Category Archives: Homebrewing

Inspiration Comes to Fruition

I hinted a couple of weeks ago about being inspired to brew something a bit unique. Well I made it happen today….the recipe was developed about a week ago from some inspiration found in a conversation with the bar keep at Lengthwise Brewing Pub in the Marketplace – Bakersfield California. I was attempting to order a beer and the big chalkboard had these tree words stacked above each other in the lower left corner of the board.

Golden

Wheat

Red

So, I ordered one…..it sounded like an interesting beer. The barkeeper smiled while telling me that those three were part of the tap line-up for the brewery. I had been fully aware of their Centennial and Double Centennial IPA’s, The Kern River Crude Porter, the Blonde as well as a host of guest beers on tap. It just didn’t dawn on me that these were three distinct beers. The ensuing conversation made me feel a little better. Apparently I am not the only ” cerevisaphile  – A devout lover of beers.”, that has made the same, I won’t call it a mistake, but rather the natural combining of those yummy sounding beer components. So I was struck by inspiration and went on my mission to build this beer.

The recipe; Partial mash – the easy way.

3 lbs light malt extract – the Golden portion

3 lbs of Wheat Malt extract – The Wheat portion

1 lb. Caramel Malt – crushed

½ lb. Crystal Malt 55 L crushed

2 oz. Black roasted barley – crushed – the crushed grains should add body and the Red portion of the inspiration.

2 oz. Centennial pellet hops – 1 oz. @ 30 minutes, 1 oz. @ 15 minutes

2 oz. Amarillo pellet hops – 1 oz. @ 55 minutes. 1 oz. in secondary a few weeks from now

½ tsp yeast nutrient @ 10 minutes, ½ tsp gypsum at beginning, ½ tsp Irish Moss @ 30 minutes

Grain placed in brew pot and removed when temperature reached 170 deg F.

OG is 1.066 – Fermenting at 64-68 deg F Aerated for 3 minutes prior to pitching Wyeast 1056 Ale yeast.

At two weeks I will check and transfer to the secondary then dry hop with the remaining Amarillo hops.

This should be a hoppy beer, not real bitter, but should have a good floral and citrus aroma.

Now the big challenge is to be patient!

Brewing notebook, malt extract, grains and hops. Ready to brew.

Brewing notebook, malt extract, grains and hops. Ready to brew.

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

Brewing Inspiration

Last night I picked up some inspiration for a new batch of beer. I am in Bakersfield working this week. At dinner last night my workmate ordered Pumpkinhead Ale from Shipyard Brewing Co., Portland Maine. Although I didn’t drink it I did enjoy the aroma- wow! Instant inspiration. It seems a little late in the year to brew a pumpkin ale but I have a plan!

Others in our dinner party drank the 805 from Firestone Walker – Paso Robles CA brewery. Great easy drinking beer.

Last fall my wife decorated the house with several “Cinderella” pumpkins. They really are, Rouge Vif d’Estampes. variety. Great for decorating and excellent for cooking/eating and very difficult to carve. They store very well. Last December I cut up and roasted one such pumpkin. I had enough puréed pumpkin for multiple loaves of pumpkin bread and a batch of pumpkin ale! The puréed pumpkin also freezes well. The beer aged nicely and at 10 months the last few bottles were excellent!

I am inspired to repeat the effort. I took good notes, bought supplies from our local store so the follow-up effort should not be a problem. Brewing day will be post Thanksgiving but I promise to capture the effort!

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Rouge Vif d’Estampes – makes a great pumpkin ale! Give it a try!

Drink local and drink responsibly
Bishop

Mesmerized or Mesmerised

I think they both mean the same thing – it just depends on which English is spoken! I honestly feel that I am right but I am willing concede a bit…..the meanings are the same so lets proceed!

Saturday was a rainy day early on but did settle down by the time my daughter’s Birthday gathering got underway – I had the duty of preparing the carnivorous treats for the evening. When turning meat into yummy and satisfying treats I usually keep a cold beer nearby so I can pull in a nice long sip as I contemplate what I need to do next.

