My First Beer Label
And my realization that I SUCK at photoshop....
I decided to call my latest batch of homebrew Rosie IPA (in honor of the Puppy's first christmas) and I had an idea for a label in mind. After stumbling and bumbling through the wealth of photoshop tutorials I realized that I SUCK AT PHOTOSHOP. Actually, let me clarify, I suck and graphic designing in Photoshop. I can rock Bridge + Camera Raw for photo editing, but when it comes to graphics and text and layouts and layers I SUCK. It took me an hour to figure out how to draw a rectangle that fit across the top third of the canvas!!
Anyway, I stumbled through it and I'm actually pretty happy with the result:
The crazy thing is that I think I can do all of this even easier in the simplified editor that comes with Snagit!
Chili, Baking and Homebrew
Today was a wonderful saturday. The weather was gorgeous, I didn't have any commitments, I had a batch of beer to brew, AND, to top things off, Jason came over with all the ingredients for homemade chili. He had a hankering and I wasn't going to let an offer like this pass me by.
As I worked on brewing my Chinook IPA, Jason made up some fantastic chili. Then Jen got home and decided to whip up some Tastefully Simple Beer Bread.
Chinook IPA
Aiming for:
Hoppy American IPA. Kit link
Yeast:
Safale S-05 Dry Ale Yeast. Dry. 11.5g. Rehydrated.
Speciality Grains:
| .75 lbs | Belgian Caramel Pils |
| .25 lbs | Briess Caramel 120 |
Malts:
| 6 lbs | Pilsen malt syrup | Liquid |
| 1 lb. | Pilsen malt extract | dry |
Hops:
| 1 oz. | Chinook | 60 minutes | 11.2% AAU |
| .5 oz. | Chinook | 10 minutes | 11.2% AAU |
| .5 oz. | Chinook | 1 minute | 11.2% AAU |
| 1 oz. | Chinook | Dry Hop | 11.2% AAU |
Calculated IBUs: 38 IBUs (via calculator)
OG: 1.070 @ 70 Degrees
FG:
ABV:
Brew Day Pics (11/12/2011):
Racked to Secondary (11/22/2011):
FG: 1.018
Bottled on 12/3/2011:
Honey Brown Ale
Description:
A spinoff of our highly popular Nut Brown Ale kit that combines American malts and ale yeast with English hops and Minnesota honey. Kit link
Yeast:
Safale S-33 Dry Ale Yeast. Dry. 11.5g. Rehydrated.
Speciality Grains:
| Simpson's Chocolate | .25 lbs. | Crushed Grain |
| Dingemans Special B | .25 lbs. | Crushed Grain |
| Dingemans Biscuit | .25 lbs. | Crushed Grain |
| Briess Special Roast | .25 lbs. | Crushed Grain |
Fermentables:
| Northern Brewer Gold | 6 lbs | Liquid |
| Honey (0 minute late addition) | 1 lbs | Liquid |
Hops:
| 1. Cluster | 7.5% AAU | 60 Minutes | 1oz |
Calculated IBUs: 26
Kit OG: 1.050
MY OG: 1.060 @ 70 Degrees
FG: 1.018
ABV: 5.4%
Brew Day - 4/30
Get Ice.
Clean and sanitize: Stir Spoon, Measuring Cup, Bowl, Knife, Table Spoon, Thief, Thermometer, Fermentation Lock, Strainer.
Heat 1.25 Gallons of water to 160 F
Steep Speciality Grains for 30 minutes.
Remove bag and squeeze off excess.
Added 1.25 Gallons of water.
Remove from heat and Stir in 6 lbs liquid extract
Bring to boil (~3 gallons)
Add hops.
Boil partially covered for 60 minutes.
Rehydrate Yeast.
Remove from heat and Stir in Honey.
Chill wort.
Strain out gunk
Pour back and forth 3 times. Lots of "head". Added 1.5 extra gallons
Let head settle. Pitch yeast. Seal. Swirl. Add sanitize solution to air lock.
Weird: Fermentation stopped after ~8 days, but it picked up fairly vigorously around the 3rd week in the fermenter...
Bottle Day - 5/29
Clean and Sanitize.
2/3 cups Corn Sugar in 2 Cups water.
Rack to bottling bucket + Priming Solution
26 12oz bottles, 9 22oz, 1 Growler
American Wheat Beer Extract Kit
Description:
A wheat ale with medium hopping and a fairly clean, neutral finish - a spritzy, refreshing warm-weather crowd-pleaser. Link to kit.
Yeast:
Safale S-05 Dry Ale Yeast. Dry. 11.5g. Rehydrated.
Malts:
| Northern Brewer Wheat | 6 lbs | Liquid | OG:1040 | Calculated OG (2.5 gallon boil): 1062 |
Hops:
| 1. Willamett | 4.7% AAU | 60 Minutes | 1oz |
| 2. Cascade | 6.1% AAU | 15 Minutes | 1oz |
IBU 60 = 4.7 x .202 x 75 / 5 = 14
IBU 15 = 6.1 x .101 x 75 / 5 = 9
Calculated IBUs: 23
OG: 1.046 @ 68 Degrees
FG: 1.012 @ 70 Degrees
ABV: 4.4%
3/20 - Prep
Clean and sanitize Fermenter, Lid, Brew pot and Lid.
Boil 2.5 - 3 gallons water. Let cool.
Pour water into Fermenter, seal, cover fermentation lock w/ saran wrap.
3/21 - Brew day
Get Ice.
Clean and sanitize: Stir Spoon, Measuring Cup, Bowl, Knife, Table Spoon, Thief, Thermometer, Fermentation Lock, Strainer.
Boil 2.5 gallons (40 cups) water. Remove from heat.
Dissolve in all extract. Bring back to boil stirring every 5-10 minutes.
Add Willamett Hops. Stir and partially cover. Set timer for 45 minutes.
Add Cascade Hops. Stir uncovered. Set timer for 10 minutes.
Add any remaining Malt Extract. Stir uncovered. Set timer for 5 minutes.
Move Brew Pot to Ice Bath. Let cool for 30 - 45 minutes.
Scooped out Cold Break + Trub.
Strained to fermenter.
Filled to 5 Gallons (~ 1/2 gallon from Britta).
Sealed and Fermentation Locked.
OG: 1.046 @ 68 Degrees F.
Good bubbling after 24 hours.
Stopped Bubbling on 3/25.
4/5 - Bottling Day
FG: 1.012 @ 70 Degrees F.
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