Brew Schedule

After a few months of hiatus from brewing it's time to rededicate. I've not been away from it too long, but haven't brewed since September (Pumpkin Porter).

I've been sitting and watching my friend Jake pull a full six beers in the last few months approaching his wedding (one of which got a second place medal, his Milk Stout), two of which included lagers (notably a bock).

So, to start this blog (which should be a mix of homebrew ideals and local beer bars/offerings), I figured I'd mark out what I intend to brew in the next few months.

Decided and Planned

I'm starting back with two beers I've bought - ebrew.com partial mash kits. It's a return to kits after making my own recipe for the Pumpkin Porter, but I intend on altering them anyway.

American Pale Ale 5%
In the style of Sierra Nevada, this pale will feature cascade hops, and I'm probably going to play with the level of crystal malt before I finish the recipe. I may also add just a little more of the cascade in the last 10 minutes of the boil, and finish with a different hop (or that hop plus cascade) for dry hopping.

Belgian Dubbel - 7% Westmalle type clone
This will be fermented at variable temperature, hopefully, and will be cold secondaried. This will be mostly corked beer, hopefully.
I'm considering reconstituting yeast and making that my 10% yeast to pitch with sugar for corking, but will set aside some regular 12oz bottles for tasting and competition.

Future Brews
IIPA - 8% double pale ale
The APA is a lead-up beer, and after that, I'll go with an imperial IPA in the style of Stone Ruination, but I'm looking for a slighter, cleaner finish like Foothills Seeing Double. Seeing Double is a fine local IPA - actually I feel like it's more like a double APA - and Ruination IPA is a 7.7% with a great balance of bitter to sweet. Both ales finish well and are consistent beers throughout, which was pleasing considering some double pales have backbite like hot chili. The pale will give me some experience in pales to try, and will be in good character by the time I try to brew this.
I'm considering reconstituting the Pacman yeast from a Rogue beer, probably Brutal Bitter.

Southern English Pale Ale - 4% english mild ale.
A non-commercial beer domestically that's sliding away in England, this is a different take on the english brown style that's more commercially available and popular. A London based ale from back in the times of the invention of IPA and porter, SEPA is a malty, mild ale with toffee and caramel notes, low bitterness, and the character not unlike a smaller version of a robust sweet stout. I may do this beer in a 2 gallon batch, to make it my first all-grain beer. It's an interesting malt bill without a lot of hop, so I can play with the

Bohemian Pilsner - 5% pilsner
Probably my first lager beer, I like this for its simplicity of taste and drinkability. Ideally I'd have started this already for this year, but will probably start it in winter for lagering and having it handy for next year.

Belgian/Trappist Project
I'd like to do more trappist style products, including eventually cloning Rochefort, Orval and Westvleteren. I'd also like to give a shot at a Tripel Karmeliet and Delirium Tremens, and a Belgian style Christmas Ale in Spring 2009 for presents in winter of that year.

That should finish the year, in addition to one beer I'll probably add in to brew fresh in the fall (probably so I won't have something aging).