Tag Archive: AbrewBlonde


Four Blondes and a Refrigerator (and a Seminar with a Really Long Title)

Filed Under: EVENTS, Images (What's Brewing), Notes (What's Brewing), To-Do's & Ta-Da's by ABREWCADABREW — Comments Off
11 July, 2011

I was up at the crack of dawn yesterday, prepping and bottling my latest brew, AbrewBlonde. There were a total of four versions, each five liters: 1) pitched with WLP550 Belgian Ale yeast; 2) pitched with WLP028 Edinburgh Ale yeast; 3) a 50-50% blend of 1 & 2; and 4) a 35-65% blend of 1 & 2). The average FG came in at 1010; all beers are now lagering at 10°C degrees.

This week Saturday, I’ll be at Bashamichi Taproom for “The Beverage of the Masses: The Birth and Evolution of Japan’s Beer Industry, 1870-1960” seminar. Here’s a snippet from the invite:

“This presentation, based exclusively on Japanese sources, examines the difficulties faced by Japan’s late nineteenth and twentieth century beer brewers, which ranged from geographic, scientific, and financial, to the unexpectedly comical.”

RSVP required as seating is limited! Facebook users can RSVP here; otherwise, e-mail Baird Beer or Bashamichi Taproom. The evening’s speaker will be Dr. Jeffrey Alexander, Associate Dean and Associate Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin at Parkside.

For full details, click here – and hope to see you there!

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“There ain’t no cure for the summertime booze.”

Filed Under: Images (Food & Drink), Images (Miscellaneous), Images (What's Brewing), Notes (What's Brewing), To-Do's & Ta-Da's by ABREWCADABREW — Comments Off
27 June, 2011

It’s been a week since brewing AbrewBlonde, both versions are still fermenting but should terminate soon. There was an “incident” with the Belgian batch; the yeast went berserk after a day and oozed its way out of the fermentor and into my closet! It wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been, and the beer was safe, but no more naked primary fermentations!

The Scottish (WLP028) batch has been sitting in the dark in my temperature controlled fridge. I find it utterly amazing to watch how various yeasts do the same things differently; completely contrasting ferment-sendimentations. Bottling day is tentatively set for the first week in July.

Last Saturday night I met up with a mate of mine at Bashamichi Taproom, he’d just come back from Portland, Oregon, on a beer and wine tour. Being the champion bloke and swell guy that he is, I was gifted with a limited release 22oz bottle of Ace of Spades from Hopworks Beer!

Then yesterday, I whisked over to my local Docomo shop to pick up my very first smartphone: Samsung’s Galaxy S II. I’m sure I look like a chimpanzee trying to figure the bloody thing out, but I’m definitely certainly already in love!

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AbrewBlonde

Filed Under: Beer Recipes, Brew Days, Images (What's Brewing) by ABREWCADABREW — 2 Comments
20 June, 2011

Yesterday I brewed AbrewBlonde; a Belgian Blonde Ale, the second of five Belgian ales I’m doing this summer. Boil to chill in under five hours, I was much more confident and pleased with my process this time (transitions went smoothly and without any snags). Once again all style numbers hit their mark; but best of all, instead of vexing over doing everything right, I could actually let go and enjoy myself.

What makes AbrewBlonde exciting is she’s split into two batches: one, repitched with a second strain Belgian yeast (from AOKBPA); the other, with a Scottish ale yeast. Let’s wait and see what happens! Until then – relax, don’t worry, have a homebrew!

AbrewBlonde

OG: 1.069
IBU: 25
SRM: 5.6

Malts
Weyermann Pilsner Malt: 5kg
Weyermann Wheat Malt: 230g
Melanoidin Malt: 230g
Cane Sugar: 300g
Dry Malt Extract (Light): 250g

Hops
Hallertau Mittelfruh (Bittering, 60 min.): 55.75g
Hallertau Mittelfruh (Aroma, 10 min.): 14.25g

Yeast
10L: Repitched White Labs WLP550 Belgian Ale (originally pitched in AOKBPA)
10L: White Labs WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

 Notes

· Struck at 75°C; held 60 min. at 65°C.
· Discovered my water pH is 7.0 at 25 °C.
· First runnings gravity: 1.090
· Second runnings gravity: 1.048
· Alpha acid percentages are important.
· Heat strike water sooner next time.
· Set up subsystems in advance!
· Measure out all ingredients in advance!
· Have contingency plan for interruptions during a process!
· The wife is not an interruption – at least don’t call her one!
· Need better procedure for spent grains.
· Always remember and endeavour to: stay focused, be flexible, have fun.
· Belgian batch bubbling away nicely, but had to repitch the Scottish batch with another vial of WLP028.

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