Does anyone have historical seasonal info?
I have a small farm and we grow our own hops. We have 2 beehives & hope to harvest honey this year. We squish apples for cider in the fall, and usually get a ton of grapes in October from a neighbor. Next year we may try growing & malting our own barley.
We used to brew whenever we felt like it, but are trying to learn to brew when our ingredients are ready. Closer to what our ancestors might have done.
Most of our cider is bottled in December, and takes 6-12 months to mature. Grape wine sits in the carboy until I need the space, so last October's wine will be bottled this weekend.
For beer we like west coast pale ales but want to try a lager soon. We dry our hops (Willamette, Cascade, Centennial, Fuggles) in an electric dehydrator then into baggies in the freezer til we're ready to brew.
There is a north-side pantry that stays about 55-60 in winter, and an unheated garage that can get below freezing. My potatoes store well there with a blanket on cold nights. In summer even the coolest areas can get into the 60's.
Any tips for a low tech brewing calendar?