Brew Day

Spring is here, the sun is out, and we might even see 60 degrees (15 for the rest of the world) today. My garage smells like Malto-Meal from the mash as Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" plays in the background. My recently kegged IPA is calling to me.

Life is good.

ScionOfZion said:

Spring is here, the sun is out, and we might even see 60 degrees (15 for the rest of the world) today. My garage smells like Malto-Meal from the mash as Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" plays in the background. My recently kegged IPA is calling to me.

Life is good.

Click to expand...

I think you just described heaven.
(temp could be 10 degrees higher for my tastes, but I know the feeling of the first "warm" day of the year)

i need a job where i can be at home on monday @ 1100 am brewing!!!!!! :~)

Had three visitors during the session. Much IPA was consumed and more than a few stories swapped. A terrific session despite the fact that ProMash tells me that my efficiency was a mere 78%.

I'll never understand effeciency. The ProMash default is 75% and I've consistantly scored between 77 and 86 using the same techniques I've always used--time, temp, whatever. Perhaps a more experienced brewer can explain it to me.

As to Mondays off, well, my work schedule is Tues. through Sat. Three of those days I find myself silencing the alarm clock at 3:30 A.M. Work, to me, is simply a means to an end.

Oh man, I'm starting to get philosophical. I'd better shut up and clean the mash tun.

DeRoux's Broux said:

i need a job where i can be at home on monday @ 1100 am brewing!!!!!! :~)

Click to expand...

i need a job at our local brew pub! i'll even just clean the equipment

during the winter months, brewing was reserved for the evenings when my wife was at work cause she couldn't stand the smells, huh what's that all about, and i often didn't finish cooling the wort untill 3 am, though admitedly i enjoy the wee hours of the night/early morning best...

now that it is nice weather wise in hodunk indiana, i moved the operation out to the garage and i've loved the last three brew sessions outdoors, as much surely, as my wife has enjoyed my smelly hobby being outdoors

understood,
my wife claims that she cannot stand the smell... my daughter seem to dig it thought. as the next generation falls. furthermore, morman the weather went really crappy the rest of the day wouldnt you say.
SLC rules

hell, my wife will sit and eat the spent grains with me! just add milk and you got grape nuts, right?!?!?!?!! i often go to probrewer.com and read the classifieds to see who's hiring what. one day, maybe i'll have the rocks to quit the rat race and scrub spent hops out of a 7 bbl system for someone............aghhhh hops :~)

I'm planning on bottling my blonde ale tonight

Having a few Fat Tires (ran out of my Brown) while I rinse bottles (friend just gave me his jet washer..thank god!!)

I started prepping today, toasted some grains, made a starter, and tomorrow is brew day. I went with a recipe that Sam and I concocted one night but I had to make some subtle changes because my HBS didn't have some of the right hops. Its still gonna turn out sweet. Errr...I hope it does. This is my first crack at a recipe.

ORRELSE said:

I started prepping today, toasted some grains, made a starter, and tomorrow is brew day. I went with a recipe that Sam and I concocted one night but I had to make some subtle changes because my HBS didn't have some of the right hops. Its still gonna turn out sweet. Errr...I hope it does. This is my first crack at a recipe.

Click to expand...

Everything went smoothly...it was a beautiful day. I forgot my whirlfloc tablet (Irish Moss) but no biggie. I used whole hops for the first time and what a difference in the clarity of the wort. I can't believe how much those hops expand though!!! I can't wait to taste this beer.

Ah the joys of living in sunny southern california. I actually wish i had a cooler room to ferment in so i can do a steam beer or a bock. but it looks like its ales for me until probably October.

We always brew mondays, my roomate and i are both managers and work in the restaurant insdustry, so monday and tuesaday are our usual days off.

92greenyj said:

Ah the joys of living in sunny southern california. I actually wish i had a cooler room to ferment in so i can do a steam beer or a bock. but it looks like its ales for me until probably October.

We always brew mondays, my roomate and i are both managers and work in the restaurant insdustry, so monday and tuesaday are our usual days off.

Click to expand...

Would you mind posting that recipe for the strawberry ale?
TIA!!!!

92greenyj said:

Ah the joys of living in sunny southern california. I actually wish i had a cooler room to ferment in so i can do a steam beer or a bock. but it looks like its ales for me until probably October.

We always brew mondays, my roomate and i are both managers and work in the restaurant insdustry, so monday and tuesaday are our usual days off.

Click to expand...

Greenyj,

Getting ready to brew a Kolsch this weekend. It may be one of the ultimate summertime brews.

Beer #1: Captain's Mast Pale Ale (Bottled 8 May)
Beer #2: My Bitter Half (ESB) (Bottled 16 May)
Beer #3: Summer Wave Kolsch - Brewdate 21 May - will be kegged
Beer #4: Willie's Red Wheat - Brewdate (early June) - another kegger

and the beat goes on.....

Bunz

ORRELSE, are you brewing all grain? because thats what we did, also, we used 7 lbs of fresh strawberries in the brew because they were so cheap and so good at the time.

bunz, i gotta agree, Kolsch and Hefeweizen rock in the summer