especially in the heat of summer.

Espresso Stout
Description: Dark, roastey, hearty, and smacking of fine Italian espresso. A cold weather beer to warm the belly. A beer for me... I like dark beers.
Thoughts: This one is actually pretty close to my ultimate goal already. I've brewed stouts many times, but this most recent batch with the large dose of espresso gave it that extra 'something' that I had been looking for. The only thing I would change with this latest recipe is to back off on the Laaglander DME... it's just too thick and chewy when that extract is used exclusively since it is only 65% fermentable. I should only need a couple spins to get this where I want it (slightly thinner and better head retention.)

Gruagach 80/-
Description: Dark red, malty, hints of smoke. A perfect beer with a meal of roasted meat.
Thoughts: This was a recent experiment and it paid off. I considered it one of the best beers I have ever made, and this was confirmed by 6 other people when I took a sixer to a poker game. It was a huge hit with those that tried it, and I was requested to bring a twelver the next time. This beer is also close to its final incarnation... I just need to bring out the smokiness a little bit more.

Holy Grail Porter
Description: The darkest red color, bordering on black. Bitter and roastey, but smooth drinking and satisfying.
Thoughts: Porters are my favorite beers, but I have NEVER brewed one that meets my expectations. This one is going to have to start from the ground up, and will probably be the last one I perfect; hence the name.

That's basically it. This is what the Walker Brewing Company will be producing, year-round. I'm sure I will have the occasional experiment and some seasonal beers (a fruity lighter beer for summer, a lager here and there, etc), but the core line-up is what I listed above. I might possibly add a regular old Pale Ale to the line-up, but I don't see me expanding on it too much.

The plan is to brew these repeatedly, tweaking where necessary, until I feel I have achieved the flavor I would expect to find in the hightest-quality imported or micro-brewed beer.... something I would not hesitate to enter into a contest against the world's best brewers.

I will brew a batch of each type to start the new year, and then will re-brew (with any tweaks necessary) when I start running low on a particular type.

The Walker Brewing Company is now focused on perfection rather than variety.

-walker
 
Walker said:
Espresso Stout
Description: Dark, roastey, hearty, and smacking of fine Italian espresso. A cold weather beer to warm the belly. A beer for me... I like dark beers.
Thoughts: This one is actually pretty close to my ultimate goal already. I've brewed stouts many times, but this most recent batch with the large dose of espresso gave it that extra 'something' that I had been looking for. The only thing I would change with this latest recipe is to back off on the Laaglander DME... it's just too thick and chewy when that extract is used exclusively since it is only 65% fermentable. I should only need a couple spins to get this where I want it (slightly thinner and better head retention.)

Mind sharing your recipe? I haven't found one I like yet.
 
Here's the modified recipe (not as thick and better head retention, hopefully)

Walker's Espresso Stout

Grains (steep w/ 1.5gal @150F for 40 minutes, rinse w/ 1.5 gal @170F)
16 oz 90L crystal
6 oz black roast
4 oz roasted barley
16 oz carapils (for head)

Extract/Sugar
44 oz Laaglander Dark DME
44 oz Amber DME
22 oz Light DME
16 oz dark brown sugar (to boost alcohol content)

Adjuncts
16 oz brewed italian espresso (added at bottling time)

Hops
1.00 oz perle @ 60 minutes
0.25 oz chinook @ 60 minutes

Yeast
Wyeast Irish Ale Yeast (1084)

Primer
1.25 cups DME
-walker
 
Sweet, I believe that I will fall into the Phase 2 section on your post. I am still a little nervous about creating my own recipes. Hence my subscription here...haha
 
my quest for a perfect porter was what pushed me to creating my own recipes. I never found a kit or on-line recipe that I liked.

The first "I did it all myself" porter is a disaster and it's been sitting in bottles for a couple months now, I think. I find I can drink it if I mix it 50/50 with a bold pale ale, but by itself... it pretty much sucks @$$.

-walker
 
I totally agree with your comments Walker. I plan on trying to figure out the rotational stock that I brew as well that is great and repeatable in 06. I don't especially know what they are yet other than my porter, IPA & Apricot Wheat. I need a APA, stout and a hefe to probably round it out. Then, throw in the occasional experimental beer. Guess its up to the individual though. Some may love the "change it up" batch everytime. Me, I'd rather do a select few well.

