r@fink brews

Friday, May 30, 2008

a tale of two brews

I brewed the Brown Ale on Thursday and followed with the Irish Ale on Friday. These were my first all grain brews and they look and smell pretty dern good. The only difference I see between all grain and extract brewing is time and temperature. All grain added about an hour and a half to my brew day, and if you need a lot of hot water handy. The cooler I converted to a mash vessel worked good and I'm definitely going to invest in a Barley Crusher in the future so I can buy grain in bulk and crush it myself.
I also kegged my Nukey Brown Friday, which is a good thing because the Punch It! Amber Ale ran dry on Wednesday. Boo Hoo!
My wish list:
*Barley Crusher
*A good digital thermometer
*Gain, grain, grain!
I have yet to name the two new brews...hmmm.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Nukey racked.....All Grain brewing this weekend...gulp

I racked the Nukey on the 23rd, so I should be able to keg that puppy around the 5th of June. The bbt just dropped off my two all grain kits today, so it's balls to the walls for brewing this weekend! I'm a little nervous. Here are the ingredients of the kits from Austin Homebrew Supply.
Moose Drool Clone
10 lb. 2-Row
.5 lb. Chocolate Malt
.5 lb. Crystal 40L
1 oz. Black Patent
.5 lb. Malto Dextrin (to add body)

1oz. Golding Hops 60 mni.
.5 oz. Mt. Hood 15 min.
.5 oz. Glacier 15 min.


Smithwick's Irish Ale
9lb. Pale Malt
.25 lb. Crystal 90L
.5 lb. Crystal 60L

1 oz. Challenger Hops 60 min.
.5 oz. Challenger 15 min.
.5 oz. Glacier 15 min.
.25 oz Glacier 5 min.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

You are wrong sir!

I guess I was wrong about the mud flap brown lasting a week or two....how about an hour or two! Yes it ran dry, and yes I did get my Nukey brewed on the 15th, and yes Ive been slacking off with the brewing. I expect the big brown truck(I think I'll cal it the BBT from now on) in the next couple days to bring two all grain recipe kits from Austin Hombrew Supply that I have ordered. These will be my first all grain brews, so let's cross our fingers and hope we get some nice Moose Drool and Smithwick's clones out of these.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

waiting on the big brown truck

I have put my all grain brewing plans on hold for a short time, but plan to brew a Nukey Brown extract kit this weekend providing the big brown truck arrives in time. The Nukey is a clone recipe of Newcastle Brown Ale offered by Northern Brewer. It is an extract kit that I have brewed many times before with very good results. The Mud Flap Brown and the PUNCH IT! Amber Ale kegs are still pouring and should hold out a couple more weeks.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Fat Snow Tire gone flat

The Fat Snow Tire fizzled out today. The PUNCH IT! Amber Ale has taken it's place in the fridge and is carbing up now.