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Creemore Springs Kellerbier
This lager has a tang to it, almost like oranges. It has a cloudy appreance with light bubbles. Along with a strong hops flavour that gives it a spicy taste. It looks like apple juice with bubbles, well having a clean and refreshing taste. The spice does not over power the flavour. This is a refreshing beer. Nice head when poured that subsides quickly. There is a slightly syrupry feel to to it. The sweetness balances the spice nicely. The sweetness fades leaving the spicy flavours to your enjoyment.
I’m not sure if this is a light coloured beer or a high hoped beer. I suspect that it would qualify as either one.
EastDell Estates Black Cab Cabernet, Baco Noir
Aroma of cherry. Deep red colour. It is well bodied (falls back down side of glass nicely). This wine Tastes like a smoky Cherry with a touch of spice. This wine lingers on the tongue, leaving a coated feeling inside my mouth. There is a sweetness to this wine, it is not too dry. There is just a hint of bitterness to it.
Newcastle Brown Ale
There is a subtle smell of malt and yeast to this beer with a fair amount of bubbles. It tastes like a nutty caramel with a hint of molasses. In the glass it has a reddish colour. It starts with a nice head that dissipates fairly quickly. There is a sweetness to it that helps it finish and balances the beer out nicely. I get a hint of spice as it finishes.
Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio
This wine smells like white grapes according to my wife. I found it had a hint of fruit. It was very difficult to smell much. The taste of this wine is sweet with a slight bitterness to it. There is a lime flavor to this white wine that took me a few minutes to figure out. The aroma and flavour I find to be subtle, especially when compared to beer and red wine. It is very close to a sour taste, like green apple.
Show Mead (made by me)
The mead has a light straw colour. It carries a faint aroma of flowers under the strong honey smell. There is a slightly sharp taste to it, due perhaps to the slight carbonation, but more likely an indication of its youth. The honey is just beginning to come through as separate flavours. This mead needs to age longer.
- Brew at least six brews including at minimum one beer and one mead or wine. Submit detailed recipes and your comments on the final product. If you have been brewing prior to starting the study program and did not keep notes, please list brews you have done and the best that you can remember about them. At minimum three of these brews must begin with prayers to one of the Kindreds. Write an essay describing your experiences. If you have previously brewed without beginning with prayers, discuss any differences you noted. If you are a beginning brewer, you may brew one more beverages without beginning with prayers to discuss any differences you note. (300-500 words)
Brewing is an interesting experience, a magical working. As brewers we take common ingredients, mix them together and add yeast and then magic happens. The yeast transmutes it all to a wondrous, intoxicating liquid. Magic. Or at least it was to our ancestors. We understand now that it is a process that can be, and is, studied and understood. Yet at some point we all feel that magic we are participating in through our work as brewers.
An old friend convinced me to begin making mead about 5 years ago. His argument was that a basement like mine is wasted if the owner is not brewing so it can be stored there. Eventually I gave in to the pressure and bought the needed equipment to begin. Since then I have continued to brew and expand my brewing equipment and experiences, adding kit beers and kit wines to my experience this year.
I started out, partly, viewing it as a way of connecting with my ancestors through a craft that they had likely participated in. I did not tend to include prayer or other such activities with my brewing. Over time, and partly through this study program, I have expanded that view to include the Gods and, to a lesser extent thus far, the Nature Spirits. I have also started to include prayers and offerings to accompany each brew. This has contributed to an expanding of my personal spirituality that is ongoing. There seems to be something slightly different to the brews that include the Kindreds, usually through prayers. Sometimes it is a faster ferment, sometimes it is an unidentifiable quality that comes through in the final product, noticeable but the describing of which is just out of reach. This expanding of my experience has contributed to a deepening of my spirituality. It has led me to explore different areas, such as the possible role of Demeter in beer. She’s the goddess of grain, so it would seem to fit, even though there isn’t much or really any, evidence for it…at least I haven’t found any yet. She certainly seems to respond to my prayers during the brewing process. It has also led to the beginnings of a relationship with Dionysus as, within Hellenic beliefs, he is the God of Wine. This is a relationship I would not have looked at without my brewing activities. We shall see where it goes and if it begins to move outside my brewing activities.
