Last week I ordered some new yeast, but when I got it one of the Wyeast packs was already swollen.  I probably could have sent it back because I’m a pretty good customer at this retailer and they have great customer service, but I decided to do an “emergency” brew.  So I just threw this recipe together.  I knew I wanted to brew an IPA or Pale ale with the yeast and the several ounces of hops I had in the freezer.  To be honest it started as a Pale ale, but I kept adding more and more hops, because I do that sometimes.

(more…)

Ever heard of Patersbier? Can’t blame you, not many people have, there are no commercial versions. This beer is only brewed for the Trappist monks as a lower abv beer. Since I’d never heard of this beer, I bought an All Grain Kit from Norther Brewer, because it sounded like a great summer beer. But alas, like most kits I buy I can’t leave well enough alone, I need to make it my own…

(more…)

I don’t know why this style of beer is not made more often in the states.  This beer is a light bodied with a low bitterness, but dark in color and full of malty flavor.  The best part of this malty beer, very low ABV 4.3%.  That’s right a real flavorful session beer.

(more…)

Yes, you read that right.  2 weeks ago we had a blizzard here in the north east which got me thinking; “Had anyone made beer from snow?”  With no positive responses, I decided, what the hell lets give this a whirl.  After a quick ph test, I found the snow and my normal brewing water was the same ph, so I gave it a shot.

(more…)

Since my pumpkin porter, which I still have to bottle, I haven’t brewed anything in 4 weeks.  A good dry spell for me.  But I heard that a NJ chain Bar, The Office Bar & Grill, was going to be having a homebrewing contest.  The winner would go up to High Point Brewing in Butler NJ and get to make their beer.  I don’t enter many brewing competitions, but I would love to opportunity to brew with Greg Zaccardi and Brian Baxter up at High Point.  With that in mind, I’m not going to give the exact recipe this time, nor full process I used or the type and amount of coffee used.  After the competition is over in Dec, I will try to update this with more exact info.

(more…)

This was my second brewing of a Roggenbier.  The first was wildly successful, in my humble opinion and I wanted to do another one.  I had a couple things I wanted to do with the last version of the Roggenbier, increase the rye and make it a bit darker, more of a traditional Dunkel. With this recipe I jumped up considerably in the rye, but because of the nature of the grain it is necessary to also add something like rice hulls to it to help prevent it all turning to a thick mush during the mash.

(more…)