Red Mosquito

So, Cpt. Murphy and Stompox, are you guys still brewing? I finally set up a kegging system last week and just filled one up with a Celebration clone. Next batch into the other keg is an Oatmeal Stout I've brewed a few times. I'm really looking forward to tasting the difference in my recipes going from bottle conditioning to kegging. Looking for a crisper taste and better clarity.

I just bought a clearance Christmas Mr. Beer kit for 12 bucks, and may give it a preliminary attempt after I move.

Where are you moving to?

washing machine II wrote:Where are you moving to?

My new house

@SkitchP wrote:

washing machine II wrote:Where are you moving to?

My new house

The internet won't be the same if that new house is anywhere but Livonia.

washing machine II wrote:

@SkitchP wrote:

washing machine II wrote:Where are you moving to?

My new house

The internet won't be the same if that new house is anywhere but Livonia.

If you don't even read my posts... then who is?

I think I remember you saying something about staying in L.

washing machine II wrote:I think I remember you saying something about staying in L.

Yes, it will still be in Livonia

Sometimes I wish that I lived in Michigan.

washing machine II wrote:Sometimes I wish that I lived in Michigan.

Sometimes I wish you did too

But I want to move to somewhere like Traverse City.

washing machine II wrote:But I want to move to somewhere like Traverse City.

Up north is a pretty awesome place.

I imagine there's a lot of brewing done up there? What with the clean water and all?

(FKA Cpt. Murphy)

Yeah, I'm still brewing quite a bit although winter has slowed me down a little bit. I've got a Fat Tire clone on tap along with a vanilla stout. The Fat Tire clone doesn't really taste much like the real thing to me, but it's still a damn good beer. 4 kegs on deck including a 1554 clone, a stout, and 2 pale ales. Also have an ESB and an IPA at the tail end of fermentation, although I need to free up a few kegs before I can transfer them. Lots of beer!

I've started doing a bit of research on Scoth ales, as I'd like to creat my own recipe and see what I can come up with. Any advice on that, Veg?

clavian wrote:(FKA Cpt. Murphy)

Yeah, I'm still brewing quite a bit although winter has slowed me down a little bit. I've got a Fat Tire clone on tap along with a vanilla stout. The Fat Tire clone doesn't really taste much like the real thing to me, but it's still a damn good beer. 4 kegs on deck including a 1554 clone, a stout, and 2 pale ales. Also have an ESB and an IPA at the tail end of fermentation, although I need to free up a few kegs before I can transfer them. Lots of beer!

I've started doing a bit of research on Scoth ales, as I'd like to creat my own recipe and see what I can come up with. Any advice on that, Veg?

Scotch Ales are one style I haven't brewed on my own. I brewed a Wee Heavy with a buddy but it was his recipe and equipment. It's one style I usually don't seek out. A vanilla stout sounds awesome though. Did you use an extract for the vanilla or soak some beans or something?

vegman wrote:

clavian wrote:(FKA Cpt. Murphy)

Yeah, I'm still brewing quite a bit although winter has slowed me down a little bit. I've got a Fat Tire clone on tap along with a vanilla stout. The Fat Tire clone doesn't really taste much like the real thing to me, but it's still a damn good beer. 4 kegs on deck including a 1554 clone, a stout, and 2 pale ales. Also have an ESB and an IPA at the tail end of fermentation, although I need to free up a few kegs before I can transfer them. Lots of beer!

I've started doing a bit of research on Scoth ales, as I'd like to creat my own recipe and see what I can come up with. Any advice on that, Veg?

Scotch Ales are one style I haven't brewed on my own. I brewed a Wee Heavy with a buddy but it was his recipe and equipment. It's one style I usually don't seek out. A vanilla stout sounds awesome though. Did you use an extract for the vanilla or soak some beans or something?

