A Beer and a Dog

"Why should I blog about brewing?", I asked. "Nothing like a beer and a dog...", So Sayeth Virtual Wayne.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Planning to brew here, out in the territories…

That’s the plan.  Plan A: Reclaim my brewing kit from My Last Lifetime.  Plan B: Start anew just as I did in 2000 when I became interested in brewing, again.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Yes it is I, CyberDave: The Last of the CyberDaves…

You know what has befallen me.  Nuf said.  Now, my new life begins.

Brewer On The Lam

 

I am.  On The Lam.  On the Lam, said Dave-I-Am….

It is I, CyberDave… and I’ve been dreaming of brewing again here at my new home somewhere in the hills of Franklin County.  E-Ha, as we would imagine the personnel indigenous to the region might say.  They don’t, really. That is yet another Holi-Wood  stereotype aimed at mocking the hill folk of the South.  (Bahstids…)  I’m actually quite cozy, having holed up with kinsmen and women and have become a cherished member of the community.

But back to brewing.  Once my personal Recent Unpleasantness is behind me I intend to liberate my kit and brew a tasty Lager…. CyberDave’s Liberation Lager, I’ll call it (altho’ at the time of bottling, it may take on a new name.)

And then there will be the Angry Man Ale.  A must for members of the Angry Man society. 

“An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression.”  - Proverbs 29:22

 

Angry_Man

Angry Man Ale label.  So far….

Well, more as it happens.  Cheers!
CyberDave

Somewhere out in The Territories….

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Bread and Circus!

We want more Bread and Circus!

-The Lazy Bastards

Sunday, July 8, 2012

IPA is potable…

I have been sampling my IPA in the past week or so, took several bottles to work to share with friends there as well.  Tastes pretty good if I do say so mice elf.

Still have to brew more.  I’m out of grain, have to order another sack or two, want to make a counter flow chiller out of my emersion chiller (I have most of the parts – just lack the hose) and I lust for a good brewing kettle.  The canning pots have served me well, but they are chipped and banged up.  They need to be retired… or put out on a yard sale for the purpose for which they were made.  I’ll give you a good buy on ‘em… after I get a replacement.

Cheers!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Bwah! My Oktoberfest & ESB sucked!….

It seems that the hoses on my chiller were leaking into the brew kettle…. and introduced some evil bacteriae into the beer.  When I went to bottle the OKtoberfest it was sour.  I poured it all out.

Later I got to thinking about it… and took a great portion of the ESB to a friend who is experimenting with stilling to still out the alcohol if he is of a mind to do so. 

If one has a good buzz going, the ESB isn’t too bad; so the rest of it, I’ll use to finish off a drinking session that I may have started elsewhere.

I really hate to have to do away with a batch of beer; at least I know what the problem is.  I need to fix the chiller one day.

Cheers!
CyberDave

Friday, May 18, 2012

How do YOU spell “Aw Shiite!”?

Last nite I prepared to bottle my Oktoberfest… and it tasted just awful!  My ESB tasted same, as the chiller leaked about a gallon of water into the wort as it was chilling, also adding some vileness to the works to sour the lot of it.

So…. I dumped the whole lot down the drain.  Shiite happens….

Friday, May 11, 2012

Oh shite… it taste like it….

I tried out my Extra Special Bitters yesterday, and another today just to make sure.  It isn’t worth drinking unless I’ve had lots to drink before.  Bleah!  I think this was due to the chiller leaking about a gallon of water into the wort before I noticed what was happening.

Well, I can drink it after I am plastered… or use it in my smoker instead of water. We will see….

What a waste of good grain & etc…

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Brews are merrily bubbling away…

Brewed an Oktöberfest on Friday and an ESB on Saturday.  There were some issues, but nothing that will cause problems.  This is the first beers that I’ve brewed this year due to $ and time constraints.

Last Wednesday was my last day at OCC and since I had Thursday and Friday off I decided to catch up a little.  The Oktöberfest took a couple days in the freezer before it started bubbling and the ESB should probably be racked to the secondary this afternoon after work.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Next week I have a 5 day weekend. And you know what that means..

Yes! Brewing!

I’m going to try to make two batches: An Oktöberfest and perhaps another batch of Classic American Pilsner.  Mmmm…. to both!  I bottled my CAP on Sunday and it should be ready to sample by the end of next week, tho’ I had to use DME to prime for bottling as I was out of corn sugar.  I had a Brewing Throw-Down with Jeff, who has never brewed ‘To Style’ before.  So we did.  His is excellent!  He kegged his.  Thus, his is carbonated already.

We’ll see what The High Command says about me brewing twice next weekend… I’m sure that she won’t be TOO happy a camper over it, but it MUST BE DONE!

Cheers!
CyberDave

Sunday, February 26, 2012

CAP Brew Down!

Brew Down at Jeff’s!  Yarr.  The He Man Woman Haters Club (and don’t get the wrong idea… Cindy F. refers to our gatherings thusly…) held the first Brew Down (with apologies to Bobby Flay) yesterday, Saturday the 25.  A good time was had by all….

He Man Woman Haters Club Logo …Club Logo

“I brew crazy beers, and I’ve never used guidelines!”, Jeff said the other week.

“Ah, but CAN you brew to guidelines?”, I asked in a festive mood.  “Is that a challenge?”, he asked… “Yes!  I challenge you to a Brew Down, brewing to style guidelines of a beer.  I challenge you to….. CLASSIC AMERICAN PILSNER!”

And so it all began.  Jeff, Carl and I met at Jeff’s at around 9:00 AM on Saturday.  Jeff brewed using extract and I brewed using all grain. Jeff, Carl & I began at around 10:00 AM with me cooking 2 lbs of white corn meal in a pot for thirty minutes and Jeff hydrating his extract and adding 1.5 lbs of flaked maize in a grain sack. 

After 1/2 hour I added 2 gallons water heated to 137° F and added 2 gallons of 122° water to the barleym, then added the mush to the mash tun, and then as well for the first step at 122° for 30 min.  Jeff was doing a single step infusion.  After 30 min, I added 2 gallons of water at 187°, then another 2 gallons at 193 for mashout.  I think.  I might have forgotten the mashout (beer was involved) but some people say that mashout isn’t really needed.  So, whatever…

In all past attempts to do CAPs, I had added the mush to the mash before adding the water and got a stuck mash, requiring emptying the tun into a bucket and cleaning out the bottom.  This time I had John S. hold the plastic false bottom down while I added the 2g. 122° water, then purged the air from the tube to keep the false bottom from floating up during mixing.  That seemed to take care of the stuck mash issue.

Over the course of the day, we were joined by John S., Bryan S.. The Original Doug, and Alex & Cindy, who live near John S. and are also members.  We had pizza and beer and BACON JAM! on crackers.  Oh, the food & beverages were most excellent!

During the day, Brother Carl made some repairs to equipment and served as Still Hand when and extra set of paws was required.  Thanks again, Carl! It would have been more difficult without your assistance had you missed the soiree.

At the end of the day Jeff had 2 5 gallon batches, one of which he added California Ale yeast and the other and mine split a starter of Pilsner yeast.  I was packed and ready to return at about 7 PM, with Doug and Alex still there.  The Cindys had mysteriously disappeared… a shopping expedition, and were still out on patrol when I left.

A grand & glorious day it was. Cold, but we had wonderful fellowship and excellent consumables!

   120225_Brewdown_01 120225_Brewdown_02

  Start                                               Doug, Bryan, Carl

        120225_Brewdown_04 120225_Brewdown_05

       Cindy                           Ready to pack into car.

Not one of these.. these... FAUX CyberDaves... but the TRUE CyberDave!


About CyberDave

My photo
Contract engineering, working in the field in which I truly love: Mechanical Design.

Followers

That was it, apparently

"Bonus Nachos!" as we say on my planet. "And CHEERS!"