Bengal Tiger IPA - Opening

When I originally loaded this keg up, I was intending it to be the manly companion to Kendra's specially requested "chick beer," Blueberry Bock, which was in the other keg. Well, things didn't exactly work out that way. I'll save the commentary on the Blueberry Bock for it's proper review, but suffice to say, this supposed manly beer wooed my wife away from her fruity brew tendencies (and I love her all the more for it!) once and for all. Seriously, she's totally sworn the stuff off!


I too really, REALLY like how this one turned out, and as a result, it's not lasting very long in this house. The Cowboy Golden Lager is a fine beer mix, one that I plan on trying again sometime soon. The extra dose of Cascade hops was a nice touch too. The hop flavor comes through really well, so the 15 minute boil before adding the beer mix must have been a good idea. 

Appearance: 4.7 - It's brown with a slight golden tint, and the clarity is top notch. Carbonation levels have varied greatly from bottle to bottle, as has head retention, unfortunately. As you can see, this particular bottle did pretty well. In short, it appears quite like a beer I would want to drink.

Aroma: 3.5 - As you might expect, hops are dominant. It's not what I would call a "stinky" beer though, in that the overall aroma is more mild. That being said, you definitely know that it's beer that you're smelling, and you don't have to go digging to find it.

Taste: 4.8 - While the aroma might be weaker than I expected, the taste is bold and bitter. The hops hit first (of course), followed by an alcohol pop and then a really, REALLY great, bold, bitter taste which transitions into a milder, spicy aftertaste. 

Mouthfeel: 4.0 - The aforementioned alcohol pop is brief, but there is a tingling sensation throughout, even through the aftertaste. I'd describe it as a clean or crisp mouthfeel.

Drinkability: 4.0 - It's a little but of a slow drinker due to the alcohol bite, but it doesn't feel like you would need to clear your palate or anything after the first pint.

Bottom Line: 4.6 - Simply put, it's great. It's complex enough to satisfy a beer snob, crisp and clean enough to refresh on a hot summer day, and bold/bitter enough to satisfy your "I only drink manly beer" principles. This is definitely a beer that I would consider brewing again next spring or even again before the summer gets too far away.


I'd drink it with... Pretty much anything.

Bengal Tiger IPA - Bottling

Surprise! A promising summer brew...

Original Gravity: 1.066
Final Gravity: 1.010
Alc/Vol: 7.35%
Color: 10 SRM
Bitterness: 18 IBU

Yes, I'm a little behind posting about this keg. It's actually been running alongside Kendra's Blueberry Bock the whole time. I've just been too lazy to do two, TWO blog entries at each step. This is my first batch using Cowboy Golden Lager

Recipe ...

• 1 Can Cowboy Golden Lager HME
• 1 Can Mellow Amber UME
• 1 Pouch Booster
• 2 Packets Cascade Pellet Hops

Kegging (2010/04/25)...
I decided to try something a little different with the hops this time. Rather than bringing 4 cups of water to a boil first, I started with 8 cups and boiled the hops in them for about 15 minutes. My thinking was that this would actually get more hoppy flavor out of the pellet hops as opposed to basically dry hopping per the Mr.Beer instructions. We'll see how it turns out, but if the aroma is any indication, it should be hopped quite nicely.

Bottling (2010/05/26)
Like the Blueberry Bock, I let this one go to 31 days, and since I bottled this one second, it officially has the longest fermentation period of any of my brews. I'm not too worried about it though, especially given the higher alcohol content. This batch went into 6 Bell's Two-Hearted Ale bottles, 6 Tröegs IPA bottles, 6 Tröegs Dream Weaver Wheat Ale bottles, and 2 Ithica Belgian Wheat Ale bottles.

As for the sample I took, it's yellow-brown in color and still little cloudy. The aroma is actually a little fruity, turning to beery on the end. The taste is equally complex: it starts watery, then turns tangy, then sour, then the bitters come in the aftertaste. It's not the smoothest tasting beer, but it definitely not the roughest either. After sampling it, I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Hopefully the extra couple weeks of fermentation didn't kill any chance of having good carbonation.

Blueberry Bock - Bottling

A bit early for a fallish brew, but still off to a good start...

Original Gravity: 1.046
Final Gravity: 1.010
Alc/Vol: 4.8%

I sampled this one at 24 days, and it was still a little cloudy. Given that half the recipe is Golden Wheat UME, it's not surprising, but still, the clarity wasn't quite where I wanted it. It's been a little warmer around here lately, so I figured that fermentation had completed. Nevertheless, I let it go another week to 31 days before bottling. The extra week seems to have made a difference as the clarity has improved quite a bit, though it is still a little cloudy.

