Welcome and nice to meet you!

It was nice to get out to a NJHOPZ meeting last night for the first time in months. Couple of new guys showed up and some old familiar faces too. I must say that homebrewers must be some of the most generous people out there...I walked away with two homebrews, about an ounce of home grown whole leaf Cascade hops, and some Thames Valley II yeast (that was an actual purchase).

Excuse me bud….

My daughter turns 4 this summer and my wife and I plan on holding her birthday party at the pool club we intend to join. Last year one of my board members introduced me to the Swim and Sports Club in Flanders, NJ; the place rocks. The club has a plake, that’s right it’s not a typo. A plake is a pool fed by a natural spring (pool + lake = plake…I don’t make this up). Beyond the plake they also have a clubhouse, picnic grounds, a giant open field, and 2 playground. They allow parties in the picnic area….but never mind that.

I really want to showcase my homebrew this year. Last year I had intended on brewing three to four batches for the party and well never did, and what I did brew, I finished before the party….it was a hell of good IPA.

Now that you have the back story I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what to brew. I want to try and offer a few selections of beers that would appeal to a wide variety of people and herein lays my conundrum: am I selling out because it’s easier to make beer for the masses then it is to convert them into knowledgeable beer drinkers? Not only that, is it my pride, subconsciously persuading me to make beer that the masses will enjoy which will in turn award me praises? Never have I even once considered making an American Pils until now. I don’t normally even drink pils, any pils, just not my style, and now I’m searching forum after forum, on the verge of emailing the Pope (Jamil) himself for advice on how to brew an American Pils with a Cal Common yeast all because I subconsciously want people to like my beer.

I feel like I’m failing myself. I have never made beer to please anyone but myself, why the sudden change of heart I have no idea? Make no mistake I’ve brewed shitty beer and I know it’s shitty; I’m my worst critic. I’m not running around saying my beer is better than anyone else’s but it makes me happy and that’s what has always kept me going….

Interesting Articles

Found some very interesting brewing articles today.

Ester Formation in Brewery Fermentations by Hilary Peddie

A Flavour Model for Beer Fermentation by Douglas Gee, et al

and

The Formation of Esters and Higher Alcohols During Brewery Fermentation; The Effects of Carbon Dioxide Pressure by Renger, et al


Enjoy.

Deep in the heart of Texas

It has been one week to the day and I'm jonesing to take a gravity reading of my Amarillo Pale ale. Perhaps when I get home from work, I work a part time job that includes every other Saturday, I'll break out the thief and pull off a sample.

My Amarillo Pale was my first brew on my new equipment. Few months ago I discovered that I was upgrading in too many directions and it would have cost me more to retrofit everything than it would to start fresh. So I got a new 10 gallon cooler and 10 gallon boil kettle for Christmas. Thanks Santa!

Anyway the brew day was a smashing success. Got higher efficiency then expected, the day went as smooth as silk, and a buddy of mine and I put back a few nice beers.

Here's my recipe:

Target OG 1.051
Actual OG 1.058
Target IBU 47.5
Actual IBU 54.3

12lb Halycon Pale Ale Malt
.5lb Crystal 20L
.25 Crystal 55L
.5lb White Wheat

2 oz Amarillo 8%aa FWH carried over to boil
1 oz Amarillo 8%aa at knockout

Safale US05

Mashed 60 minutes at 152f. Mash with 4.25 gallons of water: 1.28qt/lb. Infused mash with 2.5 gallons of boiling water for a 10 minute mash out at 168f. Collected 5.25 gallons of first runnings at 1.067. 3.5 gallons of 170f infused for second runnings. Collected 9 gallons at 1.051. Boiled 60 minutes, added whirlfloc at 10 minute remaining. Chilled, whirlpooled, racked off the trub and pitched.

Fermented at 64f....looks and smell wonderful, has aromas of fresh bread with a nicely assertive citrus character.

Moylan's Double IPA - Review #0002

Finally broke open a Moylan's Double IPA last night that's been sitting in my fridge for a week and I'm sorry to say, it was a bit disappointing. Don't get me wrong it is a well designed beer and worthy of the awards and accolades it has received, it's just not my type of double IPA.

I found it a bit too full bodied and I don't care for Chinook and Simco hops; I just don't care for the piney/resiny hops. Lingers in the mouth and feels sticky on the tongue.

Poured a beautiful orangie/amber with a nice long lasting head. Aromas of citrus and pine with a hint of the garlic and onions. A bit too full in the mouth feel but just a bit, that's more of a personal issue. Nowhere near as full bodied as say an Avery Maharaja, but not as dry as a Southern Tier Unearthly.

Over all an excellent Double IPA but not one I would gravitate towards again in the future.

My pal saccharomyces cerevisiae

In my quest for technical brewing knowledge I finally gave up trying to read scholarly works by biochemists and focus on the basics.....

Life Cycle of the Budding Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by IRA HERSKOWITZ. Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143 MICROBIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Dec. 1988, p. 536-553.

Click for the link but not sure if it'll work outside the college network.

Founders Red's Rye Ale - Review #0001

Let me first say that Founders has quickly become one of my favorite brewery out there today. Their beer is well crafted and not too over the top as Dogfish Head, who I personally feel brews over the top beers just to be over the top, and broken.They have an excellent assortment of beers that are exciting while still maintaining balanced and drinkability.

I've seen Red's Rye around for months but always seem to pass it up for their Centennial IPA or Backwoods Bastard or Dirty Bastard or Dry Hopped Pale Ale....like Founders much? Yes I do.

I finally decided to have one when my wife and I were out to dinner a few weeks ago at a place called Salt in Stanhope (not a half bad selection of beer, nothing too exciting but not bad). As usual I was pleasantly surprised at how good this beer is. A huge hop burst of citrus and grapfruit from the Amarillo hops with a spicy/malty rye backbone with hints of caramel.

Pours a lovely garnet red with ruby highlights and slightly off white head. Clear as day with a wonderfully enticing aroma. The easiest drinking 70 ibus I've ever had. Makes me wonder if they mash hop or first wort hop this one....perhaps late additions combined with low cohumulone levels of Amarillo just make this a home run.

One of the best red rye ales I've had, far exceeds Harpoon's 100 Barrel Series Rusty's Red Rye which was my leading rye beer previously. Nice work Founders, keep'em coming.

Welcome to the jersey zymurgist

Let me start off by saying welcome to my blog and thanks for stopping by. My name is Scott and I'm a homebrewer in North Jersey. Been brewing on and off for the last 14 years. I've recently come out of hibernation again after selling all my gear and starting fresh. My intention with this blog is to document my brewing as well as various reviews and musings on beer and brewing.