Homebrew for baby....

Post by **ZiggyZoomba** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:35 pm

Hey fellow Falconbrau friends....

I want to brew something to "put up" until the baby arrives. I'm going to brew this weekend, and our due date is in the first half of December. Anyone have any suggestions or ideas for recipes, styles, etc? I like hops... Maryellen likes malty... So just about anything goes.

PGY Tiercel · Post by **PGY Tiercel** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:53 pm

I've been wanting to make a porter myself for the winter, but other than that I've got nothin. I should probably get it done soon as well. Don't think I will have room or time when the boy comes along in January.

A couple of friends and I have been talking about making a Cezch Pilsner. The main problem of course is where to lager it. Now at school there is a cold room on my floor (basically a big walk in refrigated room, like restaurants, used for storing stuff and experiments) and it went down this spring and molded. Everyone had to move everything out (lots of chemicals, bacteria, cells and what not) and it was scrubbed down. They got if fixed and running, but technically it isn't cold enough for my boss. However at 8-9c it is a good temp to lager. We working out the details of how to brew it at home then sneak in 2-5gallon carboys. We'll need to find some big boxes to hide them under, but the room is really only used by myself and others in my lab (who can be bought off with a good beer

). So I just need to buy off the chairman to postpone repairs for 6 or 7 weeks and were in business.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:01 pm

I'm a hop loving fool too, Grant, but for the winter months I think you're going to want something big and malty. I'm a fan of big Imperial Stouts, personally.

Man, I need to brew something too...I haven't brewed a batch of beer in like 5 months.

Post by **ZiggyZoomba** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:01 pm

Yeah, a lager is over my head... like you, hard to control the temp.

I'm leaning towards a barleywine... since they age well and generally get better after a few months of cellaring.

This recipe looks pretty easy and sounds quite delicious:

http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/detail/77

Other thought was a pumpkin ale...

http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/detail/395

Doesn't have much info as to how the brew turned out on that one though....

Lord_Byron · Post by **Lord_Byron** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:14 am

When the princess was born in 1999, I bought a case of 1999 vintage wines (when they were available) with high tannins that could stand long aging. (Cabernet, Syrah, Zinfandel)

I laid them in the wine cellar and we plan on breaking them out for major events when she's older --- High School Graduation, 21st Birthday, etc. . .

VDub26Falcon · Post by **VDub26Falcon** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:15 am

Throw in some Vanilla Beans...had a beer brewed with them and it was AWESOME!

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:23 am

ZiggyZoomba wrote:Yeah, a lager is over my head... like you, hard to control the temp.

I'm leaning towards a barleywine... since they age well and generally get better after a few months of cellaring.

This recipe looks pretty easy and sounds quite delicious:

http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/detail/77

Other thought was a pumpkin ale...

http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/detail/395

Doesn't have much info as to how the brew turned out on that one though....

My wife has family in Oak Harbor that is into serious brewing. He keeps 5 homebrews on tap in the garage (he uses soda syrup kegs in a fridge plumbed to taps on front). Last year at the christmas party he had a pumpkin ale that was pretty darn good and an imperial pilsner that was out of this world (and about 10%).

Post by **ZiggyZoomba** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:00 pm

Well, we ended up brewing "Bouncing Baby Barleywine." (The label may have it spelled "Barleywhine")

Just did a quick extract brew. Steeped 1.5lb of Crystal malt for 30 minutes at 155F, then added 14.5lb of liquid malt extract. Boiled with Spalt (3oz) and Kent Goldings (1oz) hops for an hour and added Kent Goldings (1oz) for the last 10 minutes of the boil.

Ended up with an OG of 1.082 shooting for a FG of about 1.020

Pitched Fermentis Safbrew T-58 yeast which is bred to survive alcohol levels up to about 11.5% and it went crazy in there overnight! Lots of blow-off and strong fermentation!

The plan is to bottle it and then "cellar" it until bouncing baby Cummings shows up in December. Initial taste tests before pitching the yeast were fantastic though! "Spicy sweet, Christmasy, well-balanced and frothy-feeling" were words we used after tasting the raw beer.

Posted some photos up on Flickr since Maryellen was camera happy last night:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperguy/ ... 266401983/