Batch #9 - Oatmeal Stout

Batch #9. This is a brew I did in Atlanta.  It didn't come out the way I wanted to in Atlanta (due to dried apricots and their sulfur drying).  So I took my recipe from Atlanta and modified it a little with a couple new ingredients.  This is also our first batch using a glass carboy as a secondary fermenter.  It stayed in the primary for 16 days and the secondary for 36 days.

Style: Extract Brew
Sub-Style: Oatmeal Stout (13 C)
Malts: Chocolate Malt
            Roasted (Black) Barley
            Crystal (75 L) Malt
            Flaked Oats
Malt Extract: Dark Liquid Malt Extract
                        Dark Dry Malt Extract 
Hops: Bittering - UK Kent Golding
           Flavoring - UK Kent Golding
           Aroma - None
Other Additives:  BrewVint Yeast Fuel
Yeast: Wyeast - Irish Ale 1084 Activator
Clarifying Ingredients: Irish Moss - 1 teaspoon
Number of Bottles: 45 (12 oz. bottles)
Original Gravity: 1.060 (76°F)
Final Gravity: 1.030 (70°F)
Percent Alcohol: 4.06% by Volume
Comments: I am very pleased that this one turned out great! Definitely one of the best brews we have done.  My only complaint was that it wasn't "chewy" enough - which I think made it a little watery on the mouthfeel.  I think next time I will use steel cut oats to give it more thickness.  Also, I think use of 1 cup brown sugar was a little too much since there is a little too much carbonation, even though the color of the head was a very nice shade of brown.
                    Testing Date: 1/3/13
                    Aroma: 8 out of 12
                    Appearance: 2 out of 3
                    Flavor: 18 out of 20
                    Mouthfeel: 2 out of 5
                    Overall Impression: 8.5 out of 10
                    Total: 38.5 out of 50

New Print

I got this new poster from Pop Chart Lab that shows all the different beer styles.  It breaks down all beers into Ales and Lagers and then shows all sub-styles with some examples of each. This site has some awesome prints and shirts - so click here to check them out.

Batch #8 - Irving's Hollow Ale

Batch #8. This was a recipe Andy came up with for a pumpkin ale. We ordered a kit from Midwest Supplies and supplemented it with some ingredients from AHS.  We also used a turban pumpkin from Andy's parents in Colorado.  While brewing it had a great pumpkin pie aroma to the batch.  The first couple of days of fermenting also had a great pumpkin pie smell to it coming from the airlock.

Style: Extract Brew
Malts: Carapils Malt
            Caramel 10 L Malt
            Cara Munich Malt
            Crystal (60 L) Malt
Malt Extract: Gold Light Malt Extract
                        Brown Sugar
Hops: Bittering - Magnum & Mt. Hood
           Flavoring - None
           Aroma - Mt. Hood
Other Additives: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, Vanilla Extract, Turban Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Orange Peel
Yeast: Safale US-05 Dry Ale Yeast
Clarifying Ingredients: Irish Moss
Number of Bottles: 26 (12 oz. bottles) & 15 (22 oz. bottles)
Original Gravity: 1.049 (77°F)
Final Gravity: 1.010 (72°F)
Percent Alcohol: 5.20% by Volume
Comments: Overall this one was a not bad first attempt at a Pumpkin Ale.  That being said I think we need a lot more pumpkin flavor added to balance out the spices added.  The spices were great (great flavor of fall and pumpkin pie), but that dominated the palette.  If we add more pumpkin, the sweet creaminess should mellow the spices.
                    Testing Date: 1/3/13
                    Aroma: 9 out of 12
                    Appearance: 2.5 out of 3
                    Flavor: 14 out of 20
                    Mouthfeel: 2 out of 5
                    Overall Impression: 6 out of 10
                    Total: 33.5 out of 50

Batch #7 - Redemption Pale Ale

Batch #7. First batch ordered from Midwest Supplies.  This was to make up for the Pale Ale that was tried before (I needed a hoppy beer!), hence the name choice. First time using the Amarillo hops - which were very good!

