Beer Aftermath

Just got back from Switzerland, as I am moving there in half a year. Was a surprise visit, well semi-surprise. I decided at the last moment it wasn't probably the wisest thing to visit my Fiance, without giving her some heads up in case something happens. It is another country afterall.

The Sage Ale turned out well. Though it is still a sharp drink, almost akin to a cider. Not something I can drink consistently. Next beer I am going to brew will be for my old friend Beau, a typical American Pilsner. Will be my last beer before moving.

Oddly one of the good news about living in Switzerland will be that I can sell the beer without a license.

Bottling

Bottled the beer yesterday, re-tested the wort, very tasty, quite sharp though. Will see how it progresses. Decided to put the priming sugar in a bottling bucket as opposed to doeling it out piecemeal.

Now in another six weeks we will have Sage Ale, will tell you how it comes out.

So far so good

Started secondary fermintation on the Sage Ale today, tasted the wort, very, very tasty! It's a sharp beer, that's for certain, but the changes I made I think helped tone that down significantly. Can't wait to see how it ends up after bottling.

Probably will keep it in there for 2 weeks. Kept it in primary for 3 weeks. A little long, but I prefer longer processing times.

In other news, nearly finished up the prologue of a new book "The Evercharm." Working title..

Page Updates

Fixed a couple of issues with the page today, now folks should actually be able to leave comments (Foks right now = my fiance lo). Search bar actually works too now. Yay,  progress. Think this site will end up being a good repository for my brewing in the end.

Sage Ale

It has been a half of a year or more since I have brewed anything, and about 3 months since my former roommate destroyed my brewing equipment (by leaving it on the stove, and accidently leaving the stove on) and nearly the apartment. Decided I would do something relatively simple, and start with a Sage ale from "Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers," by Stephen Harrod Buhner. Anyone named Stephen can't be too bad eh?

Very good book all in all, I definately recommend it. I brew beer, both because it is a craft I enjoy, and because of the connection one makes to the past. And this book is perfect for it. Beers throughout history have been a spiritual, sacred tool. A part of me likes to believe I am carrying on that tradition .

And then there is the added plus that these are supposed to be good for you.

I altered the recipe a bit, and this is what I went with:

4 Gallons of water
3 3/4 ounces of fresh sage
2 ounces of licorice root (dried, not the powder! The powder would make a soup)
4 pounds of brown sugar (dark, light sugar gives nothing, it's like table sugar)
4 Pounds of Light Dry Malt Extract

Now the weird part:

1 Packet of Fermentis Safbrew WB 06

Went with this, because others have noticed it has helped with the sharpness of certain similiar gruit ales.

Boiled the water, added two ounces of the sage with the licorice, continued for another 30.
Added the brown sugar and the DME, boiled for another 30. Watch your wort, it will try to boil over at the ten minute mark. Just adjust the temperature down, stir, and bring it back up.

Then I let it cool, I think to about 70, before adding the rest of the sage. I am however a bit afraid that I may have pitched the yeast it in hot, will know in a few days. If so I will just re-pitch.

Testing the waters

First post, testing the layout. This will be a site dedicated to my attempts to brew various beers, my writing projects, and misc other ill advised designs.