shed

Three's the Charm

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Hoegaarden #3

Well I just put my third Hoegaarden brew into the bucket. It is now nestling happily behind me like a sleeping baby. Everything went smoothly, this time. The unmitigated disaster I put together last time is now bottled and awaiting it's first victim. Maybe as a pesticide in the garden. The original Hoegaarden attempt is still going under the guise of slug nectar. By which I mean the slugs in our strawberry patch found it so delightful they'd kill themselves in drunken debauchery. I'd keep the jam jars full of the yeasty champagne and the slugs would flock to it like pigeons to a statue.

Work It

Meanwhile the lads have been squad training round the house. Push ups, sofa lifting and the like. This always involves Evan lifting little Emrys up so that he can check out his muscles in the mirror.

Poseur Boys
Submitted by tregeagle on 27 May, 2010 - 18:38

Getting A Brew On

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Sometimes things just go horribly wrong. On my way back from picking up a new mast for my shipwreck I visited Marks Home Brew shop and picked up a Hoegaarden kit. Today I scrupulously cleaned all the gear, mixed up the ingredients and put it into an immaculate barrel. The brew was a little hot so I had to cool it down with some ice before adding the yeast. It's a hot day so it would not cool down even after I used all the ice. Bugger. Oh well, add the yeast anyway, should be okay. As I popped the lid on I dropped a small rubber washer in. Double bugger. Tried to fish it out with my scrupulously clean stirrer. No luck. Gah... rinsed a sieve and used that to fish out the washer. Whacked lid on quick.


Now I feel like I stuffed up that brew, too hot for the yeast, fishing around for the washer. Ah well I'll let you know if it starts to froth....


Submitted by tregeagle on 10 April, 2010 - 16:46

Little Black Book

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I have a little black book in my undy drawer.

It is a travel diary, when I take it traveling and it is a shed/home-brew diary, when I stay home. Here is a brief summary of the shed entries [amended] :

Monday 28th December 2009

Putting a brew on

  • Morgans Blue Mountain Lager + yeast
  • Dextrose/Corn Syrup/dried malt
  • Morgans finishing hops (Hersbucker)

Good flavour, especially after I had left it for the full month! Hops were maybe a little harsh, try adding some lactose next time to sweeten it.

Previous brew from July 2009

  • Black Rock Miners Stout

Came out OK flavour not always quite right probably from brewing temp being too high or perhaps not rinsing off all the meta-bisulphate also a little too much sugar at bottling so too fizzy.

Brigalow Ginger Beer

  • tastes shit, explodes well.

Saturday 30th January 2010

  • Building rudder

ran out of Norseal Epoxy Wood Preserver 50:50 500ml

Wednesday 10th March

Putting two brews on

  • Bishops English Bitter [Morgans] – made in Queensland :)
  • Smelt good, hoppy.
  • Brewcraft English Bitter [Muntons of Stowcraft] – made in UK
  • Lager Brew, Dextrose/Malt mix

Not sure if Cheri will approve of the barrels of beer in the front room for the next couple of weeks, fingers crossed that they don't ferment too excitedly – could get messy.

Submitted by tregeagle on 10 March, 2010 - 12:16