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Brooklyn Brew Shop's Bruxelles Blonde

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  • Brooklyn Brew Shop's Bruxelles Blonde

    Brooklyn Brew Shop's Bruxelles Blonde

    On Monday (October 12th), I brewed my next beer: Bruxelles Blonde, from Brooklyn Brew Shop.

    As usual, I'll start with the particulars:

    Informational link: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-mak...londe-beer-mix

    Instructions: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directio...structions.pdf

    Awesome, must-see video: https://vimeo.com/47840795

    I brewed the beer straight according to the directions, and it seemed to go very well. I prepped everything beforehand and went right down the line - four hours from start to finish, to the minute. Temperatures during the mash stayed in range, the sparge and boil went without incident - and I was loving the aroma of the Styrian Golding hops with the fresh-smelling malts. There really isn't anything else to report - the brew went that smoothly.

    It is currently fermenting in our bedroom closet, where the temperatures are the most stable and "controllable." I checked on it Tuesday morning and this morning, and things seem to be going very well. As is usually the case with BBS's mixes, there was quite a bit of activity with the blow-off-tube early on, which will most likely calm down by tonight or possibly tomorrow. At that time, I will replace the blow-off tube with an airlock, and then leave it alone for about three weeks.

    I'm looking forward to this beer, as everything I have seen written about it sings its praises - light and refreshing, a true joy to drink.

    More as it happens, etc. &c....

    Ron
    Last edited by TasunkaWitko; 10-14-2015, 03:28 PM.
    Fundamentals matter.



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  • #2
    man I need to get back on the beer gig. Pretty sure I need to order more yeast, I'm sure the stuff I bought back in february or march, whenever it was, is not so good any more.
    Mike
    Life In Pit Row

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    • #3
      It might be alright, Mike - just proof it in a quarter cup of bloodwarm water with a spoonful of honey, and let it sit in the oven (turned off, but with the light on) for 5 or 10 minutes. If it bubbles up, it's fine, and you can pitch it all right into the wort.

      The yeast I used for this particular beer had expired in June, but I took a chance and tried it, and it provided some very high activity. When you think about it, only a few yeasties are needed to get the ball rolling, as they reproduce quite quickly.

      The alternative is easy, as well: send an email to info@brooklynbrewshop.com, and let them know that the yeast in your mix expired. They will send a replacement to you, but it will take about a week to arrive.
      Fundamentals matter.



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      Die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen

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      • #4
        Originally posted by TasunkaWitko View Post
        It might be alright, Mike - just proof it in a quarter cup of bloodwarm water with a spoonful of honey, and let it sit in the oven (turned off, but with the light on) for 5 or 10 minutes. If it bubbles up, it's fine, and you can pitch it all right into the wort.

        The yeast I used for this particular beer had expired in June, but I took a chance and tried it, and it provided some very high activity. When you think about it, only a few yeasties are needed to get the ball rolling, as they reproduce quite quickly.

        The alternative is easy, as well: send an email to info@brooklynbrewshop.com, and let them know that the yeast in your mix expired. They will send a replacement to you, but it will take about a week to arrive.
        yeah I might do the proofing thing. Just sucks to get all prepped and then find out the yeast is bad. But you're right, especially since these are only 1 gallon batches, they're probably ok. However, they are not from BBS, they're for other recipes I've found online, so they're not the dry yeast BBS uses, they are liquid yeast which are more susceptible to damage. Though they've been in my fridge in the butter pocket in the door since I bought them, so they're probably ok. Like I said, it just sucks to get everything all prepped and a hunk of time chiseled out of the schedule to do the brewing only to find out the yeast is toast.
        Mike
        Life In Pit Row

        Comment


        • #5
          Gotcha - and yep, it would not be cool to find out that the yeast had gone bad.

          My guess is that it is perfectly fine, considering your storage in the refrigerator. Maybe the best thing to be sure would to just get new yeast, but try proofing the yeast you have as described above when you get to that stage. If it works, great - if not, you have a spare.

          Of course, yeast is cheap, so you could just toss the suspect yeast - but that's no fun!

          You already know this, but I should have mentioned above for anyone reading: if you do proof the yeast, be sure to sanitise any cups or utensils that you use beforehand!
          Fundamentals matter.



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          • #6
            yep...i need to get on that gig of brewing again! like that ya got on !
            Sunset Eagle Aviation
            https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sunse...888015?fref=ts <... We sure could use some likes!

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            • #7
              I say give it a go - you can't go wrong!

              I forgot to mention, when I switched from blow-off tube to airlock, the beer looked really good. Plenty of evidence of very good fermentation, and the beer was starting to clear very nicely. The colour was a bit darker than I expected, but otherwise, I think we are well on track for some wonderful stuff here.

              I will, of course, keep updating as events unfold.
              Fundamentals matter.



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              • #8
                I bottled this beer on Saturday, 28 November; about 3 weeks after I had planned to bottle it, but life gets that way - especially during hunting season! No big deal - in fact, my better beers have been the ones that were bottled "late."

                The process really went off without a hitch, and I ended up with nearly 10 bottles, which is a "perfect yield" for a 1-gallon batch that doesn't happen very often. One HUGE help was that, for the first time, I used a spring-loaded tip on the end of the bottling rig, which kept me from flinging beer all over the place, as is often the case with the thumb-driven clamps. I am 100% convinced that the spring-loaded tip and the mini auto-siphon are the two absolute best investments I have made in my brewing experience. I managed to suck up a little bit of trub, but I am not concerned about this. My experience is that it settles with the bottle-conditioning sediment and poses no trouble at all, especially when the beer starts out as amazingly clear as this one did before I began bottling.

                With the un-carbonated, un-finished beer that I had leftover from bottling, I was able to sample what promises to be an excellent and outstanding brew. So far, it is shaping up to be a nice Belgian ale - a little darker in colour than I expected it to be, but otherwise as good as I could ask for. We'll see how it turns out in the end. The flavour was bright and "awake" - there's not really any other way to put it - with a nice flora character from the hops that left me wishing I would have brewed this in the late spring or early summer. The local honey that I used as a priming sugar also comes into play, giving the beer a rich, mellow, addicting undertone that I simply can't imagine with corn or table sugar. I am pretty sure that this will be a beer that I brew often in the future.

                My bottles are hanging out now in the closet, and will continue to do so until at least three weeks have passed. I'll then refrigerate the finished beer for a week before sampling it, and my patience will hopefully be rewarded.
                Fundamentals matter.



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                • #9
                  Good work Ron 👍 Save me a sip, or two
                  sigpic

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                  • #10
                    I've been avoiding beer for a while in an effort to show some solidarity with my wife, who is cutting back on carbs, but today is of course SuperBowl Sunday, and since she is the football fan in the house, today is an official "cheat day." So, I was able to try another one of these after conditioning for a few weeks in the refrigerator.

                    All I can say is, WOW ~ this beer was good before, but is probably three times as good, now! The flavours have blended and matured, the hops have integrated into the profile more deeply, and have really contributed to a rich, floral aroma. The over-all mouth-feel has really smoothed out, turning a very drinkable beer into a very enjoyable beer. The ale itself is crystal-clear, and the head is wonderful - creamy and smooth. The improvement is indeed dramatic, and this was a beer that I really liked to begin with.

                    It's easily become one of the most refreshing that I've tried from Brooklyn Brew Shop, and it will definitely be brewed again.
                    Fundamentals matter.



                    Helfen, Wehren, Heilen
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