I have officially joined the homebrew world under the apprenticeship of master brewer Tristan Sloughter. After having witnessed his flawless performance of yet another brew, Goat Scrotum, I was let go to embark on my own beer making journey.
Fall is my favorite time of year and it just happens to also seem to be the best time for making some really great beers. Nothing is better than a nice spiced ale on a chilly fall evening. That is why I decided to start my homebrew voyage with the Spiced Winter Ale kit from Northern Brewer. It is described as a malty, medium-bodied Scottish-style ale with mulling spices(ceylon cloves, cracked cinnamon, allspice, cardarmom, and mace) added in.
Specialty Grains
* 1 lbs. Simpsons Dark Crystal
Fermentables
* 6.3 lbs. Gold Malt Syrup
Boil Additions
* 1 oz. Kent Goldings (60 min)
* 0.25 oz. Mulling Spices (60 min)
* 0.5 oz. Mulling Spices (0 min)
Special Ingredients
* 1/4 oz. Mulling Spices (add to secondary)
Yeast
* Wyeast #1728 Scottish Ale Yeast.
My first brew experience went very well. With the knowledge of my mentor firmly in grasp, I was able to go smoothly through the brew process. I had an original gravity(OG) of 1046, which should give roughly an 4.7% ABV. The expected OG is 1047, so not bad for my first time. The brew mixture started fermenting within 12 hours, so that is a good sign as well. After fermentation stops in about 3-4 days, the recipe calls for a secondary fermentation with additional mulling spices. I calculated the secondary fermentation time to be anywhere from 14-32 days. I am in no big rush, so I will probably let it sit in the secondary fermenter for a good 3 weeks. After bottling and conditioning for an extra 2 weeks, I should I have a brew that is ready just in time for Halloween, though I will be certain to age a large portion until the first snows arrive.
Overall, I was very pleased with Northern Brewer’s deluxe brew kit. They have a great deal going on right now on shipping. I was able to get the brew kit, kettle, and spiced winter ale kit shipped for only $5.99. It also arrived in two days.
For my next brew I am looking strongly at doing a Saison, but have not decided for sure yet.
[...] Tonight marked my 2nd adventure into homebrewing. I went ahead and used my experience from my 1st brew in order to make this one a lot smoother. For one, I bought a strainer for my funnel, so I could [...]
Pingback by Brew 02: Saison « speak, it ain’t illegal yet — September 26, 2007 @ 10:57 pm