Just Call Me Mr Beer

[Balog]

Lower fermenting temps would produce less esthers and phenolics, which would lend that clovey flavour you're referring to.

[wmenorr67]

Damn you remind me I bought the ingredients awhile back to brew up a batch of beer and never got around to it.

[Ben]

Well, I just popped open the first bottle of the wheat beer. I'm calling it a (qualified) success! :)

While it's not a "Holy crap, I'm giving up on commercial beers forever" success, it turned out to be a quite drinkable beer. While not the taste of a premium German hefeweizen, if I had to identify it, I would say that it's a taste between Blue Moon and Erdinger (both beers I enjoy).

I didn't get the overly fruity flavor I was afraid of when I tasted the wort, so it looks like my fermenting temps stayed in the range I hoped for. Alcohol content seems low (which I was hoping for with this beer). I didn't spend the $15 on a hydrometer until after I'd already started fermenting, so ABV is just a guess. Also,  I didn't give this bottle a full two weeks in the fridge - more like 4 days (I was on the two weeks fermenting, two weeks lagering at fermenting temp, two weeks in the fridge schedule) because I couldn't wait any longer. :)  I'm letting the other bottles sit in the fridge longer and as I go through them I'll see if there's a flavor change.

Otherwise though, I'm pretty happy with my beginner's success and that I didn't have to dump the whole batch out.    I think on the next round of wheat, I'll use their "deluxe" pack instead of the standard. The deluxe one comes with an extra LME packet which is supposed to add a bit of maltiness to it.

[zxcvbob]

Yesterday I bottled my first brew in over ten years.  (Belgian dubbel; still tasted kind of sweet, but that might have just been all the alcohol plus not much hops bitterness and no carbonation yet.)  I have a batch of ESB that is also ready to bottle and I might get to it today.

I'm about three beers behind in my brewing plans.  Life keeps interrupting my Saturdays.  :(

The 3 gallons of lemon wine disappeared really fast.  So did the gallon of very alcoholic crabapple wine.  And the quart of even-more alcoholic rice wine.  And...

[Ron]

Well, I just popped open the first bottle of the wheat beer. I'm calling it a (qualified) success! :)

While it's not a "Holy crap, I'm giving up on commercial beers forever" success, it turned out to be a quite drinkable beer. While not the taste of a premium German hefeweizen, if I had to identify it, I would say that it's a taste between Blue Moon and Erdinger (both beers I enjoy).

I didn't get the overly fruity flavor I was afraid of when I tasted the wort, so it looks like my fermenting temps stayed in the range I hoped for. Alcohol content seems low (which I was hoping for with this beer). I didn't spend the $15 on a hydrometer until after I'd already started fermenting, so ABV is just a guess. Also,  I didn't give this bottle a full two weeks in the fridge - more like 4 days (I was on the two weeks fermenting, two weeks lagering at fermenting temp, two weeks in the fridge schedule) because I couldn't wait any longer. :)  I'm letting the other bottles sit in the fridge longer and as I go through them I'll see if there's a flavor change.

Otherwise though, I'm pretty happy with my beginner's success and that I didn't have to dump the whole batch out.    I think on the next round of wheat, I'll use their "deluxe" pack instead of the standard. The deluxe one comes with an extra LME packet which is supposed to add a bit of maltiness to it.

Don't drink it all while its green. It actually gets much better after a few weeks and more.

[Ben]

Don't drink it all while its green. It actually gets much better after a few weeks and more.

I'm hoping to learn more patience after this first batch. 

I actually only stuck two in the fridge early. The other ten are are just going in now and will sit there for a couple of weeks (well, most of them anyways).

[Scout26]

I'm hoping to learn more patience after this first batch. 

I actually only stuck two in the fridge early. The other ten are are just going in now and will sit there for a couple of weeks (well, most of them anyways).

Thanks Ben, we'll all drop by on the 14th for beers at your place.   

[Ben]

Thanks Ben, we'll all drop by on the 14th for beers at your place.   

I'd better get a bigger fermenter... 

[freakazoid]

Well, I just popped open the first bottle of the wheat beer. I'm calling it a (qualified) success! :)

While it's not a "Holy crap, I'm giving up on commercial beers forever" success, it turned out to be a quite drinkable beer. While not the taste of a premium German hefeweizen, if I had to identify it, I would say that it's a taste between Blue Moon and Erdinger (both beers I enjoy).

I didn't get the overly fruity flavor I was afraid of when I tasted the wort, so it looks like my fermenting temps stayed in the range I hoped for. Alcohol content seems low (which I was hoping for with this beer). I didn't spend the $15 on a hydrometer until after I'd already started fermenting, so ABV is just a guess. Also,  I didn't give this bottle a full two weeks in the fridge - more like 4 days (I was on the two weeks fermenting, two weeks lagering at fermenting temp, two weeks in the fridge schedule) because I couldn't wait any longer. :)  I'm letting the other bottles sit in the fridge longer and as I go through them I'll see if there's a flavor change.

Otherwise though, I'm pretty happy with my beginner's success and that I didn't have to dump the whole batch out.    I think on the next round of wheat, I'll use their "deluxe" pack instead of the standard. The deluxe one comes with an extra LME packet which is supposed to add a bit of maltiness to it.

Loves me some Blue Moon, never heard of Erdinger.
On the topic of making your own stuff, there was a thread some time ago where walnuts, I'm pretty sure, where used. Anybody remember what that was?

[KD5NRH]

I'm hoping to learn more patience after this first batch.

You have to drink one green.  It's like the "worst beer" ritual at any gathering of homebrewers; that one has to be passed around to everybody.

[charby]

I'd better get a bigger fermenter... 

