Many Posts Rolled Into One

So I haven’t posted anything in a long time because my computer will not let me log on to anything that has a password. Sorry if anyone tried the pickle recipe. It was a total failure! The pickles smelled great and actually didn’t taste all that bad but, they were incredibly mushy and I couldn’t stand them. I tried to make them into relish but that was also like eating pickle pudding and made me want to barf. 

The kombucha on the other hand came out really well! I made two batches one of which I fermented only for a month at temperatures between 50 F and 55 F so it didn’t really ferment all the way. I carbonated it and it was good to drink but not as good as the second. The second batch I let set for over two months at really cold temps and it was delicious. It didn’t even taste like kombucha. I didn’t carbonate it and it was still fantastic! I brought it over to my girlfriend’s sister’s house and we almost drank a whole gallon between three people in one night. It tasted like slightly acidic honey lemon water, but really smooth and no nasty kombucha smell (like crotch) just really pleasant. 

Lime Zest

One other kombucha experiment I did was I took the mother off of the tea when it was almost done and racked the kombucha into a secondary vessel and added lime zest from two limes. I let that sit for 3 days and then strained out the zest and put it in a gallon jug. I didn’t carbonate this one either and I actually like it un-carbonated quit I bit. The zest took away that kombucha smell that is not always pleasant until it’s blended with a fruit juice. It smelled like lime juice and tasted like kombucha so I was pleased.

1st on left 2nd on right

Juniper Ale

The Juniper Ale received 3^rd in show out of 15 other brews at a homebrew competition hosted by a new brewery opening up soon called Copper Kettle Brewing Company. So I was pretty stoked about that! When the trees start getting fresh tips on them I will make a new batch but this time with just the Rauch malt instead of the peated malt and I think I will also make a Spruce Ale.

I finally bottled the Sour Cherry Beer. I had an oak spiral in it for 6 weeks. The oxygen from the wood really got the brew souring quickly. It tastes pretty darn good so far but needs more time to carbonate. After 2 weeks in the bottle it only had a slight effervescence.

On the same day we bottled the Sour Cherry we also brewed a Saison based off of information from Farmhouse Ales by Phil Markowski. Here is the recipe:

Grain:

• 6 # German Pils
• 2 # German Malted Wheat
• .25 # Honey Malt

Hops:

• 1 oz S. Golding (divided into 3^rds and added in at 60, 30, and 5 mins)

Boil Time: 4 hours or more

I mashed differently than normal this time so that it would be a little more authentic.

• Mash in at 45 C – Hold for 30 minutes
• Heat to 55 C – Hold for 15 minutes
• Heat to 62 C – Hold for 30 minutes
• Heat to 68 C – Hold for 15 minutes
• Heat to 74 C – Mash Off

Saison beginning to start up

 I drained off the wort, reheated it on the stove, and then added it back into the mash tun (sometimes with extra water) to get the desired temperatures. When I mashed off I over compensated by filling the kettle to 11 gallons of water and boiling it down for 3 hours. It made the wort change from a hay yellow to a orange like brown. I used German Lager yeast and added in the oak spiral from the Sour Cherry to get it a little tangy. It will sit in the primary for a little under a week and then left in the fridge for 6 weeks to age. When I transfer to secondary I will decided whether or not to add spices or citrus zest.

I have also brewed a experimental batch with 2 pounds of honey malt with cluster and fuggle hops that turned out pretty good. It has already been drunken up. I brewed a smoked stout with my dad too. It just got carbonated I will probably post the recipe sometime soon.