Batch No. 18: [To Be Named] Stout

Formula: Shillelagh Stout Recipe: 1 can St. Patricks Irish Stout HME, 1 can Creamy Brown UME, 1 packet Northern Brewer pellet hops, Safale-04 English yeast
Brew Date: September 17, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: October 8ish, 2011
conditioning time: 6 weeks
Open Date: November 19, 2011

Brewing process:
- Bring approx 4 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat.
- Stir HME and UME into mixture
- Pour wort into keg. Bring the volume of the keg to the 8.5-quart mark by adding more cold water
- Add Pellet hops, stir vigorously to mix well
- Add yeast

Batch No. 17: It's The Great Pumpkin Porter

Formula: Pumpkin Porter: West Coast Pale Ale HME, 1 can Creamy Brown UME, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 can cooked pumpkin puree, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Brew Date: August 7, 2011
ferment time: 28 days
Bottle Date: September 4, 2011
conditioning time: 6 weeks
Open Date: October 16, 2011

Brewing process:
- Bring approx 4 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat.
- Add 1/2 cups of brown sugar, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg. Stir to mix well.
- Stir HME and UME into mixture
- Pour wort into keg. Bring the volume of the keg to the 8.5-quart mark by adding more cold water
- Add pumpkin puree, stir vigorously to mix well
- Add yeast

Some temperature issues in the fermenting process; Tried to keep the batch in a cooler with frozen water bottles for the most part. It stayed between 72-26 degrees, for the most part, although at times was down to the lower 60s. The constant temperature fluctation is bad, but a necessary evil of summertime brewing.

Of course, fall brews have to be done in the summertime, so I'm going to have to figure that out. Having two batches going (Bullseye and this) simultaneously meant only one could be in the cooler at a time. I'm going to have to time the fall/winter batches so that doesn't happen again.

Fortunately, after this weekend, it's supposed to cool down, so I should be able to have multiple batches going.

9/2 Update: Put the keg in the fridge to cold-crash before bottling. Tasted a sample. It was full of pumpkin trub, even though the keg has been tilted to the back in the cooler the entire time. Bottling is going to be tough, I think.
It tasted . . . strong. We'll see.

Might be another give-away-er.

Don't know if I'm going to brew double mellow next or start the christmas brew . . .

Batch No. 16: "Bullseye" English Ale

Formula: Bullseye Ale: West Coast Pale Ale HME, 1 can Mellow Amber UME, 1/2 lb Amber, DME, Fuggle Pellet Hops, Booster, Safeale-04 Yeast
Brew Date: July 30, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: Aug 20, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: September 17, 2011

Brewing process:
- Dissolved a pouch of Booster in about 8 cups water
- Brought almost to a boil, added 1/2 lb Amber DME
- dissolved all and brought it to foam over
- removed from heat, added WCPA HME and Mellow Amber UME
- added to cold water in keg, topped off to 8.5 Q with cold water and pitched 11.5 grams Safeale 04 British Ale yeast

Another--wait for it--attempt at an English ale.
This is, I think, the last of the various combinations of Hopped Malt Extract that are appropriate for an English ale. (I've used Englishman's Nut Brown Ale, Bewitched Red Ale, and now West Coast Pale Ale.)
This one is combined with the Mellow Amber unhopped malt, which I liked so much in the Anglers' Rest ales. It should be okay. I threw in a half pound of my Amber DME at the last minute, to just give it a little more body.

This is supposed to be a good English "session" beer; I think it will be about the same as Anglers' Rest. Maybe I'll like it a little better, maybe a little less.

Batch No. 15: Semi-Pro Pilsner

Formula: First Pitch Pilsner recipe: 1 Can High Country Canadian Draft HME, 1 Can Pale Export UME, Booster, Sterling Pellet Hops
Brew Date: May 28, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: June 18, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: July 16, 2011
Yet another American-style brew for Dennis the Baseball Coach. The name "First Pitch Pilsner" gives some indication: it's a good brew for a summer's day watching a ballgame.

A note on the name: As referenced earlier (Frank Truck Beer), my co-baseball coach Dennis played semi-pro ball. A very funny guy, Dennis frequently drops into conversation 'I played semi-pro.' Which he always followed up with a (quite funny) tag line.

We've come to be a bit like an old vaudeville cross-talk comedy act, and so more frequently than not, I am now the one who will drop into conversation, 'You know, Dennis used to play semi-pro,' to which Dennis will immediately follow up with his traditional line, 'I don't like to talk about it.'

Batch No. 14: Wicked Monk

Yes, that is Rasputin. He was the most wicked monk I could think of.
Formula: Wicked Monk recipe: 2x Witty Monk Witbier HME, 1 can Pale Export UME, Saaz Pellet Hops
Brew Date: May 6, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: May 27, 2011
conditioning time: 5 weeks
Open Date: July 1, 2011
This is a stronger version of the Witty Monk witbier to which I added honey to make the Drones Club beer for my third batch.

