There is something that I like in adding some kind of a fruity finish to a beer, but I have found that most companies tend to make them too sweet, too fruity and with not enough beer taste. Picking up from my Cranberry Ale (which was a great success on Thanksgiving), I decided to try another go on the same concept - Apricot Pale Ale. I had heard about Apricot Pale Ale … [Read more...]
Black Ale BIAB Brewing day
It has been a while since I tried brewing my black ale using the BIAB method due to the constant failure I have been experiencing: first it was totally undrinkable and went down the drain, and the second time I ended up with a mild. I took the plunge and tried again and I think I'm finally making some progress: a good porter that disguises itself as a black ale - not the best, … [Read more...]
Cranberry Ale Brewing Day – Getting ready for Thanksgiving
We do Thanksgiving every year - it is one of those things my wife insists is part of our life. Despite the fact she hasn't lived in the USA for nearly 10 years now and I never did (only visited), we mark Thanksgiving every year on the last Saturday of November (no days off for a Thursday...). I have no doubt that we will continue having Thanksgiving in our house in the coming … [Read more...]
Black Wheat Brewing Day
After making my last wheat beer, I ended up with more wheat than I had planned, so I decided to try and make a different take on the wheat beer: a black wheat beer. I don't know what I have with trying to make a black version of various styles, maybe I just enjoy seeing people's expression when they taste a different flavour than they expect. In any case, making a black wheat … [Read more...]
Coffee Porter Brewing Day – LME and Steeping
22/06/2015: This brewing day was first published on the 27/04/2015 but it is now updated with the tasting notes you will find at the end. Last time I made a coffee porter it came out not quite a porter but it had a nice touch of coffee. My first take from the first attempt was that it needed more volume, more maltiness, so the simple solution was trying to steep some … [Read more...]