Brewing and Fermentation

[Speaker to Animals]

Could not sleep so I racked the mead into the carboy for the second ferment. It tastes so freaking rough. But there is a pretty purple color to it. I guess it takes a long time for mead to age properly.

[Speaker to Animals]

Starting the first batch of Viking's Blood.

Hydrometer clocks initial gravity at around 1.21, so I guess it will be about as strong as a solid desert wine? I dunno.

That blueberry melomel changed colors from when I first racked it for the second fermentation and tonight. Was almost a purplish color, and now is more of a red.

[Hastur]

If you're into home brewing you should follow this guys blog.

https://brewingbeerthehardway.wordpress.com

His YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/francois4050

[Speaker to Animals]

Step 1 of brewing ale started.

[Speaker to Animals]

I am just realizing how much beer is six gallons. Fuck I will need a lot of bottles.

[Speaker to Animals]

Took a while, but wort is finally cooling off in an ice bath.

[clubgop]

I am just realizing how much beer is six gallons. Fuck I will need a lot of bottles.

Yeah, invest in a couple growlers.

[Speaker to Animals]

I am just realizing how much beer is six gallons. Fuck I will need a lot of bottles.

Yeah, invest in a couple growlers.

Probably just going to get a few cases of 22 oz bottles and a bottle capper. I worry that the growlers will let oxygen inside and fuck everything up.

[Speaker to Animals]

Both the Scottish ale and the viking's blood mead are fermenting. The ale is fermenting pretty strongly. Sounds like a fish tank bubbling constantly with gases existing the bucket through the water valve. The bluebeery melomel is racked and aging. Smells better, though I suspect it still tastes really rough.

I am still skeptical of Carlus's prep of building what you need to produce beer for trade from scratch. From my studies (admittedly just figuring this stuff out), it seems like the malting process in particular is really difficult.

There is also the problem of temperature controls. If you go back to the medieval period, people only brewed at certain times in the year.

Growing hops shouldn't be a problem and using whole hops instead of the processed pellets just a matter of skimming them off the top of the batch when you are done, I guess. The grains to make the initial tea aren't so difficult either.

Keeping a yeast culture going.. not so easy without electricity or substantial operations.

Malts.. producing decent malt is about as complicated as brewing itself (possibly more so). Take all the complexity of brewing beer and double it if you plan on doing it all from scratch.

In terms of the challenge.. it's probably worth trying. Producing even one batch of beer made completely on your property would be amazing.

That said.. the problem with mead as a similar prep is that I am pretty sure we'd lose honeybees in North America during a collapse. No way to treat the mites. Colony collapse disorder would wipe you out with no way to replace lost hives.

Wines are totally doable, though. In general, wine is a fuck ton simpler than beers.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Both the Scottish ale and the viking's blood mead are fermenting. The ale is fermenting pretty strongly. Sounds like a fish tank bubbling constantly with gases existing the bucket through the water valve.

I am still skeptical of Carlus's prep of building what you need to produce beer for trade from scratch. From my studies (admittedly just figuring this stuff out), it seems like the malting process in particular is really difficult.

There is also the problem of temperature controls. If you go back to the medieval period, people only brewed at certain times in the year.

Growing hops shouldn't be a problem and using whole hops instead of the processed pellets just a matter of skimming them off the top of the batch when you are done, I guess. The grains to make the initial tea aren't so difficult either.

Keeping a yeast culture going.. not so easy without electricity or substantial operations.

Malts.. producing decent malt is about as complicated as brewing itself (possibly more so). Take all the complexity of brewing beer and double it if you plan on doing it all from scratch.

In terms of the challenge.. it's probably worth trying. Producing even one batch of beer made completely on your property would be amazing.

Makes sense. You’re going to be busy with the fields and such during warm months. In the winter, do your brewing, and store it in the larder.