9 Foot bottle caps

On Saturday December 31st I bottled the Holiday Ale (name changed to 9 Foot Winter Ale) that was brewed October 8th. I probably could have let it sit awhile longer but I figured 12 weeks would be enough. Plus, I couldn't wait to use the cool 9 Foot bottle caps I got from my daughter for Christmas. The caps went on just like the generic ones I have always used before. I will know in a few weeks if they sealed as well. I have always written the batch number on the bottle cap as a way to identify the beer, with the printed caps I needed a new method of identification. My wife, Teri, quickly thought of the self adhesive "dots" we had in a cabinet. It was a great idea. Could they be a precursor to an actual label?

the crazy 8 is good to go

I opened another bottle of the Crazy 8 Ale on Friday the 23rd. There was carbonation this time. What a difference that makes, flat beer just isn't very good.

The Crazy 8 is not ready

On Friday I opened a single bottle of the Crazy 8 ale. It was not carbonated and was flat with no bubbles. I looked at the remaining unopened bottles. There was some sediment in the bottom so I turned them all over and gently swirled them to mix the yeast back into suspension. I will wait about another week to check again.

The Crazy 8 is bottled

Saturday, December 10th, I bottled the Crazy 8 Amber Ale. In the past, with this particular beer, I have fermented one week in the pail then one week in the carboy. This time it remained in the carboy for two full weeks. It may just be my fuzzy memory but this beer seemed exceptionally clear compared to previous versions. The amber ale is usually best when young and fresh so I plan to drink a few at Christmas. I bottled 12 x 22 oz. bottles and 27 x 12 oz. bottles. The number of bottles is only incedental to the time involved. Botting and capping itself does not take very long and can I usually get help with this part of the process. As anybody who has done this before knows, there are a several other steps involved besides bottling. Bottles, the bottling bucket, and the racking cane all need to be sterilized. The priming sugar has to be boiled and cooled. And, since I now add dry yeast each time I bottle, the yeast has to be measured and rehydrated. I have been experimenting with the amount of yeast to add. I want to minimize sediment but want enough for good carbonation. I know that the additional yeast may not be required in all cases but is good insurance. In the past, before I started adding yeast at bottling, I had a couple of under-carbonated beers. Of course after the bottling is done everything has to be cleaned.

Pail & Carboy Stand

I still haven't bottled the Crazy 8 Ale, the yeast hadn't quite settled out by the weekend. It is very close, I might have been okay bottling but I decided to wait. It will definitely be ready by next weekend. Even though I didn't bottle beer I did get something done. I made some stands for my pails and carboys. I keep my fermenting beer in the basement where the temperature is more consistent with less variations from heating and air conditioning. I do like to keep them up off the floor and finally decided to do something to make things easier. I made some stands that can be stored flat and require no tools to assemble. I am very happy with the results.

Racking the Crazy 8 Ale to the secondary

Saturday, November 26th, I racked the Crazy 8 Ale to the secondary. I am planning to bottle it next weekend. It should be ready to drink by Christmas. I still also have the Holiday Ale in a carboy but probably won't bottle it until after the new year.

I opened a bottle of the Vanilla Porter on Friday. It is very drinkable but could use another couple of weeks in the bottle to mature. I will probably open a botle next weekend... just to check.

Mid-November brew day

The temperature reached the upper 60's on Saturday  November 19th. For this to happen in mid-November in Kansas City it takes a southerly breeze and that's just what we had. Winds were blowing out of the South at 25-30 mph which brings a nice Autumn day but can make outdoor brewing a challenge. Not only can the wind make it tough just to keep the propane burner lit but temprature regulation is a constant battle. I have always done my brewing outdoors but decided I would try brewing in the garage rather than fight this wind. My garage has a couple of windows so I opened them and left the overhead door about half open for ventilation. The more controlled environment definitely made a difference. Without the wind there were less burner adjustments required and no re-lights needed. Clean up was also easier as there was no scorching at the bottom of the kettle. I like brewing outside and will continue to do so but will probabaly be doing a lot more inside for the more controlled brew day.