The Toadfish Cellars

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

Then name of the book hasn't changed, but George apparently goes by Charlie now. 

Yes - apparently I was caffeine-deprived when I did my last post.

Can scrounge some doodads from work to round out the list (esp. for the siphon starter, & probably can manage a airlock with a little effort), and am thinking of garage sale-ing for the carboy or appropriately sized glass jug.  I could probably borrow the capper from a buddy for the first couple of batches, then invest in one (or garage sale it).

Yup, garage sales are good.  I got my 1-gallon jug at a garage sale.

But if you do have a friend who's into homebrewing, it'd make sense to team up with him in any case.  I did that myself: my "brew buddy" and I split the cost of a lot of our equipment, especially the extra gear we needed for all-grain mashing & brewing, and we'd brew together.  It makes things cheaper and more social.

Bottles are never an issue (and some buddies and I have done u-brew kits using crown caps on twistoff bottles - might have lost a couple to pressure, but it generally works); I drink lots of pry-tops, so the only problem is finding ones that match!

You need matching bottles?   

You're right, though: from what I've heard (only ever used non-twistoffs myself), you can use twist-off bottles, but expect that some of them will get their threads cracked during capping.

I might even look at getting a champagne corker (more $$, though) and use my Unibroue bottles.  I do like the concept of corked beers, and it'd allow for cellaring up exceptionally good batches.

Hmm... that's an idea.

I've got some sort of capper/corker thing that belonged to my grandfather.  Maybe I should test it out to see if it would do the job.

Still, I think I'd have to save that for a tripel or something fancy like that.

[Aggie]

Ever experimented with 'native' yeasts (i.e. leave the bastard out and hope the right organism gets in there?).

Not an option where I'm at (don't trust the ambient microbial population, except what survives in the kimchi), but I'd like to try it later, once I've got a handle on the rest of the process.  The other option is to keep a grooved wooden 'brew stick' which gets put in each batch and then recovered and dried, to allow the yeasts to carry over between batches.

In any case, you're right - brewing with buddies is more social, but I'm an experimenter and want to do some fiddling around with smaller batches (all my brew-buddies currently use kits, anyways.  I might even start all-grain; have to check out some shops to see what's available for supplies, though).  I would ideally like to do a batch a month or so, in the aforementioned small amounts.  And then I'm going to go oddball with the recipes. 

*remembers to put a request in for Sacred and herbal healing beers : the secrets of ancient fermentation *

Heh, I'm also going to try to line up a lesson in making maekkoli when I go back to Korea - the good stuff is halfway between rice milk and Fin Du Monde.    If that actually happens, I'll post the method. 
(the cheap stuff makes me ill)

Health and Makgeolli

Although Makgeolli is an alcoholic drink, it is, at the same time, good for your health. There are two reasons for this. The first is because of Makgeolli's relatively low percentage of alcohol. If a person drinks an alcoholic drink that has a high percentage of alcohol, it harms the liver and stomach. However, Makgeolli is only 6%, a percentage that does not harm the body but only relieves stress.

(bold my emphasis - good philosophy!)

Definitely check out the full article - especially the last section!
http://granite.korea.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=99

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

Ever experimented with 'native' yeasts (i.e. leave the bastard out and hope the right organism gets in there?).

No, never.  When it comes to beer, I'm an insane clean freak to the point that it's almost an affective disorder.

The other option is to keep a grooved wooden 'brew stick' which gets put in each batch and then recovered and dried, to allow the yeasts to carry over between batches.

You know, it is possible to culture your own yeast from the leftover sediment from the previous batch.

I don't brew often enough for it to be worth the bother, but it's a fairly common practice, and it saves you from having to re-buy yeast.

In any case, you're right - brewing with buddies is more social, but I'm an experimenter and want to do some fiddling around with smaller batches (all my brew-buddies currently use kits, anyways.

Still, it may make sense to split expenses with your friends.  Even if you're each brewing alone, what are the odds that you'll all need a capper or a sparging bag on the same weekend?

I might even start all-grain; have to check out some shops to see what's available for supplies, though).  I would ideally like to do a batch a month or so, in the aforementioned small amounts.  And then I'm going to go oddball with the recipes. 

