2005 Rackup

So here are the brews I’ve done this year and those yet to come. E = Extract, EG = Extract with Grains, AG = All-Grain. I think that I may actually squeeze in one more 10 gallon brew taking my total to the 200 gallon limit since we are only spending a week in Atlanta for Christmas, which means I’ll spend the other week here in DE.

I have some of these recipes in the recipes section of the First State Brewers. I stopped posting any there because I realized not too many of our club members were all-grain brewers, nor did we get many hits to that section of the site. If anyone is interested in a recipe, just write and I’ll get it out there for you.

I wonder – do yeast starters qualify as brewing beer? I’ll be getting a pressure canner for christmas so I can brew some all-grain wort to use as yeast starters. By canning I’ll be able to stick them on a shelf and just pull off quarts as I need them (talk about fast compared to my current method). Nah… it can’t. You don’t drink yeast starters, and I think the law says something about consumption.

Let’s go to England!

This will make our next trip to England a little more convenient. We won’t have to worry about when the pub is going to close!

New UK drinking laws start peacefully — for now
Thu Nov 24, 2005 10:32 AM ET
By Katherine Baldwin

LONDON (Reuters) – The introduction of extended drinking hours passed off peacefully across England and Wales but police said on Thursday the biggest test would come at the weekend.

The race against the 11 p.m. closing bell encourages Britons to drink excessively while the eviction of boozers from pubs all at the same time spurs the violence and vandalism that plague town centres, they say.

“At last adults in this country are going to be treated like grown-ups and given a little bit of choice about having a social life beyond 11 o’clock,” said Mark Hastings, spokesman for the British Beer and Pub Association.

Read the rest here

MorePublicity

OK… So all you people out there that received a MoreBeer catalog in the mail, get that guilty look off your faces. You know who you are. Did you notice the testimonial on page 27? I just did today, and I nearly fell off the can when I saw it. If you didn’t get a catalog, or missed it – check out the attached image.

Between that and showing up in Zymurgy, its been a very weird month for me. Too bad they didn’t spell Delaware correctly. ;)

More Oaked Vanilla

I’ve got a 3qt starter of Dry English Ale (WLP007) on the stirplate as we speak. I’ll probably brew the Oak Aged Vanilla Porter on Friday morning. The rest of you nuts can spend Black Friday running around to shopping centers beating each other up for a couple of bucks off, but I’m staying home.

This batch I am actually going to use both chips and oak cubes to see if the taste is any richer. Cubes are more pricey, but I’m hoping they are worth it. I may also add a 3rd vanilla bean.

In addition to the Homegrown Pale Ale and Abbey Dubbel I have planned, I think I need to do some of the following soon too:

• Ommegang clone
• Coffee Porter
• Bourbon Barrel beer (maybe a clone of Stewart’s McBride Strong?)
• Maibock!!!
• American IPA

As you can see, I’ve got lots of stuff I want to brew… But they obviously won’t happen this year (Except maybe the Ommegang clone). I’ve got 2 oz of oak cubes that have been sitting in Jim Beam for a few months now, and a couple nights ago I put 4oz oak chips and 2 more oz of cubes in some bourbon as well. I figure that they won’t really go bad, and at worst I just give them to someone in the club to experiment with (once they are soaked thru).

BEER CANNON TURKEY

Heard this on a local radio station.

Jane Hautanen (Jane Doe)