Brews
Beer Brewed
November 17 2012
Morgan’s Golden Saaz pilsner beer kit was used as this is my first beer.
Ensure all equipment is sanitized
Add contents of Can (malt and hops pre boiled) to 1 gallon hot water and 1kg sugar. The water is not to be over 75 degrees centigrade. Stir to fully dissolve. Once must is around 25 degrees add yeast and stir for 30 seconds. This kit uses a packet of Morgan’s Lager Yeast.
These steps went well. We will see how the brewing goes. This kit claims that it should be done in a week or so. I had to turn up the house temperature to suit the beer.
Opening gravity is 1040-1045. Bubbles made it difficult to be exact, but it is in the correct span as marked on my hydrometer for beer. However, it is done when it reaches 1005 according to the directions. I am tempted to add more sugar so as to get a higher alcohol but I will save that experiment for the later.
Now to offer Dionysus his incense as promised in my prayer. I wanted to get this down first so it actually got done before I was guessing on what I did.
I used Oxysan as my sanitizer.
November 28 - gravity reading is 1020
-this much slower than the directions indicate it should be. I suspect that the yeast is old and having trouble. Other cause of the problem could be the cold floor.
Dec 2 Gravity 1010
Dec 7 gravity 1010. Added 1 teaspoon yeast energizer and 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient. Bubbles started rising immediately and foam began to form as I closed the lid up.
Dec 12
Gravity has not moved. Still 1010 or just below. Stirred to get the lees off the bottom, hopefully this will spark fermentation again. Also moved bucket close to heat vent.
Dec 26
Racked to secondary. Gravity still needs to drop a bit. As a lager, this beer could stand a bit of aging, so I will leave it a bit.
Thurs jan 10 2013
Boiled ¾ cup sugar in 2.75 (roughly) water. Racked beer onto this, then bottled. Tastes good, will see how it works out.
Strawberry Zinfindal kit by Fontana’s
Started November 24
Oxysan used to sanitize everything.
Emptied juice bag into primary fermenter
Blended provided Bentonite with hot water as per instructions, added to juice
Top with water
Placed aside for temp to normalize
ECC1118 yeast will be added when must is room temperature
- Added 11:00 that night
Prayers to Dionysus as god of wine made when I added the yeast to the must. Following morning I offered him incense in thanks.
SG 1070 - took morning after pitch of yeast so might be off due to bubbles
November 28 - gravity is 1040. Added 1 tbsp yeast nutrient. Observed lots of tiny bubbles rising, so things are good.
Dec 1 gravity 1000
Dec 7 gravity is under 1000. Added potassium metabisulphate as per directions in box. 1/2 cup warm water and the P.M. added to it and stirred. Stirred for degassing and to mix the solution in.
Dec 12
Added 2nd packet of sulphate. Stirred, degassing not finished. Will stir again tonight and then on Thursday.
Dec 20
Racked onto fruit pak.
Gravity 1010
Dec 28
SG still 1010. Bottled. The flavours needed to mixed together better. Perhaps another racking would have helped. However, the wife, whose xmas present this is, is very happy with the results. That makes this successful I feel.
June 16 2013
Tasting of various bottles since Yule time, when it was bottled, has shown that the taste is mixing as it sits and the flavour is improving with time.
JAO
4lbs Winn Dixie Orange Blossom Honey.
1 tangerine cut into segments
1 packet k1-v116 yeast instead of Fleishman's bread yeast
Started Sept 2 2012
placed under kitchen sink
Shaked well, but honey still separated from rest of ingredients
Said a short prayer to Dionysus during the mixing of ingredients. also the spirits and ancestors, but main focus was Dionysus. that this brew be pleasing to the drinkers.
nov 23
racked - it had cleared fairly well
Dec 20 racked to clean carboy and bottled. it tastes fantastic. one of the best meads I have made
June 16 2013
This mead took third place at the Three Rivers mead making competition, which was a popularity contest rather than a true mead judging.
4lbs Winn Dixie Orange Blossom Honey.
1 packet k1-v116 yeast instead of Fleishman's bread yeast
1 tangerine
Started Sept 4 2012
placed under kitchen sink
Shaked well, but honey still separated from rest of ingredients
Said a short prayer to Dionysus during the mixing of ingredients. also the spirits and ancestors, but main focus was Dionysus. that this brew be pleasing to the drinkers.
used two vanilla beans instead of clove
nov 23
racked
Dec 27
racked, placed aside so till it clears.
