Well we sure haven't stopped brewing even if the last update here was a while ago, but we had declared our primary mission complete (and maybe slowed down just a smidge).

However a whole new set of style guidelines have recently come out so we're back on track to do another round.  Some of the same old faces and perhaps a few new or changed ones will pop up.

http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

Since the new list is a fair bit longer we're still deciding what we will and won't consider "fair game" on it.  Important questions like:

•  do we cover Mead and Cider again now that they've moved to their own style guides?
•  what about all of the new speciality beers (some aren't a style category but..)?

You know the sort of thing that normally keeps sane people up at night.

We're also learning from our past mistakes.  Starting from the Solstice is TO LATE because its FREAKING COLD HERE to brew outside a lot of the winter (the carbon monoxide poisoning and lighting myself on fire last round was a lesson learned).  Since the 2015 style guidelines don't kick in until November we're looking at more of an Equinox to Equinox plan this and starting around September.

Its nice to be back :D

13E - American Stout

Info:

• Brewer: Chris
• Mash: mini-mash
  
• Date: 9/26/2009
• Size: 5.75 gallon at pitching

Discussion:

• Simple stout recipe with American hops
• I added an ounce and a half of malt I got at the Guinness brewery last year
  

Grain Bill:

• 2lb Gambrinus organic pilsen malt
  
• 1lb roasted barley
• 8oz oats
  
• 6.3oz chocolate malt
• 4oz 40L
• 5lb light extract (in boil)
  

Yeast:

• Wyeast 1084 - Irish Ale
  

The Mini-Mash:

• infuse to 152F, hold for 60 minutes
  
• sparge and collect wort

The Boil (90 minutes):

• 5lb light extract @ start of boil
• 2.0oz Willamette (homegrown) @ 60
• 2.3oz Willamette (homegrown) @ 15
• Irish moss @ 15
• 0.5oz Cascade (5.5%) @ 5
  
• Total: 45 IBU (ish)
  

The Finish:

• OG: 1.060

10A - Fresh Hop Imperial American Pale Ale

Info:

• Brewer: Chris
• Mash: single infusion
  
• Date: 9/6/2009
• Size: 7.75 gallon at pitching

Discussion:

• Thanks to Hop Union and a drive to Yakima, I've got 6 pounds of fresh Cascade :)
• The idea is an imperial pale ale, clean malt with lots of hop flavor and aroma but not overly bitter.
• Hops loss from the hops is crazy! Even wet, they soaked up a quart per pound.
  

Grain Bill:

• 14.5lb Gambrinus organic pale malt
• 2lb Weyermann Munich type I
  
• 1lb red wheat malt
• 8oz 40L
• 2lb of fresh Cascade
• 8oz corn sugar (in boil)
  

Yeast:

• Safale US-05
  

The Mash:

• raise to 151F, hold for 60 minutes
  
• mash out to 170F, hold for 10 minutes
  
• sparge and collect wort

The Boil (90 minutes):

• 1.0lb Cascade (fresh) @ 15
• 1.0lb Cascade (fresh) @ 10
  
• 1.0lb Cascade (fresh) @ 5
  
• 1.0lb Cascade (fresh) @ lights out
  
• Total: 100 IBU (ish)
  

The Finish:

• OG: 1.062

4 pounds of Cascade post-boil in the keggle

Harvest time!

It's harvest time and that can only mean one thing... mega fresh hop brews! As the hops trickle in over the next few weeks we'll be posting some recipes including a dark IPA fermented with lager yeast, a couple of Belgian recipes, and, of course, more renditions of the classic Northwest hop bomb.

Don't forget to look out for these fun fall projects:

• honey - for mead (honey wine), of which there are many many types, can also be used in beer
  
• cider - straight up or fermented, use a clean ale yeast and give it lots of staged nutrient additions to ward off sulfur
  
• grapes - for wine of course! check out local vineyards to source fruit, look for a Brix of at least 24
• wild berries - you can ferment almost anything, just treat them like wine grapes
• pickles - late in the season, but good cukes are still available
• pickled peppers/garlic/etc - the name says it all, pickle whatever you can find
  

22B - Imperial Smoked Porter

Info:

• Brewer: Chris
• Mash: infusion
  
• Date: 6/30/2008
• Size: 10.25 gallon post-boil

Notes:

• Similar to the smoked porter I brewed in December, except I stepped up the IBUs and added some Munich. This one is going to have some zing in it because of a healthy dose of Zeus.
  

Grain Bill:

• 22lb Gambrinus organic pale malt
• 1lb 6oz 60L crystal malt
• 3.5lb chocolate malt 350L
  
• 1lb German rauch malt
• 1lb Weyermann Munich type I
  

Yeast:

• Wyeast 1098 - British Ale

The Mash:

• dough in to 154F
• rest 60 minutes
• sparge with 180F
• collect 12 gallons
  

The Boil (90 minutes):

• 2.0oz Zeus (16.4%) @ 60
  
• teaspoon of Irish moss @ 15
  
• 1.5oz Mt Hood (5.0%) @ 10
  
• Total: 50 IBU(ish)

The Finish:

• OG: 1.072