A few nights ago when we bottled the Deadeye Stout, the garage was as warm as 60F and the Apple Lager out there was fermenting pretty fast.
I had a stroke of pseudo genius! (Or just a stroke)
I have a cooler that is the perfect size for these 1 Gal jugs to fit in, so I put it in there with a bunch of ice and salt (to lower the ice's melting point). I've been checking it every couple of days and replacing ice in it off and on. I'm keeping the temp anywhere from 32F - 40F most of the time this way.
This jug is definitely going to be unique, to say the least. Whether or not it's good, we'll just have to wait and see...
Showing posts with label apple lager. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apple lager. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Brewing and bottles and rackings! Oh my!
OK! Quickie entry!
James and I brewed beer! Film at eleven! (not really)
Fun with whole grains and sparging and such.
Afterwards, I bottled the Maple Cinnamon Mead with one Campden tab (I'm calling it MCM from now on).
4.5 bottles (I had a 375ml bottle shapped like a cat and painted black[it was a real pain in the ass to fill because I couldn't see the level in it at all until it ran up to the top]).
- It's a medium bodied mead that is still pretty immature or 'green' tasting right now. Definitely gonna let it sit for a while.
Then, I racked the Apple Lager of some KING into two of the gallon jugs. I put one outside in the garage and one in the minifridge in the basement. The fridge will start at 55F and I'm gonna decrease it 2-4 degrees per day. The spot in the garage at the moment is 40F. Being that it's right up against the door, it only gets down to about 32F at the lowest.
THEN, (I was bored tonight, can you tell?) I racked the wassail with three campden tabs. I managed to leave MOST of the fruit debris and lees behind, but still got a fair amount of it. I'll rack again fairly soon.
James and I brewed beer! Film at eleven! (not really)
Fun with whole grains and sparging and such.
Afterwards, I bottled the Maple Cinnamon Mead with one Campden tab (I'm calling it MCM from now on).
4.5 bottles (I had a 375ml bottle shapped like a cat and painted black[it was a real pain in the ass to fill because I couldn't see the level in it at all until it ran up to the top]).
- It's a medium bodied mead that is still pretty immature or 'green' tasting right now. Definitely gonna let it sit for a while.
Then, I racked the Apple Lager of some KING into two of the gallon jugs. I put one outside in the garage and one in the minifridge in the basement. The fridge will start at 55F and I'm gonna decrease it 2-4 degrees per day. The spot in the garage at the moment is 40F. Being that it's right up against the door, it only gets down to about 32F at the lowest.
THEN, (I was bored tonight, can you tell?) I racked the wassail with three campden tabs. I managed to leave MOST of the fruit debris and lees behind, but still got a fair amount of it. I'll rack again fairly soon.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Lager checkup
I looked at the bucket this morning and nothing seemed to be going on yet.
I was a little concerned, but decided to not worry about it for now.
I looked again tonight, and there appears to be a couple of bubbles sitting on the surface, but still very little activity. Now, I know that this lager yeast will sit on the bottom and ferment, and I know that it will be a slower ferment than an ale or wine because it's a cold fermentation, but this is till bugging me.
We might have pitched the yeast too hot and killed it, so, I added another packet of the same Saflager S-23
A couple of hours later, and there are noticeable patches of foam starting to form. It's alive! ALIVE!!
The temperature in the corner is going to flux anywhere between 52F and 60F. A stroke of luck had the drier, hot water heater, and furnace on the other side of the room all running at the same time and it got as warm as 60F. I still think this is as good as any of a spot for primary fermentation.
I was a little concerned, but decided to not worry about it for now.
I looked again tonight, and there appears to be a couple of bubbles sitting on the surface, but still very little activity. Now, I know that this lager yeast will sit on the bottom and ferment, and I know that it will be a slower ferment than an ale or wine because it's a cold fermentation, but this is till bugging me.
We might have pitched the yeast too hot and killed it, so, I added another packet of the same Saflager S-23
A couple of hours later, and there are noticeable patches of foam starting to form. It's alive! ALIVE!!
The temperature in the corner is going to flux anywhere between 52F and 60F. A stroke of luck had the drier, hot water heater, and furnace on the other side of the room all running at the same time and it got as warm as 60F. I still think this is as good as any of a spot for primary fermentation.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Apple Lager! of some kind...
I don't like that title..
We'll call it : APPLE LAGER!! Of Some King
There, that's better. Paul was taking notes for me while I was brewing and he was watching anime.
- 2 gallons of water
- 2.5 lbs of dry malt extract
(55% wheat / 45% barley)(this stuff turns to glue when the concept of moisture is simply thought of in it's presence)
- James farted!
- 2 tbsp moe-lasses
- 1/4 lb Belgian Candy - ed. note: Are we selling this to InBev?
(this was added about ten minutes into the boil after a gravity reading showed 7%)
- 1/2 hour initial boil - removed from my upper-left thigh
- 1/4 oz Sterling Pellet Hops (6% alpha acid)
- Bill eats the rest of Leigh's fries
- 20 minute boil
- 1/4 oz of the same shit on the last line that starts with "1/4 oz"
(no more heat)
- 1 gallon of cold apple juice, added for cooling
- put pot in the sink w/ ice to help cool it
- cooled to about 110F (gravity showed 7%)
- poured wort into bucket
- pitched yeast (Saflager S-23)
- stirred vigorously to aerate
- covered with two layers of plastic wrap and James tied a wire around the lip of the bucket to hold it closed
- put in the back corder of the basement where its 55F - 58F
The plan is to let the primary fermentation run in the bucket in the cold part of the basement. Then, for secondary fermentation, I'm going to split the batch. I'll put half of it in the garage right by the door to the house (it was 45F when it was below freezing outside). The other half I'll put in the minifridge in the basement and slowly drop the temp from around 55F, down to 34F about 2-4 degrees per day.
We'll call it : APPLE LAGER!! Of Some King
There, that's better. Paul was taking notes for me while I was brewing and he was watching anime.
- 2 gallons of water
- 2.5 lbs of dry malt extract
(55% wheat / 45% barley)(this stuff turns to glue when the concept of moisture is simply thought of in it's presence)
- James farted!
- 2 tbsp moe-lasses
- 1/4 lb Belgian Candy - ed. note: Are we selling this to InBev?
(this was added about ten minutes into the boil after a gravity reading showed 7%)
- 1/2 hour initial boil - removed from my upper-left thigh
- 1/4 oz Sterling Pellet Hops (6% alpha acid)
- Bill eats the rest of Leigh's fries
- 20 minute boil
- 1/4 oz of the same shit on the last line that starts with "1/4 oz"
(no more heat)
- 1 gallon of cold apple juice, added for cooling
- put pot in the sink w/ ice to help cool it
- cooled to about 110F (gravity showed 7%)
- poured wort into bucket
- pitched yeast (Saflager S-23)
- stirred vigorously to aerate
- covered with two layers of plastic wrap and James tied a wire around the lip of the bucket to hold it closed
- put in the back corder of the basement where its 55F - 58F
The plan is to let the primary fermentation run in the bucket in the cold part of the basement. Then, for secondary fermentation, I'm going to split the batch. I'll put half of it in the garage right by the door to the house (it was 45F when it was below freezing outside). The other half I'll put in the minifridge in the basement and slowly drop the temp from around 55F, down to 34F about 2-4 degrees per day.
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