Socratov's brewing log

[Socratov]

Anticipation
Brewer's sidebar, date 8 januari 2013

Hey there guys, Hope I haven't disappointed you witout an update last weekend, my family came over for my mom's birthday so I had little time.

Now last weekend I noticed that my brew stopped fermenting (noticed by a missing of blobs). So next weekend I'll be having fun filtering the stuff and getting to use Bentonite

I'll try to remember to take some pictures of the process of mucking about filtering the biggest parts of yeast out and adding the Bentonite. (if you really wnat that, that is, I think it's gloriously boring to see stuff running though a sieve or cloth or somesuch)

See you soon!

[Socratov]

By Thor's mighty hammer Mjollnir!
Brewer's log, date 12 december 2013

So, now I have some time I started filtrating and clarifying the second batch. As the ever faithful alcoholic I ofcourse take a sip form the brew and a sniff in the tank.

*CLUNK*

Damn. yes, that was the man with the happen visinting my head... first: the scent (and alcohol content) seems incredibly strong. Really, really strong. so after I shake off the aftereffects of what amounts to a scent driven concussion I taste it. It's slightly sweet, bit raw in dynamic but I can see this work. Honestly. I can see myself and a couple of friends get drunk on this stuff on a nice summer's eve.

So, clarification. I know I have written about it earlier, but now I have the pictures to prove it . So I start out by fishing the big bits out (if there at all). This time it's the cinnamonstick:

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You see the stick spotted with white spots, well, kids, that's the yeast. they form nice little neighbourhoods chatting away, eating sugar (or something similar) and crapping alcohol and carbondioxide. Good thing they've got huh?

Then, when the big bits are gone I try (foolhaertedly) to remove some of the yeast (what i get out now won't be a problem later right?) by running it through a cloth and sieve. This is easy: fold a square cloth double, fold it into a square again, pick 1 layer of cloth and separate it drom the rest: presto! your cloth filter is done.

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I also tried to see if it would run a bit with a double version. it work,s but extremely slow. naturally I have no patience for that kind of stuff, so I just tried, and left it there.

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It's not very effective, but it works to some extent. you can see in the stuff that's left behind:

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yeah, you definately don't want that in your glass. but fortunately with some Sorbo(r) cloths you can keep it out of there

Then...

Last time I took my time for clarification. And it took a long time. And the bottles had to be relieved of pressure every so often since the yeast kept on working. Now I'm going to be more sensible about it. I'll let the brew back into the tank with the waterlock and I'll use this stuff:

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Ayup! Good new fashioned Bentonite. Just a couple of grams in there and the mead shuold become chrystal clear. How it works exactly I have no idea, but Lucklily the internet could hep me out here. apparently fermenting mead gives the yeast and floating aprticles (that make the mead opaque) a slight positive charge. How? No bloody clue. Bentonite on the other hand is slightly negative and as such goes looking for those positive whippersnappers. They bond really well and become too heavy to float around, sinking to the bottom. presto: mead clear as skies. for now I'll let them rest for a day or 2 and then I'll try to bottle them into the next bottles I have standing at the ready.

BTW, just on a tangent, speaking of botteling, I'd like to be able to knwo which is which and as such need lables. Sadly I have no artistic talent whatwoever and I want soemthing special (something featuring odin on one label for the first batch, and Thor with or without Mjollnir om the other) to put on the bottles. So here I humbly ask any playgrounder who I am currently amusing while bumbling through the brewing process to maybe look in pity on this (not so?) hubmle brewer to make a couple of ice labels. Praise and/or cookeis will be given and should you ever find yourself near me (hit me up on facebook, I can be found in the GitP facebook) in the Netherlands let me know and we'll drink some. (and yes, you will be featured on the label in name )

[Socratov]

A Brewer's itch
Brewer's log, date 20 januari 2013.

So, this week no brewing, it almost feels like an itch I just can't scratch (seriously, guys, brewing is addictive). I'm still looking for an artist who can share some of his art with me for labels (I will post pictures, I promise!). so for now it's listening to some nice jazz, a bit of ice skating, you know, enjoying life as it goes by etc.

If you guys have any questions on brewing, I'll do my absolute best to answer it (and even quickly).

