Karankawa Pale Ale

[Hillbilly_Bill]

I have chosen this promotional kit from Austin Homebrew to be my first attempt at making beer. I am curious if anyone on the forum has made this kit and if so, how did it turn out.
Bill

 

[deremer]

i did the partial mash on thursday and used beathbrewers technique. hit my og right, and it is bubbling away in the laundry room nicely.

ben

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

i did the partial mash on thursday and used beathbrewers technique. hit my og right, and it is bubbling away in the laundry room nicely.

ben

I'll have to look up that tecnique... keep me posted how the beer comes out and if it is drinkable. I won't be starting mine for a week or so.
Bill

 

[tdoft]

I haven't brewed that particular kit but I will say everytime I brew one of their kits
it turns out great. My recipes....not as much. Brew with confidence! If you pretty much follow their directions then your beer will be excellent!

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

Thanks tdoft... I think this will be a good kit for me to begin with because it will introduce me to what a "hoppy" beer tastes like and it is a pale ale, which should be a gradual transition to what I am used to drinking.
Bill

 

[tdoft]

No problem! If I were you I'd head to the liquor store and start speeding up the "transition" ASAP. Not sure what brews are available in WV but Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is sort of the classic example of a good hoppy pale. Alternatively, go to ratebeer.com and look up the top rated pales and see which ones are available in your area. The great thing about homebrew is you can make it any way you want! If say Sierra Nevada is too hoppy for you, you could always step down the amount of hops you add from the AHS kit. I'm a hop head so I go the other way around. I take an AHS kit and either increase the hop flavor additions (10min to flameout) or add extra dryhopping or (more likely) both. Enjoy.

 

[HickoryMike]

I have been sitting on an allgrain version of this kit for a couple weeks now and am planning a brew day. I would love to hear any feedback on this brew....it was a heckofa deal. Any thoughts on those sorachi hops?

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

I have been sitting on an allgrain version of this kit for a couple weeks now and am planning a brew day. I would love to hear any feedback on this brew....it was a heckofa deal. Any thoughts on those sorachi hops?

Mine isn't the all-grain version... it is the extract version, but I plan on getting it going within a few days of when I receive it. I'll let you know how it tastes as soon as it is ready.

 

[tdoft]

I thought I read that Sorachi Ace is very lemony. I'd seach the forum to check. If that's true
I'd be tempted to sub in a different aromatic hop. Amarillo would be a good choice.

 

[HickoryMike]

I thought I read that Sorachi Ace is very lemony. I'd seach the forum to check. If that's true
I'd be tempted to sub in a different aromatic hop. Amarillo would be a good choice.

The Sorachi is a 14% AA bittering hop. I have read that it's very citrousy and not as bitter as you would expect.

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

Tagging this thread with the words Austin Homebrew so I can follow it.

Forrest

Forrest... let me know when you get your shipment of Better Bottles... I need a 5-gal plain and a 6-gal plain... wanted to get them with this last order, but out of stock.
Thanks,
Bill

 

[Austinhomebrew]

I thought I read that Sorachi Ace is very lemony. I'd seach the forum to check. If that's true
I'd be tempted to sub in a different aromatic hop. Amarillo would be a good choice.

Sorachi ace is the bittering hop.

 

[deremer]

The Sorachi Ace made my entire garage smell on lemons, the SWMBO would disagree on what the smell was.

 

[Mattingly]

I brewed this about 10 days ago... still sitting in the primary.

I've only taken a whiff when replacing the blow-off tube w/ the airlock... but the only thing I can compare the smell to was early memories of Sunny Delight-- the pseudo orange juice.

It didn't small bad at all.. just different. Definitely a citrusy aroma.

OBVIOUSLY- that is about as unscientific as an early report can be... but I'm excited to get it kegged and start drinking.

 

[HickoryMike]

I've only taken a whiff when replacing the blow-off tube w/ the airlock... but the only thing I can compare the smell to was early memories of Sunny Delight-- the pseudo orange juice.

I just threw up a little in my mouth. I pray that the final product isn't anything like sunny D.

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

I just threw up a little in my mouth. I pray that the final product isn't anything like sunny D.

Mike... what do you mean, "I just threw up a little..."?


Note: I stated earlier that I had the extract kit coming, when actually I have the mini-mash kit on order. Do the mini-mash kits come with unhopped extract? I would like to be able to be flexible in my choices of hops.
Bill

 

[HickoryMike]

Mike... what do you mean, "I just threw up a little..."?


Note: I stated earlier that I had the extract kit coming, when actually I have the mini-mash kit on order. Do the mini-mash kits come with unhopped extract? I would like to be able to be flexible in my choices of hops.
Bill

That's my attempt at humor. My apologies.

The thought of Sunny D flavored beer is less than appealing.

 

[eljefe]

Note: I stated earlier that I had the extract kit coming, when actually I have the mini-mash kit on order. Do the mini-mash kits come with unhopped extract? I would like to be able to be flexible in my choices of hops.
Bill

Mini-Mash kits are a combo all-grain/extract kit. Some of the extract has been replaced with grains that you will need to mash. Depending on what you ordered with it, you may need some additional equipment. In addition, the extract that does come with it is unhopped.

Here is a good primer on partial mashing:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-partial-mash-brewing-pics-75231/?highlight=mini-mash

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

That's great! Even though I have never brewed any beer, I have brewed other "stuff" for years and have lots of equipment. I am strictly brewing/making beer and wine now and this kit I have ordered has me wondering if maybe I shouldn't use different hops than what comes in the kit. Maybe, maybe not... but at least I will have that option to replace the hops if I so desire.
Thanks much...

Bill

 

[HickoryMike]

I would stick with the recipe. Those guys at AHS know what they are doing.

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

I would stick with the recipe. Those guys at AHS know what they are doing.

Probably a real good idea for a guy like me who has never brewed any beer.
Thanks.

 

[Jzak09]

Let us know how the Karankawa Pale Ale tastes.. got it on order.

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

Let us know how the Karankawa Pale Ale tastes.. got it on order.

Will do... I have decided to brew my "mini-mash" kit by the book... will advise all of the results as soon as I test it. I plan on giving it a couple of weeks after bottling to finish, then it is down the old hatch.

 

[kevinkaseykizer]

I did an all-grain batch of this and its sitting in my secondary right now, going to the keg this weekend for conditioning and carbonation

 

[Austinhomebrew]

I would stick with the recipe. Those guys at AHS know what they are doing.

+ 1,000,000,000

Forrest

 

[Austinhomebrew]

Will do... I have decided to brew my "mini-mash" kit by the book... will advise all of the results as soon as I test it. I plan on giving it a couple of weeks after bottling to finish, then it is down the old hatch.

With the type of hops used it should be more like a month in the bottles, then you can try it. If it is too hoppy for you then wait some more.

I put in the description that it is aggressively hopped. The more you add any spice to a beer, hops are a spice, the longer it will take to mature.

Forrest

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

With the type of hops used it should be more like a month in the bottles, then you can try it. If it is too hoppy for you then wait some more.

I put in the description that it is aggressively hopped. The more you add any spice to a beer, hops are a spice, the longer it will take to mature.

Forrest

Darn... I really wanted to get this one in the glass asap... oh, well.

 

[morebeer]

I brewed this about a week ago using the Deathbrewer mini-mash technique, except I did a full boil. Went well and am really looking forward to it, I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[Hillbilly_Bill]

I brewed this about a week ago using the Deathbrewer mini-mash technique, except I did a full boil. Went well and am really looking forward to it, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Great! Can't wait to hear how it tastes.

 

[Jzak09]

I'm interested in the sorachi ace, I'm not sure I've ever had it but I heard good things. Forrest, do you have any tasting notes (does the sorachi come through)? and also wondering how familiar you are with the Karankawa's... weren't they cannibals?


PS: Are the tuesday specials comming back?