May 20 2013
This has cleared only about ¾ so far. I have decided to leave to finish clearing and bulk age a bit.
based on this recipe. http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?option=com_rapidrecipe&page=viewrecipe&recipe_id=10&Itemid=459
started sept 2 2012
13.1lbs dark honey
6 lbs wild, very ripe Blueberries (freeze these) - 5 600 gram bags Dole frozen blueberries
1/2 a small lemon, smushed. added rest of juice as I had no use for 1/2 a lemon
1 cup of good chamomile tea (was a large tea mug)
4 litres of Water
k1-v1116 yeast
4 teaspoons yeast nutrient
4 teaspoons yeast energizer
3 teaspoons pectin enzyeme
stir well
-will top off the water after the foaming dies down
-that is a lot of blueberries in the primary
-must is purple
-prayed to Dionysus during the stirring to essentially bless this brew. phrased as let this brew be pleasing to the drinker etc.
sept 3
stirred.
sept 4
gravity 1060
-first gravity reading as hydrometer broke the day I started it
airlock bubbling really well
gotmead.com mead calculator says og of 1.137
sept 20
gravity 1000
-fastest ferment I have ever had. tastes slightly of lemon, sharp alcohol taste that should age out
-tastes good and the sharp taste fades as you drink more of it.
-removed half lemon
oct 10
racked to carboy. added 5litres of water as intended earlier. flavour is bitter/sour according to my wife. this should age out. it tasted ok for a young mead to me. wife wants me to add honey to sweeten it. not sure if this is a good idea.
-sharp alcohol taste has gone down a lot
Dec 18
racked, wife still thinks it needs more honey.
jan 2
added 1 bag blueberries to counter lemon bitter
jan 3
put carboy on deck in snowbank to cold crash
jan 8
brought carboy inside. will rack onto some honey in a month or two, then hopefully bottle. Learned from this that cold puts yeast in suspension, does not kill yeast
jan 15 2013
added 1lb blueberries
Thursday jan 31 2013
added 1.5kg honey.
blueberries had restarted fermentation.
april 17, 2013
added 1lb honey(approx). bubbles still rising through blueberries. tart tasting.
may 12 2013
racked. taste is much better. A great deal of gas came out during the racking. sg is 1000
june 5, 2013
racked. still degassing. purple sediment was on the bottom. Once this has finished degassing I will bottle it. The blueberry comes thorough stronger then the honey. We will see how this changes over time.
Coopers Stout dec 12 2012
1 can coopers stout wort
1kg brown sugar (golden)
2litres boiling water
3 tsp yeast nutrient
3tsp yeast energizer
Mix thoroughly
Add cold water to 20 litre mark
Top off with approiate temp water to get to 23 litres at room temp, 21 c to 27 c
Add yeast. Rehydrated yeast.
Starting gravity is 1040. Difficult to read with all the bubbles
Prayers to Deo (Demeter) and Dionysus made during the mixing of ingredients and stirring.
Dec 18
Racked in prep for bottling
Dec 25
Racked to bottling bucket, bottled.
Tastes good. The brown sugar comes through in the flavour a bit.
This is, I think, the maple mead recipe for the mead I entered at Wellspring this year.
Tues sept 6 2011 - primary in fermentation bucket
2 gallons maple syrup
15 lbs honey
ec1118 yeast
top with water
yeast nutrient as per directions
-boiled maple syrup to sanitize.
stirred to oygenate
gravity reading = 1135
friday sept 10 stirred
-bubbling/foam on surface
thursday oct 27 gravity 1070
-tastes good.
-stronger maple taste then maple syrup no1
-still lots of foam on top
dec 20
gravity reading 1060
-added reserved maple syrup
jan 16
gravity 1060
feb 18
1 litre boiled maple syrup added to try and jump start. also 1.5 litres water. wrapped carboy in blanket
mar 11
gravity 1050
-this is the one I racked to plastic carboy
mar 13
pitched an acclimated starter. stirred. added 2.5 teaspoons acid blend
july 10
added potassium sorbate and as stabilizer
dec 1
racked and bottled. used isinglass as a clearing agent about two weeks previous