The Road to 1,000: beer number 990

Greetings from Prague! I (with considerable patience and support from Sith@Heart) decided that if I was going to hit 1,000 I better do it in style. So here we are in the Czech Republic (via Germany) seeing the sights, having fun and of course enjoying the great beers.

Beer number 990 was a delicious and well timed Amber beer at the Klasterni Pivovar Strahov in Prague. Well timed because we found the monastary brewery during the rain, and it gave us welcome comfort. Delicious because it was a lovely, slightly hoppy unfiltered amber beer. It is named St. Norbert Amber. Those monks do good work!

Beer number 975!

Greetings from Cologne!

This is a fantastic city if you have never been. Gorgeous historical buildings, including one of the greatest cathedrals I have ever seen. But more importantly - lots of beer! There are 20 local brweries that all brew Kolsch as near as I can tell. And pubs / beers gardens everywhere showing them off. However, interestingly, although mny beers between 950 and 975 were Kolsch, 975 was in fact Kulmbacher Eisbock, a 28% "starkbier". Although it packs quite a punch alcohol wise, it did not taste that strong, with a sweet taste, frothy head and dark colour more reminiscent of strong Belgian beers.

Road to 1,000 - number 950!

Another major milestone reached - beer number 950. This was the Faxe Lager, given to me by the always awesome Sith@Heart, in a 1L can, with a 1L Maas to go with it...

Home Brew - clone of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

Having had enough of the kits, today I am trying the close recipe for Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Sout from Clone Brews (2nd ed.) by Tess and Mark Szamatulski.

Due to ingredient issues I have to make a few substitutions, but hopefully nothing that will have to meaningful an impact. (This beer is excellent if you have never had it).

So here goes:

Step 1: toast 8oz flaked oats at 300 degrees (F).

Step 2: steep the oats in 1 gallon of water at 150 (F) with 8oz 55L British crysta malt (now, here is sub number 1. I didn't have 55L, so I am using a mix of 40L and 70/80L), 8 oz British Chocolate malt (again, I don't have quite enough chocolate malt so I am also using a mix of chocolate malt, darker black malt and lighter malt) and 3oz roasted barley. (The recipe also calls for rice hulls, but this seems a pointless addition).

Step 3: Having steeped and sparged the above, I have added water to 1.5 gallons and bring to a boil.

Step 4: added 2.6kg (5.75 lbs) light dry malt extract, and 2 oz East Kent Goldings hop pellets (recipe called for 4.25% AA, but these are 5.2% AA, so it will be slightly more bitter than the recipe result).

Step 5: add enough water to make 10 litres, and boil for 50 minutes

Step 6: add 1 tsp Irish Moss, boil 10 minutes

Step 7: add enough water to make 5 gallons, cool to 70 degrees, pitch the yeast (Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale)

I will post again after I have racked and bottled it...

NP article

http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/02/27/hapy-hour-stout-to-tail/

Ahhh stout. In fact, shortly I will be brewing my next batch of beer - oatmeal stout. Until then...

Good G&M article

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/wine/beppi-crosariol/enough-with-the-tiny-type-sexist-sales-pitches-and-huge-wine-lists/article1951750/

Amen to his points on beer (except maybe the champagne stopper point. I am drinking a Maudite right now which comes that way, and I simply cannot speak ill of Unibroue). But his point about boring beers on tap is (sadly) bang on

Road to 1,000 - Number 900

Hit number 900 tonight beer fans. Wild Rose Altbier - one of the seasonals by the always good Wild Rose Brewery

"Using a multi-step mash process, our brewers have created a mahogany coloured beer with amazing body and mouthfeel. This brew is cool fermented and cold conditioned resulting in a refreshing, clean tasting ale."

http://www.wildrosebrewery.com/beer/canadian-beer.html

I expect to hit 1,000 sometime this year. Stay tuned!