Brew Mission's blog

Overcooked - The Gravity of the Issue is Setting In

Beer is good. There is no disputing that. However it's not as easy as I first assumed. Every batch seems to introduce a new freaking issue that was not present the batch before.

I stuck with an IPA again because, I like IPA. So take that. However this time I took "Gravity" readings. This is supposed to help me determine the alcohol percentage by volume and per beer. So I splurged and purchased a thermometer to help gauge the temperatures (something I never gave an F- about before). Turns out this is a rather important aspect! Who knew that cooking temp. actually effects the outcome of flavors (idiot).

Anyway, I found that after taking the "Original Gravity" reading (done after you cool the wort and before you pitch the yeast) it read 1.03. As a reference a properly boiled IPA, I have been told, should be in the neighborhood of 1.6 (possibly higher). You can assume my disappointment. With this I can only hope at best for a 3-4% IPA - that is simply crap. I spend all this extra money on proper hops and malt so I can BURN IT ALL OUT. DAMNIT!!

Again, the learning process continues. I will be watching my boil temps much closer next time. This will hopefully help.

PS - The Coors Home Draft thing totally worked. It's an awesome toy for a party or home if you plan on drinking several beers with a friend or two. I suggest it to anyone who likes a cold draft beer.

Learning Curve....or F-ing it up? You decide

So I decided to make the same IPA from batch #2, however twisted it a bit with some different water. The reason being, beer is over 90% water so I figured I would adjust the largest ingredient to see if there was significant change. Long story short, water ended up being the least of my changes.

Everything started out great as I incorporated the new water. With two brews under my belt I was feeling confident. When it came time to add my hops, I added the first and second sets of hops all at the same time. It is going to make for some interesting tastes. I don't think (hope) I damaged the beer but you never freaking know.

One thing I am looking forward to is utilizing the Coors Light Home Draft a friend gave me. Its a simple plastic bottle with a Co2 canister and a draft beer pulley. The bottle says not to re-use , but what the hell. I washed it clean and in theory it should still work.

 
   
So its your call. Can I chalk this rounds mistake up to a learning curve or do I have to own it and say "I F-ed this round up"; you decide.

Making Beer is Easy

Overall, my first homemade beer was a success. I had a chance to enjoy it with Mom and she was stoked. My issues: It was a bit cloudy and did not have a high alcohol level. I drank a lot when I got home and it took more than normal to feel a buzz.

Since then, I brewed my second batch which is an IPA, my favorite kind of beer currently. Basically all the same steps from before, aside for the recipe (IPA was $52). I don't have details of how it was done because I was so excited about doing it, I forgot to keep the a journal. Also, this time it was done at my house vs. my friends so the boil was different since my big ass pot extended over two burners.

Again, this beer making stuff is quite simple. However, a notable point is that somehow I managed to pitch my yeast before I took a gravity (special measurement necessary to determine alcohol content) so I have no freeken clue how potent this will be. I am hoping better than the first round. I look forward to drinking it on Thursday and this week intend on going to the store to get a new recipe and this time promise; seriously promise to read all directions and follow all steps.

PS - Check out the updated previous post to see what my my mothers day present looked like.

Botteling - What Not

The “What Not” –

I transferred the liquid from the paint bucket to the glass jar a couple weeks ago. There ended up some discussing slug like crap at the bottom of the paint bucket that did not make it into the glass jar, AKA car boy; thank goodness. Then it sat for another week.

 

The "Bottling" –

One week ago, I put the priming sugar into the plastic bucket. Then transferred the liquid back from the glass jar into the paint bucket. This gives the bottles the carbonation when they sit for another week individually bottled as the yeast eats the sugar again and puts off a bit more c02.

 

Then it was time to bottle: This is a freeken messy process. I spilled about 1-2 beers on the floor while putting beer into the bottles, oh well. Thank goodness for the www.shamwow.com The bottled beer was used as a gift for mothers day. I am such a good son.

Brewing My First 50 Beers

Brewing beer is like brewing a big ass pot of tea (with some extra steps) that smells WAY better.  I had a good friend who has brewed before help me out and this is what was done:

 

-Boil 2.5 gallon’s of purified water in my 40qt pot

-Boil the grains in a separate pot with 1 gallon of water

-Add the grains to the big pot plus some more water.  Bring to boil

-Put in the hopps for some time (at specific time frames that the beer kit told me to do)

-Fill a big ass plastic tray with ice (may use my tub next time for easy cleanup) and put the boiling pot into the tray to cool down the “brew”

-Let it sit for some time

-Transfer the brew into my “paint bucket” thing and let sit for a week

 

As a note, I recommend reading the directions as I purchased a 40qt pot which is F’ing DOUBLE the size I need.  Ugh, spent way too much money and it’s a major overkill.  Don’t do that yourself. 

 

That is it so far. The time frame for adding wheat/hops/brewing all change based off the beer so I won’t bore you with that.  Today I am going to transfer the brew for the second fermentation into my car boy AKA “glass Sparklets water” jug.  Should be simple, we will see.  I promise to read the directions this time.

Shopping List

Last week I went to my local “Home Brewing” shop here in Los Angeles to get started (www.brewsupply.com) and purchased the middle of the road brewing system plus a Brew Kit (the ingredients with recipe to make the beer).  This has got me started and what is included. 

Total Cost: $300.95

Standard Home Brewing System:

6 gal. plastic fermenter w/ lid drilled for stopper – Paint bucket with lid and plastic thing on top.

5 gal. glass carboy secondary fermenter – Glass "Sparklets Water" jug (basically)

siphon cane and hose – Plastic tubes

twin wing bottle capper – Bottle cap put’er-on’er

1 gross bottle caps – Unused bottle caps for my soon to be beer’s

floating thermometer – If you don’t know what this is, stop reading and go watch TV

hydrometer – Another thermometer thing that tells you stuff

bottle brush – Seriously, no explanation needed

carboy brush – Brush for the glass "Sparkelts Water" jug

sanitizer – What EVERYTHING has done to it

instruction booklet – Apparently some people read directions

Cost - $114.95

 

Brew Kit:

Santa Monica Pale Ale
An American style Pale Ale. Amber colored and very hoppy. Use of Cascade hops for finishing gives this beer a "West Coast" character like Sierra Nevada®.

Ingredients:

6lbs malt extract – Sugar that looks like pancake syrup

priming sugar – Fine grain sugar (looks like big bag of cocaine)

wheat – The shop ground up the wheat for me. There were two kinds; don’t ask what they were

hopps – There were three kinds here, again don't ask

yeast – Looks like an Emergency vitamin packet

Cost - $28.00

 

More To Buy:

Then from a local cooking supply store (www.surfaslosangeles.com) I purchased my 40qt brewing pot with lid and big ass stirring spoon.

Cost - $158.00

 

  
Ingrediant  Brew System Parts

 

 

 

My favorite part of the "Beer System" is on the side of the bucket, there is an image of the international "No Babies Falling Into your Beer" symbol.   

About Brew Mission

Beer is awesome!  But that's not how I always felt. I used to be a booze man (Vodka, Rum, Whiskey, etc.) After traveling to England, I found a unique culture and flavor of beer as well as the people who drank it.  (Not to mention, alcohol was extremely expensive). When I returned to the States, I noticed at my local Whole Foods there is a LOT of beer out there to enjoy. I also realized that American beer was more than cheap piss in a bottle. It had more to offer than a bloated sensation after just a few.  

1 year later, I decided to brew my own beer.  Why?  Why not!

Here, I will document what I do and why, as well as share with others.

Please enjoy and in the words of YourNextPint.com, Hoppy Drinking™!