One note however, is the result my liqueuermaking: my coffee liqueuer is very smooth and sweet with a nice essence of coffee al through. It's definately a recipe worth trying to make:

(from my personal culinary bible which is, and always be until it's full a work in progress)

Coffee Liqueuer
(according to my grandma):

combine in a Literbottle:
1/2 liter 'Jonge Jenever' (but vodka or a rye spirit woudl do was well. Just make sure it's pretty much tasteless to begin with, so no gin)
250 grams of Candysugar (Dutch: 'Kandij' some dark molasses like sugar, commonly sold in rocklike pieces)
40 grams of vanilla sugar
80 coffeebeans (Mocha flavour, they need to be soft so they are good in soaking up the alcohol and releasing their taste)

so put it all in the bottle, seal it and shake it every day for about half a year until the sugar has dissovled comletely and the alcohol has taken a dark colour. then it's as good as finished, but if you really want to make a fince liqueuer prolong the making to a year.

Socratov's class for the homebrewer and homechef

Remember kids, alcohol and time have a grandiose deal. More time often means a better product and better and more rounded taste. (the deal is almost as good, if not better, as the deal cows and bugs have according to Lenny Henry in the series 'Chef!'). Patience, even though it's in short supply for me lately, is a key virtue to making booze that actually tastes good. So keep in mind that it's a great thing to keep to.

Now another good thing to use/keep/whatever you call it is some sort of recipe diary. Mine was gifted to me by my mother and grandmother and was basically an empty journal with a couple of recipies given. So everytime I find something worth remembering I write it into my journal. Food in the fron, dirnk in the back so I'll always have a written recipe to fall back on. Be sure to find a journal with a pretty appearance and motivational quotes and such. Mine is a traveling journal, and seeing how culinary exploits are often a journey onto itself I think it's rather fitting to write my recipies in it.

So that's it for today (unoless you have questions), class dismissed. until next time

[smellie_hippie]

So I just found a brewer on Craig's list who is clearing out of ALL their homebrew equipment......

WHY do I do this to myself!? Why can't I magically generate an extra $1000?

*headdesk headdesk*

[Socratov]

So I just found a brewer on Craig's list who is clearing out of ALL their homebrew equipment......

WHY do I do this to myself!? Why can't I magically generate an extra $1000?

*headdesk headdesk*

You know, it's was a fellow creator of happiness has stopped in his tracks...

*a moment for our lost brother*

[smellie_hippie]

I lament the loss of a fellow brewer... But not as much as I lament the lack of funds to snatch up his gear.

There. I just crossed brewing with RPGs and playing the "rogue"!

[Socratov]

I lament the loss of a fellow brewer... But not as much as I lament the lack of funds to snatch up his gear.

There. I just crossed brewing with RPGs and playing the "rogue"!

You conniving bastard

[Kneenibble]

Well last night I bottled my California Steam Ale. Now my equipment is free for a new project, and as I discussed with the excellent alchemist Socratov, I intend to begin a buckwheat mead. This province is rife with honey wholesalers, so it's just a matter of finding the best deal.

[smellie_hippie]

I have ordered the ingredients to brew a Sour Beer (Flander's Red). This is my first brew with sours, and it's for my son who turns 21 in December! I also called and left a message for the guy who is selling off his homebrew equipment, in the hopes that he still has the two oak barrels he had listed.

I am also going to be entering a beer into a Iron Brew beer competition! Every contestant gets the same "base build" which is essentially an American Ale. You can add one extra hop or malt, and one "secret ingredient". You also have some license in the process by which you brew (i.e. I could toast some of the grains). Looking forward to expanding my beer-izons!

[Socratov]

Well last night I bottled my California Steam Ale. Now my equipment is free for a new project, and as I discussed with the excellent alchemist Socratov, I intend to begin a buckwheat mead. This province is rife with honey wholesalers, so it's just a matter of finding the best deal.

Please keep me posted on how it's working...

I have ordered the ingredients to brew a Sour Beer (Flander's Red). This is my first brew with sours, and it's for my son who turns 21 in December! I also called and left a message for the guy who is selling off his homebrew equipment, in the hopes that he still has the two oak barrels he had listed.

cool, I hope you can get them...

I am also going to be entering a beer into a Iron Brew beer competition! Every contestant gets the same "base build" which is essentially an American Ale. You can add one extra hop or malt, and one "secret ingredient". You also have some license in the process by which you brew (i.e. I could toast some of the grains). Looking forward to expanding my beer-izons!

that's so awesome!

Well, being ill is no fun, but the silver lining is that I have due cause to taste my applemead. so it's really matured yet, but it's nice none the less. (it was a bottle that had popped before so I kept it in the fridge). it's really nice on the thraot, the alcohol is lightly inconspicious (not in your face) and the taste is quite gentle...