Style: Extract Brew
Sub-Style: American Pale Ale (10 A)
Malts: Carapils Malt
            Caramel 40L Malt
Malt Extract: Gold Light Malt Extract
                        Light Dry Malt Extract 
Hops: Bittering - Columbus
           Flavoring - Amarillo
           Aroma - Amarillo
Yeast: Wyeast - Northwest Ale 1332 Activator
Number of Bottles: 55.5 (12 oz. bottles)
Original Gravity: 1.050 (77°F)
Final Gravity: 1.016 (70°F)
Percent Alcohol: 4.5% by Volume
Comments: This one did much better than our first attempt at a American Pale Ale.  There seemed to be too much carbonation in this over time.  Still the hoppy character of the Amarillo hops shine in the beer.  The hops were piney and woody which balanced nicely with the malts.
                     Testing Date: 1/3/13
                    Aroma: 6 out of 12
                    Appearance: 2.5 out of 3
                    Flavor: 15 out of 20
                    Mouthfeel: 3 out of 5
                    Overall Impression: 6 out of 10
                    Total: 32.5 out of 50

Batch #6 - Dirty Blonde Ale

Batch #6. Another batch ordered from AHS.  We were trying some new procedures to ensure that the taint from before was gone.  We got a new auto-siphon, and cleaned the bottles differently (cleaned with B-Brite, then rinsed with water, and then baked in oven at 350°F for 1 hour while capped in aluminum foil - see picture below)

Style: Extract Brew
Sub-Style: Blonde Ale (6 B)
Malts: 2-Row Malt
            Carared Malt
            Carapils Malt
            Flaked Rye
Malt Extract: Extra Pale Extract
Hops: Bittering - Northern Brewer
           Flavoring - Northern Brewer
           Aroma - Northern Brewer
Other Additives: BrewVint Yeast Fuel
Yeast: Wyeast - Greenbelt Activator
Clarifying Ingredients: Irish Moss - 1 teaspoon
Number of Bottles: 48 (12 oz. bottles)
Original Gravity: 1.052 (82°F)
Final Gravity: 1.011 (72°F)
Percent Alcohol: 5.52% by Volume
Comments:  Erik & I liked this one a lot, and Andy didn't. The reason was the same for all of us, the clove flavor that the hops bring.  After tasting this side by side with a Grimbergen Blond Ale (one of my favorite Blonde Ales), we noticed that ours was not as sweet as the Grimbergen (we tasted a lot of honey in the Grimbergen).
                    Testing Date: 1/3/13
                    Aroma: 3 out of 12
                    Appearance: 3 out of 3
                    Flavor: 16 out of 20
                    Mouthfeel: 4 out of 5
                    Overall Impression: 7 out of 10
                    Total: 33 out of 50

Batch #5 - Amber Ale

 Batch #5. Another extract based brew. This batch was Andy's recipe he came up with to try to make an Amber Ale. The only thing Andy was upset about was forgetting to order some Carmel malt which he thought may make the color more "amber".

Style: Extract Brew
Sub-Style: Amber Ale (10 B)
Malts: 2-Row Malt
            Crystal Malt (75 L)
            Crystal Malt (60 L)
            Acid Malt
            Aromatic Malt
            Biscuit Malt
Malt Extract: Extra Pale Extract
Hops: Bittering - Cascade & Galena
           Flavoring - Galena & Cascade
           Aroma - Cascade & Willamette
Other Additives: BrewVint Yeast Fuel
Yeast: Wyeast - Northwest Ale 1332 Activator
Clarifying Ingredients: Irish Moss - 1 teaspoon
Number of Bottles: 47 (12 oz. bottles)
Original Gravity: 1.053 (73°F)
Final Gravity: 1.014 (72°F)
Percent Alcohol: 5.14% by Volume
Comments: Overall we all liked this brew. Taste was great with great flavors coming through.  Andy is hoping to improve on the color and maltiness next time it's brewed with maybe some Carared Malts.
                     Testing Date: 1/3/13
                    Aroma: 6 out of 12
                    Appearance: 3 out of 3
                    Flavor: 16 out of 20
                    Mouthfeel: 5 out of 5
                    Overall Impression: 8 out of 10
                    Total: 38 out of 50

Hop Profilling

Andy & I decided to profile a bunch of different hops in order to get a better taste profile of each hop.  We did this by taking about 1 pellet of each hop and dissolving them in about 1/4 cup of boiling water.  The hops were smelled and tasted, then rated from 1-10.

Zythos 10.9% AA

• sweet, flowery aroma
• mild taste & bittering
• K-2, A-1

Chinook 11.1% AA, 3.1% BA

• citrus, piney (spicy) aroma
• spicy, piney taste
• good for flavoring, bittering
• K-9, A-7

Falconer's Flight 11.4% AA

• spicy, piney, citrus aromas
• balanced taste & bitterness
• good for flavoring & bittering, slight use in aroma
• K-7, A-8

Magnum 12.2% AA

• earthy aroma
• taste will work well for German style beers (bittering)
• K-7, A-0

Calypso 12.8% AA

• lemon, citrus aroma
• sweet, citrus (lemon), hoppy taste
• good for aroma, flavoring (summer or light beers)
• K-9, A-10

Galena 12.8% AA

• mild hop aroma
• clean, pleasant taste (not offensive)
• good for bittering & flavoring
• K-9, A-9

Warrior 16.0% AA

• earthy aroma (sort of like miso soup)
• strong bitter, hoppy taste
• very good for bittering
• K-7, A-2

Saaz 3.3% AA

• earthy, flowery aroma (very light)
• hint of lemon taste (light hop taste)
• good light flavor and aroma (good for Pilsner style beers)
• K-7, A-9

Willamette 4.0% AA

• grapefruit, lemongrass, flowery aroma
• sweet taste with a good light balance
• good for IPAs, Ambers, aroma hopping
• K-9, A-9

Fuggle 4.8% AA

• earthy, woddy aroma (like Chinese food)
• light, mellow hoppy taste
• good for Brown Ales, German styles (aroma hopping)
• K-6, A-6

Tettnang 6.1% AA

• mild, earthy aroma
• mild spice taste
• spice good for aroma or taste
• K-7, A-4

Mt. Hood 6.1% AA

• mild flowery aroma, slight wet towel smell
• Zing! mild & pleasant spicy taste
• good for aroma & flavoring
• K-8, A-8

Cascade 6.2% AA

• piney, citrus aroma
• spicy, piney taste
• good for aroma, flavor
• K-10, A-7

Progress 6.5% AA

• nutty, flowery aroma
• spicy taste (not offensive)
• good for aroma, bittering
• K-8, A-8

Cluster 6.8% AA

• pleasant citrus aroma
• citrus, spicy taste
• good for aroma & flavoring (a litter potential for bittering)
• K-9, A-9

Challenger 7.2% AA

• musty, musky, oily aroma
• smoky, peaty flavor
• good for Irish style beers, heavy on flavoring
• K-7, A-5

Columbus 15.2% AA

• earthy, citrus aroma (flowery)
• strong earthy, citrus flavor
• very good for American bitterings
• K-7, A-9

Amarillo 9.2% AA

• citrus aroma
• very good clean flavor
• good for aroma, flavor
• K-9, A-9

Batch #3 / Batch #4 Review :(

Both batches had to be thrown out.  They had a metallic taste and an off smell.  I think the infection may have been caused by a poor monitoring / regulation of the swamp cooler temperature.  With a better regulation of temperatures I think the batches should improve.

Batch #3 - Hibernation Pale Ale

Batch #3. Another extract based brew. We ordered from Austin Homebrew Supply again. This batch was an interesting adventure. While cooling the wort, we chilled it a little too much, and pitched the yeast at too cold of a temperature. Needless to say, the yeast was too cold to eat. Since the yeast was not eating, there was no fermentation. To help get the batch going, the fermenter was warmed up in a shallow bath of warm water and more of the same yeast was pitched again. Once fermentation began, the primary fermenter was moved into a swamp cooler (see previous post) to get the fermentation temperature down to 70-72°F. We also used Irish moss and gelatin to get a clearer beer.

Style: Extract Brew
Sub-Style: American Pale Ale
Malts: Crystal Malt (40 L) - 16 oz.
Hops: Bittering - Galena (1 oz.)
           Flavoring - Cascade (1 oz.)
           Aroma - German Hallertau (1 oz.)
Other Additives: BrewVint Yeast Fuel - 0.018 oz. (added with 15 minutes left of boil)
Yeast: Wyeast - London Ale III 1318 Activator
Clarifying Ingredients: Irish Moss - 1 teaspoon (added with 15 minutes left of boil)
                                        Gelatin - 1 tablespoon (added to secondary fermenter)  
Number of Bottles: 51 (12 oz. bottles)
Original Gravity: 1.049 (75°F)
Final Gravity: 1.011
Percent Alcohol: 4.98% by Volume
Comments: To Be Continued......

