De Full Monte

Three and a half years in the planning.  Six month of brewing experimentation.  Two weeks in the carboy.  All in preparation for your drinking pleasure.  I present - De Full Monte.

OK.  Well, very little planning actually went into this American Wheat.  In fact the decision to add the lemon rind wasn't made till the second brew was consumer by the brewers.  And it's our first wheat, so I can't say we really experimented much.  I can say that it spent two weeks in the carboy.  So yeah, drink your damn beer.

This is the last beer we'll be brewing at this location.  Holmestarr Brewing Coop has done well, and will be moving on up (the hill) to a new brewery.  So this one is in honor of Del Monte.  Made with lemons from the back yard, and coriander grown by the Coop on site.  A pound of Belgian candy sugars got in there somehow... maybe representing the sweet goodbyes to our home of the last few years.

This really is De Full Monte.  Full of Del Monte, and hopefully enough alcohol to make you take your clothes off and go streaking.  Don't worry, we're right behind you.

Goose Island Goosed

Goose Island Christmas Ale - limited supply, hearty winter taste, and supplier of good winter memories.  It will probably be back again next year, but the supply may not be as limited.

Anheuser Busch has taken over Goose Island Breweries.  We've had a lot of conversations over good beers wondering why the big breweries don't try to get into the micro-brew market.  I guess they have been having those same conversations.  For better or worse, here is the first foray into the market.

Good bye tasty limited edition Christmas Ale 22oz for $8.  Hello Keg of of tasteless Christmas Swill for $80.

Aloysius Snuffleupagus...No Really

Ok, we have entered the arena of the Woolly Mammoth. Keep your hands away from the cage. This guy is going to be big, bold, viscous and intense. That's the word on the street at least. Unfortunately our hands are bound pretty tight; not much room for thinking outside the box on this one. The first month will include a slumber in the primary. The next five months will be spent in hibernation, not to see the light of day until mid-September. Another few months in bottles and the Woolly Mammoth will be ready to wreak havoc; scaring mad, laughing villagers into the woods. With a great bellow from the North, this maniacal beast will tower over his wreckage, eyeing the scene with a hubristic humbleness. That doesn't even begin to get to the point. An SG of 1.098 including the #1.5 of dark DME added once the krausen has begun its wayward retreat, the hope is that we settle in the 1.02 range (boiled in 1.5 cups of water). That should give us a vehicle to ride this mofo down the highway of resolve. And if we're lucky, this hairy animal will drip with the time-honored tradition of virility. Dark. Robust. Viscous. Intense. The Woolly Mammoth will soon be upon us. Keep your fingers crossed. It is near.

Dancing Lou Brewery

Homer Simpson's Hair

UPDATE:
So this mambo-jambo sat in the primary for 15 days. The FG? A titillating 1.008. This mofo attenuated about 89% if my fuzzy math is accurate. The cobwebs drenched across my mind gently caress my on-alert nerves. And do you know why? Because our Imperial IPA is going to be a hair-raising 9.5% abv. Strike that. It's closer to 9.7%. Holy moses smell the roses. Of all that is good and holy, this behemoth will wreck your senses and destroy your pretense of innocence. Maybe you folks are not crazy. Maybe we are the crazy ones that we have been looking for. To top it all off, we dry hopped with mas o menos 2 ounces each of whole leaf Cascade, Centennial and Amarillo. This holy triumvirate should push this guy past the corner deli and immediately into the fast lane. So, while we didn't quite reach the pounder we were shooting for, 15 ounces ain't too shabby. We'll let those additional 6 ruminate on this heady monster for about 2 weeks before we bottle it up. Oh, the taste you ask? Did you ask? No? Okay, you'll get any answer anyway. The taste was delightfully bitter and hoppy. Unfortunately, we won't get a good taste of this guy until May. That's a hellishly long time to wait. I might just begin to gnaw on my kitchen table in the meantime. Until then, see you.

We ended up dry hopping this mofo for 13 days. After 1 week, we went and did the unthinkable; we added another ounce each of whole leaf Cascade, Centennial and Amarillo. That brings this to a beastly 9 ounces for our dry hop. Sufficiently sufficient, no? Anyway, this guy is resting comfortably in bottles, the FG settled at 1.008. Another couple weeks and we'll rip our shirts off, let out a ferocious roar, and crack one of these guys open. Until then, see you.