[smellie_hippie]

Sorry for letting this slide. Brewing takes a toll, and sometimes has lapses between sessions.

Brewing a "Milk Chocolate Stout" that I will add a pot of coffee into the secondary fermenter to make a mocha stout for a beer competition.

Other brew projects with photos coming in the next few days!

[Socratov]

Sorry for letting this slide. Brewing takes a toll, and sometimes has lapses between sessions.

Brewing a "Milk Chocolate Stout" that I will add a pot of coffee into the secondary fermenter to make a mocha stout for a beer competition.

Other brew projects with photos coming in the next few days!

I know, currently I'm busy with school, work, another kind of work (sort of a mix between school and work) and another private project. I will post pictures soon. It's not brewing related, but seriously awesome (and maybe a tutorial on woodworking will happen at some point or another). So stay tuned for the weekend when I'll gratuitous amounts of time

Anyway, Hippie: that just sounds not only cool, but veritably awesome! I indeed want pictures or it didn't happen

[Socratov]

*Dusts off thread*

So, Hippie: any luck with the Mocha stout? Please put down pictures so we can all enjoy.



On another note, I will be attempting (when the blossom is there) to make an elderflower mead. It has seemed to been done before but until now I've only added cinnamon to the brew.

On yet another note, the applemead is very delicious and an utterly good Idea. I will also be experimenting with adding more honey to the mixture before brewing to try and sweeten it up (I'm not near often enough to refridgerate to kill the yeast and boiling is a Bad Idea). I am also currently engaged in another crafting excercise: a cane! I will update the threadtitle to include other forms of crafts and soon I will upload pictures...

Project Ca(i)ne
A general guide to making that awesome piece of accessory that completes your outfit as an awesome person or audacious villain

So A couple of weeks ago my brother and I were going for a round of pool. All fun and games aside we got slightly drunk and wondered after the possibilities of making canes out of worn down (pool)cues.

Now bfore p[eople raise their eyebrows marvelling after our imaginative prowess and the making of absurd plans, I'd like to point out that in any kind of watering hole similar ideas are present, one more improbable then the other...

So a cane out of a cue. Once my brother and I woke up and remembered the idea (often the part where plans made in wateringholes go wrong) we'd set on acquiring some worn down cues.

We got to our poolhall and asked the bartender there if he had some worn down poolcues we might use for making canes. He happily supplied us with broken bridges, crosses and cues (without the headpieces). He also suggested we'd put a poolball on top of it as headpiece.

Once we had them we shortened them to fit ourselves (think hipbone length).

At school we were allowed to use the Lathes available as well as drill, bolts and other stuff we might need.

First I'll tell you how we made the balls to fit the cane and a bolt in it.

We put the ball in the lathe and centered it using the point. By cutting patiently bits and pieces out we flattened the ball and drilled ahole (seriously, lathes are awesome and so freaking useful in woodworking). With a spill we cut the inside of the hole to fit an M8 bolt. Some superglue and a piece of bolt later and we had screwable canetops. To make the balls shine we applied some polish and polished them into reflecting and carwax to make them really, really shine

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Balls without the bolts in them drilled and ready to be glued to a bolt. My brother wanted the ball to 'float' on top of the cane and thus keep it round. His canetop (or the buttend of te cue) had a dip ino it so it didn't matter for him. I on the other hand wanted the headpiece to be secure on top of the cane and thus for the cane to slightly sink into the ball (couple of millimeters). The balls are not polished yet.

Now the wood parts. After securing them in the lathe we cut the wood to size (for my brother we cut the bottom end a bit smaller to fit a cap on it) and in perfect angles. After we sanded the canes and drilled holes in the top to fit a plug for a bolt in the top so we could screw the balls on top to the canes (in any other setting this sentence would be wrong on so many levels ).

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The canes, sanded and measured, ready to be painted.

So, then my brother and I needed a bottom cap, or at least some kind of protection to stop the wood from splintering when we'd bounce out canes against the street or floor (wooden floor anyone?). For me it was easy: I'd only need to widen the bolthole in the bottom of my cane enough to make it accessible for an M10 bolt.

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The M10 bolt is glued in there with some superglue so it won't fall out.

My brother had no such lock and went back to the lath to make himself a piece to be proud of.

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A brass piece to protect the cane. Glued on there with superglue.

After making sure all the paint was sanded off we went to work on applying some new paint. With primer and black finish it now looks like this. Now it's ready to be used with a black or white tie outfit (pictures of that will follow).

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Standing, good sight on the headpiece.