Brew Closet

Being the OCD person that I am, I had to create a space in our house that was dedicated to nothing but brewing. I was previously sharing a closet with my son Julian, which in hindsight, was kinda odd, but oh well.

Anywho, I reworked a closet in our spare bedroom. I put in some shelves on the side to hold supplies and what not. I also using the clothes bar for hanging extra fermenters and other buckets. The floor is then used for fermentation process and other storage.

This also was done so that I could work on a way to cool down our fermenters. Since we live in Louisiana, it is too hot to do many different types of brews.  After a lot of research, I made a 'swamp cooler'. This entailed a shallow pan (a plastic Tupperware tray) filled with about an inch of tap water. I then wrapped the fermenter in a towel and placed it in the tray with water. The water then goes up the towel, and after keeping a fan on the bucket, the temperature drops to a controllable temperature.

Batch #2 - Georgia Roots (Bitter Ale)

Batch #2. Another extract based brew. We ordered from Austin Homebrew Supply again since they have a large selection of recipe kits. The beer was interesting, peach, ginger, and sour notes!

Style: Extract Brew
Sub-Style: Bitter Ale (23 A)
Malts: Acid Malt
            2- Row Malt
           Flaked Wheat
Hops: Bittering - Progess
           Flavoring - None
           Aroma - None
Other Additives: Ginger Root
                             Peach Extract
                             BrewVint Yeast Fuel - a nutrient to help fermentation
Yeast: Wyeast - London Ale III 1318 Activator
Number of Bottles: 28 (12 oz. bottles), 12 (22 oz. bottles)
Original Gravity: 1.050 (75°F)
Final Gravity: 1.012
Percent Alcohol: 4.98% by Volume
Comments: Overall comments - AHS makes good beer recipes. We liked the beer; it is a nice refreshing summer beer that I think would go well with a spicy dish. You taste the peach a lot in the first sip of the beer, and then the ginger & acid malt gets you on the subsequent tastes.  The peach definitely came through in the aroma. This batch was not as watery as our first batch.
Personal Ratings: Karari: 39.5/50, Andy: 39.5/50

Batch #1 - El Jefe (Bavarian Hefeweizen)

Our first batch done as Foothold Brewing. To get our feet wet, we started with doing some extract based brews. We ordered from Austin Homebrew Supply since they had a good selection. The beer came out good for our first attempt together.

Style: Extract Brew
Sub-Style: Hefeweizen (15 A)
Malts: Cara Pils Malt
            German Pilsner Malt
Hops: Bittering - Hallertau
           Flavoring - None
           Aroma - Hallertau
Yeast: Wyeast - Weihenstephan Weizen 3068 Activator
Number of Bottles: 50 (12 oz. bottles)
Original Gravity: 1.050 (76°F)
Final Gravity: 1.010
Percent Alcohol: 5.24% by Volume
Comments: The beer had a pleasant taste and overall feel.  There was a subtle banana flavor on the first part of the taste (which came from the yeast), followed by a subtle clove taste at the end.  There wasn't much aroma. We first tasted the beer 4 weeks after brewing (2 weeks after bottling) and it had a much more pronounced 'creaminess' to it. This went down slightly after 5 weeks, but there was more carbonation at this time.  The beer is good chilled with a slice of orange in it. It tastes like a traditional wheat beer, although the biggest flaw that we noticed was a slightly 'watery' taste to it.
Personal Ratings: Karari: 37-38/50, Andy: 36/50

Welcome!

I am creating this page to chronicle the exploits of a couple of homebrewers (Karari & Andy) from Monroe, Louisiana.  I have brewed in the past while I was living in Atlanta, and have always wanted to get back into the process.  I met Andy when he was Julian's soccer coach. As we got to know each other, we realized that we both like good beverages. We started brewing together over a love of quality beers and our desire to see if we could make some darn good beer of our own.

In terms of Andy of why we are called Foothold Brewing "It resonates with of our past (younger body, pre-kids, and different place of residence) pastimes of hiking and 14ers.  It also describes what making the beer does for us in providing us a good beer to drink along with our venture into exploring/creating our own recipes along with the possibility of getting more out of brewing".