Siason Update

The saison has slowed a bit, but is still bubbling away. Current temp is about 78. Will edge up to the mid 80s by wednesday. Yep that is pretty warm....but, it's a saison!!!!

I insulated the the carboy and put it on a heating pad.... should be able to get up to about 90 if we need to....

More later.

Saison photos

So we fought the elements and brewed a saison last night. It was a chilly, breezy night, but that didn't deter us.

The Saison brew table...

The new mash tun setup went back to the drawing board due to a leaky gasket....

aaaahhhh, the boil. Odiferous eminations!

Orange & Tangerine peels, coriander and grains of paradise

The chiller in action.

My first yeast starter. Evidently it worked great. The brew is fermenting away as I type.

Saisons like it warm

It's brew day again - Saison

This evening we will be brewing a Saison. I have improved my mash tun and do a partial mash to start the brew.

Look forward to brewing a classic belgian farmhouse style ale.

Look for photos and info tomorrow.....

Road Trip to Aviator Brewing

Aviator where beer is your friend.
They have a super tasting bar at the brewery.

We just wanna be there when they pop the cork on these bad boys

The tour.

Getting a whiff of an big IPA. Wow!

The tanks. Aviator will be moving in the next month or so.

Aviator also has a tap room in Fuquay-Varina.

Hey Sean, what do you think of the hops in that beer?

Growlers anyone?

A fun trip and some great beers!

Basic Brewing Podcast - Saisons, Chocolate Stout, etc

I just listened to the lastest podcast from Basic Brewing. This week James speaks with Peter Hoey of Odonata Brewing who talks about setting up a brewery as well as good brewing tips for Saisons, Chocolate Stout and hopping.

Definitely worth listening to for all the good info.

Always great to listen to Basic brewing at:

www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=radio

Bottling the Blonde Ale

Bottled the blonde yesterday. I put in one clear bottle to check on conditioning. Hard to see in the browns.... A couple of weeks and we'll see how it clears... Looks and tastes great.

Porter taste test

I am tasting the porter family and will give an update soon...BUT, tonight was the Chipotle porter.....mmmmmmm.

Blonde ale photos

Some photos of the transfer.

Check out the video....

Moving the Blonde to Secondary - Video!

I transferred the Blonde Ale to secondary...check it out. Play video below.

Photos coming soon.

Blonde Ale in Secondary

Moved the blonde to secondary yesterday. It looks and tastes great. There was still krausen on top and a large yeast cake at the bottom. Photos and video to follow.....

It came in just under 5.0% ABV which is just about right.

Figure about a week and then bottling.