We were invited to collect grapes from a vineyard that hadn’t sold all of its rows this year. Sam, Wendy and Dawn headed out and spent the morning picking large bunches of dark purple Pinot Noir. Soon they arrived back at the house with a truckload of grapes. I was originally expecting ugly seconds from […]

Thanks to the fermentation vessel, our recent stout went a bit wonky. However, I think that the recipe is really solid… So, it’s time to try again. Naked Oatmeal Stout Create your own recipe with All Grain Beer ABV: 5.57% IBU: 31.1 SRM: 48.3 OG: 1.055, FG: 1.014 Batch size: 12 gal Brewhouse efficiency: 70% […]

Another version of the award-winning Black Frost. This time, with a fresh hop twist! The hops are in my yard and will be thrown in the boil minutes after they are picked. Since they are fresh, we will be using 4x the normal weight for a combined  total of 48oz. Recipe Specifics Style: 23 Specialty […]

You may want to start by reading: Growing hops from seed, Hop Breeding (2014) The seedling grew rapidly in their first year. 18 plants produced significant amount of hops by the end of August. For comparison purposes I decided to pick, sort, and catalog all the cones at once. No doubt this means that some […]

Unlike tomatoes, peppers and other crops, it can be really difficult to tell if they are ready to pick. Commercial growers often target a percentage of dry matter. This means taking samples, drying them and comparing the weights before and after. Optimal picking is when the wet hops are 4 to 5 times heavier then the dry matter. This […]

Recipe Specifics Style: 26A Metheglin (spiced mead) Batch Size (Gal): 6.00 (for 5 bottled) Anticipated OG: 1.050 Anticipated ABV: 5.5% Anticipated SRM: 2 (very light) Anticipated IBU: 0 (no hops) Honey I didn’t track the amount of honey added. Rather, I used the “scrap” honey + 6 gallons of water and then added a few […]

Running low on stout … again. This recipe is based on the 16-ton stout, but scaled back for simplicity. There will only be 3 grain sources: barely, oats, and buckwheat. We need to think of a better name. Recipe Specifics Style: 13-C Oatmeal Stout Batch Size (Gal): 12.00 (for 10 bottled) Anticipated OG: 1.055 Anticipated […]

Used the exact same recipe as last time… Another Another Cream Ale Create your own recipe with All Grain Beer ABV: 4.48% IBU: 11.2 SRM: 3.9 OG: 1.045, FG: 1.011 Batch size: 12 gal Brewhouse efficiency: 77% Boil time: 60 min Grain 16 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (36 ppg, 2 srm) 1 lbs […]

Last year, I helped my friends build a bee hive for there yard. However, when spring came, they missed the window to purchase a nuc/package. Instead, we decided to build a few super-simple swarm traps. These traps are literally a paper pot screwed to a piece of old plywood. All, but one of the holes […]

Each year I start seeds in soil blocks for the spring planting. The blocks are fun, easy to make and have many advantages over using trays and pots. Here is my basic recipe. It will create 250-300 medium blocks. 1 bucket coir (5 gallons, fluffed) 1/2 bucket potting soil 1/2 bucket vermicompost 1/2 bucket perlite […]