Beer Updates

I just thought I would give a quick update to some of the beers posted here.

Citra Pale Ale: This was the experimental pale ale that I brewed using all Citra hops. I'm still a little disappointed in the malt flavor to this beer, as I forgot to add malt extract towards the end of the boil and it turned a 5.5% ABV beer into a 4.7% and likely made the beer out of balance between the sweet and bitter flavors. In the end though, I was experimenting with this beer and making mistake though helps to learn. The Citra hops are amazing though, they give the beer a nice pineapple/grapefruit tropical flavor and are extremely aromatic. I brought this beer to my homebrew club meeting last month and it ended up winning beer of the month. Not bad for a "mistake" beer, huh?

Kellie and PJ's Matrimony Ale: Kellie and PJ had their rehearsal dinner and wedding last weekend. The beer was served at their rehearsal dinner to approximately 50 guests. I have to say I was extremely worried that either the beer wouldn't turn out well or that the guests would not care for it. I brought a 5 gallon keg over and it lasted about 45 minutes! I ended up having friends and relatives of the bride and groom coming over to talk to me, thank me, shake my hand etc..! It was really reassuring that I am making beer that everyone can enjoy and appreciate. Congratulations again Kellie and PJ!

Tracy's Pale Ale: Tracy's Pale Ale has turned out really nice too. After brewing the Citra pale ale, I dry hopped with Citra hops to give the beer the tropical aroma. I've only tried one of these so far and it tasted excellent. I would like to try more, but Tracy has been successfully hoarding these and keeping them away from her husband James and me!

Equipment Upgrades

For a while now I have been looking to upgrade my brewing capacity so that I can do all grain brewing. With the 5 gallon kettle that I had, I was limited to using malt extract as the main ingredient in my beer. Malt extract is the sugars from malted barley/specialty grains that had been refined down into syrup or powdered form. It is a space saver because it does not take up a lot of space in the kettle as it dissolves into the liquid wort.

All grain brewing requires additional pieces of equipment. The first is what's called a hot liquor tank. A hot liquor tank is where water is heated prior to mashing the grain. The next piece of equipment is a mash tun. A mash tun is where the grain and hot water is added. The temperature of the mash tun stays at 150-155 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately one hour. During that time the sugars are extracted from the malt. This process is called mashing. The liquid is then transferred to a boil kettle where the hops are added and boiled for over an hour.

Earlier in the year I joined a local club for homebrewers. The club has monthly meetings where presentations are given, events are planned, and club members' beers are sampled. One of the club members decided to sell off his equipment and I was able to purchase a kettle for a hot liquor tank and a mash tun for under $50. The mash tun is actually a converted igloo cooler with a ball valve and manifold added for draining.

Here's a picture of the mash tun in action from my first all grain beer, an Oatmeal Stout.

As for the boil kettle, my "business parter" aka my father purchased a 15 gallon stainless steel kettle as a birthday/Christmas present last year. I haven't had a chance to use it until recently as I did not have this other equipment. I also needed to purchase an outdoor propane burner as that kettle is way too big for the stove and would never reach a boil. The final piece of equipment arrived last week as I bought a Blichmann Engineering floor standing burner. This burner is specifically designed for homebrewers as it provides 72,000 BTUs of heat, has a 10psi regulator for more finely controlled temperature, and adjustable arms to prevent the kettle from falling off the stand.

Here's a picture of the 15 gallon brew kettle next to the 7 gallon hot liquor tank:

What I am most looking forward to is the increased cost savings as a result of using all grain. Malted barley and specialty costs approximately $1.50 per pound. Malt extract costs $2.00 to $3.00 per pound. This will result in a cost savings of $5.00 to $10.00 per batch!

Here's a picture of the last brew day with the kettle and burner in action: