Beer!!!

[TimmyTXJ]

Okay, now that I have your attention...

Some of you might know that I'm an avid homebrewer (some of you might not). Anyway, I've just recently suffered the horrible fate of a failed batch and I'm chomping at the bit to brew something awesome.

I'm thinking of brewing a "Cherokee Chug" as it were... a sort of unofficial XJTalk beer and I'd like your help deciding what it might be. I know that agreeing on a single type of beer will be about as likely as agreeing on the perfect setup for an XJ, but I'd like to see if we can get a sort of consensus.

I propose that we get a little discussion going, then I'll brew the beer and bring it to a meet and greet sometime in the near future. My only limitation here is that I can only bre Ale style beer, I don't have the equipment to lager.

So what will it be folks? A stout, a kolsch, an amber, an ipa? Light, dark? Low ABV, high ABV? Super hoppy, super malty? What's your favorite style? This could be fun! :D

:beer:

[NW99XJ]

I PERSONALLY like a good hoppy IPA,
I like stouts too, even porters.
Amber's are nice as long as they are crisp and not too malty.
I vote for a good moderate ABV, IPA with some decent hoppyness.
You may not be able to chug it....
But I think something like this would be perfect for an "after trail" beer.
Or a "post-lift-kit-install" beverage.

I really REALLY like this idea by the way....and will have to insist that you send me a bottle or two when it's all said and done.
:happy0180:

[TimmyTXJ]

I think we might could be able to arrange that Josh:) Not sure if you can get it up there, but if you like crisp, hoppy beers I highly suggest "Wild Hare" by Shiner. Thanks for chiming in and getting the barrel rolling!

[4.3LXJ]

I really REALLY like this idea by the way....and will have to insist that you send me a bottle or two when it's all said and done.
:happy0180:

If we make it to the Rubi together Josh, I will have to convince the boy to brew you up some of his award winning dark ale.

[NW99XJ]

I think we might could be able to arrange that Josh:) Not sure if you can get it up there, but if you like crisp, hoppy beers I highly suggest "Wild Hare" by Shiner. Thanks for chiming in and getting the barrel rolling!

Oregon is World Renowned for its craft brews, and seems to be a mecca for the industry.
Just one of the many reasons I love this place!
I haven't seen the Wild Hare....but I'll be sure to keep my eyes open.
Thanks for the tip!

[bigjim350]

High ABV!!!!

[Brasscatz]

I'll be honest and say that I don't know much about beer at all. I usually like Bud Light, but lately my favorite has been Blue Moon Belgian White.... I think that's an ale? I typically don't like darker colored beers :(

[4x4Dalton]

High ABV!!!!

I'm with Big Jim on this one!!!!!

[cantab27]

free beer is nice......

[Paddletrucker]

I like stouts and porters. Not a real big beer drinker, but good is good and I enjoy a good stout or porter.

[NW99XJ]

I'll be honest and say that I don't know much about beer at all. I usually like Bud Light, but lately my favorite has been Blue Moon Belgian White.... I think that's an ale? I typically don't like darker colored beers :(

This is a good beer....made it to my top 10 list in 2012.

[LizardRunner]

I favor Guiness stout but also like dark and light ales, porters and even a pilsner if it is nice and hoppy. I am not a brewer but do make mash :D

[Paddletrucker]

mash?!?!? NOW WE'RE TALKING!!! Tell me more about it, while I pour a glass. It's OK, it's evening for me, I just got off work!

[LizardRunner]

mash?!?!? NOW WE'RE TALKING!!! Tell me more about it, while I pour a glass. It's OK, it's evening for me, I just got off work!

I make three different ones; Malted corn, Malted Barley, Smoke dried Malted Barley. To any of these I can add other grains or even fruits If brandy is going to be run. Depending on what is being run, liker or scotch sugar may or may not be a part of the mash.

George Washington's Mash;
Malted Corn 1 part
Barley 1 part
Rye 1 part
Sugar 10 lbs

This is a "Rye whisky" and has good flavor.

I make fruit brandy's too on occassion

Rum; 2 parts Molasses, 1 part Pure Cane Sugar

[TimmyTXJ]

I put up my first all grain batch on Saturday night, the house smelled like a brewery for hours... it was heavenly!!! That batch will be a stout porter. More good news on top of that... I tried one more bottle of the batch that I thought got ruined, turns out it was just a bad bottle. I immediately confirmed this by "testing" 3 more bottles. My experiment seems to have worked then... a hybrid beer based on a Kolsch and hard apple cider.

I'm picking up that we're split between lights and darks... how about a compromise with a nice amber?

[LizardRunner]

:D Ambers are good :D

[TimmyTXJ]

I make three different ones; Malted corn, Malted Barley, Smoke dried Malted Barley. To any of these I can add other grains or even fruits If brandy is going to be run. Depending on what is being run, liker or scotch sugar may or may not be a part of the mash.

George Washington's Mash;
Malted Corn 1 part
Barley 1 part
Rye 1 part
Sugar 10 lbs

This is a "Rye whisky" and has good flavor.

I make fruit brandy's too on occassion

Rum; 2 parts Molasses, 1 part Pure Cane Sugar

I made the switch to Rye last summer... not sure I'll ever be able to go back to burbon! Do you smoke your own barley? I'd love to try brewing a smoked beer sometime.

[4.3LXJ]

Welcome back Nate. Long time no see

[LizardRunner]

I made the switch to Rye last summer... not sure I'll ever be able to go back to burbon! Do you smoke your own barley? I'd love to try brewing a smoked beer sometime.

Yes I do, for a good tasting rye try hickory or oak (if you want a bit of bite you can use mesquite) if you want it mild give apple a try. For a beer I would use six row malting barley and smoke it over apple or cherry for a brighter smoke flavor.

for straight rye whisky I malt up 3-5 lbs of the grain and then smoke it with a blend of hickory and white oak (not red oak) the low and slow method works best, you know it's ready when the root tails shrivel up but are still flexable. next you cook the rest of your rye to help turn the starches into easier to digest (by the yeast) meal, I use either a five gal. plastic bucket or a 20 gal oak barrel for my mashes.

If you want to make a real scotch, you have to use pure barley (2 row malting variety not the six row) and never add sugar. the smoke to dry the malt is peat. you can make the bricks of peat with a wood form (2x8's) and a presser, wet the peat over night so it is good and soggy then put in form and press it for a day with as much weight as you can. then you will get the proper smoke and longevity of the brick. ( in scotland they cut it from bogs, dry it and then burn it. but we don't have the thousand year plus boggs here so I improvised)

I come from a family of whisky makers. Learned the art when I was very young and yes I can make my own stills.

[Paddletrucker]

Lizard Runner,

This all reminds me of a joke. I'll post it up in the Jokes forum.

[Paddletrucker]

Welcome back Nate. Long time no see

Sorry for a brief thread jack....

Thanks, it's good to be here. Never really left, though. Keep up with the podcasts and occasionally lurk. Podcasts mostly. Had a really screwed up year last year. Didn't get to do much of anything except work my tail off and try to stay afloat. Seemed like I was always on the road and using my iphone for everything. Hard to do a lot of forum following that way. Although Tapatalk makes it way easier!!!

Return to important topic.......BEER!!!

[TimmyTXJ]

Okay so here's what I'm thinking based on the feedback so far. I'll shoot for an Amber as a happy medium between light and dark. I'll make it fairly big and shoot for around 6% ABV (this is about twice what you'd get in a Budwiser). I think I'll definitely use some cherry smoked 6-row (as suggested by Chip) as a specialty grain. I'm up in the air as far as hops and what style yeast to use. How about we list our top three beers as Jim has done... maybe I can find a common type of hops or yeast used in the popular styles.

My top three commercial brews right now are:
1. Wild Hare
2. Firemans 4
3. Levitation

[LizardRunner]

My top three are: Guinness, Harps and Newcastle number four is Boston Larger

[XJScarlet]

I like to support my local breweries, my favorites are: Polygamy Porter, 1st Amendment Lager, and Evolution Amber Ale, Hoodoo Kolsch Style Ale and Golden Spike Hefeweizen. I like beer with flavor, the traditional American Breweries are ok, it's just so watery.

I think a good Jeep beer would be an Ale or a Porter. ;)

[xj4life2]

Just about anything from Sierra Nevada works, they have a great Porter,and a Pale Ale. Not a Beer guy but I do like thier's. So, we should start a seperate thread for the single malt lovers here. Oh and Legal Shine

[denverd1]

been brewing for a few years. I love the idea of popping the cap on something you brewed yourself. I say 7% + ABV in the porter variety. Hooray beer!

[TimmyTXJ]

Sorry, this thread went in active for a little bit... but I haven't forgot about it! looks like the majority has us going with something a little darker than an amber. I'm also picking up that we are a bit towards the malty side rather than the hoppy side. I'll start coming up with a recipe, hopefully by next week I can get some grains and start brewing! :)

[NW99XJ]

.......I immediately confirmed this by "testing" 3 more bottles.
:beer:


I'm picking up that we're split between lights and darks... how about a compromise with a nice amber?

