Not So Famous…

During the last brew day, we took some pictures, and I promised I would put them up.  Part of the problem is that the camera hooks up to Kim’s computer, not mine.  So I always forget about things after I get home.  :)  Today, we were messing with pictures, and I asked her to copy those brew day pics over.  So here they are, in all their glory.  :) In case you’re trying to remember, we were brewing a stout. (Click each picture for a larger version. Muchos “Thank You’s” to Erin, whom I think took most of these pictures.  She did a great job, and I hope she can make the next Brew Day.)

It is customary to drink beer for the entire time you’re brewing it. The theory behind this is that while you are enjoying the wonderful beer in your glass, you will subconsciously emulate its wonderful flavor in your current project. (I’m full of it.  We just love to drink beer.)  :) I’d like to comment here on a couple beers you’ll definitely want to try.

1. Samuel Adams Cream Stout - This is one of the nicest mass produced stouts available.  The boys from Boston have really knocked one out of the park. With this brew, you get the smokiness and roastiness you expect from a stout, but there’s a subtle overtone of cream throughout your enjoyment of this one.  I highly recommend it, and it should be fairly easy to find.

2. Hoptown Oatmeal Breakfast Stout - Since we were starting brew day at 10am, we figured it would be advisable to have a breakfast beer on hand.  This beer was just an excellent Oatmeal Stout.  You can smell the Oatmeal rather than taste it, though some reported that they detected a little more creaminess in this beer than they expected due to the oats.  A fine, hearty beer you can really sink your teeth into. This one is definitely a little more difficult to find, but if you see it, know you’re getting a quality beer with this one.

3. Framboise - I know, I know…this one is more of a style, but I don’t remember the brand.  You might be able to see it better when you click the picture, but it’s a good representation of the Framboise lambic style of beer.  With this, you’re getting more of a cider than a beer, but it’s definitely got aspects of a beer.  Bright red in color, this beer will scare the crap out of you during a pour.  :)  If you’re a girly-type that likes girly drinks, then you NEED to try this one.  My wife loved it, and she HATES beer.  Drink it….love it.  But fellas, please don’t get your lipstick on the glass.  ;)

Here, we can see the wort getting warm enough to steam.

Here’s a different angle of the same thing. The foam on top is an indicator that it’s getting ready to boil. In addition, it’s reminding us that the surface tension of wort is VERY high.  As a result, watch out for boil-overs!

This is my brewing rig.  It’s a propane tank hooked up to a 75,000 btu camp stove. (Compare that to your average gas range burner, which puts out about 7,000 btu’s.) On top is an 8.5 gallon stainless steel (aluminum core) stock pot, which is my vessel of choice during the brewing process.

This pretty much characterizes every instance where our group gets together. I think we were discussing here whether God’s plan for the world is for the church to set up a theocratic government replacing our republic. Good conversation happens over beer.  It’s just how we roll.

More of the same conversation. From the left we have Gabe, Daniel and Nathan. Gabe is one of my best friends…Daniel is our Bible Study leader, and Nathan is a new friend from church who really has fit in quite well with us.  We’re beer buddies.  And we’re also geeks…totally!

Once you’ve boiled the wort and added the hops and such, you must cool it down as quickly as possible. (More on that later.)  At any rate, the yeast prefers temperatures of about 70-80 degrees fahrenheit, and it’s way higher than that when it comes off the boil.  Here we see the ice bath we put the kettle of wort in once we take it off the burner.

You may be asking yourself WHAT THE HECK is happening here.  Well…

They’re helping me pour the cooled wort into the fermenter so I can pitch (add) the yeast.  Daniel is holding some cheesecloth over the opening so we can filter out as much of the hops and trub as possible for the clearest and cleanest-tasting beer possible.

This is the nasty crap that is left in the bottom of the pot after we’ve poured.  This stuff is what settles out of the wort when you chill it quickly. (From boiling to 75 degrees in a half an hour if possible…we never make it that fast, but we try.)  This stuff doesn’t taste TOO bad, but it will cloud up the beer, and it’s nice to have a clear batch, even if you can’t see through it.  Eliminating this stuff helps to ensure we get no off-flavors.

And finally, we have the near-finished product. The yeast has been pitched, and in a couple hours, they will begin merrily eating the sugars they find.  At that point, they’ll piss alcohol and fart CO2.  Where did you think it came from???  :)  This stout turned out EXCELLENT!

This day was a great deal of fun.  Just looking at these pics has made me really want to set a date for brewing soon.  I really need to if I’m planning on having a Christmas Ale ready for drinking by the 25th of December.  Thanks for looking at the pictures, and as always, if you have any questions, please let me know.  I’m happy to answer any that you have.