PS - if you jump to all-grain ever (or are you?) do you start back at Phase 1-AG all over again? :)
 
If I jump to all grain, I would probably consider myself starting at Phase 2 again... using recipes from y'all and some publications until I got the swing of things. I don't think I CAN do Phase 1-AG (do they sell AG kits someplace?)

I would then progress on to Stage 3 and ressurect my core lineup in AG fashion (same core beers, but AG recipes.)

-walker

PS: can I have your porter recipe?
 
Walker,

How is the bitterness in your stout? According to Beersmith, the bitterness is only 7 Ibu's....that seems pretty low for a stout.

-Todd
 
HomerT said:
Walker,

How is the bitterness in your stout? According to Beersmith, the bitterness is only 7 Ibu's....that seems pretty low for a stout.

-Todd

:confused:

According to The Beer Recipator, the IBUs come in at about 23. Granted, that's still a little low for a stout, but the espresso adds some bitterness to the overall flavor profile, too.

I would not describe it as 'bitter'... it could use some upping in the area, but that's partially due to my use of the high-dextrin Laaglander DME in this current batch. The bitterness should stand out a little more with the version I gave you that uses less of this DME and more of the higher-fermentable 'generic' DME.

-walker
 
I just figured it out. I had mistakenly had 1.5 gallons as the boil volume. When I bumped it to three gallons, the bitterness jumped alot.

On a side note, I never realized (call me stupid) the huge affect boil volume has on bitterness.

-Todd
 
yeah, I was surprised to find out how much the volume affected the extraction, too. I think I need to start upping my hop additions a bit to compensate for my 3 gallon boils. This explains why some of the recipes I have used from on-line sources were always light on the bitterness.

-walker
 
Walker said:
If I jump to all grain, I would probably consider myself starting at Phase 2 again... using recipes from y'all and some publications until I got the swing of things. I don't think I CAN do Phase 1-AG (do they sell AG kits someplace?)

I would then progress on to Stage 3 and ressurect my core lineup in AG fashion (same core beers, but AG recipes.)

-walker

PS: can I have your porter recipe?

Agreed on phase 2 again after thinking that through. Hey, my Apricot Ale is DME so the next time SWMBO needs me to brew more, I planned on trying to match it to AG. So you'd be doing the same thing I'd have to do for this.

Absolutely on the porter recipe but it is AG. Also, I can't take credit. The tweeking of this recipe is exclusive to TNLandsailors recipe. It is awesome. Only thing I switched up was an English Ale yeast and I think he was using CA Ale. Hmmm, got to go home now, I'm thirsty.
 
I went through those phases too, but hit a major snag through "phase 3", where my own recipe beers just weren't cutting it. I started using tried and true recipes from a couple of homebrewers I really learned to respect. Since then my beers have skyrocketed in quality.

I bought all the mandatory books and that--I just have no clue how much of one thing or how little of another can affect it--and still don't--no matter what some book tells me.

Essentially I've decided to stick to recipes that are tested. Having "my own" just isn't as important anymore. Sure, I have some ownership in the last few I've done--I reworked the Fat Tire Clone hops, and I goofed around with a base cream ale recipe to come up with Mexican Blackbird. So yeah, I can pretty much call them my own. I brewed them, I'm proud of them.

Damn good thread Walker. :cool:
 
hey walker, just jump right over to northern brewer and you'll see that they have all grain kits as well as extract kits. they will even crush the grains in your all grain kit for you! i'd have to say that of all the places that i've seen on the net, i like northern brewer the best.
 
Sounds like a good new year's resolution, Walker. I'm hoping to home in on a couple recipes this coming year as well. It'll be nice to have an original recipe of sorts that's both good and reproducable.
 
