StogieChat Cigar Forum

so, I have been debating (patially due to recent events) a different approach to my brewing lately.  I don't have a lot of folks at the house, nor a lot of space.  So my thought is smaller batches, more beers.  Tonigth I made a list of 10 brews out of a catolog that I would like to brew, and plan on doing all in 1 or 2.5 gal batches.  Smaller batches will allow me some freedoms that are more difficult than on even a five gal scale. 

Here's the initial list, and open to suggestions/ additions:

ESB   Scottish 80/-   Wee Heavy 
Ole Ale    IIPA    Belgian Strong Ale
Lefse Blonde    Imperial Wit     Dunkleweisen
Schwartzbier

 

Mark Wrote:Rhizomes arrived today!

4 Cascade
4 Centennial
4 Magnum
4 Nugget

 

Woohoo!!

Can't wait to plant.  Gotta start prepping the garden area now.

hey, what are you doing with those rhizomes in the mean time? 

Mine got here today, got em in potting soil in the house until things warm up a little more, and I still need to get something for them to grow up onto.  Thinking of doing some wire going through an eyehook in the soffet of the house, about a 60 degree angle coming out from the house, which will give some extra sunlight, since the house sits east-west.

Rhizomes are in Ziploc bags with moist paper towels in them.  I'm keeping them in the crisper drawer right now.  Almost every one of the rhizomes have started to sprout already, there are 2 Nugget and 2 Centennial that havent yet, but all the others are.

Started prepping the area today, 14' x 14'.  Raked all the leaves and rocks out of the area.  Renting a tiller tomorrow and with prep the soil with compost and manure.  If there is time they will go in the ground, if not it will be this week.

well, the willamette has several sprouts growing healthy.  The centennial, unfortunately, seems to be a dud.  I'll keep watering and so forth and not give up until I have to, but no sign of life thus far.

Started at 9am this morning and just sat down for the first time right now after finishing up.  Everything is done except for the trellis, but thats not very important right now.  Will get a pick of the garden up shortly.

First row - Cascade

Second - Centennial

Third - Magnum

Fourth - Nugget

 

Will update as the season progresses

Mark, that is truly a thing of beauty, can't wait to see how things grow. 

a friend called today to invite me over to be part of his dad's first batch.  I couldn't make it, but it reminded me I had a few bottles of some strong brown ale that I brewed about 2 years ago and really didn't like some of the flavors, I'm curious to see how it tastes. 

 

Thanks Grant

I will update regularly.

Hopefully they grow because right behind that fence are 4-5 tall pines that block most of the morning sun. 

2 years on a Strong Brown should be nice.

the verdict: crappy beer still crappy even after 2 years!

There were some really neat thigs that happened to the aroma, and the taste did mellow out nicely, some interesting rasin notes in there, but the fusel alcohol taste is still way too present for my liking.  If I had bulk-aged the whole batch, and then bottled after a year or two, this might have been a good beer tonight, MIGHT have been.

It was a recipe that called for brown sugar, turbinado sugar AND molasses on top of the grain bill.  I did this brew twice, as I thought I screwed something up the first time.  Same result.  oh well, I can always fry fish with it.