Hello everyone My real name is Jim and I'm new to the board. I saw a lot of info that is very helpful on here and I feel like I can contribute aswell. I work in the field of Information Technology and love getting my hands dirty on my free time. I have been making beer ever since I was old enough to have a credit card and I ordered that Beer Machine online when I was 18! lol... 11 years later (yeap, I'm 29 now) and here I am. I took a break and wanted to get back into making some bad@ss beer. I have a lot of friends that love my previous stuff and out of 20+ batches I have made, I have only had one failed batch (because I listened to my brothers suggestion on something). Now that I'm back to making some beer, I have decided to take the full approach via kegging equipment and 5 gallon batches (instead of the 2.5 beer machine ones...). This board has been a great resource for me and and I have made 5 very successful batches within the past few months. Some have been through kits, and deviations of them in my own portrait of how they should be. Now I would like to share my own adventures of these and also get feed back from others.
Beers I have made within the past month:
- (Better Brewers Kit) IPA Added 1pound of corn sugar and 1 pound of DME light. Came out to 8.5% and I dry hopped with cascade. (just finished kegging this, it was a big shocker to me and my friends, one of the best IPA’s we have ever had!)
- (Better Brewers Kit) Scotch Ale; added 1 pound of corner, 1 pound of DME amber, extra fuggle hops during the last 30mins of boil. Curing with 1 cup of oak chips that was soaked in 1 cup of Jim Beam Red Stag bourbon whiskey (gives a bourbon casked condition taste). This one is aging still, its still kinda rough.
- (Better Brewers Kit) Oktoberfest; used a different yeast. Went with WLP013 for the malty oak flavors and extended hop flavors. (came out very good! This beer is gone before October could come!)
- Vanilla Black Cheery Stout – My brother is doing this one, but I want to say he used standard stout mix, added vanilla, added about 2 cups of beet sugar. OG was 1.070 I want to say. The first initial taste from the primary were very good. This is currently in the secondary.
- Belgium Tripel Ale (This is my project) I’m gonna make another post about this. It’s my own recipe that I have put together based on others opinions and suggestions. Long story short. OG at 1.082 with WLP500 yeast. Like I said, I’m gonna make a post in the Belgium section today about it. Currently it may come out to around 8 to 8.5%, but I’m leaning torwards 10%... and even a possible Gran Cru style Ale….
Beers I have made within the past month:
- (Better Brewers Kit) IPA Added 1pound of corn sugar and 1 pound of DME light. Came out to 8.5% and I dry hopped with cascade. (just finished kegging this, it was a big shocker to me and my friends, one of the best IPA’s we have ever had!)
- (Better Brewers Kit) Scotch Ale; added 1 pound of corner, 1 pound of DME amber, extra fuggle hops during the last 30mins of boil. Curing with 1 cup of oak chips that was soaked in 1 cup of Jim Beam Red Stag bourbon whiskey (gives a bourbon casked condition taste). This one is aging still, its still kinda rough.
- (Better Brewers Kit) Oktoberfest; used a different yeast. Went with WLP013 for the malty oak flavors and extended hop flavors. (came out very good! This beer is gone before October could come!)
- Vanilla Black Cheery Stout – My brother is doing this one, but I want to say he used standard stout mix, added vanilla, added about 2 cups of beet sugar. OG was 1.070 I want to say. The first initial taste from the primary were very good. This is currently in the secondary.
- Belgium Tripel Ale (This is my project) I’m gonna make another post about this. It’s my own recipe that I have put together based on others opinions and suggestions. Long story short. OG at 1.082 with WLP500 yeast. Like I said, I’m gonna make a post in the Belgium section today about it. Currently it may come out to around 8 to 8.5%, but I’m leaning torwards 10%... and even a possible Gran Cru style Ale….