Walker said:
Here's the modified recipe (not as thick and better head retention, hopefully)
Walker's Espresso Stout
Grains (steep w/ 1.5gal @150F for 40 minutes, rinse w/ 1.5 gal @170F)
16 oz 90L crystal
6 oz lb black roast <-------HERE
4 oz lb roasted barley <----- AND HERE
16 oz carapils (for head)
Extract/Sugar
44 oz Laaglander Dark DME
44 oz Amber DME
22 oz Light DME
16 oz dark brown sugar (to boost alcohol content)
Adjuncts
16 oz brewed italian espresso (added at bottling time)
Hops
1.00 oz perle @ 60 minutes
0.25 oz chinook @ 60 minutes
Yeast
Wyeast Irish Ale Yeast (1084)
Primer
1.25 cups DME
-walker
not trying to be a smarta$$ walker, but lb or oz?
 
whoops! those should be in ounces, not pounds. that would taste like half spent firewood if it were in pounds.

thanks for pointing that out. I have corrected the original recipe post above.

-walker
 
First on the list: Brown ale. I knew walker had some good in him. I'm still refining my Church of Chocolate Brown, but I'm very close.

Rogue Mocha Porter clone austinhomebrew: extract, partial, all grain. Fine stuff! Very fine stuff. I think they include the grain bill in the AG.
 
Found this thread while searching for what "80/-" means. I can't finnish reading it now, so I'm bumping up to the top so I can find it again later.:)
 
All I've figured out so far is that it is some reference to scottish ale. I won't be brewing any of this anytime soon so I was satisfied in my search for the most part.

The thread itself intrigued me, as I'm not yet capable of creating my "own" beers--all I brew are clones.
 
Flyin' Lion said:
All I've figured out so far is that it is some reference to scottish ale. I won't be brewing any of this anytime soon so I was satisfied in my search for the most part.

The thread itself intrigued me, as I'm not yet capable of creating my "own" beers--all I brew are clones.

http://www.epinions.com/content_2467668100

It means 80 shilling ale. Read the link above for an explanation as to what that means.
 
Thanks Chees, I gave this a legitimate shot at searching and came close enough to its meaning to satisfy my curiosity.
 
Finally following up on this.... Phase 3 kind of got interrupted by Phase 4 (AG), and 2006 saw less bewing than I would have liked due buying a house, moving, and having a MILD brain hemorrhage.
:drunk:

Walker-san said:
The House Brown
Description: The stock beer in the house; always available. Not too bitter, not too malty, slightly nutty and always thirst-quenching. Relatively low ABV.
Thoughts: A brown ale has always been a standard in my house. I've got a loose recipe that changes from batch to batch, depending on what hops and yeast I happen to have lying around. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's just OK, rarely it is not so good. I have decided to stop varying the recipe, select 'my' hops/grians/yeast, and turn this beer into a crowd pleaser.
Progress: I only tried one brown ale in 2006, and veered too far off the basic recipe. I ended up with a very nice Special Bitter. The Accidental Special Bitter.

Walker-san said:
Kaduva IPA
Description: The wife's choice. VERY hoppy, VERY light colored. Smacks you in the face when you drink it.
Thoughts: I was never really too much of an IPA fan until recently. I had found a few that I thought were fantastic (and I think I started to become a Hop Head b/c of this.) My first self-concocted attempt at an IPA turned out pretty damn good, despite some off flavors from having too high a fermentation temp. I am going to start refining this one by dropping the bittering hops a touch, upping the flavor and aroma hops a couple notches, and fermenting it at the right temp. This beer should have a short life on the shelf; once it's ready to consume, it will go fast... especially in the heat of summer.
Progress: I brewed this one 3 or 4 times in 2006. After bouncing around a little the amount of malt, I finally got it where I wanted it. This recipe has become pretty popular among members of this board, which is kind of cool. I have not brewed it in several months because I have been settling into the AG thing. I've converted the recipe and will be giving it a shot this coming weekend.

Walker-san said:
Espresso Stout
Description: Dark, roastey, hearty, and smacking of fine Italian espresso. A cold weather beer to warm the belly. A beer for me... I like dark beers.
Thoughts: This one is actually pretty close to my ultimate goal already. I've brewed stouts many times, but this most recent batch with the large dose of espresso gave it that extra 'something' that I had been looking for. The only thing I would change with this latest recipe is to back off on the Laaglander DME... it's just too thick and chewy when that extract is used exclusively since it is only 65% fermentable. I should only need a couple spins to get this where I want it (slightly thinner and better head retention.)
Progress: I never brewed it, or any stout for that matter. I was under medical lockdown around the time I would have brewed my winter stout and it just never happened.