This is supposed to be a pretty amazing Belgian white beer. The reviews on the Mr. Beer site give it 5 stars, and several people have said it's the best brew they've made. With all of those ingredients (3 cans of malt extract), I'm giving it an extra week (5 weeks total) of conditioning. It should be ready to try in about a month.
I'm curiously excited.

I'm also working on a neat label, playing on the 'wicked monk' theme.

Batch No. 13: Frank Truck (American) Beer

Formula: American Premium Lager recipe: West Coast Pale Ale HME, Booster, Centennial Pellet Hops
Brew Date: April 9, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: April 30, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: May 28, 2011
Another shot at a good, light, summertime American beer. Again, for my co-baseball coach and friend Dennis.

This is just the classic American lager; think Budweiser. We'll see.

Name note: Dennis played semi-pro ball (he doesn't like to talk about it*), and one of his teammates may or may not have been a guy named Frank Truck. I'm not entirely sure of the back story, but - again, on fishing/drinking trips with his brothers - "Frank Truck" has turned into a catch-all expression.

If you catch the biggest fish? That's Frank Truck.
If you get your lure caught in a tree and you're attacked by a dogmonkey? That is also Frank Truck.

Superlative forms include "Francis Ford Truckula".

* More about semi-pro coming with Batch #15

Batch No. 12: Cervesa Cinco de Mayo

Formula: Cervesa Cinco de Mayo recipe: American Blonde Ale HME, Booster, Sterling pellet Hops
Brew Date: March 12, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: April 2, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: April 30, 2011

Another try at a summer beer. I was looking for something like Corona; something to put a lime into and enjoy on a hot summer's day. This is supposedly more like Dos XX than Corona. We'll see.

Batch No. 11: Skip's Dogmonkey Reserve

Formula: Classic American Blonde + 1 lb Amber DME
Brew Date: February 26, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: March 19, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: April 16, 2011
Original Gravity:: 1.036

Brewing process:
- Brought 8 cups water almost to a boil, added 1 lb Amber DME
- dissolved all and brought it to foam over
- reduced heat, boiled for 10 minutes
- at flameout, added 1 can Classic American Blonde HME
- added to cold water in keg, topped off to 8.5 Q with cold water and pitched 2 packets of standard Mr Beer yeast

Trying to brew a classic American beer (think Bud/Miller) for Dennis, my co-baseball coach. This batch should be ready around the start of baseball season.

The name is inspired by Dennis: He and his brothers take an annual fishing trip to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. There are equal parts fishing and beer drinking. At one point, his brother cast his lure into a tree, and rather than give up a $3 lure, he elected to climb the tree. Drunk. At night.

He came screaming back down the tree, convinced that he had seen some kind of crazy beast up there. "It had the face of a dog, but some kind of body like a monkey!"

Since then, any unidentified or unidentifiable beast has been called a "dogmonkey".

Batch No. 10: Anglers' Rest, take 2

I can't find the image of the label for batch #10. It looks just like this, except it says "Batch No. 10" on it.
Formula: English Nut Brown Ale HME + 1 lb Amber DME, Mellow Amber UME: Safeale 04 British Ale yeast
Brew Date: February 13, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: March 6, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: April 3, 2011
Original Gravity:: 1.060

Brewing process:
- Brought 8 cups water almost to a boil, added 1 lb Amber DME
- dissolved all and brought it to foam over
- reduced heat, boiled for 10 minutes
- added Mellow Amber UME for additional 5 mins of boil
- at flameout, added 1 can English Nut Brown Ale HME
- added to cold water in keg, topped off to 8.5 Q with cold water and pitched 11.5 grams Safeale 04 British Ale yeast

Notes: Highest original gravity ever. This could be a big beer

Batch No. 9: Mulliner's Buck-U-Uppo

Formula: Bewitched Red Ale HME + 1 lb Amber DME, Creamy Brown UME, 1/2 oz Fuggle Hops: Safeale 04 British Ale yeast
Brew Date: February 8, 2011
ferment time: 19 days
Bottle Date: February 27, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: March 27, 2011
Original Gravity:: 1.050

Brewing process:
- Brought 8 cups water almost to a boil, added 1 lb Amber DME
- dissolved all and brought it to foam over
- reduced heat, added 1/2 oz Fuggle hops for 25 minute boil
- added Creamy Brown UME for last 10 mins of boil
- at flameout, added 1 can Bewitched Red Ale HME
- added to cold water in keg, topped off to 8.5 Q with cold water and pitched 11.5 grams Safeale 04 British Ale yeast

Batch No. 8: Empress of Blandings Best Bitter (v2)

(Yes, I am re-using this label design. Before starting this project, I knew I wanted to come up with a few different "regular" batches, and use the same label for them, each time. I will never again make just the plain ENB ale (the beer that used this label originally, so I re-used the design for something that hopefully will be made again. It was too good a design to never use again.)

