Checking In

Have you ever started something a long time ago, but then you move on and don't look back? I've done this with this blog, unfortunately. I started out with a gusto to document everything here as I tried new things and explored the world of Craft Beer. And for a long time, I did that. I would carefully and slowly drink each new beer and take notes before photographing the bottles and finally writing up a post about what I drank. It was fun.

Last month marked the 10th Anniversary of this blog. The date came, and the date went without me even thinking twice about it. In fact, it's been 6 years since I even made my last post. I'm still on this journey, and I still love trying new beers, but it's hard to keep up a blog when simply checking what I drink into Untapped is so much faster and simpler.

Despite all that, I still like looking back at this blog and remembering where everything started. I've updated my Beer List with some of my more recent brews. If this link works, you can view everything I've checked in on Untapped here: https://untp.beer/EEOXP

Apple Pie Cyser Mead

It's been a long time since I've posted anything, but I also haven't had a lot to post about. I've tried a few new beers here and there, but not to the extent I used to. In fact, I don't even recall the last time I did a pick-6 at all, let alone with something new...

But that's not what this post is about. Early last year, I started to collect the ingredients to make an Apple Pie Cyser from the recipe I found on Russ Whalley's website. Finally, on October 28, 2015, I brewed up a 3 gallon batch.

And they're off (October 28, 2015)

Making this mead taught me a few things:

1. Yeast expires - The yeast I have "expired" in 2014 and I didn't realize that until after it was pitched into the mead. After a few days with little to no activity, I looked at the remaining packets closer and saw the date. Needless to say, each gallon jug received at least another yeast packet each to use up all the remaining yeast. After that, it took off.
2. Spices = foam - This was the first real Metheglin (a mead with spices) I've made, so I didn't know just how much the extra spices would cause it to foam. You can see in the photo above that my airlocks are filled with the foam. I had to clean them out several times in the first few weeks as they kept foaming over. My counter and cabinets were also covered in a nice sticky film (my wife loved that part...).

I let it sit in primary for about a month. By then, I had acquired a 5 gallon bottle (garage sale for 25 cents = WIN!) and I siphoned the cyser into it (along with adding the juice concentrate and extra honey) and it's been sitting there ever since.

I took a quick taste around Christmas last year after it had been sitting in secondary for about a month and was worried about it. Something just didn't taste right, but I know from experience that meads get better with time so I waited. Fast forward another month and I decided to take a pull to a friends house for the first "real" tasting. It turned out amazing.

It's not too sweet and not too tart. The spices are fairly mellow, but you can get the good flavor from it. It's a bit dryer than I expected it to be, but it's still very nice. And the clarity is beautiful. For future batches I really need to get a hydrometer so I can measure the ABV. I don't know where it landed, but a full wine glass worth leaves you feeling good. :) And I definitely prefer it chilled.

Even after the rough start and some lessons learned, I believe I will be trying this mead again in the future. I'm not one to pat myself on the back, but I'll make an exception for this. :)

Our First Homebrews

This poor neglected blog is so sad now. It's been so long since I've done a pick-six to talk about and keep track of. Most of what I've been drinking are beers I've already put down my thoughts about. I have what's left of a Toe Head sixer in my fridge right now. Before that, I had an Abita Sample Pack. Great beers, but nothing new to "write home about".

But going into a sad, pitty-party isn't what I'm writing about today. I actually have something exciting to share: homebrew beers!

Late last year, my wife and I joined a small Bible Study group with 3 other families. Our host has been brewing meads for a long time and has been wanting to brew beer. With that simple thought, and some discussion, the four guys pooled our money and bought the supplies for 3 batches of homebrew:

1. Bourbon Barrel Stout
2. Oatmeal Cream Stout
3. Chocolate Cream Stout

The Bourbon Barrel Stout was our first experience brewing. It was a lot of fun, even though most of the time was spent sitting around a boiling pot of water / mash. The camaraderie made it a good day. The kit we bought came with a couple of ounces of Jack Daniels Bourbon Barrel cubes that were supposed to go in the fermenter after racking it once or twice. While we were waiting for the primary fermentation to complete (which took about a month) we soaked the chips in Knob Creek Bourbon (minus a few shots to "make room"). We also added two whole vanilla beans to the bourbon for something a little extra.