As you can see, the color is brown, and it is still a little cloudy. The aroma is slightly fruity, but it also has a slight roasty note to it. The taste is creamy with a sour/fruity finish. It feels smooth enough without any real alcohol bite. It's not the strongest brew, but the style doesn't claim to be. All-in-all, it's shaping up to be a pretty solid brew, certainly one that Kendra will enjoy.

This batch went in 12 Tröegs bottles (Nut-brown Ale and Amber Ale bottles), and 8 Ithica bottles (6 Nut-Brown, 2 Belgian Amber Ale). Given the lengthy fermentation period (and that we're out of everything at this moment), I'll probably let them go the full 14 days of carbonation, but perhaps we'll open one after only 3-7 days of cold conditioning.

Blueberry Bock

In celebration of our wonderful new daughter (read: at the request of my no longer pregnant wife), a blueberry brew...

Original Gravity: 1.046
Est. Alc/Vol: Approximately 4.8%
Color: 9 SRM
Bitterness: 22 IBU

Recipe ...

• 1 Can Englishman's Nut Brown Ale
• 1 Can Golden Wheat UME
• 1 Can Blueberries in Light Syrup

Kegging (2010/04/25)...
There isn't much to say about the actual kegging process other than I followed the Mr.Beer brewing instructions faithfully on this one. With that out of the way, I'm about two weeks into this keg and everything seems to be coming along wonderfully.

In relocating for work, our new refrigerator lacks one feature that our old one had: an ice maker. As such, the customary ice bath to chill the wort before pouring it into the keg isn't really an option for me anymore. The extra time out in the open required to simply air cool the wort has me a little worried about contamination. Also, I was worried that my anxiousness might get the better of me and lead me to pour the wort into the keg before enough time to cool had passed. If the wort is too hot, it can kill the yeast on contact.

Within 24 hours, a nice layer of foam had formed atop the wort signaling that I hadn't cooked the yeast, thankfully. Our new place seems to stay a little warmer than the old one, particularly with the weather getting warmer, so I'm thinking that 3 weeks should be plenty of time for fermentation. If the clarity looks acceptable, I plan to bottle this one the beginning of next week. After a couple weeks of carbonating, a week or two in the beer fridge should do the trick.

Winter Dark Lager - Opening

I know, I'm always making excuses for how a review is late, but this time, I have a couple of really good reasons why. First off, we moved from the south east end of the country to the north east at the end of February, and I started a new job shortly thereafter. Secondly, we welcomed our first child into the world towards the end of March (she's beautiful!). We sold the house back down south somewhere in there too. With all of these life changing events converging upon us at one time, even hobbies as noble as home brewing have had to be put on hold. Hopefully that will all change soon because we're finally settling in... and I'm pretty much out of home brew.

For some reason, I'm always amazed to find that the last few bottles in a batch seem to have kept well. These particular bottles even endured a multi day move. The bottle that I'm reviewing in 1 of 2 remaining, and has been in a bottle for over 100 days.



Appearance: 4.2 - It's brown with most of the bottles exhibiting a nice head. However, the head seems to be a little short-lived, unfortunately. The clarity is also quite appealing.

Smell: 2.8 - Hops are still the dominant aroma, but they are not overbearing. The aroma is actually reminiscent of milder pale ale. I would describe it as noticeable but pleasing. Still, I would have liked a little more beer in the aroma.

Taste: 3.0 - Time has of course mellowed the taste considerably from the first few bottles that I opened. It does turn slightly water towards the end, but it's still a good beer. Hops are the predominant flavor from start to finish. The Canadian Draft taste hits first (clean and crisp), followed by the unhopped Mellow Amber taste and into the Saaz hops finish/aftertaste (more bitter and gritty).

Mouthfeel: 3.0 - There is an alcohol bite on the front which coincides with the Canadian Draft taste. It slowly tapers off to a slight tingle through the aftertaste.

Drinkability: 3.0 - It's a little but of a slow drinker due to the alcohol bite, but it doesn't feel like you would need to clear your palate after the first pint.

Bottom Line: 3.0 - It's a good, enjoyable, sit around and tell jokes kind of brew, but it won't be getting many "wow, this is good" type remarks. It's definitely worth brewing once. I'm not really sure why Winter is the season assigned to it though. It seems like more of a Spring brew to me.

I'd drink it with... Grilled food, pizza, and the NCAA tournament.

Ol' St. Nick's Midnight Ale - Opening

It's never too late to enjoy a Christmas brew...

Christmas may have been a month ago, but this batch of Christmas brew has hung around well enough. It's been in the bottle just over two months to the day (a month and a half of that cold), but it hasn't turned watery yet.

Appearance: 4.1 - It's dark brown with a nice, fluffy head on most of the bottles. There are a few cherry floaters in some of the bottles as you might expect.

