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... :-/