This batch was made at the end of January and it's still aging. I've been told it needs a little more time still, but that it's turning out amazing so far. I didn't keep track of all the gravity readings and such (our fearless leader / mastermind did all that), but it will wind up being between 8 and 9% ABV. I should mention that when we added the barrel chips, the whole bottle of bourbon went in too. :-)

A few weeks after making the first batch, we brewed up the Oatmeal Cream Stout. We definitely had an easier time with the second batch and it didn't seem to take as long, but we had a heck of a time keeping the temperature of the mash regulated and the thermometer wound up sitting in a cooler part of the pot. By the time we realized it, the rest was far too hot and we were honestly worried we had burned it and ruined the grains. Fortunately it turned out amazing. If memory serves me right, this one had about 6 - 7% ABV.

While we were brewing the Chocolate Stout last month, we bottled this one up and quickly realized that a 5 gallon batch may seem like a lot, but when split 4 ways, each of us only went home with a 6 pack apiece plus the pint we had while brewing.

The final batch we brewed and that is currently fermenting next to the aging Bourbon Barrel is the Chocolate Cream Stout. This dude has a ton of chocolate in it. It took 1 pound of cocoa powder and 1 pound of dark brown chocolate. Plus, once it's racked a time or two, we will be adding more cocoa nibs to it. (The cocoa nibs are currently soaking in more brandy.)

This one too had us worried. Before we poured it into the fermenter, we took a small taste and it was so bitter and gritty. We knew the grit would settle, but the bitter was concerning. Fortunately, after a few weeks, it's much better and should be awesome after sitting for a few months. ABV estimates for this one are (I believe) between 9 and 10% and that was before we got the idea to soak the nibs in brandy!

Looking into the future, we're already beginning discussions and plans for brewing larger batches of beer in the 15 gallon range. It's a lot of work put in for a six-pack coming out. I did the math and it worked out to about $1.40 per bottle. That's comparable to most craft prices, but we can do it cheaper. With the larger batches, we will be buying our grain and malt in bulk which will save us money and reduce the cost.

As for what to brew, I don't know yet. I'm trying to talk them into an IPA, but I'm the only IPA guy in the group. Fortunately, I enjoy a good stout too. Still, I may need to introduce them to Firestone's Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA.

Well, that's all for now. The way things go, I'll catch up with you in 6 months or so... :-/

Failed Experiment with Simha

As I stated in my last post, I found and tried a recipe for a drink called Simha. I'm not 100% sure I did it right, but the results I got weren't good. In fact, it was downright bad. I let it sit for a few days like the directions said and it barely did anything. It fermented a little and the raisin "submarines" floated up and down, but the drink never tasted good. Even several days afterwords, all I had was a lemon-sugar water. Maybe I did something wrong, or maybe I didn't use the right kind of sugar / yeast, but I won't be returning to this drink.

I've already moved on and set my sights on the next Mead creation: an Apple Pie Cyser Mead.

Several of us are also going to be joining forces to brew a few Stouts here in the near future as soon as I can muster up a little extra cash to help chip in with expenses.

Trying an Experiment with Simha

Found an interesting resource for mead making here, and as I was browsing the site, I came across a recipe for something called Simha. Never heard of it before, but the recipie was the definition of simple, so I figured even though it's not a mead, what the heck.

So tonight, I washed one of my gallon jugs and boiled the ingredients together. I've got it cooling down now so I can add the yeast when it's ready and let it ferment in the jug. No idea what I'm getting myself into, but I should know within a few days. I guess this is one that needs to be drank young. I like the notes on the recipe page: when it smells like vomit, set it aside for 6 months and you'll have something very dry and tasty. So it's either drink it quick or in it for the long haul.

The recipe is located here.

Wish me luck!

Catching Up

It's been a while since I've posted on here, but I have been posting my drinking adventures via the Uptappd app. I'm liking the social aspect of the app, but I don't want to neglect this blog either, so this post is a catch-up to get everything back up to speed. I'll try to do this more often so they aren't as long in the future...

Orange Shandy

Had the most interesting beer last night. It was an Orange Shandy from Leinenkugel. I've had several fruit beers over the years, but this one was the most interesting for sure. It was a good orange flavor that tasted very much like a glass of orange juice, just not as sweet. I kept expecting to get a bit of pulp!

Underneath the orange was a good beer. Its officially described as a wheat, but I had it pinned for more of a wit at first. Yummy nonetheless.

Is this one I would seek again, probably not. But it did put me in the mood for hash browns and sausage...