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  • Grapefruit Honey Ale

    I was finally able to brew my Grapefruit Honey Ale tonight:

    http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-mak...-honey-ale-mix

    MUST SEE video ---> https://vimeo.com/36299962

    It is in the middle of the boil as I type this.

    The process went fairly easily, with no significant event or complication. As always, I brewed this beer with Big Spring water from Lewistown, Montana as a foundation. Temperature control during the mash was quite consistent, thanks to my use of my enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. Sparging was easy and efficient, thanks to my use of three vessels. At the beginning of the boil right after the hot break, I added my Columbia hops.

    At 30 minutes I will add some Cascade hops, and at 55 minutes I will add more Cascade hops along with the peel and zest from one large grapefruit. At the end of the boil, I will add in my Belgian candied sugar and some honey from our local apiary. After that, I will cool the wort down below 70 degrees, pitch my yeast, set up my blow-off tube and forget about my beer for two or three weeks, until it is time to bottle.

    I am expecting some very good beer, if the aromas during the mash and boil are any indication.
    Last edited by TasunkaWitko; 06-15-2015, 02:55 PM.
    Fundamentals matter.



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  • #2
    Sounds like a tasty brew Ron
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    • #3
      got to admit I'm not a beer man, but I'd sink a pint of that, sounds excellent

      Shame waters so heavy. Otherwise I'd ship you some of our local. Burton's been the brewing centre of england for about 1200 years. best brewing water in the country and we still get it through our taps.
      Best tap water in the country.

      So what on earth is belgian candied sugar ?
      Made In England - Fine Tuned By The USA
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      • #4
        Bet that goes down smooth on a summer night!!
        Brian

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        • #5
          grapefruit...makes ya lean...honey is a liver gig...you on it!
          Sunset Eagle Aviation
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          • #6
            Ron send me a bottle. It sounds delicious! Kind of like a SHANDY, or RADLER it sounds like.
            Last edited by gmotoman; 06-14-2015, 06:54 PM.

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            • #7
              Hmm . . . not much of a beer drinker but damn that sounds good.

              Sounds very refreshing.

              Dave
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              • #8
                Been up in Calgary for the last 2 months, and loving the Rickards Grapefruit Radler myself.....ehh
                Once you go Weber....you never call customer service....

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                • #9
                  G'morning, gents - and thank you for the replies. I am indeed anxious to see how this beer turns out. It was easly my "smoothest" brewing session yet, where everything seemed to go just right. And yes, I am expecting this to be quite refreshing!

                  Originally posted by Alex
                  Shame waters so heavy. Otherwise I'd ship you some of our local. Burton's been the brewing centre of england for about 1200 years. best brewing water in the country and we still get it through our taps.
                  Best tap water in the country.

                  So what on earth is belgian candied sugar ?
                  Alex, I would love to give that water a try - I am guessing it would be some wonderful beer, indeed! This water I use from Lewistown is similar, but with a much shorter brewing history. It comes from a spring a few miles south of town that is tapped at the source and piped to town for the municipal water supply. It is some of the ebst wwater I've ever had, and I really enjoyed it when I lived there. Luckily, we are able to buy it here, even though we're 150 miles or so away.... There was a brewery there "back in the day" soon after the town was founded (late 1800s, early 1900s) but it burned down in the early part of the 1900s.

                  The Belgian candied sugar (also called candi sugar) is a Belgian sugar commonly used in brewing, especially in stronger Belgian beers such as dubbel and tripel. Chemically, it is an invert sugar: one that has been converted from sucrose to a mixture of fructose and glucose by heating with water and some acid (usually citric acid). It is used to boost the alcohol content without adding extra body to the beer.

                  Note - I copied/pasted that from Wiki - I've got an explanation at home in one of my brewing books that explains it a little better in my opinion. I'll try to remember to dig it up this evening.

                  Update - I checked the fermenter yesterday morning, and again today. Fermentation is going very nicely, with plenty of active signs including a bubbling blow-off tube, a nice, clean foam on top of the wort and the beginnings of some wonderful, healthy krausen.

                  So far, so good!
                  Last edited by TasunkaWitko; 06-15-2015, 11:11 AM.
                  Fundamentals matter.



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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by curious aardvark View Post
                    So what on earth is belgian candied sugar ?
                    Alex - here's a little more information:

                    Add to a beer recipe to increase its alcohol level without making it more malty or sweet.

                    Use in place of some malt in a homebrew recipe to lighten the body and increase the drinkablity of beers that are too heavy.

                    Light Candi is great in Tripels and lighter colored Belgian Ales.

                    Can be used in any homebrew recipe. Ferments very cleanly and completely.

                    - See more at: http://www.eckraus.com/light-candi-s....qvvZE1Ft.dpuf
                    Fundamentals matter.



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                    • #11
                      I've been checking my fermenter daily, and it looks just about right. There never was any overly-vigorous fermentation, but it is definitely taking place, and that is what matters. Ambient temperatures have been steadily in the high 60s, so the conditions are all right. I might "kick the jug" (figuratively speaking) in order to make sure that the yeast are doing their work, but things are looking good.

                      Tonight, I will replace the blow-off tube with an air-lock, then wait out the rest of the time (probably 3 weeks total) until bottling. In the meantime, I've got a couple of ideas for label design..... :)
                      Fundamentals matter.



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                      • #12
                        I had an extremely long and bumpy month of July, followed by an August that wasn't much better; as a result, I did not get this beer bottled until last night.

                        The beer itself looked great - it was amazingly clear and had a nice, dark-amber colour that really looked incredible. I believe that it turned out a little darker than it should, but I am not overly-concerned about this. The aroma was very enticing - malty with a warm citrus note that I am really looking forward to experiencing.

                        The bottling went very smoothly; I always hope for 10 bottles from my 1-gallon batches, but this time I only got 8. This seems to be par for the course - now and then I might get 9 bottles, but I end up with sediment when I try too hard to squeeze every last bottle from the batch. With my next batch or two, I might try racking to a secondary after a couple of weeks, and I will see if that helps.

                        One "trick" that I picked up which is especially helpful is to have my son shine the flashlight of his iPod toward the bottle while filling. The room that I usually bottle my beer in must not have the best lighting, because I can never seem to see what's going on in the necks as I fill the bottles. The flashlight helped with this immensely.

                        There was a little beer left over after bottling, perhaps a third of a bottle, and I was impressed with the sampling I took. In every way, I think that this might ultimately be my favourite brew yet. The grapefruit came through perfectly, balancing the malts and working with the hops to provide a unique bitterness that was just enough without being too much. I know that this is supposed to be a summer beer, but I can't help thinking that - with the substitution of orange and the addition of a cinnamon stick and a few cloves - it might be excellent for the holiday season, as well.

                        I am not sure if the extended time sitting in the fermenter helped or hurt, but all-in all, the beer was definitely worth the wait - and will continue to be so, I hope. I will allow the beer to condition in the bottles for three weeks, then refrigerate for an additional week before sampling. I'm looking forward to trying it, and will try to remember to report on results.

                        Ron
                        Fundamentals matter.



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                        • #13
                          Nice brew. I just Kegged a (M)Oktoberfest and will brew a Regal Pale Ale Labor Day.
                          ~ May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. ~ Dwain

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                          • #14
                            Fundamentals matter.



                            Helfen, Wehren, Heilen
                            Die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen

                            Foods of the World Forums - From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, it's all good

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                            • #15
                              Ron you did the label too? that is awesome, it sounds awesome too! Wish I was closer I would love to be a taster for ya!



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