Back to Brewing!

[zimmzala]

After an almost 8 year drought of homebrew, I got out the equipment dusted it off and started brewing again.:D, ex girlfriend hated the smell. I forgot how much I love it, the smell and the brewing, brewed an Oatmeal Stout in early Dec that turned into more of a brown ale than a stout. It is still decent if you tell yourself it's a brown ale. In early Jan brewed a Dopple Bock that just went into bottles a couple of days ago. I can't wait for this one I think that it is going to turn out real well at all stages it has seemed right on track and tasty. Today we brewed an IPA, obvisouly to early to tell
but coloring looks good but I'll know in march for sure. Have plans for a buddy of mine from up north to come down in early Feb and brew, can't wait. Any good suggestions for recipes would be great, partial mash only though I don't have large enough equipment for all grain yet, it is on my high priority list right after kegging equipment, washing all those bottles sucks.

happy brewing!

[specificgravity]

I too am coming off a brewing hiatus but not nearly the length of yours. :yikes:

I like to plan my brews based on the upcoming season (earlier if they need more aging) since my tastes seem to change with. When I get around to it I'm going to make up some pale ales and maybe a Kolsch since that's what I enjoy in the spring/early summer.

[Big K]

I haven't brewed in months. I need to get off my **** and get some ingredients and start brewing. This is the perfect time of year to do it too!

[MSUICEMAN]

i've had a 7 year hiatus.... i need to get back into it.

[oldforester]

Started a Bell's Two Hearted Ale clone over the weekend. Sitting here listening to the air lock bubble away. For yeast I cultured the yeast from a bottle of the factory stuff. Just recently found out it is bottle conditioned.

[zimmzala]

Started a Bell's Two Hearted Ale clone over the weekend. Sitting here listening to the air lock bubble away. For yeast I cultured the yeast from a bottle of the factory stuff. Just recently found out it is bottle conditioned.


I didn't realize that they were bottle conditioned. That buddy of mine that is coming down in Feb makes one of the best partial mash clones I have ever had so that was one of the possibilities to brew. For my stupid question of the day how did you go about culturing that, I don't know crap about yeast other than grab the vial that applies to the beer style.

[oldforester]

All the mail order catalogs have some very nice equipment for growing yeast, so I am sure there are better ways to do it. But I am very - ah -tight with a buck so I make do.

I poured the ale out of the bottle, being careful to leave the sediment in the bottom. Put in a teaspoon or so of corn sugar, filled the bottle about half way with room temperature water, and shook it up good. Covered it with a piece of plastic wrap held in place with a rubber band around the neck. Put it in a room temperature place out of the light until the plastic wrap started to bulge out, showing that the yeast was working and making CO2.
Then Took a quart mason jar and sterilized it. boiled a pint of water and put in two tablespoons or so of corn sugar and put that in the jar. After it cooled poured the contents of the bottle in, covered it with plastic wrap, and let that work in the dark for a few days. When that was working good, I pitched it to start the new batch of ale.

[specificgravity]

Started a Bell's Two Hearted Ale clone over the weekend. Sitting here listening to the air lock bubble away. For yeast I cultured the yeast from a bottle of the factory stuff. Just recently found out it is bottle conditioned.

THA is my favorite beer and I've attempted cloning it a couple of times now. Would you mind posting your recipe? I'd like to compare.

[Redjay]

I can post the recipe when I get home:)

Down to my last 18 bottles or so...man was it good:bouncy:

My first homebrew so if I can make that good of magic happen I'm sure it will work for anyone;)

Did I mention how tasty it was:evil:

[oldforester]

Extract with Grain Recipe - Bells Two Hearted ::: 1.060/1.012 (5.5 Gal)

1 lb. - 2 Row Pale Malt
2 lb. - Vienna Malt
1/2 lb. - Caramel/Crystal Malt (15L)
1/2 lb. - CaraPils
4.5 lb. - light dried malt extract

Hop Schedule
1/2 oz. - Centennial (60 min.)
1/2 oz. - Centennial (45 min.)
1/2 oz. - Centennial (30 min.)
1/2 oz. - Centennial (15 min.)
1/2 oz. - Centennial (0 min.)
1 oz. - Centennial (Dry Hop)

1 tsp Irish Moss (15 min)
Yeast

Wyeast American Ale II Yeast (#1272) - 1800 ml starter -or-
yeast cultured from a bottle of Bell's

Mash crushed grains at 153° for 60 min in 1 1/2 gal. water.
Remove grain, bring to boil, add DME and hops as indicated.

Cool, top off, and ferment at 65° to 68°