One for the beer guys

[pods8]

Some of you seem to have a definite interest in beer/breweries so I figured I'd share some process shots. My taps are running dry so I took a break from camper tinkering and blew to saw dust off the brew gear to get some fermentables going. I kicked things off here with 8+ gal of barleywine and had my mash tun maxed out basically. Likely will knock out an IPA and cream ale in the up coming weeks.

Grains are ground and heating water to mash in

Mashed in

A hop addition to the kettle

Chilling the wort

 

[snow hunter]

beers beers beers

Looks good pods .Thanks for sharing.
how long does a batch last you?do you bottle?
How about fwc ipa or tea kettle juntion cream ale for names?

 

[pods8]

Just depends on how quick you drink it, haha. If you were more so wondering about what type of quantities we're talking 5gal is approximately 2 cases of beer.

I pretty keg everything since its a lot easier (in my mind), with the exception of meads and other none carbonated stuff. If I need something to go that will be quickly drank I'll just fill a growler. If I actually need to bottle some stuff off draft that needs to last a while I have a setup to do so but does take some effort to get cleaned/prepped then bottle then clean and put away so I usually wait till I have something going on that requires it. More often that not the couple times a year I send stuff to local comps is when I take the time to do so.

I usually like throwing funny names at brews so its got potential (although I should probably go to teakettle junction first, haha). A previous batch of cream ale I brewed was named "Maker"... childish I know but I still laughed. This was a reincarnate of a "Braindead Barleywine" (there is a story to go with that) which I hadn't brewed since 05'.

13hrs later and we have happy yeast:

 

[simimike]

Pods, looks good. Can I be your new best friend?

Cheers,

Mike

 

[pods8]

Pods, looks good. Can I be your new best friend?

Cheers,

Mike

The drive home would be a rough one...

 

[Brewery Meister]

Nice...

Now there is a brewery I need to put on my gps!

We were gone for a few days and went to the North Coast Brewery up in Fort Bragg and then stopped at the Half Moon Bay Brewery on the way home..

I know, but someone has to do it...

CB

 

[pods8]

If you're ever in the area give me a shout. The taps are pictured below, 4 co2 and 1 nitro. In the interest of full disclosure I regretfully say I'm down to one on tap right now but hopefully when I kicked off the brew season of 2009 the other day I lit the fire to get some more rolling (already have the ingredients just need to budget the time). Shame should have them filled up soon out of principle...

 

[simimike]

"If you're ever in the area give me a shout. "

Be careful pods. If things work out I may be headed to Orcas Island in June. The crabs are suppose to be in season then.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[pods8]

Offer stands.

I learned when crab season was out in the san jauns (I'm not originally from here so I had no clue). We were out at a cabin for a birth day and me/buddy didn't know a single thing about crabbing but there were traps and a canoe so off we went. Luckily its laid back and someone informed us they we're actually in season before we brought anything in... All we had caught up until that point was small ones.

 

[Brewery Meister]

Duuuuude.... Sweeeeeet.... Dude...... Sweet..

We'll be there this September. This year's Fall camping trip is up to Vancouver Island. We'll be stopping to visit an old friend up who live up on Orcas Island. We've never been there before..

And now.... well... another day, another brewery...