We don't have much time left before fall Castle so I've got to get to brewing if I'm going to make a second keg.

The first keg, of course, will be SCP the Cider which, thanks to the addition of gratuitous ammounts of honey, will be even more slammin' than the last batch.

The second keg, however, I want to leave open for a vote.

Since I only have five weeks (four in primary, one for conditioning) I need to stick to a low-gravity style with a hardy, fast yeast. Feel free to post up an "other" choice if you want. If you're not sure of the style, a brand name will do.

Remember, it has to be able to finish within 5 weeks so as much as I'd love to do a barleywine, I just don't have the time. Next year we'll be able to go bigger.


Vote away!

For the libation ignorant can you give a description of the choices? I picked saison but thats because it sounds cool, I really have no idea of what it is.

Heh, sorry.

In order:

Oktoberfest is a traditional German style brewed from the last or second-to-last crop of the year. It's fermented in the cooling climate of September and is a sort of hybrid between ale and lager in that regard. It's characterized by a very light hop presence, somewhat fruity and sweet undertones and a pronounced malt-forward taste. Generally heavier in body, light in carbonation. Medium amber in color and just a hint of spice to the nose. Sam Adams produces a very good example in their fall seasonal.

Saison is a Belgian and Northern European style that was traditionally brewed on family farmlands for personal consumption. You may see it also referred to as "farmhouse" style ale. Though there's no exact style, it's generally brewed with an aromatic, estery Belgian yeast and uses a combination of additional aromatics and adjuncts (specifically bitter orange and candi sugar) along with a lightly-roasted grain character to achieve a medium-body ale with a dark-but-not-opaque color that has a strong spice and earthiness with a balanced malt presence on the back end. For an example, I strongly recommend Hennepin from Brewery Ommegang.

Brittish Mild is a dry, smooth ale that incorporates a bit of biscuit malt for a pleasant tooth/nuttiness, light and creamy carbonation and a reserved but present hop character. More than just watered-down bitter, a good mild is the ultimate in drinkability and refreshment with a good bit of bread and oat flavors to balance out the light, aromatic hops. In either dark or pale, Cooper's is a great representation and Toohey's makes a nice product as well.

Breakfast Stout is a low (3-4%) alcohol beer that's light in carbonation and body. Darker in color, expect roasted grain flavors along with a bready and nutty taste. Mild hop character and very smooth mouthfeel. Although it's not quite cream stout, this offers a more widely-available comparison. I highly recommend Sam Adams' Cream Stout (though this is higher in bitterness and body than a Breakfast).

Cream Ale, despite its name, does not actually contain dairy. More accurately, think of the "cream" as referencing "the cream of the crop." Brewed with very high-starch, mature grains, it has a rich mouthfeel and mild malt character. Hop levels are about medium and should tend towards more citrusy/grapefruity varieties like Cascade and Willamette. Genessee is the most easily-found namesake and because of the association, it seems many breweries don't label their Cream Ales as such. Try Lagunitas' "Sirius Ale."

Pumpkin Ale is a thoroughly American invention and comes commercially in one of two styles. The more common is an American Brown Ale that uses spices in the boil - nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, etc. - to parallel the spice profile you might find in pumpkin pie. The second, and the way I would make it, actually uses pumpkin puree in the beer itself. The basic recipe starts off with a light brown ale of mild hop character and augments it with pumpkin juice and solids along with moderate ammounts of spices. Dogfish Head is absolutely king of the hill when it comes to this style but Smuttynose also makes a very good product.

I voted for Octoberfest just because of the time of year. :D

oktoberfest... mmmm

not a beer drinker, but tis good

I'm a fan of Oktoberfest, and in general a lot of German brews. Actually found a mini-keg of Warsteiner down in Texas this last weekend. It was a fun weekend.

So with a whopping 4 votes, it looks like Oktoberfest is the popular choice.

If there are no objections, I'll be brewing this weekend.

sounds good to me

I just figured I would post an update on beer status for Castle.


I tried the cider last night (had some that didn't fit in the keg and got bottled) and it's doing excellent. Very dry (demi sec, possibly brut sugar levels), easily 6.5% and mellowing quickly. It was very estery a few weeks ago but it seems to have calmed down rather well. Give it a few more weeks and it should be very tasty.

If you've ever had a brand of cider called "Hardcore," this stuff is very similar.


The Oktoberfest is still in primary but fermentation has been stopped for a while now. FG = 1.015 which is right where it should be for about 5.5%. Haven't tasted it but I should be able to keg on Sat.



QUESTION:

Given that the cider is very dry, would anyone prefer to sweeten it a bit? It'd be a simple matter to make up a few batches of different flavored syrups (maybe cherry, rasp/blackberry, mint/spice or whatever else) to add to your glass. It'll sweeten it and add in some flavor, as this is just plain-jane cider.

If anybody has any requests, let me know.



Also, I don't think I want to install a second tap line for fall Castle. I'd rather wait a bit and get the equipment together for a beer engine (cask ale) for Spring.

I'm thinking we should just use a party pump (hand pump) for the cider and just put the whole rig out on the deck free-for-all style (cider stands, anybody?) since that'll be the most popular offering - plus, unlike beer, the cider won't be damaged as much from the air pump.

Does anyone have a pump they can bring?

Well caslte is over and now for what weve all been waiting for.

How was the beer?

Both were very tasty. The Oktoberfest had a nice finish to it, and the cider was tasty and strong. Stupid DUI laws stopped me from taking a big glass of it for the road.

I agree tasty, if it wasn't for the fact that I was driving back and forth from the Blue Ridge I would have indulged in more of the Oktoberfest.

didnt get to try the oktoberfest, but the cider was excellent i must say. Barney and I talked about it for like an hr early saturday morning when he came stumbling back into the bunk at like 5:30 :P

I can easily do better than that. It will be much improved for Spring Castle, don't worry.


I'm going to maintain a better yeast culture and backsweeten the final product along with force-carbing to get a more reliable carb level. I'm considering boiling in some crystal malt to improve the body and head but that would make it not 100% cider. I'm not really sure what direction I want to go with this. What I did learn from this batch is that 6% ABV is just about right. It lets everyone have a few without getting totally trashed but you also don't need to suck them down and just pee a lot. I'm going to stay in the 6 to 6.5% neighborhood.

I figure I have time for two more batches before I have to make something for Spring so I'll use that time to tweak the recipe. I think we'll be pleased with the results.


EDIT: As for the Oktoberfest, I think the beer itself was excellent. Our regulator broke (Palmer's Stab lost a barrel seal, shame) so I just used residual pressure from the keg. The first beer was great but each successive beer got flatter and flatter. It was a little bit warm, too, and we were drinking it out of plastic cups, but... I was pleased with the results and I'd make it again.

I'll chalk up the faults to bad luck (carb levels, temperature) and just try to get better gear for next time.

We need some sort of sleeve or bucket that will hold ice better. Something insulated, preferably, so the ice doesn't all just melt the first day.

double up trash cans of different sizes... put spray foam between them!

is one of those cube igloo coolers big enough to fit the keg... i forget what size you got ....