I've brewed it a few times now, and it is indeed delicious. I used a pretty basic dry stout recipe and used whole beans from Madagascar. Per 5 gallons, I cut 3 beans lengthwise and scraped the innards out into a tupperwear bowl. Then I cut the bean husk up into 1 inch sections and tossed them in the bowl too. I added enough vodka to cover everything, put the lid on, and let it sit for a few days, agitating it here and there, then dumped the liquid into the secondary. Actually, I didn't really do a secondary--I just racked to a keg and added the vanilla "extract" and let it sit a few days before I dumped my priming sugar in. In a subsequent batch, I employed the Guinness method of adding some soured stout (at kegging) back in to smooth everything out and impart that slight sour flavor, and I was very happy with the results. It's a damn fine beer, and it'll only get better as I tweak little things to get it dialed in.

Awesome to hear that you got a keg setup. I don't know that I consider it any less work than bottling by the time you clean, lube, etc, but it is a vastly superior way to enjoy beer in my opinion. Just being able to manipulate the co2 levels after you taste it makes it worth having kegs.

clavian wrote:

vegman wrote:

clavian wrote:(FKA Cpt. Murphy)

Yeah, I'm still brewing quite a bit although winter has slowed me down a little bit. I've got a Fat Tire clone on tap along with a vanilla stout. The Fat Tire clone doesn't really taste much like the real thing to me, but it's still a damn good beer. 4 kegs on deck including a 1554 clone, a stout, and 2 pale ales. Also have an ESB and an IPA at the tail end of fermentation, although I need to free up a few kegs before I can transfer them. Lots of beer!

I've started doing a bit of research on Scoth ales, as I'd like to creat my own recipe and see what I can come up with. Any advice on that, Veg?

Scotch Ales are one style I haven't brewed on my own. I brewed a Wee Heavy with a buddy but it was his recipe and equipment. It's one style I usually don't seek out. A vanilla stout sounds awesome though. Did you use an extract for the vanilla or soak some beans or something?

I've brewed it a few times now, and it is indeed delicious. I used a pretty basic dry stout recipe and used whole beans from Madagascar. Per 5 gallons, I cut 3 beans lengthwise and scraped the innards out into a tupperwear bowl. Then I cut the bean husk up into 1 inch sections and tossed them in the bowl too. I added enough vodka to cover everything, put the lid on, and let it sit for a few days, agitating it here and there, then dumped the liquid into the secondary. Actually, I didn't really do a secondary--I just racked to a keg and added the vanilla "extract" and let it sit a few days before I dumped my priming sugar in. In a subsequent batch, I employed the Guinness method of adding some soured stout (at kegging) back in to smooth everything out and impart that slight sour flavor, and I was very happy with the results. It's a damn fine beer, and it'll only get better as I tweak little things to get it dialed in.

Awesome to hear that you got a keg setup. I don't know that I consider it any less work than bottling by the time you clean, lube, etc, but it is a vastly superior way to enjoy beer in my opinion. Just being able to manipulate the co2 levels after you taste it makes it worth having kegs.

No doubt about the CO2 levels. I bottled a lot of batches that I thought would have been so much better if I they were more/less carbed. Now I can just set the CO2 exactly according to style. And no more bottling in my kitchen which makes my wife very happy. I'll probably still bottle condition Belgians but otherwise I'll just keg and use my new beer gun to fill bottles/growlers.

Hey, yeah I am still brewing!

But first - I have been on here for many years, I just tried logging in for the first time in a long time and it said my username was not recognized?? wtf? I just created a new profile.

Anyhow, I have:

Tap 1: Nugget Nectar Clone
Tap 2: Southern Tier 2xIPA Clone

Carbing for the wife in a keg: Blue Moon Clone

In bottles: Xmas ale
Aging: Bigfoot Barleywine Clone

I bought several pounds of hops and 3 bags of 2-row and one bag of marris otter recently!

First batch of brew came out horribly... borrowed a friend's distiller: tastes like marijuana resin in liquid form with a bit of alcohol burn

oasisfan35 wrote:First batch of brew came out horribly... borrowed a friend's distiller: tastes like marijuana resin in liquid form with a bit of alcohol burn

You cloned Budweiser? Oh wait, that one tastes like horse shit dipped in gutter water...