Smell: 2.1 - The spices have eased back considerably, leaving this one smelling a little weak. However, what you do smell if you really try is still the spices.

Taste: 3.0 - It starts tangy, then turns sour and end bittersweet. Once again, the cherries seem to pair with the Nut-brown Ale taste well. It's faint, but I think that I can detect the almond extract and/or cloves in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: 2.9 - There is a little alcohol bite on the front and a roasty, smokey sensation on the end.

Drinkability: 3.0 - It's not the smoothest brew that I've made, but it isn't offensive in this regard either.



Bottom Line: 3.1 - It's alright, certainly better than some, but I think I may be partial to the Christmas ale that I brewed last year.

Winter Dark Lager - Bottling

Not so much dark at this point, but "Lager" seems to fit nicely...

Original Gravity: 1.042
Final Gravity: 1.012
Alc/Vol: 4.0%

At 22 days by the day counter, this one was ready to bottle. It seems like it's been something of a quick turn around as the extra conditioning required by my last two batches has them mostly still in the fridge. Never the less, when it's time, it's time.

Bottling Notes (2010/01/03)...
It's not exactly living up to the "dark" in the name, but the lager part seems to be about right. I'm not really complaining though, as this time of year, I seem to collect about as many dark winter seasonals as Christmas ornaments. It's a light, creamy brown to golden brown in appearance. The mysterious white residue is back, further confirming that boiling the wort with the added hops doesn't cause it. There isn't quite as much of it this time around, and as it wasn't a problem before, I'm not too worried.

The first and most prominent aroma is the hops of course, but there is a sour/bitter beer note in there as well. The taste is a little watery, tangy and kind of citrusy, but not very bitter. There isn't an alcohol bite and on the whole, it's shaping up to be pretty smooth. It is a little weak at the moment which has me a little concerned, but we'll see how it goes.

This batch went in (surprise) mostly recycled winter seasonal bottles (Sam Adams and Winter Hook, to be precise) with green stickers on the tops. Mr.Beer recommends letting this one condition for 2-4 weeks, and I'll probably be shooting for closer to 4 (after two weeks of warm carbonating time). I should have space cleared in the fridge for at least part of this batch by then.

Pater Pumpernickle - Opening

A wonderful finish to the fall brewing season...

This review is long overdue in coming actually. However, I'll start by mentioning that this batch has held up remarkably well given just how long it's been in the bottle. I'm down to my last four bottles (not counting the one I'm enjoying right now), and it's been in bottles since mid September.

Appearance: 4.1 - It has darkened up considerably into more of a porter complete with a nice head on most of the glasses I've poured.

Smell: 2.8 - The aroma has backed off quite a bit since bottling. The malty aroma is still there, but the sour note is gone. It doesn't smell bad, just weak.

Taste: 4.2 - The taste starts watery, then turns slightly sour/tangy, and finishes with a mildly bitter aftertaste. It is well-balanced and seems to flow better from stage to stage than before.

Mouthfeel: 3.0 - There is an ever so slight alcohol bite on the front as well as a slight gritty/smokey feel on the end. Neither of these is offensive in the least.

Drinkability: 4.0 - It's pretty smooth and easy to drink especially given the style. That being said, it's a great session beer, particularly if you don't care for stout...for some reason.



Bottom Line: 4.1 - If it's not my favorite, it's certainly one of my favorites so far and a definite candidate to brew again next year. All of my beer loving friends and even a few non-beer lovers have really liked it as well.

I'd drink it with... Vanilla ice cream, steak and potatoes, and a movie (it's a great sipping beer)

I do have to wonder what it might have been like if I had added the optional spices. Perhaps I'll give them a try next fall or even winter. In any case, I noticed that Mr. Beer ran out of Vienna Lager towards the end of October/first of November, so if I do try for a Winter batch, I'll have to be sure to lock it down early.

Eye Opener Sumatra Stout

The two drinks that I love most... in one!

Original Gravity: 1.060
Final Gravity: 1.022
Alc/Vol: 5.1%
Color: 40+ SRM
Bitterness: 29 IBU

Recipe ...

• 2 Cans Sticky Wicket Oatmeal Stout
• 1 Pouch Booster
• 8 Cooled Espresso Shots

Kegging (2009/12/10)...
There really isn't much to report here other than I loaded it into the keg on December the 10th. I stuck with the Mr.Beer instructions with one exception: I added the espresso to the keg rather than to the individual bottles. From what I've read, this should make the espresso and the beer blend a little better, and make for more of a complex flavor, or at least make it more of a fair fight between the beer and the coffee.

