It's been a long time since I've posted anything and I feel that I should really apologize for that. Brewing took a little bit of a back seat for me over the past few months. My wife and I moved into a new house in the country which brings a whole lot of brewing excitement with the multiple varieties of hops that I plan on growing as well as different herbs as well. (There may be a gruit coming up here over the summer and possibly a fruit beer in a year or two after my plants have established themselves.)
I've even started brewing five gallon all grain batches again now that I can set up my Igloo cooler and turkey fryer in my garage. Last weekend I brewed a Weizen Bock with some of my friends whole Nugget hops, but I'll get back into that in a later post. I was so excited about it, brewing all grain batches again that is, that I've been working on my own plans for a Brutus 10 system with the possibility for an expansion to twenty gallon batches later down the road.
I had hit somewhat of a roadblock a few months ago with my BJCP challenge and didn't know what the problem was. (If you'll recall, I was getting somewhat of a metallic/cleanser type taste in my beers.) Well I realized that it was the iodophor that I was using for sanitation. It hit me one night when I went out for a couple beers at Buffalo Wild Wings and the ones I drank also had that same faint taste and iodophor after all is a commercial sanitizer used in breweries and restaurants. Oddly enough it is one of those things that some people can taste since my wife had no problems with them at all.
I feel much better about my processes now and am excited to get back on track. I'll have a week off work coming up shortly, and I am hoping to get a couple more batches brewed.
On Deck: Light American Lager
Secondary: Weizen Bock
Total for 2011: 88 Gallons
I've even started brewing five gallon all grain batches again now that I can set up my Igloo cooler and turkey fryer in my garage. Last weekend I brewed a Weizen Bock with some of my friends whole Nugget hops, but I'll get back into that in a later post. I was so excited about it, brewing all grain batches again that is, that I've been working on my own plans for a Brutus 10 system with the possibility for an expansion to twenty gallon batches later down the road.
I had hit somewhat of a roadblock a few months ago with my BJCP challenge and didn't know what the problem was. (If you'll recall, I was getting somewhat of a metallic/cleanser type taste in my beers.) Well I realized that it was the iodophor that I was using for sanitation. It hit me one night when I went out for a couple beers at Buffalo Wild Wings and the ones I drank also had that same faint taste and iodophor after all is a commercial sanitizer used in breweries and restaurants. Oddly enough it is one of those things that some people can taste since my wife had no problems with them at all.
I feel much better about my processes now and am excited to get back on track. I'll have a week off work coming up shortly, and I am hoping to get a couple more batches brewed.
On Deck: Light American Lager
Secondary: Weizen Bock
Total for 2011: 88 Gallons