I am on the patio, the smoker is heated up. The water pan is well filled with my favorite form of water. It is “water” that has been boiled with the heavenly flavors of malt and hops. Yes, it is beer, my favorite form of “water”. I used a couple of bottles of my Imperial Stout and a bottle of a homebrewed session ale (4.8% ABV). I also added about 5 tablespoons of crushed garlic to the mix.

Three chickens were cut in half lengthwise, covered in John Henry’s East Texas Pecan rub! Smoke was provided by pecan wood brought home from the Ciliske’s ranch. The hard work was having the patience to let the slow cooking and smoke do its magic.  My penchant for peeking too often loses too much heat.  So, I sat back became mesmerized or mesmerized watching the bubbles break out of solution in my pint glass of homebrewed Father’s Day Ale! Earth to Bishop, Earth to Bishop! What, what – oh yes let me continue. The Father’s Day Ale seems to have become more mature & mellow as it sat in my little 6L Tap-a-Draft kegs. Time to brew some more.

I had to be careful with the mesmerizing or mesmirising image of the bubbles in the beer lest I fall into a hypnotic trance and forget to quaff – not cough….quaff! Thankfully I held up nicely, the chickens were amazing and the evening was a success! Could it have been my talent, or simply my choice of ingredients? It didn’t really matter, I received the kudos with humility and a knowing smile.

I reluctantly went into my stash and pulled out a few 22 ounce bottles of my Pumpkin Ale….about 8 months old and very nice! I am now down to 2/3 of the 6L keg of the Father’s Day Ale, 5 bottles of the session ale and about 20 bottles of the Imperial Stout. The stout is also very nice but another few months will allow it to mature and mellow toward perfection.

Caution – when watching the attached clip, remember to breath and look away regularly or risk mesmerization! Hopefully 12 seconds is not enough to cause a problem.

Just the Basics

Basic Texas dinner with a California twist. The Texas component was beef, beer, green beans, mashed taters, a local beer and salsa. The California component was the cut of beef. Tri-tip is a cut that is found all over California after originating along the Central California coast over 40 years ago. It is tough to find in Texas!

I went into our local HEB supermarket yesterday not intending to buy the tri-tip. I was looking for ground sirloin and chickens for my daughter’s birthday BBQ on Saturday. I found the chickens but no ground sirloin. I spotted two tri-tips on the top shelf and snatched them both up. Tri-tip makes great leftovers, sliced up in a salad, wrapped in a tortilla or just plain old finger food! I was drooling!

Saturday will be my famous burgers and smoked chicken along with a gut busting variety of dips, queso and who knows what that my wife has found on Pinterest! I am in charge of the meat and beer, both of which I claim a tremendous depth of knowledge and abundant experience!

The local beer, a Karbach summer seasonal that slid down way too easy. On Saturday a select few that know the secret handshake and password may be treated to some of my he brew.

My basic plate.

Drink local and Drink Responsibly,
Bishop

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Homebrew – A Cure For A Rough Week

Friday afternoon I received a call from my very goodest friend. Yes I know that the word “goodest” is substandard English….a former classmate and English major friend of mine is cringing as she reads my post!

My “goodest” friend was on his way home and was in need of an ear, good thing because I have two of those, and a good beer of more. I seem to always have beer on hand. I actually needed a break….I was trimming the crepe myrtle – not the annual “Rape of the Crepes” but the removal of those pesky branches that originate at the base. The T-shirt I was wearing was soaked as he pulled up into the drive way! Perfect timing as I needed a homebrew too…..but for different reasons.

I have two homebrews in the mini-kegs(Tap-a-Draft) 6 Liter bottles in the house fridge, my Father’s Day Ale ~ 6.2% ABV and a Session Summer Ale ~ 4 % ABV. The Session Ale is a tangy citrus like beer where as the Father’s Day Ale is more of a Pale Ale.

