Newbie for the second time

[normzone]

Hello all -

I started brewing back around '88, when there was not much good beer available and limited ingredients and information. Anything I made was great and I loved it.

Then there was a stretch where I'd make a batch every few years - some were great and some were funky at best. In retrospect excessive carmelization due to overcooking was probably my biggest error.

Now I'm back in it again - my palate has matured and my tastes have changed, and living in San Diego I'm surrounded by great beer. I'm an IPA fiend intent on imitating and surpassing some of the greats I drink every day.

I just came off the Mead section of the board - I remember my fruit experiments in the past - time to make some more friends in agriculture.

The tech has gotten better - I'm going to have to buy some toys, kind of a "Dylan goes electric" phase. I have the enthusiastic support of my sweetheart and one of the two bathrooms in my apartment is full on brewery.

Glad to make your acquaintance
Norman

 

[Brewitt]

Hey Norman,

I'm also a SD IPA fan. Just started brewing for the first time but have been growing yeast for decades (for research). I started with a couple of extract kits (one great, one failed) and am about to bottle my first whole grain, a Scupin IPA (Ballast Point) clone. Hopefully it will live up to its namesake. Next up, something bordering on a Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale (Stone). Good luck to you. I'm still in buckets from a starter kit and a better bottle.

Curt

 

[normzone]

Alright Curt!

Sculpin is a wonderful IPA. I used to be a Stone man but my tastes have shifted to Port Wipeout, Swami's and Mongo. I just came from the DIY equipment threads - When I claim full on brewery maybe I better just claim dedicated brew space

Yeast research? I've thought about washing and reusing, but I think that I will save that for further on down the road. Too much other learning curve before I am ready for that.

 

[BirdmanBrewingCo]

Welcome normzone!

 

[Brewitt]

Well, we could morph this into a San Diego beer thread
If you want to talk about Port Brewing, I'm with you. Have you tried Poor Man's IPA, one of my current favorites. Great brewery! I'm trying to branch out and try some of those legendary brews that I hear about but never take the trouble to search out. Last night I picked up a Hop Stoopid from Lagunitas and a Sierra Nevada Southern Harvest 2011. Drank the later. Nice malt and unique hop profile. All New Zealand hops. Piney, herbal, less citrus than we are used to. However, the balance between the bitterness and the malt was not my favorite and I thought the hop nose was out of touch with the taste.

As far as yeast go, I haven't reused yet but I am getting pure cultures from some bottle conditioned beers. I have the advantage of a microbiology lab with sterile equipment. I have Racer 5, Sculpin, and a couple other yeasts stored away. Used the Sculpin yeast for my Sculpin clone. Going to try the Racer 5 in my Black IPA. Had a failed attempt with a recovered Stone IPA yeast but I should have been more careful with that one. Seems I may have picked up a wild yeast. I definitely have a mixed culture.