2.21.2011
You Folks are Crazy.

We turned our attention to an Imperial IPA this weekend, drawing our inspiration from San Diego's superb line of IPA's, distinct in their hoppy deliciousness and ready drinkability. Our recipe called for a SG of 1.065. With an addition of approximately 1.5 pounds of corn sugar at flameout, this was thoroughly researched to determine if this guy could flourish with such a large sugar addition without sacrificing body or taste (which it should), our original gravity measured a whopping 1.082. We're going to aim for a FG of 1.015. However, it should be noted that our measurement very well might not be entirely accurate. We had so many hops that seeped through the filtering process that may have added a touch of weight to the gravity reading. Either way, we're probably looking at something in the neighborhood of 7ish% on the low side and 8 and change on the high end. Holy balls! Now that's an IPA a San Diegen can be proud of.

Of course, the San Diego influence reared its burly head with our hops additions. Now, most IPA's call for, or as some weaker-kneed beer drinkers would prefer, an addition of 4 ounces or so of hops, be happy, and move along. We are not most beer drinkers, nor are we most IPA enthusiasts. Hops, hops and more hops. And did I mention even more hops than that? Well, this one was a nice collaboration in regards to hop additions. We added 1, instead of a possible 2, ounces of Yakima Magnum hops at 60 minutes for bittering. It was agreed that we wanted this monster to be appropriately bitter, our IBU's measured nearly 70, not too big, but neither is it too faint. But, and a very large but, we wanted our late addition hops to drive this beer to the finish line. It was in this vein that we added 1 ounce each of Centennial, Cascade, and Amarillo at 15 minutes, then again at 5 minutes. At flameout, we tossed in 2 ounces of Warrior. With a 4-gallon, boil, we're working with 9 ounces of hops. Now for the fun part. In about 2-3 weeks, we're going to move this guy into a secondary. At that point, we're going to add about 7 or 8 more ounces of our hops varieties, excepting the Magnum. Perhaps 1 ounce of each for week 1, then an additional ounce of each for week 2. All in all, we're looking at upwards of 17 ounces of hops in this 5-gallon batch. I'd attempt a mad scientist-type laugh here, but I'll leave that up to Holmestarr Brewing Coop.

The enjoyable part of the hops selection was the decision on the flavor/aroma profile. While we could approach nearly any number of aromas/flavors, we aimed for one that punches you in the face with a hard hitting bouquet of floral and citrus notes, perhaps hints of grapefruit. I'd like for your average Bud drinker to fall off his chair when opening up a bottle of this. But while most IPA's might call for an ounce of dry hopping, we're throwing caution to the wind and opting for a herculean 8 ounces. For the faint of heart? Not a chance. Bring your A-game for this mofo.

We haven't come to a decision on the name yet. Maybe we'll have to wait for the flavor profile  before coming to said decision. Some names in the running include: Hop to My Lou IIPA and Ass-POUNDing IIPA. We'll see. It was suggested, and the idea is sound, to use the word "pound" in the name simply because we're working with a pound of hops. Until then...

Dancing Lou Brewery

One-Eyed Cowboy Ale

UPDATE:
This mofo has been fermenting for nearly 4 weeks. Today, I bottled the big boy. And if the initial taste is any indication of what we might have on our hands, I have 2 words for you: Nice Daddy. The FG came in a 1.016, right on target. Recall, the SG was 1.080. This monster is hovering at 8.4% abv. Whoa. Let me repeat that. Whoa. I measured the IBU's, and we're looking at a staggering 153. I beg your pardon? Yes, you heard that correctly. This beastly ale is going to be a bittery, hoppy, mess of a monster. Don't let your children out at night. It will be with utmost self-control that we allow this fella to sit in bottles for several weeks. Until then, sleep well.

1.16.2011
So, yesterday we brewed the big brother to the Wide-Eyed Cowboy Ale. Prior to the brew, however, we bottled the little guy, the Wide-Eyed Cowboy. It went pretty smoothly. However, it should be noted, I screwed up measuring the FG. It should have finished at about 1.015. We should be at 6.3% with this guy. Granted, it was not carbonated, but it did have a nice bitterness to it with a subtle, hoppy finish. I'll let those guys sit in bottles for a couple weeks and introduce the Wide-Eyed Cowboy during the Super Bowl methinks.

