2012 July

Mr. Beer Kits are only 2 gallons each…but still, after doing 3 or so of them, I was already tired/bored of bottling. I had been looking at kegerators for a few weeks and telling my friend that I wanted to get this specific dual tap one. Really my only justification was that this specific kegerator it had a blue led temp display.

After weighing the expense compared to the single tap they sell at Costco, I finally saved up enough and bought it. I also  thought I’d be smart and save on the $100 shipping cost, so I just happened to be in San Diego on business and picked it up from BeverageFactory. A Danby dual tap kegerator that can hold 3 homebrew kegs (15 gal) and a CO2 tank all inside.

After putting it all together and getting it setup, I had nothing to put in it. So..I filled milk cartons with sanitizer and then off to the store for a six pack.

I pulled out all the random beer glasses I managed to collect and lined them up. It looked so good, but so very dry still.

2012-July

Here is another example of me doing things ass-backwards. I didn’t even own any brew equipment at this point yet, other than Mr. Beer, and yet I am making a mash paddle.

A Mash paddle is used to stir the grains in water during the mash process (dough-in) and help break up dough balls. You know, when you pour flower into water and it clumps together.

None of the local hardware stores had decent wood, and with the financial situation in the US during this time, the local lumber yards have all shut down. After some research, I initially wanted Koa wood from Hawaii, and will still get it some day, however it runs over $30/ft. So, I went with hard maple. Yeah I could go with a plastic spoon or a stainless steel one that most brew stores sell, but I wanted to add something unique to my brewing process.

I’ve read several posts online for both sides of the argument, whether using wood is bad/good and decided its good enough. Besides, the wort is boiled after using it and wooden utensils have be used for centuries right.

I started out with roughly a 4′ long piece of hard maple. Stripped it down to about 4″ wide with a 1.5″ wide stem to handle. I routed the edges for a smooth hold.

I made the design on the computer and printed it out. Originally it looked like this (BC for my initials and a beer bottle pouring into a glass).

 

2012 June

Since I started with Mr. Beer and am now moving on to full batch all-grain brewing, I wanted to start expanding my palate and learn what all the flavors in craft beer there are. Like a chef, having a good palate will only improve your homebrew product that much more.

Since I didn’t have any of my own left at the time, I went to a Beer & Wine store and mixed up my own 6-pack. Don’t knock my choices, they were somewhat random. I like to constantly pick up new brews and try them, it’s a great way to expose me to new flavors and hone in on where I want my homebrew to go. Plus I get to try what’s new and excited in the craft beer world.

Alaskan White had a spicy (peppery) tone to it, Coronado Golden wasn’t too bad, and the Stone Ruination…WHOA!!!, don’t get this just yet…100+ IBU (it will kill your taste buds) – definitely one to work up to.

2012 June

Ohhh Yeah!!! Just what it says…after 3 Mr. Beer Kits and a lot of chatting with my friend, 3 months later I decided to upgrade.

Now the one thing you will learn about me, and I’m sure my wife will agree, is that I do things out of order, hap-hazardly, and with little finesse. So what do I do…I build a Man Cave…Tim Allen would be proud.

The chain of events that led to this are a bit fuzzy, however I got the okay, sectioned off a corner of my garage and started building. The two walls were in pretty good shape and just needed some drywall patch. I had some left over OSB and put it up To create my ceiling, and added an additional outlet and shelving.

I had a stainless steel (garden) table that we used in the kitchen at one point…good thing I kept it. Cleaned it up and added wheels – perfect for brew days…and fits nicely too.

Then came the paint. Now, I’m very biased towards blue, so what better color to choose, and look, the hardware store had a whole theme to go with it. I chose Suddenly Sapphire for the walls, Midnight Hour for the ceiling and mixed the epoxy floor coating in the Smoke Screen color.

The colors came out a little different than I had imagined, but overall I am happy with the result.

If you’re going to do anything…do it right, or close to it…lets add some molding.

  And Vuala! Man Cave ready for brew.

• Stir in some Booster (helps with the alcohol volume and adds body to the beer)…bring to a boil
• Mix in the HME (Hopped Malt Extract) – to me it smells like a type of terriyaki sauce, and is just as sticky as one…this creates your Wort
• Pour it into the Mr. Beer fermenting barrel (which already has some ‘cool’ water in it)…it’s necessary to cool the wort prior to putting in the yeast

• Top off the barrel with more water as necessary
• Add the yeast and mix well…this is called pitching the yeast

Then just stick it in a cool/dark spot and 2 weeks later its ready to bottle.

For bottling, you just add plain old sugar and the beer into a bottle; let it sit for another week or so, and its ready to enjoy…this is the carbonation step

Once you’ve waited long enough, pop the bottle open and Salud!

Hey all!

I decided to start blogging my experiences with homebrewing and craft beer. I am not a pro (yet), nor claim to be, but I hope that some of the information you find here can help you along the way down your own path to this delicious craft/hobby.

I started about 6 months ago (March 2012) and even in that short timeframe, my knowledge and taste for beer has changed…I’d say progressed.. Reason I say progressed, specifically with my taste, is because prior to this my palate has only known the ‘flavors’ of Budweiser and Corona. Granted, I did stray occasionally to a Hef or something I dreaded at the time. If you haven’t ventured beyond the Bud, you are definitely missing out. At this point to me, they taste watered down compared to the array of craft beer I’ve been exposed to. I still haven’t honed in on my tastes and characteristics of each beer, however they do have much more to offer.

So, I hope you enjoy reading and come back for more. Check out my other pages with links and information about my brewing process, equipment, and other tidbits.

The next few posts will be a flashback to things I’ve done…