Topic: Booze and Brew: The Homebrewing Topic

[PatMan33]

Rysworldbräu is the hottest new drink in all the clubs!

[Rysworld]

 You're damn right. Speaking of, the Harvestwine is fermented. Overshot again, down to gravity .994(!) and very dry. tastes mostly like a strong, relatively characterless wine with faintly vegetal notes.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/431188832008798230/765349896777498624/20201012_142046.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/431188832008798230/765349897368764476/20201012_144506.jpg

First is a pic of how the orange has been sucked out of the butternut, second is after the first racking, away from most of the sludge.

And I DID end up getting a three-gallon... broke it in with a pineapple-cherry cider, hesitantly named "Cherry Popper".

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/431188832008798230/765350307991388190/IMG_20201012_154022_247.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/431188832008798230/765350433722990592/20201012_143826.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/431188832008798230/765350599469432862/IMG_20201012_154022_249.jpg

The ingredients before, the ingredients heating, and everything together in the fermenter.

2.25 gallons unfiltered apple juice, 1 qt tart cherry juice, 2.5 lbs frozen pineapple. 12 oz brown sugar, 3 lbs orange blossom honey. Tired right now, it's a bit of an unruly baby- a little too much liquid, I think, it's fairly constantly needing a little cleanup and maintenance. Not all pets can be low-maintenance, though, eh? Smells like heaven, though. Since my ciders have all gone to ~1 gravity, I made this one with that in mind, so it should actually only get to somewhere between 10 and 11 percent this time.

[PatMan33]

My heart stopped when I read:

"And I DID end up getting a three-gallon... broke it"

I thought you dropped it. :3

[Rysworld]

Haha, no, that one's plastic. Hard to break, easy to move.

[PatMan33]

Ever see the videos of teenagers smashing milk in the supermarket?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glgblV7Un_g" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glgblV7Un_g</a>
Classic.

[PatMan33]

Hey! You're online!

What's your plan for the next batch?

[Rysworld]

I'm just bad at posting lolololol

Let the thread die a bit. Bad form. Here's what I've been working on.

Cherry Popper is done, bottled, and mostly drank at this point.


Secondary:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/770406049365622814/20201026_145327.jpg

In glass:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/770408689919459408/20201026_150842.jpg

Bottled:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/771214814651351040/20201028_202316.jpg


Got I think 22(!) of them or somewhere around there. Seems like economies of scale are to your benefit as far as fermenter sizes go, and larger sizes get you less waste to yeastcake and other things. The one gallon dual batches before only got me like 4-5 bottles a pop, so I was expecting less. Also bottled very well, with no bottle sediment as was the case with my previous batches. Notes of honey, orange zest/rind, fruit skin, and pineapple, in order of prevalence- honestly, still not sure if I imagined the pineapple.

Then I wanted to work on some applejack, or hard cider that's been frozen so you can remove the water, to concentrate it.


The ingredients are mostly 100% unfiltered apple juice, with a little filtered apple and pomegranate, since the grocery store only had four of the unfiltered apple.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/775574635403018240/20201109_180623.jpg

Primary:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/780253382559924284/20201122_180414.jpg

Secondary:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/780256525117292595/20201122_182010.jpg

In the freezer:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/780599859933478912/20201123_170448.jpg

Bottled:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/781035671191289866/20201124_215628.jpg


Unfortunately, this didn't turn out how I wanted- this is only slightly jacked, somewhere between 10-20 percent ABV from 8.5. Oh well, it's still perfectly drinkable as regular slightly-jacked apple wine. Not very flavorful. This is my least favorite batch so far aside from the braggot.

That's all so far. I've been thinking about doing a 3-gallon rerun of that blueberry-pomegranate cider, since it was really good. Maybe teak some things or use some adjuncts. I also have a bunch of frozen bananas I've been wanting to use for something, and beer grain from the beer kit I initially bought... Banana bread beer???

[PatMan33]

The Cherry Popper is gorgeous looking.

I guess you can't mail that stuff across state lines can you? Also can you post a picture of your bottler? I love specialized devices.

