10 gallons: Belgian and American Pale Ales

With the limited time we have for brewing these days, having the ability to make 10 gallons in one session is quite a luxury. The same amount of time and effort yields double the beer. The hardest part though, is having to deal with fermentation.

We only have 1 dedicated fermentation fridge, so the other batch we make has to be fermented with a yeast that is a little more forgiving. Belgian and saison yeasts do fine at higher temperatures, so we'll do the BPA in a swamp cooler inside the house and try to keep it around 68.

We buttered with centennial (the store was out of Amarillo) and then used cascade in the boil. We'll dry hop the American one with probably Columbus and hopefully they be ready to drink by Cooper's first birthday party next month.

While brewing I also kegged the porter today. This was one where we used all English ingredients and English yeast. The sample tasted very good today, and it clocks in at a respectable 4.25%. This will be a good session-style beer and I can't wait until its carbonated.

The hops are also doing well. It seems that the Newport has more hops, and larger sized cones too. There isn't enough on either to make a beer with, by we'll drop them in some pints when they are ready.

Busy life

Life is busy right now. Working as a resident so far has me pretty busy, and I can only imagine how much busier it is going to get in the next few months. With the little free time I have (only 4 days a month) I want to spend as much time as possible with my family and I hope to brew at least 1-2 times in order to break even with what we consume here at home.

I think some people out there are reading this, and I just want to say thanks and hopefully you'll stick with us through this year. I wont be able to post as much, probably only when I brew, but I will try my best to post as often as possible. I'll probably do more 'mobile' posts on my phone, but with the drawback of not having photos display as well.

Updates: the hops are looking good. A decent amount of cones on the bines, but not even close enough to brew a batch of beer with them. Next year should be a good year though.

The double pale ale is gone already. That was a good brew once it finally got carbonated and we are going to have to make another one soon.

The black IPA is tasting just OK; a little harsh, but decent, and not as good as last time. I think it is because of the soft water her not being suited to darker beers, but that will hopefully be something we can get used to for the future.

The saison is really really good. We'll have to make another one of those again soon.

The porter is almost done fermenting, and the sample that I had was very good. I think that one is going to be a good beer as well.

#TeamDietrich