And the brewmeister brewed on…
The next batch of beer has been placed into primary fermentation. This is the Oktoberfest style of beer I mentioned previously. I experienced some issues getting the wyeast liquid yeast to activate, so I decided to use the dry yeast that comes with each Mr. Beer mix. This yeast has always made beer when I’ve used it, so I’m not too concerned.
Keep in mind; if you are using the liquid yeast smack packs from wyeast you may encounter a similar issue as I did. The issue with the liquid yeast and waiting for it to activate is colder outdoor temperatures (like the ones we were having until recently) can cause the yeast to take a longer time to completely activate. This means the normal wait of 8-12 hours for the yeast to be ready may be more along the lines of 1-2 days. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to start making the beer by the time the liquid yeast was completely ready. At least now with the warmer temperatures, this shouldn’t be a problem. I still say wyeast liquid yeast is the way to go and plan to continue using it.
I want to send a quick nod to my friend Eric Gamble, who recently hosted a drink sampling party in New Orleans. This party was thrown by a group called “The Modern Drunkard”. At the Modern Drunkard party, we were given several mixed drinks that use vodka as a base alcohol. The intention of the Modern Drunkard parties is to expand your horizons a bit and give you some other options to consider when you’re out barhopping. Each Modern Drunkard party uses a different alcohol as a theme. Who knows, maybe yours truly will supply beer for a Modern Drunkard party in the future? To read more about the Modern Drunkard parties, click this link.
As a goof, I decided to name this next batch of beer using the Random Beer Name Generator. Here’s the title: Wombat-Flaggon Schwartzbier. And, for those of you scoring at home, the Original Specific Gravity of this beer is 1.035. If all goes well, this beer should be ready in time for a housewarming party for my parents in April. I’ll blog again when I’ve bottled the beer. In the meanwhile, keep checking this blog for tips and hints from other beer-brewing experts and enthusiasts!
Happy brewing!
Paul