Happy, happy, happy today is brew day....

[Brownalemikie]

Or should I say hoppy, hoppy, hoppy? LOL

Just started my 13th batch of Caribou Slobber (aka: nectar of the Gods). I'll probably drink one during cleanup in a couple hours

 

[kh54s10]

Do you make any changes to the recipe? I know you love the Brown Ale, but mix it up a little already! Maybe substitute one of the hops, or use a different yeast.

 

[Brownalemikie]

Do you make any changes to the recipe? I know you love the Brown Ale, but mix it up a little already! Maybe substitute one of the hops, or use a different yeast.

I hear ya......but how do you improve something that's already perfect? I have added 1/3 cup of sugar at the end of boil in the last 5 batches with the hope of upping the ABV. Doesn't seem to affect the wonderful flavor so I'll continue doing it. Hoppy brewing

 

[kh54s10]

My idea is this is the only beer you have made. How do you know that you can't improve it. Are you 100% sure it is perfect. I see you have made one small change. Try another, you may stumble on something that will make you say "Why didn't I try this sooner?"

I have brewed 92 batches and no 2 were exactly the same. I would say that about 1/2 of them were as good as any reasonably priced commercial beer. (I don't buy the $10/bottle beers).

 

[eadavis80]

I'm brewing up an all-grain C-Slobber myself. Using White Labs 041 because the LHBS was out of 1332. Added a pound of light DME too - just want to up the ABV at tad/make up for less than stellar efficiency.

 

[kh54s10]

I have heard great things about NBs Caribou Slobber. I guess I am going to have to do it someday, especially since I love brown ales.

 

[Brownalemikie]

My idea is this is the only beer you have made. How do you know that you can't improve it. Are you 100% sure it is perfect. I see you have made one small change. Try another, you may stumble on something that will make you say "Why didn't I try this sooner?"

I have brewed 92 batches and no 2 were exactly the same. I would say that about 1/2 of them were as good as any reasonably priced commercial beer. (I don't buy the $10/bottle beers).

Long story short....Bitteschlappe Brown Ale. When I lived in Minnesota, I lived about 3 miles from Excelsior Brewery and fell head over heels for Bitteschlappe and drank nothing BUT Bitteschlappe for 2 years.

Then, we moved to Florida last October and I have not been able to find anything even close to Bittesclappe.......hence I thought about home brewing my own brown ale. Did some research and heard great things about Caribou Slobber. Gotta say, slobber is even better than Bittesclappe.

I've tried IPA's, Lagers and some very hoppy beers.....I've come to the conclusion that I'm a brown ale guy. My dad always said: "If it aint broke, don't fix it.

 

[Brownalemikie]

I have heard great things about NBs Caribou Slobber. I guess I am going to have to do it someday, especially since I love brown ales.

Remember, each day longer that you wait to brew it, is one more day longer that you have to wait to drink/enjoy some slobber.....I just opened one myself while doing my brew-day cleanup

 

[brewcat]

My idea is this is the only beer you have made. How do you know that you can't improve it. Are you 100% sure it is perfect. I see you have made one small change. Try another, you may stumble on something that will make you say "Why didn't I try this sooner?"

I have brewed 92 batches and no 2 were exactly the same. I would say that about 1/2 of them were as good as any reasonably priced commercial beer. (I don't buy the $10/bottle beers).

Nah. If it is done, it is done. No point in changing that particular recipe. Trying a different style would have advantages. Or trying a different variation of a brown.

I work on recipes until I'm very happy with them. Then nothing changes unless after a couple batches something isn't quite right. Once I nail a recipe I can move on to trying some others. I might never move on from a recipe if I kept tweaking.

 

[shelbymedic]

Is CS similar to Moose Drool? I drank that while backpacking Montana years ago

 

[Brownalemikie]

Is CS similar to Moose Drool? I drank that while backpacking Montana years ago

Yep, actually it's a clone of Moose Drool. Did you like the drool?

 

[kh54s10]

Nah. If it is done, it is done. No point in changing that particular recipe. Trying a different style would have advantages. Or trying a different variation of a brown.

I work on recipes until I'm very happy with them. Then nothing changes unless after a couple batches something isn't quite right. Once I nail a recipe I can move on to trying some others. I might never move on from a recipe if I kept tweaking.

I have followed Brownalemikie for a while now. He only brews the one recipe. He has made only the small addition of extra sugar. So I was just suggesting a little experimentation. He has not worked on the recipe until "it is done". CS is a clone. Who knows for sure how close it is to the original Moose Drool. Pretty close I assume, but with a little tweaking how much better could you make it.

"Or trying a different variation of a brown." Wouldn't changing up some ingredients create a variation??

I have been working on a couple of recipes. I tweak the recipe, brew many other beers, revisit the one I am working on with new tweaks, brew others etc. I never have the problem of needing to move on.

I got one really close to what I want. When I brew it again I will tweak again, if it is better I will stick pretty close to that, if it is not as good I will go back to the last one and maybe brew it as it was, or I might make different tweaks.

In my 92 batches I have made some fantastic beers, yet, I have not brewed 2 exactly the same, I think all of them might be better. Not all tweaks have made the next one better, but none were much worse either.

 

[shelbymedic]

Do most of y'all buy the kit from NB or just order the recipe from your LHBS and pick it up? Even with their 20% off coupon right now, $7.99 shipping is not attractive to me #iamaccustomedtoamazoneprimeunfortunately

 

[Brownalemikie]

Do most of y'all buy the kit from NB or just order the recipe from your LHBS and pick it up? Even with their 20% off coupon right now, $7.99 shipping is not attractive to me #iamaccustomedtoamazoneprimeunfortunately

I started with the kit. Then I called NB and talked to one of the brewers and he gave me the recipe for slobber. Now I just order the grains, hops and malt in bulk.