It turned out to be a very rainy Sunday. My plan was to work in the yard, but it was way too wet for that. So, instead I decided to brew. This is the second time that we have done a 10 gallon batch based on the Rogue recipe. The last batch was delicious even […]

With the move and everything else keeping us busy, there has not been a lot of time to brew. This was our first opportunity in several months. The recipe chosen is actually a modified version of my first all grain batch – a super heavy scotch that we named “Perigee” based on the phase of […]

You might have noticed that we like to brew up some beer from time to time. One of the more expensive ingredients for home brew is hops (Humulus lupulus). It is added for the bitter and aroma qualities that help to offset the malty/sweet flavors that form during the brewing process. Without it, beer would […]

The last batch of beer was really good. So good in fact that I couldn’t bring myself to throw out the dregs left in the keg after the wedding. But, what was I to do with a quart of left-over, completely flat stout? Make ice cream, of course! Stout Ice Cream Recipe based on the […]

After the success of the last stout, I decided to brew up enough to keg for my upcoming nuptials. I even added a few more adjuncts – bringing the total amount of “grains” to lucky number 13. The brew includes barely, wheat, oats, amaranth, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, rice, corn, flax, sesame, sunflower and hazelnuts. I […]

Finished off the last of the stout and decide to make a new batch. This time, inspired by the HUB Survival Stout, a bunch of extra grains were added. None were malted and only meant to add flavor – not sugars. I also plan to add some cold-brewed espresso when racked. OG was exactly 1.050. […]

The spruce beer has been bottled and it is awesome! Jamie racked it for me last week and snuck a sip for his trouble. He immediately called and tell me how good it was. Today we bottled and it was my chance to see what had been produced.  The beer is heavenly. In the carboy […]

On Friday, we brewed a batch of beer that incorporated freshly picked spruce tips. I chose a pale ale (like this recipe), but altered the hops a bit and threw in some oats and ginger for good measure. Oats in  a pale ale? Why not? Recipe 10 lb – 2 row malt 1.5 lb – […]

It has been a while since I did any woodworking. This weekend I decided to carve a special spoon/paddle used to stir the boiling wort when making homebrew. Most people refer to this utensil as a “mash rake”. I prefer the term “spurdle”. It is made from a Brazilian tigerwood board that my brother salvaged. […]

After the success of the last all-grain stout, we decided to try an oatmeal version. We cooked oats in minimum amount of water as recommended by a book. Turned clumpy – probably kept it from adding much to the mash. In turn, the OG was low (1.042). Added 1lb natural cane sugar at end to […]