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Review #48

A Munich dunkel by Hofbräuhaus Traunstein. Absolutely incredible. 8.5/10

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Brew #2 Brown Ale

July 3 2024

For my second brew I went with a personal favorite, an English Brown Ale.

Grain Bill:

4.76 lbs 2-Row

7.03 oz Crisp Amber

3.755 oz Crisp Chocolate

3.78 oz Crisp Brown

2.015 oz Simpsons Crystal Medium

2.115 Breis Special

Hops:

17.7 g Willamette (3.5 AA) @ 60mins

6.6 g Willamette (3.5 AA) @ 30mins

Yeast:

WLP007 Dry English Ale

Mashed for one hour at 156°F then for 20 minutes at 170°F. At the one hour mark it passed the iodine test. I then brought it to a boil and added the hops at the times above. My gravity at the end of it all was 1.052. Hoping to get around 5% abv.

The plan is to ferment at 68°F for 4-5 days and then begin cold crashing.

July 11 2024

It fermented fast and clean before I began cold crashing. The final gravity was about 1.016 which gave me an ABV of 4.73% which is solid. The beer also smelled amazing

July 12 2024

Now that the beer is at 38°F I added .21g of gelatin to begin the fining process.

July 13, 2024

Bottled the beer with 1.4oz of corn sugar.

The beer is incredibly dark (far darker than I planned) but smells and tastes great (even before carbonation).

July 27 2024

The beer turned out great! Carbonation is lower than I would have hoped for (I have to figure out what I am doing wrong) but the taste, smell, mouthfeel, and overall look is great!

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Review #47

Chouffe Soleil is such a beautifully light beer. Almost like a beer seltzer. It’s such a perfect pairing with a hot summer day and some hot dogs and beers. But while being so light it still packs a 6% punch that’ll sneak up on you! 9/10

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Review #46

I’ve had me eyes set on Founder’s KBS for some time. This beer is insanely balanced for being 12% abv. It is also very reminiscent of Kaluah (or any sweet coffee liqueur) but that’s not what I want in a beer. My rating reflects how impressed I am that a beer tastes this way, not my opinion of that taste which is just not very beer like. 7.5/10

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Review #45

Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy just wasn’t doing it for me. Lemon flavor felt fake and overpowering. 4/10

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Review #44

Weihenstephaner (the world’s oldest brewery) is one I truly love. Grabbed this thinking it was a traditional dunkel or dunkelweizen and poured the beer and was SHOCKED. The doppelbock is packed with flavor and delicious and so balanced for such a high abv. 8.5/10

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Review #43

Boon Rawd’s Singha has a special place in my heart. Crisp and clean and goes down easy. 8/10

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Review #42

Santa Barbara’s Institution Ale House is a really cool joint. Their Restraint brown ale was pretty tasty. I felt it was a little unbalanced, leaning a little too heavily towards hops but still enjoyed it. 6/10

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Review #41

First time trying a Scottish Wee Heavy. This was a pricey beer (7 bucks here) but worth it. Traquair House Brewery’s House Ale is one I will (when I have the money) return to! Perfectly balanced but definitely on the sweeter side. 9/10

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Review #40

Russian River’s Pliny the Elder is a really really solid beer given how hoppy it is and high the ABV is. Piney but refreshing. I really enjoyed this one. 7.5/10

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Review #39

I am a fan of Corona but never tried Corona Familiar. Honestly love this beer. Don’t know any stigma around it but this is one of my favorites I’ve tried recently. 8/10

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Review #38

Always seen Shiner Bock at sports bars and in beer shops but never tried it. Honestly really enjoyed it. Refreshing and dark enough to be interesting. 6/10

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Review #37

Any Chouffe is a winner in my book. Cherry Chouffe is one of the best beers I’ve ever had. I love fruity beer and strong beer and balanced beer and this has it all. 10/10

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Review #36

Another Philadelphia Brewing Co beer. The Kenzinger is a Pilsner and man I am not sure why it tastes the way it does. Not for me! 4/10

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Review #35

Philadelphia Brewing Company’s Fleur de Lehigh was definitely an interesting taste. Not what I was expecting and in all honesty not my favorite. It’s unfiltered which does change things and I finished the pint but I don’t think I’ll be coming back to this one. 6/10

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Review #34

Vernal Rites ‘24 by Cartesian Brewing is a strong beer that’s easy to put down. A dangerous combo. The maibock is a style that I do enjoy but rarely buy. Happy I tasted this one! 6.5/10

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Review #33

Cartesian Brewing is a great spot with amazing vibes. This mild brown ale is one of my favorites I’ve had from any local brewery. The Strange Participants is a beautifully easy beer to drink with subtle notes of malt and fruit. Great beer. 8/10