Old Time Spruce ale

I am quite glad that I got the time to try out this recipe.  I would have been pretty disappointed, seeing as there is really only one a brief period of one to weeks in the spring that can have to make the recipe the best it can be. The main ingredient and flavouring in this [...]

Thyme Ale Review

If you read my previous entry on how I bottled this beer, I sort of already talked about what I thought of the flavor. But the sample that I tried was from the very bottom right above all the herb and yeast sludge, as well as room temperature, and non-carbonated. So, given that these guys [...]

Thyme Ale – Bottling

Finally this jerk was ready to be bottled a few days ago. The original recipe stated that fermentation would take approximately 6-7 days, but this guy was fermenting for a solid 3 weeks before it finally calmed down. As I was bottling, I put a little bit into a glass and decided to try it. [...]

Sheepshaggers Gold Ale

Clearly there is something sort of interesting and unorthadox about this golden ale. Just look at that sheep; it looks to be enjoying itself way too much for there not to be a sinister purpose behind it’s grin. Not really sure what the brewer’s were thinking in terms of the name, but the beer itself [...]

Clean the Cupboards Ale

Before I ever got the crazy notion of making a Lager, I decided that I should do a little bit of spring cleaning (in February).  I decided to use the leftover grains and hops that have been kicking around for a while to make a nothing special drinking ale.  I shot for 5% IPA-ish brew [...]

Outside the Hops: Thyme Ale

The time for herbal home-brew number two has arrived, and I decided on producing a thyme ale. There was no specific recipe that I found to make this, so it essentially entirely from scratch. Here is the ingredients list: 2.9 L water (another growler brew) 1 pound brown sugar 3 ounces thyme 1 ounce rosemary [...]

Outside the Hops: Chamomile Beer

Outside the Hops: Chamomile Ale Inspired once again by the poetically profound and leucrative book Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers, I have developed a slight adaptation from one the featured recipes. This is the first time I have tried making a beer entirely out of my own ingredients and with my own supplies, so I [...]

St. Peter’s Winter Ale

*** Sorry Rob, I beat you to it. I was actually really surprised to find out from Nagy senior that no one had done a review of this beer yet. As far as I know, every member of the beer collective has tried this incredible brew. I suppose all of you were just so mesmerized [...]

Holy Smoke Scotch Ale

So I had a chance to try this brew on tap at West 50, one of 50 beers on tap.  Most of the beers are blah, but they do have Koningshoven Quad.  Go there to check that beer out at least.  They only serve in in half pints though, go figure. This Holy Smoke Scotch [...]

Calamus Ale

Has it really been 20 days already? Two weeks ago I felt that this beer would never be ready for consumption, but alas that day finally arrived this past Saturday. John, the one overseeing the entire process kept a watchful eye over the brew in it’s second fermentation vessel. The two of us transfered and [...]