Along the cane you can clearly see the paint is a rich deep black. Very chique

The only problem is, the now finished cane will not be for me, but will be a sportsmanship prize for a student's pool championship. It will at least give me an opportunity to create an abolutely flipping cap on the bottom for my own cane

Let me knwo what you guys and gals of the playground think

I'll try to remember to have someone make more pictures of me making my next cane. If you ahve any questions, ask and ye shall receive an answer.

[Jack Squat]

I wouldn't add more honey to sweeten it up - well, not at the start of the process anyways. More sugars at the beginning = higher alcohol content (unless you're like me and have been using bread yeast for mead).

You're going to want to let it ferment, then kill off the yeast by using potassium sorbate and campden tablets. After letting it sit for another day or two to make sure it's stopped, then you can add in sugar to achieve the sweetness you want.

--or you can just add in a non-fermentable sweetener like lactose or splenda

[Socratov]

Good thinking! I'll try that (or just make a heavier mead )s

[Socratov]

Good news everyone! I have tasted my first batch and the taste has improved most considerably. Soon ill brew a mead with added cherries on syrup (couldn't done cherry juice, so). It will be the last batch before I will try my hand at elderflower mead, good thing though, I found some great cheap honey (about €5 a kilo of honey) I also have this hope that my mom will get some bees to people make with honey

Anyway, still loooking for that someone to make my labels. If you feel inspired by my brewers log, please let me know.

[Karen Lynn]

I'm no artist, or I would help...

*wants to make mead now*

[smellie_hippie]

Chocolate coffee beer is a go.

Competition is in two weeks, and my brew group decided to name all of our beers after female Hollywood celebrities.

Pamela Grier's "Foxy Coffee Chocolate Brown" (stout)

I am trying to upload brewing pics into photobucket so I can post them here. Also working on a side project for my kegerator... I have four taps with a screw top. I have cut down a "hand sized branch" into 6-8 inch segments. I have a friend install a nut in the base and then sand the entire block and will stain and woodburn the base names of my different beers! Then I can exchange them easily when I have different beers on tap!
Bacon, coffee, mead, Kolsch, IPA...

What do you think?

[Karen Lynn]

That last line made me want to make Bacon Mead for some reason...

[Socratov]

Chocolate coffee beer is a go.

Competition is in two weeks, and my brew group decided to name all of our beers after female Hollywood celebrities.

Pamela Grier's "Foxy Coffee Chocolate Brown" (stout)

I am trying to upload brewing pics into photobucket so I can post them here. Also working on a side project for my kegerator... I have four taps with a screw top. I have cut down a "hand sized branch" into 6-8 inch segments. I have a friend install a nut in the base and then sand the entire block and will stain and woodburn the base names of my different beers! Then I can exchange them easily when I have different beers on tap!
Bacon, coffee, mead, Kolsch, IPA...

What do you think?

Wow. That combines both my love of woodworking and booze...

That last line made me want to make Bacon Mead for some reason...

What's keeping you? it's no rocketscience

[Karen Lynn]

Currently, severe lack of brewing knowledge and apparatii. And some more space is needed... But... I shall! In between life, work, and becoming a photographer because of the other thread.

[Socratov]

Currently, severe lack of brewing knowledge

Read ythis thread and you know most of what you need to know

and apparatii.

you can make your own. All you need is a container/tank of some sort (airtight) and a hose leading out into a bucket or bottle of water for the airlock

And some more space is needed... But... I shall! In between life, work, and becoming a photographer because of the other thread.

that's the spirit

[Socratov]

The quest for Freya's *ahem* cherry!
Brewer's log, date 14 April 2013.

so, finally able to scratch my itch I have started on a fresh batch of mead (inspired by smelliehippie), and this time the theme is cherries. (No worries, Sif's b(l)o(s)som will come when the elderflower is in full bloom ).

So the recipe is as follows:
for 4,5-5 L of mead combine:

• 1kg cherries on syrup
• 1.4 kg of honey
• appropriate dosage of yeast food
• appropriate dosage of yeast
• water

Now to make it, it's a lot like a regular mead with the distinctinction of heating up the cherries in syrup, add the honey (without boiling just warm water, around 60C), add the yeast food, prepare the yeast in another container (this time I used champagne yeast to give it a slight tinge), cool the mixture (add cold water to reach the preferred volume, when mixture is cool enough (30C) add the yeast and set it to brew in a ventilated space at room temperature.

Oh, and before I forget,

DON'T FORGET TO CLEAN THE BLEEPING BREWING EQUIPMENT!

