Beer Brewing Stories

[FishyMack]

Johnny Flash suggested that Conan the Brewbarian tell some brewing stories. Here's one:

The first time I made a fruit beer, I made an American Wheat. When I racked (siphoned) the beer to the secondary fermenting carboy, I did so on top of 14 lbs. of cherries that I had picked, at about 9pm. The next morning I went down to check it out and it was actively fermenting again! Before I could do anything, my wife said, "Let's go!" as we were taking the kids to SeaBreeze. I figured I could put on a blow off hose when we got home. Well, the day at SeaBreeze was a long one, we ate dinner, got the kids to bed, and finally I got a chance to check out my fruit beer again at 9pm, 24 hours later. The airlock on top of the carboy was still, it was plugged with cherry parts. So, I carefully wiggled the bung on top and POW! I was instantly covered in cherries and beer! Good thing it was down in the basement in the old cistern as it was summertime. If that had happened during the winter when I ferment in the kitchen, my brewing days would have been over.

[Johnny Flash]

LMFAO!!!!!!!!! Now thats funny! The lesson to be learned is dont put off till tomarrow what you know you need to do today!!!!! How's my punctuation & grammar? Hope we can expect more "tales from the cript.

[FishyMack]

Yes Johnny, Conan the Grammarian likes your post. Conan the Brewbarian has another story:

In 2007 I bought a case of Sam Adams Triple Bock. This beer was made in 1997 at 17% ABV and comes in 9 oz. cobalt blue bottles with a cork. After sharing a bottle (via sipping out of brandy glasses) with my brother I noticed that there was sediment in the bottle, meaning there was 10 year old yeast in the bottle that withstood high alcohol. I made a starter (tiny batch of beer), used it to swish out the bottle, and put the yeast and starter in an Erlenmeyer flask which I put on my home made stir plate, made from a computer fan and a hard drive magnet. After 12 hours I took it off the stir plate, put in a bung with airlock, and shouted, "It's Alive!" I proceeded to brew a big beer with concentrated maple sap as an additional ferment-able and wound up with a beer that was 12.5% ABV. A beer of that strength is known as a Barley Wine. I called it "Dr. Bockenstein's Monster". Now I repeat that process every year. Anybody want to try one?

[FishyMack]

I guess no one in the club is interested in trying this year's Dr. Bockenstein's Monster. Your loss, my gain.

[Mudd Budd]

I am a big fan of beer and would love to try one

-mike drees

[bower2]

I'd give it a whirl alan!

[FishyMack]

Well at least someone is interested, thanks guys. Actually, it will be a couple months before this year's Dr. Bockenstein's Monster is ready, it is still in the Primary. I started another beer that is going to be even BIGGER. You two guys get first tries.

[bower2]

Well at least someone is interested, thanks guys. Actually, it will be a couple months before this year's Dr. Bockenstein's Monster is ready, it is still in the Primary. I started another beer that is going to be even BIGGER. You two guys get first tries.

Really?! I'm looking forward to it! Don't forget about me haha

[FishyMack]

I finally racked Dr. Bockenstein's Gluten Free Monster to the Secondary ferment-er last week and it was 11.25% ABV. I have another beer, #243, that is at 11%. Both of these will be ready this summer (big beers take a long time to age properly).