I have to say it’s fantastic to be back brewing in my apartment. Three months of empty carboys is really a sad sight. Fortunately, last week I was able to crank out not one, but TWO brew days! SMaSH Session Saison The first brew day was a session-style saison using a SMaSH recipe in which … Continue reading
Brewing a Rye Amber Ale Recently, I brewed an amber ale with a twist. Looking for something with a little more malt character for the cold weather but still craving something hoppy and citrus-y, I brewed up an amber ale with a large dose of rye and loads of late centennial hops. Since I’ve been … Continue reading
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been tweaking my brewing process. As such, I recently updated my brewing equipment. No longer am I a carboy shaker and ice bath maker as I’ve acquired an oxygen system and wort chiller. To test out the new goods, I decided to make an extract beer to cut out … Continue reading
Recently, I obtained a sack of floor-malted Czech pilsner malt from Adelbert’s Brewery in Austin, TX. Having never used this malt before, I brewed up a small, three gallon test batch to get a better understanding of its malt character. Similarly, wanting to know more about the Wyeast California Lager yeast character and Hersbrucker hops, … Continue reading
On Sunday, the last of the Fall 2014 German lagers was finished brewing; at present, only fermentation and packaging are left. As seen in the picture, both the 2014 Summer Solstice Helles Bock and Oktoberfest fermentations have visibly slowed, while the Schwarzbier, brewed on Sunday, is at high krausen. To my knowledge, I’ve never seen … Continue reading
Having washed the yeast from the primary fermentation of the Barrel Project Sour Saison in April, I was keen to make another saison-like beer for the summertime. Along with being on a hop-kick, I was inspired to make a hoppy farmhouse ale of sorts. Anticipating the ultra-high attenuation of Wyeast French Saison, I designed a … Continue reading
This past Saturday marked the 2014 summer solstice. In celebration of the changing seasons and the beginning of summer, I brewed a Helles Bock. As per tradition, during the summer solstices, I like to brew something pale and strong. Since I am currently brewing German lagers, I thought a Helles Bock would be an appropriate … Continue reading
A few weeks ago, Craft A Brew generously set me one of their one-gallon starter kits [**]. For those unfamiliar, Craft A Brew makes homebrewing starter kits and extract-based recipe kits, ranging from 1-3 gallon batches, providing new homebrewers with all of the equipment and ingredients necessary to start their first batch of homebrew. With several … Continue reading
Every September, when Fall seasonal beers start rolling out, I get a mean craving for German lager in all forms. Typically, having not planned accordingly, I start an Oktoberfest too late, and end up buying some commercial brews to satisfy myself while awaiting my homebrew. This year, I am planning ahead, making a long list … Continue reading
After 3 weeks of fermentation and 5 days of dry hopping, the Farmhouse IPA is finished. Inspired by Michael Tonsmeire of the Mad Fermentationist blog, the Hoppy Saison is mostly a traditional saison, but with loads of Saaz, totalling 4 oz in late and dry hop additions. The yeast was saved from the primary fermentation of … Continue reading
The Apartment Homebrewer 