Tonight I’m brewing up a second attempt at an amber ale.  My first try was my third batch ever.  I wasn’t very happy with it and ended up giving most of it away.  Everyone who got some liked it, but it wasn’t up to my standards.  I hadn’t yet learned the importance of taking good [...]

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The next beer up for me is going to be a california common/steam beer.  I’ve actually never had this style before, but it sounds interesting.  This recipe is based on one I got from The Bearded Brewer.  I modified his recipe from a partial extract and changed the hops around to fit with what I [...]

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My first IPA is happily fermenting away right now.  This is also the first recipe I’ve put together myself.  Granted, it isn’t the most complex recipe ever, but it is mine.  This beer was inspired by Full Sail Brewing’s Wreck the Halls seasonal.  They describe Wreck the Halls as a cross between a bitter and [...]

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This is the winter recipe from Mainstreet Homebrew’s newsletter.  They bill it as bigger and bolder than most west coast porters.  It will be interesting to compare it to the west coast porter I brewed earlier this month.
Midwinter’s Porter
8 lbs Amber Malt Extract
12 oz CaraMunich
4 oz 120l Crystal Malt
14 oz Chocolate Malt
6 oz Melanoidin
6 [...]

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I brewed up another batch of my raspberry hefeweizen last week.  Even though it was a “bit” foamy last time, it was a big hit with the extended family.  I’m delivering a bunch as a belated Christmas gift.  I’ve learned a couple of things since last time.  First, I made sure to get a hydrometer [...]

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Another recipe from Main Street Homebrew. This is patterned after Deschutes Brewing’s Black Butte Porter.
West Coast Porter
7lbs Amber malt extract
12oz Chocolate malt
8oz 80l Crystal malt
4oz Carafa Black malt
Irish Ale Yeast
1 1/2 oz Cascade hops @ 60 min
1 oz Cascade hops @ 15 min
1 oz Cascade hops @ 5 min
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient @ 5 [...]

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This is a seasonal recipe from the guys at Main Street Homebrew.
Skellington Ale
9lbs light malt extract
10 oz 60l Crystal malt
8oz Victory malt
8oz Aromatic malt
8oz toasted Pale malt (toasted @ home for 12 min. at 350 deg.)
1/2 cup light molasses
2 oz Fuggles @ 60 min.
4 inches fractured cinnamon stick @ 25 min.
1 tblsp dried ginger @ [...]

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This beer tastes great - but I got a little lazy and apparently bottled it too early.  All of my other beers had turned out so well, that I thought I didn’t need to take a final hydrometer reading.  I brewed it during August, so I figured that the heat had helped the fermentation go [...]

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This was my first pale ale - the recipe again courtesy of Main Street Homebrew. It is pretty similar to the Mirror Pond Pale Ale from Deschutes Brewing. I’m really happy with how this beer turned out. It is moderately hoppy (at least by Oregon standards) with a great flavor. Sadly, [...]

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Currently in my secondary fermenter is a west coast style stout (again courtesy of Main Street Homebrew - Doug’s recipe).  I took a little sample this weekend and it is good!
All Saints Stout
12oz Roast Barley
8oz Crystal
8oz Chocolate Malt
4oz Carafa
2oz No. Brewer Hops (1oz @ 60 min, 1/2 oz @ 20 min, 1/2 oz @ 10 [...]

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