Hop Harvest 2009

I did considerably better this year than last, about quadrupling (eyball estimate) last year's output of Cascades and Nuggets, and a fairly decent first year for the Willies. I've got a double IPA conditioning and am going to run it through a Randall; my only question at this point is do I use the year-old Cascades that I bought in bulk or go with the homegrown?

Quick Hops Update

Looks like the Cascades will be ready to come down this weekend. Just judging by a quick visual, I'd say I'll have wuadrupled last year's crop. I'll likely give the Nuggets and Willamettes a little more time unless the look as ready as the Cascades. Hard to tell as the Cascades are a bit hardier and seem to engulf everything else.

Double IPA Part 2

After 19 days in my conical and the gravity not about to drop any lower than 1.020, I finally decided that it was time to move the beer. I tried numerous times to rouse the yeast to keep the fermentation going, but there just wasn't anything left in it, I guess. I was using 2 old sachets of Safale US56, and the fermentation took off like a rocket, but just couldn't finish the deal. Attenuation at older age may be a drawback of this yeast.

At any rate, 5 gallons into the carboy, and 2 ounces of 6.6% AA whole Cascade hops to dry hop. Based on the dry hopping experience I've had in the past, about 5 days should do it, then I'll transfer to a keg for conditioning.

The whirlpooling I've been doing prior to chilling has has a profound effect on the clarity of thebeer. Most of the samples I've been drawing have been crystal clear within about 5 minutes of decanting, and after transfering twice and conditioning, this beer should brighten up nicely.

I finally worked my way through Barry's selection of German beers for

me, and I've got one thing to say to him: THANK YOU! I saved the Andechser Dunkel for last, although there were plenty of the good ones along the way. The Schlenkerla Rauschbier was a smoked malt delight. Lots of alder smoke, great maltiness, well carbonated and not overly bacon-y, as some smoked beers can be. The Dunkel was amazing, with a great head and clarity more likely found in a filtered wheat. Still had a bit of the banana and clove you'd expect from a German weiss, but a bit of malt in there as well.

Since my wife was downtown at the Playboy Brunch with our friend Patrick, I figured I'd use the afternoon (after moving box upon box of old papers) to hit the brewery tour at Two Brothers in Warrenville. They've been in their new facility just about a year now and brew mainly farmhouse and bier de garde style beers, but they also have some other styles that are killer: Red Eye Porter made with coffee from Intelligentsia Coffee; Hop Juice, a killer imperial/double IPA; Dog Days Dortmunder and recently Moaten, an oaked Flemish Red, which is a collaboration with Urthel Brewery in Belgium. It is a great beer for those who like sour beer.