[Rysworld]

I forgot and then I didn't have a phone for a couple weeks, but I CAN take those pictures eventually. Oops.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/392912812403327000/808537793223327805/20210208_191940.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/392912812403327000/808537794938142720/20210208_191946.jpg

When you push down the arms it makes a little metal helmet come down to warp the cap around the bottle. It is a pretty neat little lever device. Came with my first beer kit.

Also the next brew was started!

Pictures of the ingredients and the beginning of the boil:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/796503925741715546/20210106_134738.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/796503955089653860/20210106_141844.jpg

Hop additions:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/796503981249265724/20210106_141916.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/796509843258212362/20210106_144535.jpg

Dry malt and other hops:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/796513151403294730/20210106_145845.jpg

Cooling:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/796518363941568524/20210106_151911.jpg

In bucket:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/796548035370287144/20210106_171704.jpg

[Rysworld]

...and a separate post for secondary!

It's a pineapple banana beer! Maybe it's going to be ****ty! Maybe it won't! There's no better way to tell than gambling with five gallons of product.

Prep:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805970202969243708/20210201_165943.jpg

Additions (Frozen TJ's bananas and Dole pineapple juice):
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805970371013640203/20210201_170934.jpg

View of the new color:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805970370250539048/20210201_170737.jpg

Thawing skin of bananas in warm water and peeling:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805970406687244329/20210201_171128.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805970454602842132/20210201_171720.jpg

Heating additions to minimum of 165 Fahrenheit:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805972044554174524/20210201_172301.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805972375770234890/20210201_172531.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805972531377864734/20210201_172659.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805974944847757312/20210201_173631.jpg

Siphoning into bucket and putting in additions:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805980239246524456/20210201_174447.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805980258292727808/20210201_175609.jpg

And a bonus shot of the pale-tan yeastcake (I probably should have tried making bread with it):
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/805980257814315008/20210201_174942.jpg

Without any additions, and flat, it tastes pretty underwhelming. I'm not sure if I'd use this American Cream Ale kit again. I would call it "Coors-Banquetesque". Hopefully it's better after sitting with some fruit. We'll see! Will bottle when I buy some more sanitizer and bottles, a week or so.

[PatMan33]

Have you ever tried Victory Brewery beers? They make a beer called Golden Monkey that I adore. You should try it. @_@

You're really getting into this brewing thing! That's an excellent development. I hope you enjoy it as much as it seems you do.   The banana seemed so compelling but it is a bummer that it has mediocre flavor.

Also I can give you an estimate on a backsplash if you'd like. I love your countertop but it is crying out for a backsplash. Some color will compliment it nicely and make your kitchen more valuable. Plus it's a fun weekend project!

[Rysworld]

I don't think so? I looked it up, I don't recognize it. I'll give it a try if I ever see it around, though.

Never been much of a decorator. We used to have a framed picture up above the sink, for... some reason. The side of the apartment that doesn't have my brother and me in it is kind of barren, honestly.

Also, the beers are bottled! I didn't take pics of the syrup I made so the yeast will carbonate- oops- and I still don't have a good name for the pineapple-banana beer. Brainstorm has included: Bunching Up, Going Bananas (so cliche it hurts), Banana-Pineapple Blast (like a gushers flavor),

View of outside and inside of bucket:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/810956352360677476/20210215_112634.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/810958606953349120/20210215_113951.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/810962154274160650/20210215_115316.jpg

Second bucket at beginning and end of transfer (This is when I put in the priming/carbonation sugar):
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/810962154785079377/20210215_115327.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/810963615472812102/20210215_115934.jpg

Bottling:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/810971457831829555/20210215_123045.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/810979896871616512/20210215_130402.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/614896471627792446/810991370117709854/20210215_135001.jpg

I suspect it tastes different from before, but I didn't taste it! We shall see how it is in a weekish.

[PatMan33]

Not a bad way to get a couple cases of beer! Gatherings at your place must be a good time.

Names for the banana-pineapple creation... how about Pineapple Peel? Or if that's no good you can go with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.

[Rysworld]

I was literally trying to workshop a Donkey Kong name. Pineapple Peel isn't bad. I'll ultimately decide on something final when I taste the product, I think. Should just be a couple more days.

[PatMan33]

Donkey Kong kept coming up in my mind too. Bananas I guess!

Do you predict the banana flavor to shine through the pineapple? Pineapple seems like a very strong flavor to contend with.