Let's Talk BBQ
Spriited Discussions => SPIRITED DISCUSSIONS => Topic started by: akruckus on November 17, 2015, 01:07:29 PM
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A couple Christmas' ago my now Mother-in-law bought be a beer making kit. It was only a 1 gallon kit to see if I liked it and it came with a holiday beer kit. Since it took a month to brew I saved it for the following Christmas and made it. Huge success, the company the kit was from has since stopped selling the holiday ale in 1 gallon kits, and my local home brew place only sells 5 gallon kits, so in my search to make some beer for when we have everyone over for hosting Christmas Day. I found Festivus Miracle, and being a Seinfeld fan I had to get it and make it.
The first kit I used was all grains and there were a ton of steps to do and was better if you had an extra set of hands. This kit was a malt extract, much much easier if anyone plans on trying to brew beer without an extra set of hands. Boil for 45 minutes, cool, put into fermentor with some yeast and wait 2 weeks before bottling. I boiled the wort (unfermented beer) on Saturday, and in 10-14 days it will be ready to bottle when my Brother-in-Law comes into town for Thanksgiving. He will help me bottle the 8-12 12oz bottles you get from a gallon.
I did end up getting a 5 gallon kit because of how easy the extract kits are to make, and that way I can make beers for special occasions (brother-in-law's wedding) or even some to perfectly pair with any BBQ I plan on cooking for when we have people over.
Box it came in:
(http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o742/ajk5000/Festivus%20Miracle_zpsemqsjpon.jpg)
Wort boiling away
(http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o742/ajk5000/Festivus%20boil%202015_zpsacigo5hg.jpg)
Fermenting:
(http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o742/ajk5000/Festivus%20ferment%202015_zpsh5xsxk8d.jpg)
I will post more pictures of the bottling process, and around Christmas time I will post a pour cold glass of the Festivus Miracle Holiday Ale
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Very cool!
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Nice AK!!! I had fun years ago when I bought a 5 gallon kit. It came with 3 different styles of beer and had the malt extract to do 3 cases. It was pretty good but decided the way I like beer I can't make it fast enough! :D Hope yours turns out good! Don
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Nice AK!!! I had fun years ago when I bought a 5 gallon kit. It came with 3 different styles of beer and had the malt extract to do 3 cases. It was pretty good but decided the way I like beer I can't make it fast enough! :D Hope yours turns out good! Don
Ditto here, I could make it fast enough. Kudos to AK for his patience.
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Jealous!
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Awsome! I used to make 10 gallon all grain batches, man that was fun. Maybe when I retire I will start brewing again.
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That's very cool, AK! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures.
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That is really cool. I have already turned down a neighbor's attempt to sell me his home brewing setup several years ago. I don't need any more hobbies (according to my wife). I have had some fabulous home brews over the years.
Art
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Nice AK!!! I had fun years ago when I bought a 5 gallon kit. It came with 3 different styles of beer and had the malt extract to do 3 cases. It was pretty good but decided the way I like beer I can't make it fast enough! :D Hope yours turns out good! Don
Ditto here, I could make it fast enough. Kudos to AK for his patience.
I grew up with Friday night dinner with wine, so I only drink beer on Thursdays and Sundays, as Saturday night is date night with the wife. Date night is mostly candle lit dinner at home with a couple bottles of wine. It takes me at least a month to go through a case of beer, if not longer! 15 hour work days don't lend to after work beer, just shower and sleep!
Awsome! I used to make 10 gallon all grain batches, man that was fun. Maybe when I retire I will start brewing again.
I hope you had someone helping you with that! I am looking forward to making my 5 gallon batches after the holiday season when I get a little time off.
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LIKE!
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UPDATE:
Festivus Miracle is in bottles carbonating. It will be ready in less than 2 weeks.
My brother in law wanted to see the process from the start so we made a second batch. This batch was a copy of the White House Honey Ale, it looks like it will be slightly lighter than the Festivus Miracle Holiday Ale.
Steeping the grains to create wort (unfermented beer)
(http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o742/ajk5000/IMG_0114_zpsssp8w68f.jpg) (http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/ajk5000/media/IMG_0114_zpsssp8w68f.jpg.html)
Let the fermentation begin!
(http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o742/ajk5000/IMG_0115_zpsal96tzii.jpg) (http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/ajk5000/media/IMG_0115_zpsal96tzii.jpg.html)
After 2 weeks this will be ready to bottle and I will be able to offer two types of beer to our family coming over for Christmas.
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nice . enjoy
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Home brew kits have come a long way now.
Better than the stuff in the burlap sack
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Nice!
I've been homebrewing for over 30 years. Started brewing as a way to save money, then moved up into the high quality region. Many years ago thought about going to brewmaster school in Scotland, but didn't because of responsibilities. Looking back, the timing was perfect as it was before the craftbrewing took off here. I still brew but not as often as I'd like, hard finding the time!
Good luck in your adventures!
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Final product is pretty good. First taste was after a crazy day at work and nothing tasted right. The beer tasted almost skunked, however tasting it Christmas morning it was pretty good. Not as good as the Holiday Ale I brewed last year but good enough that everyone enjoyed it.
The White House Honey Ale needs a few more weeks. Most of the reviews said it didn't taste good after the first two weeks but after another 2-4 weeks the yeast developed a great flavor so trying the last one is delayed.
(http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o742/ajk5000/ALEX-PC/IMG_0172_zpsxfp6lkh4.jpg)
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Cheers - keep brewing and posting!