beer

Black Tuesday

~ cypresssuds ~ Leave a comment

Coming in at just under 20% abv, Black Tuesday could really make for a Blacked Out Tuesday.  This Barrel Aged Imperial Stout packs a heckuva malt punch, tasting much of raisins and dried fruits.  The bourbon barrel character shines through in some caramels and a slight oakiness, as well as the slight alcohol bite.  This beer makes for a wonderful shared pour among friends, but be careful when enjoying alone.  It may leave you wondering where Tuesday’s gone.

Appearance.  Black in color.  Slight head, tan.
Aroma.  Very malt forward.  Some caramels along with dried fruits, raisins.

Taste.  Very malt forward.  Raisins.  Whiskey characteristics (oaky and caramels).

Mouth feel.  Medium heat (alcohol).  Very warming.  Some slickness.  Beer was thick, but not as thick as one would think.

Brewing a Kinda Sorta Cream Ale

~ cypresssuds ~ 1 Comment

 

wort chiller

 

My BrewCipher spreadsheet:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx1s9YqRQM3QQl9zdjZGN0R0VjQ/view?usp=sharing

I did a 4 gallon batch so that I could ferment in a carboy.  I think I am going to get a 6.5 gallon carboy so that I can do full batches.

I didn’t pay attention to the SRM of this beer so I fear it will look more like an amber than a cream ale.  I won’t worry about it not falling into the style guidelines as long as it is a tasty brew.

Estimated O.G. 1.060 at 4 gallons into fermentor

75% Belgian Pilsner

13% Melanoiden

7% Flaked Corn

5% Honey Malt

A couple of ounces of acid malt were thrown in for the water.

Cluster Hops to 29 IBUs.

Safale US-05

My measured OG was 1.058 at 4.5 gallons.

I took a look in the Frankenstein chamber 24 hours after pitching yeast and there is already a good bit of krausen 🙂

cream ale in chamber

I started using a BBQ grill on top of my keggle when I drain and squeeze the grain bag.  It was a game changer….it made BIAB so much easier.

biab

 

Creature of Habit

~ cypresssuds ~ Leave a comment

When first starting this blog, I figured it would be a cakewalk.  As it turns out, I greatly underestimated the difficulty that I would have in writing.  I am a creature of habit.  As we all do from time to time, I settle into my ways, especially in the evening time.  I am now challenging myself to review a beer a week.  I hope to stick to majority Louisiana beers to start, but will definitely expand out.

To break my habit and start to writing, there was no better choice for me than Creature of Habit by Great Raft Brewing in Shreveport.  First let me say that I love what these guys are doing.  I have yet to be disappointed by one of their brews, but enough about the brewery, let’s get to the beer!

Creature of Habit is their seasonal brown ale.  It’s a coffee aged ale.  Coffee is the definitive characteristic, complimented by some nutty and biscuity malt qualities.  I am not one for cold brewed coffee, but a cold brew combined with coffee, that is another story.  Sipping on this beer takes me so many different places.  With one sip I am with my buddies after a morning hunt, eating a hearty breakfast at a local diner, sipping on a piping hot mug of drip coffee.  The next drink comes and I am sipping espresso whilst visiting with friends.  Coffee aroma and flavors abound with this brew bringing together blue-collar and the upper-echelon alike.

That is what I love about beer as a whole, there’s a style for everybody out there.  Everyone has different tastes, sometimes we have to break out of our comfort zones of taste, and sometimes it’s fine to fall back and be a creature of habit.

-Everitt

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*Thanks for reading, all comments and critiques are much appreciated.  I look forward to sharing the world of beer*IMG_20151117_210526111.jpg

 

Brewing a BIAB American Pale Ale

~ cypresssuds ~ Leave a comment

20151117_162649

My ghetto brewing keggle

My Brew Cipher Excel spreadsheet for anybody who cares to look

89% German Pils

4% Caramel 40 L

3% Carapils

The remaining 4% was Acid malt because my water ain’t right.

1.058 estimated post boil OG

Mashed for 1.5 hours at 154.  The center of the grain bag temp was 149 when I pulled the grain out.

Bittered with simcoe.  Cascade at 10 minutes, chinook at 5 minutes and simcoe at flame out.  52 IBUs. US05 yeast pitched and fermented at 69 degrees.  1.5 hour boil.

The predicted FG is 1.013.

I racked 5 gallons into fermenter at 1.060.  My OG was high but I don’t have a problem with more alcohol.  I will be fermenting this for around 12 days and bottling straight from primary.

 

UPDATE!!!

Realized 11 days into fermentation that the lid on my bucket was cracked so I bottled at 11 days.  The beer finished at 1.010.  It was pretty tasty going into the bottles.  I really like the hops…hardly a trace of citrus or fruit.  Very earthy.  I am very impatient so I drank two bottles yesterday after 2 days in the bottle.  I think this will be a stable brew for me.

 

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-Don