Walker-san said:
Gruagach 80/-
Description: Dark red, malty, hints of smoke. A perfect beer with a meal of roasted meat.
Thoughts: This was a recent experiment and it paid off. I considered it one of the best beers I have ever made, and this was confirmed by 6 other people when I took a sixer to a poker game. It was a huge hit with those that tried it, and I was requested to bring a twelver the next time. This beer is also close to its final incarnation... I just need to bring out the smokiness a little bit more.
Progress: I brewed this twice. I like a lot of its qualities, but I need to add a bigger malt taste. I already modified the recipe, and I think Dude cooked that version up a couple of weeks ago. He'll be the first person to have any opinion of the current recipe. I'm close on this one. One or two more batches.....

Walker-san said:
Holy Grail Porter
Description: The darkest red color, bordering on black. Bitter and roastey, but smooth drinking and satisfying.
Thoughts: Porters are my favorite beers, but I have NEVER brewed one that meets my expectations. This one is going to have to start from the ground up, and will probably be the last one I perfect; hence the name.
Progress: Nailed it! It was perfect. Unfortunately, that batch of beer was the very last extract batch I brewed. I recently tried the first attempt to conver this recipe to AG. It's sitting in a keg in the fridge for some cold conditioning. I've had a few pints and it's mellowing nicely. Time will tell if I am done with this one or if I have to do more tweaking with the AG recipe.

Walker-san said:
That's basically it. This is what the Walker Brewing Company will be producing, year-round. I'm sure I will have the occasional experiment and some seasonal beers (a fruity lighter beer for summer, a lager here and there, etc), but the core line-up is what I listed above. I might possibly add a regular old Pale Ale to the line-up, but I don't see me expanding on it too much.

I did some experiments. Summer had an Americanized Witt, there is a lager that's been sitting at 35&#176;F for the last 5 and a half weeks, and my first AG was a simple Pale Ale that wasn't bad at all. I'll probably brew it again.

No big changes planned for 2007, other than trying to get the AG thing down a little better.

-walker
 
Maybe I'm moving a little too fast in my brewing experience.
My first two brews were extract + grain kits.
The third was a kit that I tweaked into a partial mash recipe.
My next and fourth is my own creation and all-grain.
I probably should step back to using tried and true recipes until I have a better feel for how things affect the flavor of the beer.
This thread helped me reevaluate my brewing.
Thanks
Craig
 
I find it interesting how some brewers start with partial boil extract and stick with it for years and years. I don't mean to be offensive to those happy with it, but extract just bothered me in the way that instant iced tea would bother someone from down south (Georgia maybe).

I went from phase 1 to phase 2 in extracts if about 3 batches, then I went directly to phase 3 all grain for batch 10 and 11. I can't say that either of them are successful just yet because they're green (hell, 11 has a stuck ferment too), but personally feel more proud of them already. If they taste like dishwater, I'll reconsider. I just enjoy the hobby more when I challenge myself. I think it's one of the best ways to learn (sometimes at the cost of a batch worth of ingredients).
 
I have to agree with Bobby_M, to a point. I don't understand why anyone would stick with extract/kit brewing for years. I don't have anything against it for the occasional beer, but the whole point of this hobby for me is to have a level of control over the beers I make, and doing extract kits doesn't give me much control.

I've progressed with every batch I've made so far, first was an extract/steeped grain recipe from my LHBS, I then took a recipe off the forums here. Then I moved into mini-mash/full boil. If I had the space my next batch would be AG, as it is, I'm writing my own recipe for the first in a series of House Specialty beers. This thread inspired me. I want to make a lineup of 5-6 house beers that I'll always have stock on, but I think they're going to stay mini-mash until I can get a house.

Thanks Walker_san, this jumpstarted me a little, I was looking for some direction on where I was going with my brewing, and you helped me decide to work on writing recipes.
 

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