I poured us both a pint and put my listening ears on. The first pint slid down rather quickly so I poured another…..for both of us! The second pint was sliding down nicely and the week from hell was slipping into the past and plans for a better weekend were looking up. 45 minutes into our session we both had a smile and the warmth of friendship and good beer shared between the two of us.

It was time for me to finish my chores and my “goodest” friend went home and readied himself for a great evening…..We took our wives out to a movie, “The Heat”, laughed our asses off, had a late meal and all in all a great day and a great evening…….all starting with the “Cure” – a nice chilled homebrew!

http://99covers.com/funny-beer-2-facebook-covers/25061/

Yes I Got Beer! – go ahead and cringe again…..

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

 

 

Scientific Link Between Beer and Meat

I really shouldn’t say scientific, it is more like years of observation that validates the statement above.

This past weekend at my humble abode I observed this link in hyperdrive…. I wanted to have a good homebrew and in response to my wife’s request I went to the store to grab something for dinner. I decided to grab a couple of whole chickens to skewer on the rotisserie ….. that wasn’t good enough. I decided to kill two birds with my homebrew and smoke a whole brisket….Why not, I had to be out there watching the chickens so lets get a brisket going.

I decided to use my homebrew Session Ale as part of the brisket seasoning process and as the liquid to provide moisture in the smoker. I sliced up some of my homegrown Elephant Garlic to add a little more flavor to the liquid and also to the smoke box. I used a local seasoning put together by the “locally famous” BBQ guy, Rick Alspaugh…. he also owns the local Ace Hardware store, involved in the community and a  friend through the swimming community….an all around good guy.

The chickens were seasoned with the same rub and place on the rotisserie skewer and I added some wood smoke using apple! I got the beer out, the meats ready to go and it hit me that the link was evident…not just one meat but I was sucked into doubling up. Fortunately I had enough beer to make it all work! That’s the benefit of brewing your own!!!!

Ready to check on the brisket.

Ready to check on the brisket.

That yummy smoke is rolling out of the smoker!

That yummy smoke is rolling out of the smoker!

About hour 2 of the many, many hour process.

About hour 2 of the many, many hour process.

Chickens just warming up.

Chickens just warming up.

The dead soldiers lined up along with some of the Elephant Garlic.

The dead soldiers lined up along with some of the Elephant Garlic.

A platter full and ready to eat. The brisket was still being slooooow cooked!

A platter full of dismembered chicken and ready to eat. The brisket was still being slooooow cooked!

So, yes grilling, smoking or preparing meat does link to beer and the opposite holds true….good beer leads to cravings for meat. I see a three of four meat weekend somewhere in my future! What beer should I triple up or quadruple up with??? Hmmmmm. So many choices

Drink Local, Drink Responsibly – Enjoy Meat!

Bishop

The Countdown to Father’s Day

I have a small dorm fridge in the garage where I kept mostly my homebrews and a few craft beers in the ready for combat against the Houston heat. When I returned home last Thursday evening I went to the fridge and started to open it and got smacked by my daughter Ashleigh. Two problems she chastised me for – my early arrival gave me a glimpse of the wine barrel composter that she and my son Ben were building and they have apparently stocked the little fridge with some special craft beers, likely IPA’s! Apparently I have to wait!!!!!

Nearly ready to rock and roll!

Nearly ready to rock and roll!

Yes I think I can wait....I leave early Sunday morning so I may be a few hours early opening this present!

Yes I think I can wait….I leave early Sunday morning so I may be a few hours early opening this present!

She didn’t really smack me but I did flinch – expecting to be hit!

