What's everyone brewing?

[sleepyjamie]

so im a dumbass.

about to start the boil and musta left my hops at rubbertoes!

on a side note my pre-boil efficiency was 80%

Is that better than your keggle BIAB? How did the bag work for you while draining (and what did you use as a pickup in the cooler)?

it definitely is much better than keggle BIAB. i did a 2hr 30min mash at lunch time and when i came home from work the temp dropped by about 5 degrees F. when i came home i was able to drain the mash tun and get to a boil in about 25 min. so pretty good. no more fucking required with the burner!

my measured efficiency was around 74%. so pretty good. i did end up squeezing the bag to get more sugar.

also i put the bazooka screen in the mash tun to help for draining the wort.

still have some more improvements to do but i like this much more over the keggle simply because im not fighting to keep the mash temp constant.

now that i can come home at lunch and start the mash means it makes my brew day feel a lot shorter.

[Tony L]

Apa.

Sent from my Nexus S

Jeez, X, you can almost smell the hops in that picture. Looking great.

[jacinthebox]

Just picked up a ESB Festa Brew kit from Noble Grape...
anyone ever try this seasonal kit?

[derek]

Just picked up a ESB Festa Brew kit from Noble Grape...
anyone ever try this seasonal kit?

I have - it's not seasonal ("Festa" is just the name of the product, not an indication of the time of year, and ESB is a typical British ale).

The Festa Brews are well-made wort, and if you keep everything clean you'll end up with a fine beer. And next time you make it, you'll end up with the same fine beer - which is why we're not all just making Festa Brews.

[sleepyjamie]

Their esb is one of my favs.

[Tony L]

Their esb is one of my favs.

They are all good. I particularly like the Czech pils they have as a seasonal from time to time.

[chalmers]

Just picked up a ESB Festa Brew kit from Noble Grape...
anyone ever try this seasonal kit?

I have - it's not seasonal ("Festa" is just the name of the product, not an indication of the time of year, and ESB is a typical British ale).

Well actually, it may not be a seasonal, but it is only available for a limited run (from http://goo.gl/5xAR4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

NG_ESB.jpg

[Stusbrews]

Boiling up what should be a belgian blonde, but probly more of a mystery beer...I harvested some Westy yeast with the intention of doing a quad, and then this blonde moment happened! If nothing else, it'll give me some idea of the yeast, and build a base for the quad at the same time. Or toss it all....we'll see.

[derek]

Just picked up a ESB Festa Brew kit from Noble Grape...
anyone ever try this seasonal kit?

I have - it's not seasonal ("Festa" is just the name of the product, not an indication of the time of year, and ESB is a typical British ale).

Well actually, it may not be a seasonal, but it is only available for a limited run (from http://goo.gl/5xAR4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

NG_ESB.jpg

That seems to be true of a lot of the Festas - but I just wanted to make it clear that it's not something you can count on getting at Christmas. I know the one time I got an ESB, it was Summer.

Nice to see NG has "fresh hops".

[LiverDance]

Cracked off a double batch of Kolsch this morning, 1 with US-05 and the other with WLP-029.

[LeafMan66_67]

Just mashed in on a Weed, Feed and Mow from BCS - something for the non-craft brew folks at Christmas.

[sleepyjamie]

Just mashed in on a Weed, Feed and Mow from BCS - something for the non-craft brew folks at Christmas.

Should rename it to shovel salt and snow.

[jacinthebox]

Just picked up a ESB Festa Brew kit from Noble Grape...
anyone ever try this seasonal kit?

I have - it's not seasonal ("Festa" is just the name of the product, not an indication of the time of year, and ESB is a typical British ale).

The Festa Brews are well-made wort, and if you keep everything clean you'll end up with a fine beer. And next time you make it, you'll end up with the same fine beer - which is why we're not all just making Festa Brews.

I've done a few festa's...I just called it seasonal due to the fact it's not around all of the time.

I like the festa's...makes a nice clean (safe) beer for my non-beer drinking friends and family...I also like making the Part grain/extract kits for me (and my beer loving friends)...

[LeafMan66_67]

Just mashed in on a Weed, Feed and Mow from BCS - something for the non-craft brew folks at Christmas.

Should rename it to shovel salt and snow.

Sounds like a plan.

[TJ Brew]

Just started the boil on a Belgian Blonde. Also finished bottling my Christmas Ale 2.0 (what didn't fit in bottles is great on a rainy day - and today is rainy )

[sleepyjamie]

My boss came over with his christmas ale recipe and we brewed it up. Was able to get about 77% efficiency from cooler BIAB method.


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 30.16 l
Post Boil Volume: 24.96 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l
Bottling Volume: 21.30 l
Estimated OG: 1.055 SG
Estimated Color: 31.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 20.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.1 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4.66 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 78.6 %
0.70 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2 11.8 %
0.20 kg Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.4 %
0.20 kg Fawcett Pale Chocolate (250.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.4 %
0.15 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.5 %
0.02 kg Molasses (80.0 SRM) Sugar 6 0.3 %
25.00 g Hallertauer, New Zealand [6.70 %] - Boil Hop 7 18.7 IBUs
1.00 Items Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 8 -
25.00 g Ginger Root (Boil 5.0 mins) Herb 9 -
50.00 g Orange Zest (Naval) (Boil 5.0 mins) Other 10 -
15.00 ml Cinnamon Stick (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 11 -
10.00 ml Cardamom (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 12 -
25.00 g Cascade [6.40 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 13 1.5 IBUs
2.0 pkg London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) [124. Yeast 14 -


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 5.93 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 35.27 l of water at 160.1 F 152.0 F 75 min

[sleepyjamie]

Was thinking of doing up a lemon pineapple blonde. Anyone brew with the lemon peel from the NCM?

4.18 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 95.5 %
0.13 kg Crystal 15, 2-Row, (Great Western) (15.0 Grain 2 3.0 %
0.07 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 1.5 %
12.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 17.5 IBUs
1.00 Items Pineapple (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 5 -
25.00 g Lemon Peel (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 6 -
14.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Aroma Steep 5.0 min Hop 7 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 8 -



Thoughts?

[Barr]

First double brew day. Big Red Ale and a Chocolate Orange Porter.

[jacinthebox]

Bottled my Winter Cream Ale

[berley]

Just finished brewing a Smuttynose Finestkind IPA clone (based on the recipe in Mitch Steel's IPA book).

[canuck]

Just finished brewing a Smuttynose Finestkind IPA clone (based on the recipe in Mitch Steel's IPA book).

I saw that recipe in the IPA book as well and am very interested in trying it. Have you brewed it before?


I recently finished brewing a west coast style IPA with lots of Columbus, Amarillo, and Centennial hops.

[berley]

Just finished brewing a Smuttynose Finestkind IPA clone (based on the recipe in Mitch Steel's IPA book).

I saw that recipe in the IPA book as well and am very interested in trying it. Have you brewed it before?


I recently finished brewing a west coast style IPA with lots of Columbus, Amarillo, and Centennial hops.

Nope, first time. While Finestkind isn't my favorite IPA, I've always enjoyed it and am curious as to how it'll come out...

[canuck]

Just finished brewing a Smuttynose Finestkind IPA clone (based on the recipe in Mitch Steel's IPA book).

I saw that recipe in the IPA book as well and am very interested in trying it. Have you brewed it before?


I recently finished brewing a west coast style IPA with lots of Columbus, Amarillo, and Centennial hops.

Nope, first time. While Finestkind isn't my favorite IPA, I've always enjoyed it and am curious as to how it'll come out...

If you don't mind, keep me posted on how it turns out.

[berley]

If you don't mind, keep me posted on how it turns out.

Absolutely!

[canuck]

If you don't mind, keep me posted on how it turns out.

Absolutely!

Thanks Shawn!