Black Raspberry mead

Started a 5 gallon batch of mead last week from a gallon of Missouri Blueberry Honey (thanks Larry). Today I will add 5 pounds (a gallon) of Black Raspberries to it. After they have finished out, will add more. I love this mead!
The honey has all been consumed/dissolved, took a week. Siphoning it onto the berries.

Close-up of the berries getting the must.
This is what the berries look like when all the goodness is fermented out.
But the mead calls for at least another five pounds (one gallon) of berries.

Brew Day June 24

Brewing up the Rye Twist today. Missing my hoppy APA
Its July 3 and after crashing it to 50 degrees, I'm dry hopping with 1/2 oz of Chinook, 1 oz. of Centennial and 1 oz of Cascade. Be ready to drink in a week.

Its Berry season

Pam with the first picking of Black Raspberries. Its going to be a good year for mead! Went out again today, the 15th, another 8 pounds harvested. Thinking I have two or more trips out there that good, be bumping the mead up to 5 gallons! On the 18th, 6 more pounds! Season is over, today's (6-21) haul 3 pounds, season total 22 pounds.

Gooseberry Harvest

Raw material for more grozet and mead. My two little bushes yeilded almost 20 pounds of gooseberries!

Time for Saison

The yeast cake is ready to go on a bigger stronger batch.
20 pounds of 2-row pale malt (Maris Otter)
1/2 pound of 20l crystal
1 pound 30l crystal
1 pound 10l Munich
2 oz EKG at 60
2 oz Hallertau Mitillfru at 15

First Belgium

Brewed a Belgium Saison, in the traditional form, low OG, made to be drank by the harvesters during season. Will use the yeast cake to make a more standard Saison next week.

First Round National Awards

Three fermenters bubbling away

Yesterday was the big brew day. Started at 7 a.m. and finished at 5 p.m. The results? 19 gallons of Bitter, 10 gallons of American Brown, and 5 gallons of Porter. The first two are in Temperature controlled Brewhemoths, the last in a carboy. Ste out to fill the kegerator, think I accomplished that!

AHA NATIONALS

My Perry made it through the first round with a second place!
Received my score sheets today. 3 of my five entries made it to the best of show in their categories. The cider, perry and the multiberry mead. All three earned gold certificates as did my barleywine. The porter earned a silver certificate. All in all, I'm pleased very much with my scores!

An American Lager

15 gallon batch
20 pounds of pilsner malt
5 pounds of flaked rice
mashed for 2 hours at 145.
90 minute boil
2 ounces of Hallertou at 60 minutes
fermenting at 50 with Schlafly supplied lager yeast (WL830 according to Kent Robertson)

Perhaps the hardest brew I ever made. Light flavored, any flaws in my process will show up majorally.

Added the yeast at 55 degrees, should cool down to 50 before lag phase is over!

Its in the kegs as of last night. After a week of carbing and further lagering, keg 1 will be ready to drink!

Jockey Box

Brewing beer is half the battle, a nice serve is the other half. So I made a Jockey Box so that my ales can be served with class at picnics and other events. Another tap will be added in the middle. Its next event will be at the MOE Trivia Night.

Wheat ale!

Put up 10 gallons of an American Wheat Ale, 70% Pilsner Malt 30% Wheat Malt, 1 oz 0f EKG at 60 minutes (90 minute boil) 12 tea bags of chamomile tea at 1 minute. 1056 Wyeast. 1/2 of this will be put on gooseberries, the other half either straight or on sour pie cherries. Summer brews!!! Split this in half on Saturday, 1/2 on 5 pounds of Monticello Cherries, the other half on gooseberries.

Kegging tonight

The London Porter and the 60 Schilling are headed for the kegs tonight!