Luca Donovan Pilsner

Today I have returned to my home brewing roots after a hiatus of almost 3 years. I decided to start out with something simple to get back into brewing, and so I bought myself the ready made mix for a Pilsner. These things are basically boiled down ready-made worts.

The ingredients were:

• Cooper's Pilsner mix,
• with 500g extra pale malt sugar,
• and 300g dextrose.

Boiled everything up and just pitched the yeast. Since its a Pilsner, I am going to try a cold fermentation. Where I live now the basement right next to the garage door is the ideal place for cold fermentation. There is a temperature around 18 degrees C. Since its a colder fermentation I am expecting the standard 6 days until fermentation is done will be extended (maybe doubled). I am not sure so I will keep an eye on it.

Oh yes, the name is to celebrate the birth of my son. Hopefully the brew will come out good. Check the Cooper site, you can even make your very own brew labels there, I made this one on the site.

Final Editing of Episode 2 Started

There has been word from local MTL officials:

that riots have been quelled.

This was made public after it was announced by someone that final editing of the Homebrew 101 - Episode 2 video clip had begun.

When asked about the facts, the brewlab officials declined to comment citing possible Quebec Election fever as the culprit in all the rumors.

Red Merlot - November 2008

This will be my first journey back into the real of home brewing. Last November 2007, Nina and I moved into a house. Because of the big post-move disorganisation I had put away my brew hobby: deep away. But I am now back in action, no longer brewing ale, but Wine!

Nina's father showed me the rudiments of wine making. I have started this 20L of red merlot using a simple pre-prepared Mosto from Magnifico (California). Everything was purchased at MTL Wine Store on Crémazie.

Episode 1 of the Homebrew 101 files


I know! I know I mis-pronounced mesquite (it should be mes-keet). I had a bit of fun with Photoshop.

Gruit Ale Recipe

This my friends was an experiment, almost alchemical in undertaking. The idea behind it is to go a bit medieval in the brewing process that we know so well today. You see, before the widespread use of hops as the conservative of our brews european peoples used a slew of other herbs commonly called Gruit. Just like curry is not a spice, but a mix of spices (pepper, chili, cloves, coriander, cumin, paprika, ginger, turmeric, ...); In the same way Gruit was not a single additive to the brew but a mix of herbs, these herbs it is believed were:

• yarrow
• mugwort
• sweat gale
• Marsh rosemary
• ...
  

To make a long story short, the Church at the time thought that all of this was all a bit too pagan. These herbs were reportedly hallucinogenic and were often described as libido enhancing. The Church attempted (and succeeded) in controlling the rampant use of these herbs by becoming the single source of Gruit. Latter when Hops was discovered as a better preservative to a brew, the Church actually imposed laws (in Germany these laws are still place) on how a brew should be brewed.



So all of this to say that I attempted to re-create what those crazy pagans were drinking back then. It didn't work all that well. Below is my recipe, somehow my batch turned, I guess I didn't get the correct proportions of gruit. I will keep you posted on new experiments.

Fe-Fiada is Irish Gaelic for fairy fog.

Carolina with Sam Adams, in Boston!

Its me, Carolina, in Boston! I went there with 2 friends for 3 days it was fun. And yes I tried Samuel Adams beer!!! it was a good beer!
I support Sean in his homebrewing even if we do it in small 51/2 appartment rooms! LOL If everything goes well next year we should be in our own house! :-)

Belgian spiced Christmas Ale

I have been looking into how to make a Christmas ale. I have never had one. Researching these seasonal brews I have, however, found that quite a few breweries around the world do produce some versions of this ale. In the Montreal area I know of none.

I went to my local home brew shop, and talked about the recipe that I have been throwing around in my head. He gave me some great ideas, one of which was to use a Belgian Abbey Yeast. I have been playing around with adding in some sour mashed wort to the boil, question of giving it that extra Belgian micro biota feel. Is that a good idea?



Almost a month after bottling, the following comments were made concerning the brew:

Good carbonation
Very dark reddish color
Smell of vanilla is strong
A bit acidic (yeast selection issue)
Very strong alcohol
Spicy amazing taste




With this brew I really had a lot of fun making the label. I enjoy working on getting everything to fit into a 5cm x 5cm space. Plus it adds a bit of professionalism when comes time to serve it to friends, family and guests of the house.