I am kind of giggly over the particular espresso that I used for this recipe. There's a coffee company in my home town of Athens, GA that goes by the name Jittery Joe's, and they have an espresso blend known as "Depth Charge." My folks (knowing how much I love coffee) gave me a can of it last time we all got together. As it turns out, the beans are used by two breweries in their own milk stouts. The first is Terrapin (which also happens to be a local Athens company and brewers of some fine, hoppy beers), and the second is Left Hand (not familiar with it, but it's in Longmont, CO).

Bottling (2010/01/03)...
As you would expect, it's dark and thick with a slight brown tint when you hold it up to the light. The dominant aroma is the espresso, but the roasty, stout smell is detectable as well. The taste isn't as bold as I expected, but it is complex. It starts with a roasted malty stout taste, followed by a sour taste and finishes with the coffee taste lingering into a short aftertaste. There is no alcohol bite to it, and it seems like it's heading towards being a nice smooth brew with a complex makeup. However, I am predicting that it will be a pretty slow drinker.

This batch got green stickers and went into a couple of recycled stout 6 packs (Schlafly Oatmeal Stout and Guiness), a recycled 6 pack of Budweiser American Ale (not too crazy about the previous occupant, but the bottles are pretty good) and 3 other random domestic bottles. I plan on letting this one condition 2 weeks warm, 2-3 weeks cold before opening.

Winter Dark Lager - Kegging

Just back in stock at Mr.Beer, Canadian Draft is in the keg...

Original Gravity: 1.042
Est. Alc/Vol: Approximately 4.6%
Color: 9 SRM
Bitterness: 21 IBU

Recipe ...

• 1 Can High Country Canadian Draft
• 1 Can Mellow Amber UME
• 1/2 Ounce Saaz Hops

Kegging (2009/12/10)...
My very first keg was the High Country Canadian Draft that came with my original kit. I've brewed up a couple of others since then, and I can't say that it has let me down yet. For some reason, I get a craving for this stuff just as the weather really starts to turn cold. I was crushed to find that Mr.Beer had run out of it a few weeks ago, but thankfully, the shortage is over.

I followed the Mr.Beer instructions faithfully with this keg save for the quantity of hops. The recipe actually calls for 2/3 of the pack, but rather than struggle to come up with a use for 1/6 of an ounce of hops, I just tossed it all in the keg. I did not boil the wort as I've read that the Mr.Beer malt extracts have already been boiled, and that boiling them again will hurt the final product. My guess is that my pallet wouldn't be able to tell a difference anyway, but what's done is done.

We've decided to keep the house a little warmer, so hopefully I won't have the same time issues I had with the last two kegs. I hope to let this one go for about 3 weeks before bottling.

Ol' St. Nick's Midnight Ale - Bottling

A promising Christmas brew...

Original Gravity: 1.058
Final Gravity: 1.011
Alc/Vol: 6.17%


Bottling Notes (2009/11/23) ...
Since I was already giving the Pumpkin Porter some extra time, I decided it wouldn't hurt to let this one wait as well. Also like the Pumpkin Porter, this doesn't seem to have hurt anything. It's milky brown in appearance at the moment with a few floaters but nothing like the Pumpkin Porter.

The aroma is dominated by the spices, but it's not overbearing as you still have to get your nose in the glass to really get a good whiff. The taste starts a little tangy and spicy before turning to a sour accent which turns bitter into a mild aftertaste. It feels like it will end up being pretty smooth, but of course it's unbalanced at the moment.

Judging from what it's like at the moment, it should turn out nicely. As the ABV turned out a little lower than Mr.Beer estimates, I have the same concerns about this batch that I did about the Pumpkin Porter. Thankfully, no exploding bottles 12 days into carbonation. This batch has red stickers on the tops. I'll probably let it go two weeks warm, two weeks cold, which should put me opening just before Christmas day.

Pumpkin Porter - Bottling

Try number two at pumpkin in a bottle...

Original Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.012
Alc/Vol: 4.73%


Bottling Notes (2009/11/23) ...
As I just sampled this recently and most of what I wrote then still applies, I won't bother breaking this out into individual metrics. It seems that the extra week was the right call. The appearance has only changed marginally, but the aroma and taste of the spices have definitely lessened. The grittiness seems to have been reduced as well. It's more like a pumpkin brew that I can get behind, though I probably won't be able to try the final product until nearly Christmas.

The only real concern that I have is how low the ABV came out. As I'm pretty careful to adjust for temperature, I don't think that my readings were off. It's possible that I just kept the keg too cold too long, and the yeast just didn't finish. In any case, I'm guessing that I may be looking at some over carbonated (if the yeast was still alive, but dormant until now) or under carbonated (if the yeast has actually already expired) bottles.

Thankfully, the bottles have been in the gray tote for 12 days without exploding. In a couple more, I'll load as much as will fit into the mini-fridge. This batch has blue stickers on the tops.