Thanks to Rob, the president of the Arizona Society of Homebrewers, I have been reminded that Saturday May 5th is "Big Brew Day" in conjunction with the American Homebrewers Association.
ASH members and other brewers will be meeting at the Brewers Connection in Tempe starting around 9 AM, bringing their brew systems and making delicious delicious homebrew. It's awesome how helpful and friendly the homebrew community is. Everyone is there to share their knowledge, tips, stories, and very often their beer with anyone who wants to learn more.
Brewers Connection is at 1425 East University in Tempe, way in the back corner of the center.
The Arizona Homebrewers Society (ASH) is on the web at http://www.azhomebrewers.org
The American Homebrewers Association is at http://www.homebrewersassociation.org
I, unfortunately, have to work that day. Though I do have a brew day scheduled on Sunday and a few visitors are anticipated.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Sure, you can brew!
People often have an amazed look when I tell them that I brew.
Maybe it's because I just look that dumb.
JUST KIDDING!
It is really pretty simple to do. It just gets difficult to do it WELL>
Local homebrew stores have all the ingredients you need- and if you don't have a local store, you can go to any of the MANY online stores. MoreBeer, Northern Brewer, Williams Brewing, The Barley Brothers, etc. They all have low flat-rate shipping for most items.
If you have a stove, a pot, and a 5-gallon bucket with a lid, you truly have all it takes to brew beer. If you have a funnel and some old 2-liter coke bottles, you can bottle your beer. It will be a pain in the ass, but you CAN do it.
Please learn about the proper ratio of bleach to water, to make a simple sanitizer, and you're ready to go!
Of COURSE, if you do that, it will turn out to be beer. Not necessarily great beer, but beer. In fact, my 51st batch is not good. It got an infection or something. I don't care because I make so much beer that it's a drop in the bucket.
All the other equipment I have (several hundred... um... over a thousand dollars worth, actually. Including Christmas presents...) is an effort to make brewing more simple, and more precisely. There is a cost savings in making beer from bulk grain and hop purchases.
If you want to get into brewing, understand that you will not realize a "savings" over cheap beer. You CAN realize a savings over craft beer, and make beer BETTER than you buy. It's a fact. However, in order to brew at this level you have to have control over your fermentation temperature. This is the MOST important "extra" step you can take to making great beer. Your yeast will throw off funky flavors if your beer ferments over the recommended temperatures. I say "extra" step because sanitation is a BASIC step, and you CAN make decent beer without a fermentation cooler, but your brewing ability will be determined by the ambient temperature.
If you have questions, please email me at andrew__AT__dahbrew.com
http://dailyinfographic.com/how-to-brew-your-own-booze-infographic
http://fab.com/inspiration/home-brew
Maybe it's because I just look that dumb.
JUST KIDDING!
It is really pretty simple to do. It just gets difficult to do it WELL>
Local homebrew stores have all the ingredients you need- and if you don't have a local store, you can go to any of the MANY online stores. MoreBeer, Northern Brewer, Williams Brewing, The Barley Brothers, etc. They all have low flat-rate shipping for most items.
If you have a stove, a pot, and a 5-gallon bucket with a lid, you truly have all it takes to brew beer. If you have a funnel and some old 2-liter coke bottles, you can bottle your beer. It will be a pain in the ass, but you CAN do it.
Please learn about the proper ratio of bleach to water, to make a simple sanitizer, and you're ready to go!
Of COURSE, if you do that, it will turn out to be beer. Not necessarily great beer, but beer. In fact, my 51st batch is not good. It got an infection or something. I don't care because I make so much beer that it's a drop in the bucket.
All the other equipment I have (several hundred... um... over a thousand dollars worth, actually. Including Christmas presents...) is an effort to make brewing more simple, and more precisely. There is a cost savings in making beer from bulk grain and hop purchases.
If you want to get into brewing, understand that you will not realize a "savings" over cheap beer. You CAN realize a savings over craft beer, and make beer BETTER than you buy. It's a fact. However, in order to brew at this level you have to have control over your fermentation temperature. This is the MOST important "extra" step you can take to making great beer. Your yeast will throw off funky flavors if your beer ferments over the recommended temperatures. I say "extra" step because sanitation is a BASIC step, and you CAN make decent beer without a fermentation cooler, but your brewing ability will be determined by the ambient temperature.
If you have questions, please email me at andrew__AT__dahbrew.com
http://dailyinfographic.com/how-to-brew-your-own-booze-infographic
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Birthday time
Since the reason I started this blog in the first place was to have somewhere for my Christmas list to exist, here is the birthday present list:
Immersion Chiller http://www.amazon.com/Copper-Coil-Immersion-Chiller-Length/dp/B002NZNJG2
Beer Smith 2.0 license http://www.beersmith.com/
Digital thermometer- http://www.amazon.com/RT600C-Super-fast-Water-resistant-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B002GE2XF8/
Bulk Grain http://brewyourownbrew.com/contact_byob.htm
Refractometer (Ebay search... $30)
Chugger Pump http://chuggerpumps.com/product.php?prodid=222
Blast chiller http://www.webstaurantstore.com/master-bilt-mbcf115-reach-in-blast-chiller-122-lb/560MBCF115.html?utm_source=Amazon&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Amazon+Campaign
I mean, why not- toys are fun!
Immersion Chiller http://www.amazon.com/Copper-Coil-Immersion-Chiller-Length/dp/B002NZNJG2
Beer Smith 2.0 license http://www.beersmith.com/
Digital thermometer- http://www.amazon.com/RT600C-Super-fast-Water-resistant-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B002GE2XF8/
Bulk Grain http://brewyourownbrew.com/contact_byob.htm
Refractometer (Ebay search... $30)
Chugger Pump http://chuggerpumps.com/product.php?prodid=222
Blast chiller http://www.webstaurantstore.com/master-bilt-mbcf115-reach-in-blast-chiller-122-lb/560MBCF115.html?utm_source=Amazon&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Amazon+Campaign
I mean, why not- toys are fun!
Monday, April 23, 2012
It's Press Day at DaH Brew
An article by my friend Rob, in Food and Flourish magazine discussing homebrew culture and featuring my lovely label.
http://www.foodandflourish.com/guest-columns/2012/4/23/homebrew.html
http://www.foodandflourish.com/guest-columns/2012/4/23/homebrew.html
Ever had a dry spell?...
Hello friends!
It has been a LONG time since I did anything "beer related". I think it was... 6 days ago at the AZ Society of Homebrewers meeting. http://club.azhomebrewers.org/ And brewing that day before the meeting.
I haven't even rinsed bottles.
Currently in the fermenter, sitting patiently waiting for me, are an OxyClean with 2 oz of Citra dry hops, and a Belgian Blonde with Sorachi Ace hops. I think this should be a pretty interesting beer- the lemon/dill of the Sorachi Ace with the esters of the Belgian yeast. To be fair, I did use dry yeast, so the "Belgian" quality will not be very pronounced, and I think it will be a nice summer beer.
On the way to my 4th, 17 hour day at work I listened to this podcast. It's my buddies at Masters of None, at the Bluepoint Cask Ale Festival in Long Island, NY. They were pouring my Cake and a Card Porter and soliciting reviews. Masters of None at Blue Point Cask Beer Festival
It's nice to hear how excited they are about the beer! There are many people sampling it and some reviews are raving about it, some are more... reserved. Essentially, it was a "Novelty" beer and I had a great time making it. I know that Mike and Jay liked it, and I'm sure if Art ever gets to try it, he will too.
Next brew day: Sunday the 29th. Or I may perish.
It has been a LONG time since I did anything "beer related". I think it was... 6 days ago at the AZ Society of Homebrewers meeting. http://club.azhomebrewers.org/ And brewing that day before the meeting.
I haven't even rinsed bottles.
Currently in the fermenter, sitting patiently waiting for me, are an OxyClean with 2 oz of Citra dry hops, and a Belgian Blonde with Sorachi Ace hops. I think this should be a pretty interesting beer- the lemon/dill of the Sorachi Ace with the esters of the Belgian yeast. To be fair, I did use dry yeast, so the "Belgian" quality will not be very pronounced, and I think it will be a nice summer beer.
On the way to my 4th, 17 hour day at work I listened to this podcast. It's my buddies at Masters of None, at the Bluepoint Cask Ale Festival in Long Island, NY. They were pouring my Cake and a Card Porter and soliciting reviews. Masters of None at Blue Point Cask Beer Festival
It's nice to hear how excited they are about the beer! There are many people sampling it and some reviews are raving about it, some are more... reserved. Essentially, it was a "Novelty" beer and I had a great time making it. I know that Mike and Jay liked it, and I'm sure if Art ever gets to try it, he will too.
Next brew day: Sunday the 29th. Or I may perish.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
I'll get enough sleep when I'm dead
So I woke up at about 2 AM, dreaming about beer/homebrew shop. It was a great dream, and there was even a TIGER in it! (Not sure why a tiger would be roaming the street, but the garage door closed quickly enough to keep us safe)
I laid there for an hour and decided to get up. Bonnie gently suggested that I had a serious psychological problem ("You're fucking crazy") and I came out here to browse the brew-webs. I got distracted into craft sites (Etsy, Pinterest, and now, I learned Art-Fire)
I AM going to make beer crafts this summer while the catering co is slow. I also have to learn to do WordPress for work, so that will be cool.
Today I will be working from home. You know what THAT means... Brew Day! WOOHOO! I am also going to use the Looxcie cam to record the day. One of my friends suggested that he wanted to see what it entailed, so let's see what little editing skills I can come up with.
Also going to go visit a couple of homebrew shops for ingredients etc.
I laid there for an hour and decided to get up. Bonnie gently suggested that I had a serious psychological problem ("You're fucking crazy") and I came out here to browse the brew-webs. I got distracted into craft sites (Etsy, Pinterest, and now, I learned Art-Fire)
I AM going to make beer crafts this summer while the catering co is slow. I also have to learn to do WordPress for work, so that will be cool.
Today I will be working from home. You know what THAT means... Brew Day! WOOHOO! I am also going to use the Looxcie cam to record the day. One of my friends suggested that he wanted to see what it entailed, so let's see what little editing skills I can come up with.
Also going to go visit a couple of homebrew shops for ingredients etc.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Medals are shiny!
I was not looking forward to this weekend. It's 15 hour day yesterday (Thursday) 15 hour day today, 15 hour day tomorrow, then Easter running around.
I mean, I do love my job, so it's not that, and it's not the Easter run-around. It's that there really is no down time, that's all. And no beer-time.
Well Low and Behold, my best buddy Sean texted me to let me know that I won a Silver medal for Right Red Rye and a Gold medal for Grilled Lemon Cream Ale in the Great Arizona Beer Competition.
So- that will make ANOYONE'S day better, RIGHT?
I only entered 3 beers, so that makes it even more exciting.
AND- Grilled Lemon beat Keevin's beer in Fruit Beer category. So Neener Neener :)
I mean, I do love my job, so it's not that, and it's not the Easter run-around. It's that there really is no down time, that's all. And no beer-time.
Well Low and Behold, my best buddy Sean texted me to let me know that I won a Silver medal for Right Red Rye and a Gold medal for Grilled Lemon Cream Ale in the Great Arizona Beer Competition.
So- that will make ANOYONE'S day better, RIGHT?
I only entered 3 beers, so that makes it even more exciting.
AND- Grilled Lemon beat Keevin's beer in Fruit Beer category. So Neener Neener :)
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Never dull
Homebrewing is never dull.
There are always unexpected twists that occur.
For example, my broken capper on Monday- referred to in "Crisis!"
Broken propane regulators.
Leaking hoses.
Last night, I bottled the Popcorn Pale. Then I used that yeast cake for Right Rye Red.
It started fermenting VERY actively in only 2 hours. In 3 hours, it had actually blown off the blowoff tube! This morning, it had blown off so much that there was over a gallon of beer in the blow-off bucket. I have NEVER seen that happen before, but- there you go! I am pretty sure when all is said and done, I will end up with beer, though less than I had planned.
Always something new- that's why I love it!
There are always unexpected twists that occur.
For example, my broken capper on Monday- referred to in "Crisis!"
Broken propane regulators.
Leaking hoses.
Last night, I bottled the Popcorn Pale. Then I used that yeast cake for Right Rye Red.
It started fermenting VERY actively in only 2 hours. In 3 hours, it had actually blown off the blowoff tube! This morning, it had blown off so much that there was over a gallon of beer in the blow-off bucket. I have NEVER seen that happen before, but- there you go! I am pretty sure when all is said and done, I will end up with beer, though less than I had planned.
Always something new- that's why I love it!
Sick Day Session Ale
I stayed home with my poor little boy who was recovering from a short bout with Strep. He had a mild fever when we woke up (99.5) and didn't want to go to school, so I said OK.
This opened up the opportunity to brew. I know, Shocking!
I had ingredients for Right Red Rye ready to go, so I brewed that. Also cobbled together some ingredients for a pale session ale, dubbed Sick Day Session Ale.
Sean came by in the evening with some beer from another fellow who he got into homebrew- the guy did a Milk Chocolate Stout as his first beer- talk about Ballsy! It was very nice.
Remember, your homebrews will be delicious when you start brewing because "WOAH! I MADE BEER!!!!" The next steps to making truly world class brew are Full Boil and Temperature Control.
I never did partial boils. This is a process where you get 2 gallons of water boiling, add extract and steeping grains, then when you are done boiling for an hour, you add the (slightly less than boiling) wort into 3 gallons of room temp water. It creates nice beer (as exemplified by our first time beer last night) but it lacks a certain... something.
Fermentation temp control is essential for keeping your yeast happy. Yeast don't like swinging around in temps. There are methods where brewers increase temperature in the latest stages of fermentation to "clean up" the beer, but it should ferment out 90% of the way at a constant temp around 63-68 degrees. Variation in theis temperature creates flavors which are apparent in beer when finished. SOME times these are intentional flavors, and in most cases they are not.
SO- that's that. Oh, I also bottled Popcorn Pale, the NOT accidentally frozen version :)
This opened up the opportunity to brew. I know, Shocking!
I had ingredients for Right Red Rye ready to go, so I brewed that. Also cobbled together some ingredients for a pale session ale, dubbed Sick Day Session Ale.
Sean came by in the evening with some beer from another fellow who he got into homebrew- the guy did a Milk Chocolate Stout as his first beer- talk about Ballsy! It was very nice.
Remember, your homebrews will be delicious when you start brewing because "WOAH! I MADE BEER!!!!" The next steps to making truly world class brew are Full Boil and Temperature Control.
I never did partial boils. This is a process where you get 2 gallons of water boiling, add extract and steeping grains, then when you are done boiling for an hour, you add the (slightly less than boiling) wort into 3 gallons of room temp water. It creates nice beer (as exemplified by our first time beer last night) but it lacks a certain... something.
Fermentation temp control is essential for keeping your yeast happy. Yeast don't like swinging around in temps. There are methods where brewers increase temperature in the latest stages of fermentation to "clean up" the beer, but it should ferment out 90% of the way at a constant temp around 63-68 degrees. Variation in theis temperature creates flavors which are apparent in beer when finished. SOME times these are intentional flavors, and in most cases they are not.
SO- that's that. Oh, I also bottled Popcorn Pale, the NOT accidentally frozen version :)
Monday, April 2, 2012
Crisis!
I was bottling a couple of brews, and BOOM! CRASH! BANG!
The capper broke with quite dramatic effect.
Thankfully, I received in the mail, a 1950's era capper that I bought as a novelty off of ebay last week. It was pressed into service and came through like a champ!
We'll see if I can return the butterfly capper, I need a bench capper anyways. Truly. If you brewed as much as I do, you wouldn't have put up with a butterfly capper this long.
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