Just Brewed a Brown Ale

Just brewed this today with mash at 152 for 60 mins. Got an OG just shy of 1.06

Irish Red Ale

Just brewed this today and got an OG of 1.05

Added the Cascade hops at 60 mins and the Willamette at 2 mins

Update: Just transferred from primary to secondary SG of 1.02

Pin lock socket

You can buy a pin lock socket for $12-25 like this http://www.midwestsupplies.com/pin-lock-ratchet-socket.html

Or you can pay 99¢ at your local 99¢ store and use a saw to make the slots like this cheap version!

Just picked my hops

Picked about 6 ounces of my Nugget hops from my front yard today. Still have to pick the backyard in a few days.

Star B Ranch Hops

Picked some Cascade hops on Saturday, 13 August at Star B Ranch up in Ramona, CA. They are $1 per ounce. Not so sure that is a good deal since the ratio is about 5:1 for wet vs. dry hops. Gonna make an IPA this weekend. They have about 2 acres of hops.

3C IPA

Just brewed this yesterday. OG was 1.06

Coffee Stout

Just brewed a coffee stout. Got an OG of 1.06. I am going to add the ground coffee in the secondary fermentation.

My keg setup

Here is a photo of my 2 keg setup in the refrigerator.

Brewzor for Android

Brewzor is a great app for the android phone!! The only issue I had was entering the equipment, style and mash profiles for a new recipe. I finally got it. Hold down the buttons from the main recipe screen shown here.

This is different from most selections like the hops, fermentables, etc where you have a dropdown to select the options.

Smoked Porter

Brewed a batch of Smoked Porter this past weekend. Ingredients as follows:

5-lbs 2-row malt
5-lbs Smoked malt
1-lb Chocolate malt
1-lb Black patent malt

1-oz Centennial hops 60-min
1-oz Fuggle hops 5-min

Safale S-04 English Ale yeast

OG was 1.05

Looks a bit too dark but smells good!!!

Kegged Up the Nelson Sauvin IPA

FG was 1.01, I will let it sit in the keg for 2 weeks and then put it in the fridge and serve it up!!!

Brewed the Nelson Sauvin IPA

I brewed it today with 4.5 gals of strike water at 175 and 4 gals of sparge water at 170. Got a OG of 1.055 I am going to let it set in the primary for 1 week and the secondary also for 1 week.

Nelson Sauvin IPA

Picked up some Nelson Sauvin  hops at What Ales Ya while over in Phoenix. Going to make an IPA with 12 lbs of 2-row, 2 lbs of crystal 40 and 2 oz of the Nelson Sauvin hops

Kegging of the Stone Russian Imperial Stout

Left the beer in the secondary fermenter for two weeks and then got a FG of 1.025

Tasted it and you can definitely taste the alcohol !!

Got it in a 5 gal keg and will save it until St Patrick's day, three weeks away.

How long should I age this beer in the future? Six months? Anybody have any thoughts?

Recipe for the Stone Russian Imperial Stout Clone

OK, here's what I bought to make the beer.

16 lbs - 2-row

2lbs - amber

1 lb - roasted barley

1 lb -black malt

2 0z - Warrior hops

1 packet of Safale S-04 English Ale yeast

Used 5 gals of strike water at 170° F and mashed for only 30 mins

Sparged with 4 gals at 175°F almost another 30 minutes for this.

Collected almost 7 gals of wort. Boiled and added the Warrior hops for 60 minutes.

Cooled and got a OG of 1.09

Primary fermentation for one week. It is now in the secondary fermenter and I will keep it in there for two weeks.

During the boil

Home Brews & Gardens

Picking up some ingredients to make some stout this weekend to be ready by St Patrick's day. Making a clone of Stone's Imperial Russian Stout.