A photo of how the mixture looks:

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the mixture (before fermenting) tastes like sweet, oh so sweet cherries, and quite nice. I have a feeling this will ge a glorious mead

[Asta Kask]

You might think I'm crazy but brewing is quite a spiritual process and in teh tradiotion of monks and vikings who brewed a thousand years ago, I have tried to grow a beard in a week. This is a very important step in teh brewing process. Why I don't know, but it's extremely vital for a good brewing!

Brewing has gone on since the beginning of civilization some 10 000 years ago. There are even those who believe that brewing sparked civilization.

[Socratov]

Brewing has gone on since the beginning of civilization some 10 000 years ago. There are even those who believe that brewing sparked civilization.

ghehm nicem one, but still, brewing-> alcohol->pubs (or wateringholes)-> frienship-> civilization

seems logical to me

[Socratov]

A timid party
Brewer's log, 21 April 2013

So, the mead is not axactly bubbling away. shaking helps, but not for long. I may have added too much honey (or seetness anyway), and too little yeast nutrient. Lesson learned (I really should pick up a sugar content measurer).

[smellie_hippie]

Haven't posted here in a little while (and still can't find a happy way to add pictures off my iphone ).

My beer took second place in the "media choice" category at the brew festival last weekend. I was grateful to the people standing nearby to help me recognize that they had called my beer, since I was pretty warm and the crowd noise was kinda loud.

I have prepped two tap handles for wood-burning, and borrowed my wife's calligraphy book to sketch out the lettering on the handles. I figured it should be fine to just burn right across the graphite.

Next brew projects...

I am making a second batch of Northern Brewer's "Honey Kolsch", because it was one of my wife's favorites! (important brewer's tip #2... brew stuff your spouse likes...) I will also be making a batch of IPA, but I am not certain if I want to tweak it a little. I also hope that both of these will be ready by the Trogland meet-up.

I only have a small amount of the winning beer left (Pamela Grier's Foxy Coffee Chocolate Brown) so I will be pulling that into bottles and placing them aside for special occasions.

That's all for now!

edit: @V Photobucket. Working on it...

[Socratov]

Haven't posted here in a little while (and still can't find a happy way to add pictures off my iphone ).

My beer took second place in the "media choice" category at the brew festival last weekend. I was grateful to the people standing nearby to help me recognize that they had called my beer, since I was pretty warm and the crowd noise was kinda loud.

I have prepped two tap handles for wood-burning, and borrowed my wife's calligraphy book to sketch out the lettering on the handles. I figured it should be fine to just burn right across the graphite.

Next brew projects...

I am making a second batch of Northern Brewer's "Honey Kolsch", because it was one of my wife's favorites! (important brewer's tip #2... brew stuff your spouse likes...) I will also be making a batch of IPA, but I am not certain if I want to tweak it a little. I also hope that both of these will be ready by the Trogland meet-up.

I only have a small amount of the winning beer left (Pamela Grier's Foxy Coffee Chocolate Brown) so I will be pulling that into bottles and placing them aside for special occasions.

That's all for now!

Congratulations! 2nd place is nothing to scoff at.

As for photos, I know certain photobucket apps exist, maybe that will work...

[Socratov]

*POP* Said the cherry
Brewer's log, date 8 may 2013

So, I got home at my parents' (where my set-up is) and found a completely fermented through and through batch of mead. Now from my earlier photo's you can see that the cherries I had thrown in were really dark red, when they got out the cherries were as bleak as vampires.

the cherries, before and after

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before:



After:

Notice the difference? Well, that color went into the brew completely resulting in a dark crimson mead. I bottled it now (after a couple of hours filtering with Bentonite) and when I drink it (in a few months time I hope) I will show you what it looks like in the glass

anyway, last weekend a second thing happened: My grandparents came by celebrating my dad's and my little brother's birthdays. So My grandma sort of stopped drinking a while ago, but when I told her about my latest hobby she wasn't against sampling some. One bottle later my borhter and I had had a glass or 2 with out head reeling (this stuff goes straight to the head) and my grandma was slightly giggling and rosy in the cheeks. Safe to say, she liked my brew

and that was only my least successful batch (first try at brewing). Needless to say I felt really proud.

so if anyone has any questions (do people actually still read this? ) do post here. It will be my pleasure to answer

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

I read, not really any questions though, other than: I WISH I COULD DO THIS THING.

I've never actually tried mead though, so I'd imagine trying some mead to figure out if I like it would be a first step...