DRAGON'S BLOOD

"DRAGON BLOOD"

FROM DANGERDAVE'S EASY PEESY (SKEETER PEE) RECIPE

Ingredients: For a six gallon batch: 

Step 1: To a cleaned and sanitized seven gallon primary, add---in this order:
2 bottles (48 oz each) 100% Lemon Juice (ReaLemon in the green bottle): if you want to recude the acid level use one bottle.
Water to about five gallons
20 cups of white granulated sugar (looking for a SG btw 1.085-1.09 after filling to 6 gallons*): use less sugar for lower final ABV. Stir sugar until completely desolved.
1 tsp. tannin (stir)
4 tsp. yeast nutrient (stir)
2 tsp. yeast energizer (stir)
3 tsp. pectic enzyme (stir)
Top water to six (6) gallons* (looking for a SG btw 1.085-1.09) and stir well
6 lbs. of Triple Berry Blend (raspberry/blackberry/blueberry--available in most grocery store freezer sections), frozen then thawed, in a nylon fine mesh bag (tied shut), placed in primary: Give the bag a couple of squeezes to work in pectic enzyme. May also toss fruit directly into primary, but this makes for a "messier" fermentation and subsequently will require more clearing time and racking.
Cover primary
Place brew belt: Keep temp in 70F-80F range.
Let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours...

Step 2: To the primary fermenter, add:
1 packet of EC-1118 Yeast (starter, per yeast directions): Sprinkle yeast into one cup of warm water (100F), let sit for 15 minutes (no longer), stir and add to primary. Other yeast strains may also work well.
Stir Primary Vigorously!

Step 3: Each day, do the following, in this order:
Check temp
Check specific gravity
Squeeze juices from fruit pack into fermenter---remove friut pack: Temporarily place in sanitized bucket.
Stir primary vigorously: To introduce oxygen into must.
Replace fruit pack
Cover primary

Step 4: When specific gravity (SG) reaches <1.000, do the following:
Squeeze juices from fruit pack into fermenter---remove friut pack: Discard fruit.
Rack to cleaned and sanitized six gallon carboy
Add 1/4 tsp. Potassium Metabisulfite (stir)
Add 3 tsp. Potassium Sorbate (stir)
Degas very thoroughly: I cannot emphasize this enough!
Add Sparkolloid* (or other cleaing agent): *1 tbs in one cup of water simmered for about 30 minutes. Add hot mixture to carboy.
Allow to clear undistrubed for no less than 1 week

Step 4: When wine is clear:
Carefully rack off of lees into cleaned & sanitized six gallon carboy
Add 4-5 cups of white granulated sugar (stir until sugar is completely disolved): Add more or less sugar to taste. Remember! The sugars will blend with the berry flavors over time, and the sweetness will come forward. Do not over-sweeten!
Allow wine to clear free of all sediment: This may or may not require more racking over the next few weeks.

Step 5: When wine is completely clear:
Bottle in clear bottles
Note: Never bottle cloudy wine! NEVER!


http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f68/dragon-blood-15-days-31996/

Left Hand Milk Stout not-so cloned

hey everyone..  sorry i haven't posted in a bit..
the nut brown ale is nice and strong..  i like it a lot!

i also made a "clone" brew..  of Left Hand Brewery's Milk Stout..  while it is quite tasty! and dark, and roasty it is only about 4.75% ABV ... that's way too low in my book!

i also finished my "keezer" .. so i can now have 4 brew's on tap in my kitchen!

right now i have the Nut Brown Ale, the Milk Stout, and the Apple cider (it's dry.. ) i need to brew a 4th!

i'll keep ya'll posted about that too!

2/17/13 - Nut Brown Ale

yesterday i got most of my equipment updated, still need a few things to make my brewing process easier
Dip tubes in keggles
SS 2inch piece for mash tun
hose clamps
and a few others

but all in all it went well, LOVED the plate chiller!!!
but brewing all alone did make the process quicker, but more boring too..
it was quite cold, so i had some issues, frozen hose, brewed in the garage

anywho, ... should be kegged up next week, and i'll be brewing again next weekend too.. if anyone wanted to join!

Brew Day 11/24 - Honey Chocolate Oat Stout

This is the recipe i came up with to do my stout, i have to be different.. sorry..   hope it turns out well!

Honey Chocolate Oat Stout - American Stout (13E)

Brewer	Brad Smith
Date	03/01/2004

Batch Size	4.938 gal	Boil Size	5.688 gal
Boil Time	60.000 min	Efficiency	72%
OG	1.052	FG	1.012
ABV	5.2%	Bitterness	25.7 IBU (Tinseth)
Color	44.2 srm (Morey)	Calories (per 12 oz.)	172

Fermentables

Total grain: 10.250 lb

Name	Type	Amount	Mashed	Late	Yield	Color
Black (Patent) Malt	Grain	8.000 oz	Yes	No	55%	500.0 srm
Chocolate Malt (US)	Grain	16.000 oz	Yes	No	60%	350.0 srm
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L	Grain	8.000 oz	Yes	No	74%	40.0 srm
Oats, Flaked	Grain	8.000 oz	Yes	No	80%	1.0 srm
Honey	Extract	12.000 oz	No	No	75%	1.0 srm
Briess - Munich Malt 10L	Grain	7.000 lb	Yes	No	76%	10.0 srm

Hops

Name	Alpha	Amount	Use	Time	Form	IBU
Goldings, East Kent	5%	1.000 oz	Boil	60.000 min	Pellet	17.7
Saaz (Czech Republic)	4.5%	0.500 oz	Boil	60.000 min	Pellet	8.0

Misc

Name	Type	Use	Amount	Time
pH 5.2 Stabilizer	Water Agent	Mash	2.995 tsp	0.000 s
Bakers's Chocolate	Flavor	Boil	8.000 oz	0.000 s

Yeast

Name	Type	Form	Amount	Stage
WLP039 - Nottingham Ale Yeast	Ale	Liquid	2.367 tbsp	Primary

Mash

Name	Type	Amount	Temp	Target Temp	Time
Conversion	Infusion	2.589 gal	164.148 F	152.000 F	60.000 min
Batch Sparge	Infusion	4.334 gal	175.452 F	165.200 F	15.000 min

Instructions

1. Add 7.000 lb Pale Malt (2 row) UK, 8.000 oz Black (Patent) Malt, 1.000 lb Chocolate Malt (US), 8.000 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L, to the mash tun.
2. Bring 2.589 gal water to 164.148 F, 4.334 gal water to 175.452 F, for upcoming infusions.
3. Add 2.589 gal water at 164.148 F to mash to bring it to 152.000 F. Hold for 60.000 min.
4. Add 4.334 gal water at 175.452 F to mash to bring it to 165.200 F. Hold for 15.000 min.
5. Bring the wort to a boil and hold for 60.000 min.
6. Put 1.000 oz Goldings, East Kent into boil for 60.000 min.
7. Stop boiling the wort.
8. You should have 5.003 gal wort post-boil. You anticipate losing 0.000 tsp to trub and chiller loss. The final volume in the primary is 5.003 gal.
9. Cool wort and pitch WLP039 - Nottingham Ale Yeast Ale yeast, to the primary.
10. Let ferment until FG is 1.010.
11. Transfer beer to secondary.

Brew Day:1, Pumpking! Ale clone??

so i had my first brew day yesterday, and it didn't go quite as smoothly as i would have hoped.
Thermometer issues, and a  massive stuck  sparge.. thus, a super cloudy wort.
but it was fun!
8 hours from start to the finish of clean up..
i'll be making a manifold for the mash tun, and hopefully that will help!
and i am looking forward to my next brew day where i am planning on a chocolate stout!

Mike's Beer Review: Samuel Adams Octoberfest

ok.. i should start with this.. this is actually the first beer that i actually liked about 5years ago, when i started drinking beer..

with that said, it was also the ONLY beer that i drank for a while.. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall..

until, about 6months ago.. since then i've learned to expand my beer pallet
Now, to the reveiw..
Sam Adams says: "  Samuel Adams® Octoberfest has a rich, deep reddish amber hue which itself is reflective of the season. Samuel Adams Octoberfest masterfully blends together five roasts of malt to create a delicious harmony of sweet flavors including caramel and toffee. The malt is complimented by the elegant bitterness imparted by the Bavarian Noble hops."

i do get the sweet flavors, a nice maltiness.. not overly bitter , which is a nice change from the IPA's we've been having all summer..
there is a live roundness of the flavors.. somewhat "earthy" ..
they were right when they said:"Samuel Adams Octoberfest provides a wonderful transition from the lighter beers of summer to the heartier brews of winter."

while i would drink this again, i doubt i would actually buy it again.. so if ya'll invite me over, and you have some to offer, i will gladly accept!

Overall i'd say a 75/100

Sam's Beer Review: Sierra Navada 2012 Tumbler

Name: Sierra Navada 2012 Tumbler 
Type: Autumn brown ale. 
Abv 5.5%
Review: The ale is a little carbonated. It almost reminds me of a soda. Bland with a hint of chocolate and leaves from the ground.. It goes along the label saying "roasted malt straight from the kiln." 

Rating: 72/100 for original flavor and crisp taste.

.. i'll be doing some reviews myself too!