mmm delicious beer...

I've been working on drinking a couple gallons of Closet Alcoholic: Lusty Barmaid Octoberfest.

Never heard of it? Of course not! It's my own brew;)
I ferment and condition my beer in my hall linen closet (get it, Closet Alcoholic)
LBO is a combo of a traditional amber octoberfest with a bit of apple and ginger infusion. It's spicy but has a bit of a bite at the end like the chilly late october evenings.

Currently conditioning is Closet Alcoholic: "Totally NOT Raw Sewage, I Swear" Chocolate Stout.
This one came out looking like sewer mud, but it has a full flavor and about 9% alcohol by my guessing taste buds. It's been brewed with pure dark chocolate and brown sugar with a hint of mint right before the finish. It's coming along nicely, and I hope to pop the cap on one of the bottles this sunday. If it's not terrible, I'm going to force myself to let it sit around for a few more weeks.

My next project is going to be a cinnamon nutmeg ginger beer that should be ready in time for the holidays. I'm going to go for warmth and bite to symbolize the warm fuzzies around the home and hearth during that time of the year and nip of Jack Frost. Hoping to push the alcohol to around 9% on this one to give the drinker a jolly santa-like nose and cheeks.

Love brewing me some beer:D
 
Steely, what must I do to convince you to send me a couple of bottles??? Your brews sounds incredible!

I've wanted to try my hand at brewing but i have no way on controlling the temperature during fermentation and bottling. Also afraid of exploding bottles.
 
Most all IPA's, Oatmeal Stouts, and Pale Ales. Something that has real taste. Visited the Shafley Brewery in St Louis and could spend a week there as long as they would not kick me out.
 
When I have money - Pilsner Urquell. When I don't have money - Miller High Life. And right now it's - Miller High Life!
 
moogoogaidan said:
Steely, what must I do to convince you to send me a couple of bottles??? Your brews sounds incredible!

I've wanted to try my hand at brewing but i have no way on controlling the temperature during fermentation and bottling. Also afraid of exploding bottles.
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It's kinda funny. I'm very much about the voodoo of beer. I see no need for replicable results. I'm actually a very scientific minded person, so going "willy nilly" is just a catharsis of sorts. My buddy is a super serious science guy, and he's getting into brewing. So far, my "blind folded stabs in the dark" are panning out more than his controlled offerings. We often joke that we need to start a micro brewery. He would bring the technical aspect to make sure each batch can be replicated. I would bring the flavor and soul. Heck, his brother works at an ethanol plant. 3/4 of what he does is making booze...before they go and screw it up turning it into fuel:grumpy: If he can show me how to distill, well any man married to a girl from Louisville can tell ya that bourbon is absolutely heavenly:D

Hey, I tell ya what, if it turns out I'll send ya some of the chocolate stout:thumbup::) I never know if it's gonna taste good until I crack one open after a week in the bottle. I have to admit, my beer is very pedestrian to be honest. I use information gleaned from a Mr. Beer kit (a lot of people put them down, but I think it is an excellent $30 experiment to see if you like brewing) then modified with trial and error. So far, none of it has been terrible, but not all of it has been GOOD either. Glass half empty: The beer is terrible in flavor. Glass half full: You keep the alcohol content up high enough and after one bottle you won't care what it tastes like;)

As far as controlling temp, if you control the temperature in your house, you're fine. I literally brew up my wort, sprinkle my yeast, cover it, and shove it in the closet. That's it. I usually give it two weeks in the keg before priming it and bottling it then let it set a week or two.

To combat exploding bottles, just save up soft drink bottles that have held carbonated liquid before with a screw on lid and just be sure to only fill them no more than 4/5 the way full. I'm actually trying my hand at pry off caps and recycled sam adams bottles right now. I found my father in laws old capper and stash of caps, so we'll see how that goes. No 'splosions yet:D
 
Ho boy! I really hope it turns out so I can give it a shot!

I'm also torn on whether or not i should take the full plunge and start all grain brewing so i only have to buy the equipment once, or if i should take baby steps. I'm generally a headstrong person, but i would hate to attempt brewing just to find out it's not for me.

Cheers to you, sir! Know that somewhere in Las Vegas, someone has their fingers crossed that your chocolate stout pans out!
 
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:D
 
glamdrig2000 said:
ZOMG! is this a real beer???????
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"...beer called Khukuri - is being manufactured at the J W Lees brewery at Middleton Junction [Manchester, UK]... aims to become the supplier to the UK Nepalese community including its thriving restaurant trade...

"...The Indian lager market is well served with Cobra and Kingfisher...there were only two breweries in Nepal and one was almost entirely turned over to producing San Miguel on licence. The beer from the other took over six months to get to the UK..."

from Asian News article "Thirsty Nepalese get a brew from Manchester", MENMedia, June 5 2003
http://menmedia.co.uk/asiannews/news/s/480734_thirsty_nepalese_get_a_brew_from_manchester
 
Although I too like all of the awesome micro-brews out there these days.
I find that I frequently love Heineken that Uncle Bill turned me onto. I like it as a nice smooth simple beer with a clean taste. So today it is Heineken in honor of Uncle Bill!
 
We also brew our own. At any one time I have 4 kegs fermenting, 4 cases carbonating and conditioning and 4 in the cooler to drink. Living in a 30' 5th wheel makes it all the more fun:D I prefer a maltier beer and my hubby prefers the double IPA's so we do a little of each. We have 2 conditioning right now for the holidays weighing in at the 9-10% ABV. Can't wait to check those out.....have to stay at the campsite for sure :rolleyes:

If we go out Spaten Optimator and the Spaten Oktoberfest would be the first choices:thumbup:
 
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