http://www.homebrewblog.net I love beer. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 06:16:02 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 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 ... http://www.homebrewblog.net/2008/03/04/amber-ale/ Yesterday I bottled my california common - I'm calling it "SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) Ale."  It brings up thoughts of smooth summer lagers and warmer days ahead - but still has enough body to get us through the rest of winter.  It's my prescription for SAD and a seemingly loooong ... http://www.homebrewblog.net/2008/03/04/sad-ale/ I had the good fortune to pick up a Barnes and Noble gift card for my birthday.  Based on the recommendations of others, here's what is on the way: The Homebrewer's Garden: How to Easily Grow, Prepare, and Use Your Own Hops, Malts, Brewing Herbs Farmhouse Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the ... http://www.homebrewblog.net/2008/03/01/brewing-books/ We tapped my Regime Change IPA this week.  It is absolutely fantastic!  It pours with a great head and a very nice amber color.  It has a little of a chill haze, but that doesn't bother me.  I'm not willing to start messing around with filtering my beers.  The hop ... http://www.homebrewblog.net/2008/02/24/regime-change-ipa-on-tap/ My california common is ready to be bottled any time. This is my first beer using a yeast starter. I took a little sample tonight and it was very good. It's been dry hopping for the last week and that has added some great hop aroma. ... http://www.homebrewblog.net/2008/02/24/yeast-starter-update/ Today both my IPA and california common were ready for their respective next steps.  I racked the IPA from the secondary to my second corny keg.  I'd dry hopped it, but that didn't add as much aroma as I expected.  It was still fantastic!  Since I'd aged it in the ... http://www.homebrewblog.net/2008/02/19/pale-beer-day/ I had the opportunity to try the Full Sail Brewing Slipknot Imperial IPA.  It was a very nice amber with a powerful hop aroma.  It had a strong citrus aroma that was very pleasant.  The bitterness was a little too much for me.  According to the website, this one clocks ... http://www.homebrewblog.net/2008/02/15/full-sail-brewing-slipknot-imperial-ipa/ I discovered these videos on youtube a while ago. This four part set is a great introduction to kegging. I thought they were very helpful and very well done. They were created by Chris Knight. I'm very impressed by the production quality of these videos. Kegging 1 ... http://www.homebrewblog.net/2008/02/11/kegging-videos/ I received my homebrew kit for Christmas in 2006.  I brewed my first batch on January 14th.  Here's a quick rundown of my first year as a homebrewer. First batch - Black Butte Porter clone.  I used a primary fermenter only with a blow-off tube.  I ditched the blow-off tube after ... http://www.homebrewblog.net/2008/02/10/review-a-year-in-brewing/ Sarah (my wife) was kind enough to pick up bottles of The Abyss from Deschutes last night.  This beer won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival and was called the best stout in the world by Men's Journal.  It was released in mid-January and pretty much every ... http://www.homebrewblog.net/2008/02/03/the-abyss/