Formula: Bewitched Red Ale HME + 1 lb Amber DME, Mellow Amber UME, 1/2 oz Fuggle Hops: Safeale 04 British Ale yeast
Brew Date: January 30, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: February 20, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: March 20, 2011
Original Gravity:: 1.052

Brewing process:
- Brought 8 cups water almost to a boil, added 1 lb Amber DME
- dissolved all and brought it to foam over
- reduced heat, added 1/2 oz Fuggle hops for 25 minute boil
- added Mellow Amber UME for last 10 mins of boil
- at flameout, added 1 can Bewitched Red Ale HME
- added to cold water in keg, topped off to 8.5 Q with cold water and pitched Safeale 04 British Ale yeast*

* This is my first batch without using standard Mr Beer yeast

Batch No. 7: Midlands Mild Ale

Formula: Midlands Mild recipe: Bewitched Red Ale HME + 1 lb Amber DME, 1/2 oz Fuggle Hops, 1/4 Cup Molasses
Brew Date: January 22, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: February 12, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: March 12, 2011
Original Gravity:: 1.046

Brewing process:
- Brought 8 cups water almost to a boil, added 1 lb Amber DME
- dissolved all and brought it to foam over
- reduced heat, added 1/2 oz Fuggle hops for 20 minute boil
- removed Fuggles and added 1/4 cup molasses at flameout
- added 1 can Bewitched Red Ale HME
- added to cold water in keg, topped off to 8.5 Q with cold water and pitched yeast

* Serious temperature problems for the kegs. Up around 80 due to heating pad. Raised kegs off of the pad, but still high, so turned the heating pad off.
Worried about this batch and Victorian Bitter (previous batch).

Update: 13 February
Bottled today. The draw for the hydrometer was very cloudy, but I think it cleared up as the bottling went along.
A brighter, clearer beer. I don't think it's going to be "the one", but it should be a lighter, less dense beer in a month's time.

Batch No. 6: English Victorian Bitter

Formula: Victorian Bitter recipe: Golden Lager HME, Mellow Amber UME, Palisade Hops
Brew Date: January 8, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: January 30, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: February 26, 2011
Another attempt at the English Ale. I think this is going to be more of an ESB, or extra-special bitter, and not nearly as creamy or malty as I was hoping. But we'll see.

Update: 24 January
Had some pretty severe temperature issues for the first two weeks of fermenting (very cold basement and then too-hot heating pad.)
The fermenter was very cloudy 13 days in. It's since settled a bit, but it tastes nasty. Theoretically, after 15 days the brew should be ready to bottle, and it's . . . Not.
Very concerned, but I'll let it go a few more days, then cold-crash and bottle.
If it still seems wonky, I may only bottle half the batch. No point wasting bottles.

Update: 29 January
On some sage advice, I'm going to rack the Victorian Bitter to a secondary (slimline) today and pop it in the fridge for a few days. That should settle it out a bit and hopefully clean things up.
That way I can have an empty keg to brew this weekend, and then I can bottle that batch (batch-prime!) mid-week.
I still may only bottle half the batch. I can save my bottles . . .

Update: 30 January
Bottled a dozen bottles today. Final taste was . . . not bad. I don't think it's going to be my final English pub ale, but it'll be fine. It'll be beer.

Batch No. 5: McCullough Extra Stout

Formula: St. Patrick's Stout + Creamy Brown UME
Brew Date: December 26, 2010
ferment time: 20 days
Bottle Date: January 15, 2011
conditioning time: 6 weeks
Open Date: February 26, 2011

Starting to think ahead seasonally, I brewed up a St. Patrick's Day Irish stout at the end of December to give it time to mature before March 17.
Named it after my maternal Irish family.

Batch No. 4: Manhooset Golf Club Ale

Formula: English Nut Brown Ale HME+Creamy Brown UME+Goldings Hops
Brew Date: December 16, 2010
ferment time: 18 days
Bottle Date: January 3, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: January 31, 2011
Rating: 6

Another variant of the English pub ale. This time Creamy Brown instead of Mellow Amber, and Goldings instead of Fuggles.

Update: 31 January 2011
Had a preview taste of this over the weekend. It's almost identical to the "Anglers' Rest" - English Nut-Brown Ale, but with the Creamy Brown unhopped malt extract, rather than Mellow Amber. I was hoping that this would be, you know, creamier, but it came out about the same mouthfeel, but not quite as good as a flavor.
I don't know if that is due to the Creamy Brown, or due to the Goldings hops instead of Fuggles, or due to it being slightly young.