Its big brother, the One-Eyed Cowboy, used the second half of the original recipe. However, there were a few changes to note. I used 2 oz of Chinook hops at 60 minutes. At 25 minutes, I added a half-jar of raw honey, roughly 8-10 oz. At 5 minutes, an oz of Centennial hops were tossed in, with another oz of Centennial tossed in at flameout. The SG came in at a hefty 1.080 on the dot. I'm expecting the FG to to settle in at 1.015. That would bring this wild man in at an 8.5% abv. Whoa. The wort had a whisper of honey on the tongue, with a bittery, hoppy massage on the palate. It could be promising. We pitched the wort onto the yeast cake of its little brother. Within a couple hours, it was erupting. Granted, it's a 2.5-gallon batch in a 5-gallon carboy, and I wasn't sure if it would be necessary, but I fashioned a blow off tube just in the event that honey addition would give the yeast a serious meal.

This one has me pretty excited. I'll let it sit in the primary for maybe 3 weeks, and then bottle the mofo. Until then, find a good beer. Maybe even drink it. We'll see. Yummy.

Dancing Lou Brewery (formerly Licking Retriever Brewery)

Yellow Pig Porter*

Mmmmm. So we turned our attention to a porter this weekend. The grains were a mix of chocolate and caramel which held our attention with dizzying ease. This one seemed to come along very smoothly; the process that is. I stuck, generally, to the called-upon recipe from Midwest Supplies. However, as is my wont, I did increase the addition of the Tettnang hops at 60 minutes from 1.5 ounces to 2. Threw in an ounce of Williamette at 2 minutes. I finally remembered to include a clarifying tablet at 20 minutes. I always forget those things. Not this time though. Maybe I was just on my game. Who knows. Anyway, I added a half-jar, about 8 oz I guess, of raw honey at 10 minutes.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. The SG came in at 1.066. The recipe called for 1.062-1.067, so we're on fire there. I'm going to let this guy settle into its primary for probably 3 weeks, maybe 4, but probably 3. I'm not sure whether we'll go to a secondary for another couple weeks or not. No hurry on that decision though. I'll ruminate on it for a bit.

*Yellow Pig Porter may or may not be the name on the label. Any ideas?

UPDATE:
So, we transferred the porter to a secondary this past weekend. The FG measured 1.02; a bit higher than the 1.016 that we were anticipating. Our ABV is a portly 6%. A nice number for an easy drinking porter. A couple weeks in secondary, then we'll bottle the Yellow Pig Porter.

Dancing Lou Brewery (formerly Licking Retriever Brewery)

Wide-Eyed Cowboy Ale

UPDATE:
So, after sitting in bottles for 2 weeks, we opened up a bottle of the Wide-Eyed Cowboy. The anticipation is pretty daunting. I mean, you hope it's tasty, right? That's the idea anyway. The reaction was pretty positive. I think I am pleasantly surprised, and maybe even pleased, maybe. It has a nice bitterness on the palate up front. It settles out toward the end, but leaves a pretty okay finish. All in all, not too shabby.
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12.29.2010
We brewed a half-batch of Wide-Eyed Cowboy Ale. It was an extract from Midwest Supplies out of Minnesota. We made very few adjustments to the original recipe for the Superior Strong Ale. This one should come out as a nice sipping, bittery, hoppy treat. That's the idea anyway. Biggest change to the recipe was using the entirety of the Mt Hood hops (2 oz) at 60 minutes, adding a nice bitter deliciousness. At 3 minutes, we threw in an ounce of Tettnang hops for a bit of aromatic decadence. The recipe called for an SG of 1.063. Ours came in at a tidy 1.062. Not too shabby. My hope is that the extra bittering hops increases the IBU above the anticipated 52%, maybe closer to the 60 range. Our abv should come in around 6.4ish%. Ideally, if this one turns out as expected, I'd like to get the abv up about 1%, in the neighborhood of 7.5%. When steeping the grains, we allowed them to nestle at about 160 degrees for a half hour, a bit higher than the 155 we were aiming for. We didn't tea bag them as we have in the past however (hat tip).