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

 

Father’s Day –

Father’ Day is less than two weeks off. Still enough time to plan for honoring the “Old Man” with something special! I already feel honored! Kathy and I were graced with our 4 kids back in the house for a visit this past weekend. No boomerangs in this gathering! Ashleigh, coaching soccer at UTEP in El Paso was in town scouting prospects at a tournament in Houston. Lisa lives 6.2 miles away so it was a short jaunt for her. Ben has a couple of weeks off before his last semester at LSU!!!! And Joe, graduated from HS a week ago and will head off to Texas A&M in the fall.

Planning for Father’s Day should include something grilled as well as fatherly beverages to go along with it. One of my recent blogs about Beer Butt chicken was included in this linked post;
http://www.babysitters.net/blog/25-blogs-naming-the-top-foods-to-fix-for-dad-on-father’s-day/
Yes, it probably is an ad of some sort but I felt honored to have it included in the 25 blogs naming Top Foods to Fix on Father’s Day! If you dig into my archives their is also a Beer Braised Chicken recipe using Brown Ale!

Beer Braised Chicken – Brown Ale Braised Chicken

My Father’s Day Ale will be a bit young to drink on the 16th. I started the batch two weeks later than I should have and I will just have to suffer. My only home brews on hand include the Pumpkin Ale, a Session Ale and my Stout. The Stout is 8 months old and almost ready to walk. Sampled one this weekend and it needs a little more time. I think I should be good!

I will be honest with those of you scratching your heads on what to do for your Father come June 16th. Don’t buy a gift that gets little or no use. The most precious gift at your disposal is time spent with the old guy! Reminisce a little, listen to a story he has told several times over and laugh at his jokes, even if it is old and tired. Best yet, bring a good beer over and share it with him! FYI kids, if you don’t remember – anything with IPA in it will be just fine for me!

One don’t on Father’s Day- don’t ask him to sing any of his old Rugby Songs!!!!! No, no, NO! Bad Daddy!

If you just have to buy something- a way to mount a trolling motor on my kayak would be good!

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly
Bishop

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Raising The Bar With My Homebrewing

I have just moved my home brewing efforts up a new level. This now allows summer-time brewing as well as creating an opportunity to brew some lagers. Lagers must be lagered…..yes, I know that really doesn’t paint a clear picture. Lagers are typically fermented at temperatures much lower than “room” temperature and then once bottled/kegged lagered for several months, i.e., held at say 35 degrees F. I can’t do that in my dining room!

What, do you ask is needed to up the efforts? I have purchased a small used chest freezer and a Johnson Controls, A 419. digital temperature controller. The current batch of beer I have been brewing was transferred into my 6L mini Tap-a-Draft kegs yesterday. The conditioning phase requires that this Father’s Day Amber Ale condition for 7 days at a strict 68-70 degrees F and then at 55-65 for two weeks. I cannot afford to cool the house to those temperatures, after all this is summer in Houston.

I had been watching the local listings in the “Kingwood Yardsale” website for several weeks. Yesterday I found a working small chest freezer for $ 70.00. The next step is to buy and install a controller that will keep the freezer temperatures in the range I need for my purposes. The Johnston Controls controller has a very wide range that will more than adequately cover my needs.

Stable fermenting temperatures provide the best environment for the yeast to work its magic. The conditioning process is many times aided by a reduced temperature to allow the beer to best express its flavors. In the past I have used a big plastic tub filled with water in the corner of the dining room. My wife is both tolerant and patient with my hobby but I can now give her most of the dining room back…..it is still a bit of a home office for my consulting business.

The Controller set at 68 degrees F

The Controller set at 68 degrees F

The 3 six liter bottles. I added a lot of my glass bottled home brew to create some additional thermal mass to aid in managing temperature swings. I will also use this as my "cellar" after this current batch has conditioned. I added about 60 bottles of beer ....... Seems to be wrking pretty well.

The 3 six liter bottles. I added a lot of my glass bottled home brew to create some additional thermal mass to aid in managing temperature swings. I will also use this as my “cellar” after this current batch has conditioned. I added about 60 bottles of beer ……. Seems to be wrking pretty well.