Ok, Let me know when the new batch is ready to go, I'll bring the Wisconsin crew also.

10-12 gallons per day should be enough for the 5 of us.

[charby]

Loves me some Blue Moon, never heard of Erdinger.
On the topic of making your own stuff, there was a thread some time ago where walnuts, I'm pretty sure, where used. Anybody remember what that was?

Tasty stuff if you like hefeweizen.

[Ben]

Ok, Let me know when the new batch is ready to go, I'll bring the Wisconsin crew also.

10-12 gallons per day should be enough for the 5 of us.

Yeah, I'd better skip the home fermenter and just buy one of the local brewpubs if you lot are coming out...
 

[Balog]

Loves me some Blue Moon, never heard of Erdinger.
On the topic of making your own stuff, there was a thread some time ago where walnuts, I'm pretty sure, where used. Anybody remember what that was?

I think that was AJ Dual soaking walnuts in liquor.

[Scout26]

I think that was AJ Dual soaking walnuts in liquor.

I thought that was G98 doing that.  It might have been both.  I want to try that also.


As a side note the bottled beers shipped from Germany lose a lot in the shipping process.  They come over on non-temp controlled containers, so they are subjected to about two weeks of of whatever the temps are.  Plus if it is in the warmer months, then those boxes get damn hot. 

We used to do quite a few of them.  Mostly British ones, and generally bottles and kegs.  Bass, Brown something, and few other I disremember.  I do remember that they would not ship in the dead of winter for fear of freezing and exploding (we did have that happen a few times anyway, and lots coming over in summer with it was 90F+ outside and 120F+ in the containers. 

That couldn't be good for them.

[wmenorr67]

As a side note the bottled beers shipped from Germany lose a lot in the shipping process.  They come over on non-temp controlled containers, so they are subjected to about two weeks of of whatever the temps are.  Plus if it is in the warmer months, then those boxes get damn hot. 

We used to do quite a few of them.  Mostly British ones, and generally bottles and kegs.  Bass, Brown something, and few other I disremember.  I do remember that they would not ship in the dead of winter for fear of freezing and exploding (we did have that happen a few times anyway, and lots coming over in summer with it was 90F+ outside and 120F+ in the containers. 

That couldn't be good for them.

Such the reason a lot of you European brewers are buying up US brewers or at least teaming up with them so they can brew their products here.  Save on shipping costs along with the brews being fresher.

[Ben]

As a side note the bottled beers shipped from Germany lose a lot in the shipping process.  They come over on non-temp controlled containers, so they are subjected to about two weeks of of whatever the temps are.  Plus if it is in the warmer months, then those boxes get damn hot. 

I've definitely seen that. I've had a few stinker bottles in Summer / Early Fall. Drinkable, but you could tell something was "off".

I've in the last half year discovered Weihenstephaner being sold in the US (thanks Bevmo!), and while $1/bottle more than Erdinger and Franziskaner, is really great tasting and I've never had a bad bottle. I have to wonder if part of the higher price is more quality control on the shipping?

[Balog]

I've definitely seen that. I've had a few stinker bottles in Summer / Early Fall. Drinkable, but you could tell something was "off".

I've in the last half year discovered Weihenstephaner being sold in the US (thanks Bevmo!), and while $1/bottle more than Erdinger and Franziskaner, is really great tasting and I've never had a bad bottle. I have to wonder if part of the higher price is more quality control on the shipping?

Some import beers are noticeably better on the East coast as well.

[Ben]

Necro.

After three weeks fermenting, a month and a half of lagering, and two weeks in the fridge, I tried my latest wheat batch. I can finally say I made something better than I can buy. It came out REALLY tasty. I used the Safbrew WB-06 yeast with this batch, which let me ferment at lower temps than the standard Mr Beer yeast. Also I think this yeast adds a bit of a better taste when poured into the glass than the standard yeast. Anyway, super happy with the results. I actually only stuck half the bottles in the fridge two weeks ago. I'm now going to add the rest, with two extra lagering weeks under their belt, to the fridge.

I currently have a Heavy McWee lagering for three months, at which point I'll be into Summer and too warm of temps for lagering most beers. I'm using a staircase closet that generally stays in the low-mid 60s, but July-September, will reach the low 70s. So I'm gonna do one more batch of this tasty wheat, then in the Summer, stick to the American Light with the standard yeast, which can both ferment and lager in the warmer temps. Plus that one tastes good after just a few weeks of lagering, so it can spend the rest of its time in the fridge. :)

[zxcvbob]

I'm finally drinking the Belgian dubbel that I brewed at the end of last November.  (I bottled it in January, but the yeast went dormant before it was carbonated because the house was cold while we were in Hawaii)  I've decided that I don't really like Belgian beers all that much (too banana-y).  But it stronk; slight buzz from drinking one 11 oz. bottle -- after I'd been dry for almost 2 months for Lent.

The English "special bitter" that I brewed around Christmas is a lot better, even tho' it's not nearly as alcoholic.

Next beer will be a pre-Prohibition cream ale:  85% pale ale malt, 15% corn (Aldi's cornflakes breakfast cereal), 30 IBU's of Cluster hops, and US-05 or Nottingham yeast.  Should be a good lawnmower beer if I don't screw it up.

[just Warren]

I raise this thread from the Great Beyond to introduce to you the Picobrew.

For only $2000 you can have a machine that does 99% of the work for you. And creates a batch of beer in days instead of weeks.

Saw this on a business news program out of Africa, don't know why I never saw it mentioned anywhere else.

It's only a matter of time until someone automates the creating of more potent substances.

[MillCreek]

It is a smaller and more 'plug and play' version of the Zymatic.  I have been to the Seattle store/factory where these are made, and it is pretty interesting.