Today I ordered enough ingredients to brew 2 different 5gl batchs of Pumpkin Beer.
I will brew one batch next week to have in time for Halloween and the 2nd batch in October to have in time for Thanksgiving
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I can't get into pumpkin beers....they all come out too sweet for me and taste too much like a pie instead of a beer. But enjoy the brewing.
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They are really hit or miss. Usually too much Clove/Cinnamon flavor.
Thats why I like to make my own so I can control the flavor.
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I'm with you on this. I'd love to sample some homebrewer interpretations where some restraint is employed. The commercial versions are just way too spiced and sweet for my liking. Somehow I keep trying each new one I see hoping to find one I like though... I call it research.
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There could certainly be worse things to conduct research on.

Got confirmation that my Oktoberfest is ruined....boo. :-):-):-)

Now I'm scrambling to brew an Oktoberfest Ale for the party which makes me very grumpy. The brewing will certainly be fun, but I had this beer mapped out for a while now.
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Brewing up a KBS clone from Zymurgy tomorrow night. Hopefully it'll be ready for Christmas!
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2 kegs popped yesterday so I had the wife pick up AHS Pumpkin Ale kits. Sure that at least 2 more kegs are almost gone so maybe a coffee stout and or Marzen....Who knows?
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I'm down to only about 1 gallon of Wit in my last keg.
I've got 5 gallons of my Cali Common that should be ready to crash chill tomorrow and I'll be brewing up 10 gallons of Belgian Dark Strong tomorrow AM early.

I need to replenish!
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Brewed up another Oktoberfest yesterday, this time went with an ale as I don't have time to properly lager anything at this point. Now I'm mapping out my next few beers. Thinking I'll brew my winter ale at our upcoming club cluster brew session. Then the following week I have the Winston's Humidor annual chili cookoff/brew day herf to attend. Think I'm going to do a coffee stout then.
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Ferg I'm thinking of going extract + grains at those two parking lot events. Definitely for Winston's, it's just gonna be too complicated & long to mash. I may change my mind for the cluster brew since Bob ought to be well equipped.
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I'll be AG for both because I want to get a better handle on a few of my recipes. I'm gonna redo my abbey ale at Winston's and want to roll AG for that. I haven't finalized my decision for the cluster brew, but gonna do my xmas beer there.
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Can't wait to get everything unpacked so I can start brewing again!
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Putting in my order for 6 gallons of fresh pressed cider. Not a big cider fan myself but pals seemed to like it at thanksgiving last year. Decent change of pace, and can't get much easier.

1. Fill carboy with cider
2. Add yeast
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Picked up a lb of 2012 crops:

Belma leaf hops
Cirta leaf hops

from www.hopsdirect.com Pretty good prices imo.
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Let us know how that Belma works out. It sounds like it is right up my alley hop wise.
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Well my hops came in and I opened the Belma bag and it was an instant room filling aroma of citrus! I think this is going to be the new hot hops for the up coming year..... My bag was 1.7 oz over a lb :-). Hoping the citra bag will weigh over as well. While splitting up the bag into 4 oz packages the resins just covered the bags and my fingertips.

Here is what I made tonight:

Mini mash 45 min soak
2 1/2 lb 2row
1/2 lb crystal 20l

6 lb extra pale extract

1 oz belma hops 60 min
1 oz belma hops 15 min
1 oz belma hops 5 min

Pitched wlabs californa ale 001
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Brewed a brown ale with 2lbs of a friends honey today. Hadn't brewed in what seemed like ages. Nice to get a day in.
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:-):-)

Dang, that sounds good! I love fresh honey, and mixing it with a grerat brown ale...wow!
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I can only hope so. I came home to yeasty foam pushing through the blowoff tubes from both carboys so it'll at least have booze in it. Should be good paired with turkey and help further induce that early afternoon nap!
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Have any of you guys qualified for the MCAB finals in May?
A Mini homebrewers herf in Minneapolis would be cool.
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