I am 100% behind all of this!
:thumbsup:

[Dredwolf]

After that blasted front spring bolt, I also am 100% for beer as a celebratory and relaxing solution.

[Dredwolf]

I'm with Big Jim on this one!!!!!

I'll agree also, as it can be "less filling" that way!

[XjJeepacorn]

Just about anything from Sierra Nevada works, they have a great Porter,and a Pale Ale. Not a Beer guy but I do like thier's. So, we should start a seperate thread for the single malt lovers here. Oh and Legal Shine

I tried the pale ale, it wasn't bad drinkable, I just picked it up because it looked less main stream lol I agree with thee poster who said traditional
American beer is watery try canadian beer lol! If I knew they had a porter I would have tried it :)

[Mudderoy]

I last had a beer in 1978(ish) Didn't like it. :P

[XjJeepacorn]

Really? What else would you drink on a hot summer day?

[Mudderoy]

Really? What else would you drink on a hot summer day?

Tea

[XjJeepacorn]

I'm drinking a chai with whiskey right now!

[girlyjen78]

We're brewing beer right now! Instead of Tim's Cherokee Chug, we're brewing my Wicked Lift!

It's a mild brown English Ale, should be ready about the same time we're ready to do the lift on my YJ which should be in about two weeks! Should be a good quencher for any hard wrencher! Hint, hint, wink, wink!

[Paddletrucker]

Tea

Yes....the table wine of the south!

[TimmyTXJ]

We're brewing beer right now! Instead of Tim's Cherokee Chug, we're brewing my Wicked Lift!

It's a mild brown English Ale, should be ready about the same time we're ready to do the lift on my YJ which should be in about two weeks! Should be a good quencher for any hard wrencher! Hint, hint, wink, wink!

It's lookin' good so far!!!
1971

[NW99XJ]

EH-HEM..........
That is NOT going to be enough for me to review and record an official XJ Talk Show evaluation with.....

In all seriousness..... The moment that gets bottled, you need to PM me for my address, Looks mighty tasty!

[XjJeepacorn]

It's lookin' good so far!!!
1971

Sweet!

[TimmyTXJ]

Finally... it's bottled! Just one week more to bottle ferment and get all bubbly! Anyone thirsty?
2195

[Brasscatz]

Always thirsty ;) Nicely done good buddy!

[bigjim350]

Anyone thirsty?


VERY!!!

[NW99XJ]

Finally... it's bottled! Just one week more to bottle ferment and get all bubbly! Anyone thirsty?
http://www.xjtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2195&d=1368064263

Oh I see you have my sampling ready to ship!
LOL....looks good!
So when do I get a taste?!?

[89Laredo]

Anyone have some good/easy to make recipes?
My friend has some brewing stuff but all we have really made was a couple batches of an irish stout "kit"
Fermentation area is room temperature, ~70.
I think the fermenter is 5gal, we can make like 40 bottles in a batch.
Dark beers without alot of hops preferred (my friend is picky)

[TimmyTXJ]

Anyone have some good/easy to make recipes?
My friend has some brewing stuff but all we have really made was a couple batches of an irish stout "kit"
Fermentation area is room temperature, ~70.
I think the fermenter is 5gal, we can make like 40 bottles in a batch.
Dark beers without alot of hops preferred (my friend is picky)

I'd be happy to send you the brew sheet for the Wicked Lift we just brewed. It's a dark with a very mellow hop. :) Let me know and I'll PM it to you.

[89Laredo]

Sounds good.

[89Laredo]

Anyone know a good macro comparable to Sierra Nevada summerfest?
It's 28 IBU but seems a little too sweet. I'd like a little more hop flavor (not much) and less sweetness.

[graverobberjk]

Nothing I have found compares to summer fest, I'm a sierra Nevada junkie lol... but if that hoops flavor is what you want, try hoptimum or any of the others in the Sierra Nevada hopps collection... they are amazing

Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[NW99XJ]

........ Boy..... all this summer heat sure makes me thirsty.......:rolleye0012:

......... sure could use something tasty to drink......... :beer:

:indifferent0028: ....coulda sworn there was supposed to be a package coming or something....... :pray:

[TimmyTXJ]

........ Boy..... all this summer heat sure makes me thirsty.......:rolleye0012:

......... sure could use something tasty to drink......... :beer:

:indifferent0028: ....coulda sworn there was supposed to be a package coming or something....... :pray:

Roger that... thanks for the reminder! :beer: