Wednesday, July 25, 2012

New Homebrew Club


My buddies Andy (logosbrewing.blogspot.com), Scott (beansbrewhouse.blogspot.com) and I are starting a new homebrew club in SE Portland. All are welcome of course. It's called Cana Homebrew Club, we're going to meet on the first Saturday of the month at Andy's house. Come and learn, hang out, teach, chill, whatever.
The name derives from John chapter 2 where Jesus turns water into wine. The basic story is this:
Jesus is at a wedding in Cana, the wedding host runs out of wine and let's Jesus's mom know, who tells her son. Jesus has 6 huge water jars that were used for purification filled with water. When the host looks in them, the water has turned into wine. When the host try's the wine he says, and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now."
This may seem like a neat party trick (which it probably was), but I believe Jesus is declaring the new covenant (which is better than the old) in his blood is about to come. It's not a coincidence that Jesus used the purification jars. He did this to show that when the new covenant comes, which is by grace through faith in Christ, there will not be a need to continue to purify yourself each year, but that Jesus's blood will wash you clean forever.
Anyways, we want to have a club where people can learn to homebrew and, more importantly, find out about this covenant and to meet the real bridegroom who calls all to be apart of His wedding feast!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Randy

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Falconers Flight Red IPA

Falconers Flight is:
"an exclusive proprietary hop blend comprised of many of the Northwest’s most unique hop varieties and is perfect for any Northwest-style IPA. Each hop has been hand selected for its superior aromatic qualities, imparting distinct tropical, citrus, floral, lemon and grapefruit tones."
I've had a couple IPAs that used FF, but I thought the hops were only sold to large breweries like simcoe and amarillo...well, I was wrong. Brew Brothers has a butt load of them.
Here's the recipe I threw together:

7 Gallon Batch
Grain:
14 lbs GW 2row
1 lbs Briess Caramunich 60
1 lbs GW crystal 40
.5 lbs GW crystal 120
.19 lbs Patagonia chocolate

Hops:
1.5 oz CTZ @60
1 oz Cascade (or chinook...it's 10% cascade)@15
1 oz Falconers @15
1 oz Falconers @0

Yeast
4 gallons with safale05
3 with WLP02 British ale

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Alaskan Amber Clone

I haven't brewed in quite a while (for myself that is). I was up at my inlaws in Seattle area with out any homebrew, which isn't the best idea in the world. I headed to Safeway and picked up a 12 pack of Alaskan Amber for my father-inlaw and me. I haven't had an amber in years--choosing IPAs instead, but MAN that stuff is really good! I downed most of the 12 pack and made upy mind to brew it when I got back, so here I go.
Ingredients:
10lbs GW 2-row (up from 8 for gnarly sake)
1 lbs GW crystal 80
1/2 lbs GW crystal 40
1/2 lbs GW crystal 10
Hops:
1 oz cascade @60
1 oz saaz @15
Yeast
Wyeast 1007 German Ale

Notes:
Seriously the fastest brew day I've ever has! From water heating for strike water, to full clean up, it only took 3 hours. Stoked!
7-19-2011
Had a krausen explosion