I'd suggest starting out brewing from extract.  For one thing, all-grain brewing needs a fair bit more equipment, and therefore more expense.  On top of everything you need for malt extract brewing, you'd also need:

- grain mill
- mash tun/lauter tun (can be the same vessel, and can be homemade, but still expensive in either time or money)
- bigger everything (all-grain uses much more water than extract brewing to get the same volume of beer)
- wort chiller (not strictly necessary, but a really good idea)

Also, all-grain takes much more time: you might be able to finish a malt extract brew in about 3-4 hours (including prep time and cleanup), but all-grain usually ends up being a long full day.

Definitely check out the full article - especially the last section!
http://granite.korea.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=99

Interesting.  Next time I'm pukey-drunk in public, I can claim that I'm making a political statement!

And I think I've figured out where I'm going to do my Masters degree:

Korea University (KU) is known for its drinking habits. In Korea, many people recognize KU as one of the schools where the students drink vast amounts of alcohol. Moreover, also known for drinking Makgeolli, it is sometimes even called the Makgeolli University as written in the song, 'Makgeolli Changa'.

[Aggie]

You know, it is possible to culture your own yeast from the leftover sediment from the previous batch.

I don't brew often enough for it to be worth the bother, but it's a fairly common practice, and it saves you from having to re-buy yeast.

Now that sounds right up my alley.  Incidentally.... is the sediment left in the bottom of a beer bottle (end product) totally dead, or just dormant?  *eyes the Unibroue*  Wouldn't take much to test it...

Still, it may make sense to split expenses with your friends.  Even if you're each brewing alone, what are the odds that you'll all need a capper or a sparging bag on the same weekend?

Yeah, good point.  One of my buddies is pretty well set-up (his parents also do wine) and I could borrow a capper for sure.  They might even have a champagne corker (out of my price range from first glance).

I'd suggest starting out brewing from extract.  For one thing, all-grain brewing needs a fair bit more equipment, and therefore more expense.  On top of everything you need for malt extract brewing, you'd also need:

- grain mill
- mash tun/lauter tun (can be the same vessel, and can be homemade, but still expensive in either time or money)
- bigger everything (all-grain uses much more water than extract brewing to get the same volume of beer)
- wort chiller (not strictly necessary, but a really good idea)

Also, all-grain takes much more time: you might be able to finish a malt extract brew in about 3-4 hours (including prep time and cleanup), but all-grain usually ends up being a long full day.

You're probably right re: starting out.  Need to look into bulk extracts (I just don't want a kit); there will be some learning involved.  And it'd only be remotely viable to start all-grain because I'm planning on doing very small batches.  Grain mill = 16 lb granite mortar and pestle (and about 6 hrs of grinding).  Wort chiller = -30^oC Calgary winters. 

And I think I've figured out where I'm going to do my Masters degree:

Korea University (KU) is known for its drinking habits. In Korea, many people recognize KU as one of the schools where the students drink vast amounts of alcohol. Moreover, also known for drinking Makgeolli, it is sometimes even called the Makgeolli University as written in the song, 'Makgeolli Changa'.

Drinking with Korean university students is trouble, and it doesn't have to be KU.  The last time I did, we started drinking beer at the University (in the Drum room - yay band geeks!) then hit a few bars before ending up in 'Dog Street'; so-called because of the state one ends up in (I actually managed to keep up, but only because of extensive pre-training and anti-hangover drinks).  Apparently it's not uncommon for really plastered students to sleep in the gutter.  And then get up the next day and go to class. Maybe after another drink. 

Hmm....  Kiyo should transfer to Korea....

The first time I drank with Korean university students, I almost died of alcohol poisoning, I think. 

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

New news from the cellars: there is a Scottish Ale happily bubbling away in my basement.   

Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to be a bit low-alchohol.  The starting potential alcohol was around 3.5%.  I had a bit of a conversion dilemma, and it looks like I was a bit off in my guesswork - the quantity of malt extract in my recipe was by weight, but my new ingredient supplier sells by volume.  With no suitable scale available, I had to guess at a density.  I think I got it a bit wrong.  Ah, well.  It'll make a good session beer, I hope.

Aggie: I brought some Blanche de Chambly and Chambly Noir back from my New Year's excursion to Quebec, and I'm starting to think the same thing.     I think it should be just dormant - if it were completely dead, then I don't think that bottle-conditioned beer would age the way it does.  Hmm.

[Aggie]

Not sure on that.  I ran a little test with some sugar one time, but it wasn't conclusive.  You'll have to give it a go and see what happens.

[anthrobabe]

where is Kiyo anyway?

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

Not sure where Kiyo is.  I've been neglecting the Monastery lately, so it's hard for me to keep track of when people appear and disappear.  Hasn't he been around?

Not sure on that.  I ran a little test with some sugar one time, but it wasn't conclusive.  You'll have to give it a go and see what happens.

Yes, I think I will.  I've got a bit of malt extract left over from the brew that would be ideal.

I suppose that you'd be taking your chances with trying to culture yeast from the bottle.  For one thing, there's no guarantee that the beer hasn't been handled in a way that killed it all off.  I imagine that beer might occasionally freeze on the trucks if it's being shipped in winter.

Also, if you don't sterilize your equipment and your fermentables (e.g. at least boil or pasteurize the sugar water for a while), the yeast can be overwhelmed by bacteria; that could prevent fermentation as well.

Hmm.  You've got me curious now.  I'll have to go buy another airlock so I can test this out.

I may need more beer as well.   

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

FYI all: I'm going to be once again ushering in the New year by brewing a beer.

I'm planning a Viennese spiced porter.  I'll have to find somewhere around me where I can buy a whole vanilla bean. 

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

Update: New Beer's Day was a success.  The beer is now happily bubbling away in the cellar.

The vanilla bean (which I found at my neighbourhood grocery store, BTW - I thought it'd be harder to find) gets added when I transfer the beer to the secondary fermenter in a few days.  The almond extract will get added during bottling.

Potential alcohol was 10%, which means the finished product will probably end up being around 8%... I think.  This is my first beer recipe that uses oats, and I'm not sure what effect they have on the specific gravity.

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

Well, I think I found the effect of the oats: they increase the viscosity of the beer, which means that the bubbles of foam that are produced as the yeast creates CO₂ don't break.

On Saturday, I went down to the basement and found that a fair bit of the beer had... um... enthusiastically left the carboy.  From what I can gather, the foam built up on top of the beer, carrying the bits of hops and grains that were floating on top of it.  Some of these little bits clogged the airlock until the pressure built up and then went blooey as they dislodged, expelling about a litre of beer and munge, and blowing the top off the airlock.  I got to spend a good part of the afternoon cleaning the evidence off the walls and ceiling.

Everything's back together now and the foam's gone down; hopefully the beer didn't get infected while the airlock wasn't in place.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Why do I recall what happens when you freeze a bottle of coke and suddenly open it... (had you ever cleaned coke foam from the ceiling?). 

[Sibling Chatty]

Vanilla? Almond extract? Oats?

COOKIE BEER!!

[Aggie]

Cheers to Chatty!  She is missed.

Well, this thread is certainly well-aged...  almost a shame to open such a good vintage, but it's the appropriate place for the topic, I think.

Last year, I started a cellaring experiment with five bottles of Truth, Dare, Consequence, and imperial stout from my local brewery.  Very good, very dark, and at 10%+ very dangerous stuff... (named after equally excellent and extreme ski runs... see photo).

The plan is to open a bottle every year and see how it improves with age, probably with the brewmaster and the owner(s) of the brewery, assuming they keep brewing it!  I've had good results holding onto dark, high-alcohol beers in the past...  Brouwerij de Molen's Kopi Luwak beer had a best-before date of 5 years, but I think it was into it's 6th before I finished my last of the stash, and it was excellent.  Right now the new batch should be out, and I've got a year-old bottle that will probably get tasted somewhere around St. Pat's day.

Not recommended for eurolagers in green bottles!

[Griffin]

Good luck with that. It seems such a long time ago when Chatty left us.