When we get this one bottled, it's going to sit in the primary for about 3 weeks, we're going to pitch the 2nd half of the batch onto the yeast cake in the glass carboy. We'll also use a few, maybe 4, ounces of Chinook to make it especially hoppy and bitter. Yummy. Maybe we'll add a jar of honey to the boil to catapult the abv above the 7 range.

I had heard somewhere, I can't quite remember where or when, but I did hear that for whatever reason, dogs are prone to not especially enjoy the fermenting stage. I have no idea why that's the case, but my lab certainly didn't take too kindly to the explosive reaction once it took hold. Hmmm. Weird, don't you think? Anyway, let's hope this one turns out a winner.

Licking Retriever Brewery (subject to change).

A Granular Vision for Brewing - Part 1

Brewing is by definition holistic.  No part of the process can be understood, or function, without the entire system.  As brewers, we spend our time studying the interaction between grains, yeast, air, and alcohol.  We carefully craft a finished product, and carry it through to it's finished state.

But a system must be efficient to survive.  Beyond our holy grail of the perfect brew, what can we do to improve the system?  Create synergies or cycles that can reduce cost?  Utilize by-products for further endeavorers?  We're already heading in that direction.  Lets see where we are:

Spent and Waffling

Started our day with these today.  Based on this Waffles I recipe we just replaced 1/4 of the flour with spent grain flour.  Really nice flavor, I would say less like whole wheat than malty flavored.  The grains were today were the last of the Wide Eyed Cowboy, saving the porter grains for bread...

We didn't do a whole lot with the grains.  

1. Dried them in the oven for a couple days after we got them.  
• We have a gas oven, and the pilot keeps the oven at a steady 100 degrees.
2. Froze them till we needed them
3. Ground them in our blender
• We have a Vitamix, but a regular blender might do ok

Release the Yeast

Also anxiously awaiting the results of the Wild Eyed Cowboy.  Licking Retriever Brewery has cleverly pitched their second beer onto the yeast cake of the first.  Now that we have the yeast starter kit, I'm anxious to try some variations with trying to revive yeast from the cake in the flask as well.

- Holmestarr Brewing Coop

Attention! Attention!

I think something fundamental and beyond obvious needs to be said:

Blessed be the Mother that gave birth to a brewer.

Changing of the Season

Another season of wishing for a freak snow storm in Ocean Beach is almost past.  Not too late though.  Still a chance right? At least it's not too late for one more winter beer.  Went with a Northern Brewer kit this time, a Peace Coffee Stout Porter Extract Kit.  I feel like I'm cheating a little with everything all nicely measured out for me, but if this is a tasty Stout that looks like this:

I'll get over it.

The kit surprised me... it came with the coffee!  I'll see what it's like.  I am planning to increase the amount of coffee, and maybe add some chocolate too.

Got a head start on Spring as well.  A simple American Wheat kit.  First one in a while that has no specialty grains, so it kind of feels like a step back.  The ladies love a good wheat though, so who am I to question?

Also added a new toy to the mix: a yeast starter kit.  Basically a beaker for doing mad scientist yeast experiments.  The idea is activating the yeast before brewing is better.  Cuts down time till the yeast gets to eating the sugar, keeping bad guys from getting there first.  BWAHHAHAHHAAA!!! (evil mad scientist laugh)

- Holmestarr Brewing Coop

Pumpkickin Ale -

A quick retrospective on the Pumpkin Ale.  Overall disappointing taste, bitter overtone with sweetness from un-fermented molasses, but a fun brew to make.  Another great cooperative brewing experience with K&J this time... who will be brewing on their own before long.

This recipe was the basis for the brew The Brew Site - pumpkin ale recipe.  We didn't deviate too much from the original.  The pumpkin came directly from our Halloween pumpkins, which the industrious Mrs H baked, blended, and froze:

We are still pretty new to using the specialty grains.  I think we may be agitating the grain too much, this youtube video brewer only stirs the grains every 5 minutes or so.  We were tea bagging the grains continually for the entire time.  Since the husks are full of tannins, this technique may have caused too much bitterness to get into the beer...

Also, still havent' been able to successfully siphon the beer from the primary to bottling bucket successfully.  I think the we need to buy new equipment (maybe an auto-siphon), but a careful pour doesn't seem too bad anyway, just needs two people to pull it off.

A drinkable learning experience.

- Holmestarr Brewing Co-op