Two of the 3 six liter bottles sitting in the freezer this AM.

Two of the 3 six liter bottles sitting in the freezer this AM.

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly
Bishop

American Craft Beer Week

At least this reflects something positive on the news wires this week! I apologize to Nathan Berrong who writes Eatocracy’s Beer column, “Berrong on Beer” beacause I am stealing a piece out of his column’s headline…. when I think about craft beer or homebrewed beer I have a new phrase to use when offered a “real” beer – I can exclaim, “Ale Yeah!” So this being American Craft Beer Week – thanks to Mr. Berrong and I stand up and shout “Ale Yeah!”

This is a great opportunity to set down your Coors or Bud or other variation of yellow fizzy water and broaden your horizons. The variety of offerings in the craft beer section of the store is very broad.You can take a small step out and go with a Blonde Ale of some sort. You may surprise yourself and find that Amber Ales can be surprisingly easy to drink…..don’t be misled that an amber color equates to “dark” flavors….. Dive a little deeper and try a Brown Ale.

Now there are some lessons to be learned…A Pale Ale can have a very broad spectrum of flavors and aromas. The spectrum is influenced by the varieties of hops and yes by the malts too, yes there are a myriad variety of hops, which lend the beer the bitterness and aromas. The hops are my real focus when sampling Pale Ales. If you are a bit of a geeky numbers person find the IBU designation on Pale Ales. If the number starts creeping north of 40 or so it indicates a more “hoppy” beer. I like the Pale Ales designated as IPA – India Pale Ales – they are higher in both alcohol and bittering – historically made to survive the boat trip to India. The style has survived and thrived. If you didn’t figure it out, I love IPA’s.

The choices for broadening your beer experience include Stouts, Porters, Wheat Beers, Belgian Styles and more. If you see the word “Imperial” in the name be prepared for a higher ABV – Alcohol by Volume. Some can even approach wine levels…10-12% and sometimes more. Then the craft industry is using barrel aged beers and “oh my” the complexity of flavors goes through the roof. Firestone Walker in Paso Robles California has a barrel aged Imperial Stout labeled “Parabola” that is just out of this world….unfortunately it is not sold retail!

From Mr. Berrong’s article here are some suggestions he gleaned from others;

The Brewer’s Association, a not-for-profit trade group that represents small and independent brewers, is the driving force behind ACBW. Below are some tips from them on how to get the most out of this year’s beer week:

• Conduct a craft beer tasting or pairing. • Visit your favorite local brewery, restaurant or tap room and enjoy local craft beers. • Host a tasting at home featuring craft beer from small and independent producers. • Tweet your pride for U.S. craft brewers using the hashtag #ACBW. • Seek out other like-minded folks by attending an official ACBW event. Use the official ACBW events page to find an event in your area. The link below takes you to the full article.

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/05/13/berrong-on-beer-ale-yeah-its-american-craft-beer-week/?hpt=hp_c4

My weekend sampling will include my homebrews – a Pumpkin Ale, Imperial Stout flavored with roasted oak and bourbon, a 4.2% Pale Ale and my share of a batch of Raspberry Wheat Ale. I will also be racking my Father’s Day Ale over into my secondary fermenter this weekend. I will look to local beers to add to the weekend mix….Mom I will not drink all of them – just a nice smattering of beers. Karbach, St Arnolds, Southern Star, No Label, Buffalo Bayou and ????

Guys, your GF or wife may enjoy some of the Belgian Wit Beers that have a hint of orange peel and coriander – they also tend to have a broad spectrum of how spicy they come across. I have to pat Coors on the back because their Blue Moon Belgian Wit has helped many of the fairer sex wander away from Miller Lite!

The list of beer styles is extensive…I have only scratched the surface – follow the link below to see what beer nerds love…beer styles listed and IU ranges for reach style.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/24/beer-styles-ibu-chart-graph-bitterness-range/

Plan your week and your weekend….be adventurous!!!

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop