It's Pumpkin Ale Season!

I'm getting ready to brew my annual seasonal adventure. Pumpkin Ale. I already have my oven roasted pumpkin and now just waiting for just the right style hops to be delivered from my supplier. My recipe scored very well in the annual Sam Adams Longshot homebrew contest. The judges made some suggestions on how I can improve the recipe and I'll give it another shot (submission) come May 2015. I used Galena hops for bittering last year, but i think they are a little too strong for this style ale. So this year, I am going to try using Czech Saaz (a noble) for bittering and Williamette for aroma. Let's hope its brews up nice and spicy.


1/12/15
So after a good long primary and secondary fermentation, I finally bottled my Pumpkin Ale #1 of 2014. I hope it comes out as delicious as it sounds.

Wyeast Laboratories, Inc. - Kosher

Wyeast Laboratories, Inc. - Kosher

Check this out!!

Homegrown Galena hops

Home grown Galena hops (currently air drying). I estimate about 5 ounces once dried. The Galena hops grow the best of the 4 varieties that I am growing in my garden. I am sure that my neighbors think that I am nuts, but aren't all homebrewers a little bit crazy to start?

More certifications: Whirlfloc, Kerry (Cork), and some Weyermann (malts, extracts and beers)

Thanks to some great legwork by Dr. Steve L. I am able to now upload certifications for Whirlfloc, Kerry (Cork), and Weyerman malts, extracts and "beers"). I have to admit that I have never hear of Kerry (Cork) products, but we learn something new everyday.

Midwest Supplies is offering a great deal for Fathers Day

Buy $125 Email Gift Card & Get a Free $25 email gift card!

To receive your FREE $25 email gift card, add one email gift card (SKU V-Giftcard) of at least $125 in value and a $25 email gift card (SKU V-Giftcard) to your cart. Enter promo code DADSCUT into the promo code field on the shopping cart page prior to checking out.
Offer valid 96 hours, online and in store, through 11:59PM CST 06/15/2014 or while supplies last. Offer cannot be combined with any other offers, promotions, or discounts. Physical gift cards are available with this promotion at retail. Limit one redemption per customer.

If you are an avid homebrewer like me, $150 at a homebrew store doesn't go that far. Ok....it does, its usually enough for ingredients for 4 brews. That is how I usually place my orders, 4 at a time. Anyone want to buy me a fathers day present???? 

Hop Cult IPA

This is the first batch i am brewing since before Pesach. Things have been a little crazy and I haven't had the time to brew. So I figured since I am jumping back on the bandwagon after a few months I would give my Hop Cult IPA a shot. This recipe is probably going to be the hoppiest beer I have made to date. This is brewed with 6lbs of LME and  2 lbs of DME (wheat and barley). It has a blend of Warrior (boil), Galena (5 min), Citra (5 min) and Centennial (5min). I will also be dry hopping it with Citra and Galena as well. Smack in the face hoppy is what we are looking for on this bad boy.

6/18/14 update: transferred to secondary and dry hopping with 3 oz of Citra pellets and 1/2 oz of Galena leaf- Smells hoppy..... (just like it should).

August 2014- After some conditioning time, this baby is super hoppy. Its floral its bitter is a mega IPA. I am proud. I am even more proud to share it with people who actually claim to enjoy Bud, and Coor Light. Ah the face that a sissy beer drinker makes when they try a real IPA is great!

Simcoe Select squeezing in before Pesach.

For my last brew before Pesach this year, I brewed up a batch called Simcoe Select. In the words of my suppliers (Midwest Supplies) " With 3 oz. of Simcoe hops, a whopping 77 IBUs and a ABV of 6.5%, this potent IPA is guaranteed to please".  It sounds like this badboy is going to be nice and smack you in the face and up the nose hoppy. It sounds great to me, hopefully the non-hopheads will be able to tolerate this masterpiece. It smells good too so far, let hope the finished product is everything its hopped up to be.

May 2014 UPDATE- This brew is being submitted to the annual Samuel Adams Longshot homebrew contest. It's not the trophy beer I was hoping it would be, but its still pretty good.

White Labs liquid yeast is KOSHER!!

For all of you kosher home brew fans. I have just been advised by a fellow home brewer Rabbi Yerachmiel Seplowitz, that White Labs liquid brewers yeast has proper kosher certification. This is the first liquid yeast that I have seen out there with a hashgacha (whether you hold by it or not is your call). It's nice to have even more options. Happy brewing.

Sierra Pale Ale for PURIM!! YEAH!!

Pesach is right around the corner. BUT before we get into a beer free week, we have PURIM!! So, for all of you homebrew fans, I have my Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone recipe as part of my Mishloach Manot Package. However, it will need some extra time to bottle condition (aka. natural carbonation) since it was only bottled last night.

I also have a Simcoe Select recipe in secondary. It's got a heavy dose of ONLY Simcoe hops and a high malt grain bill in it as well. That one may be released  shortly before Pesach. Only time will tell.

February Homebrew

The February homebrew is going to be a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone.

Sierra Pale Ale Recipe Kit 

A delicious pale ale with sunny golden color, our Sierra Pale Ale is hoppy and delightful with a nice blend of malt flavor... almost like the brand name beer itself!

• Golden color with creamy head
• Malt and firm hoppy flavor and drinkably bitter
• Ingredients include: 6 lbs. of light malt extract, 8 oz. Caramel 10L, 8 oz. Carapils, 2 oz. Perle, 2 oz. Cascade pellet hops, grain bag, priming sugar and yeast

Sound great doesn't it? I thought so too, that's why I ordered it. Stay tuned.