I Don't Only Drink GoShots

 Sometimes I brew and drink beer.

The picture below is the wheat/pale ale beer I made a few months ago. It's definitely a hybrid taste. Too bitter for a wheat beer, but not bitter enough for a pale ale. Here are some thoughts from well-respected members of the TJL community.

The wheat beer was enjoyed on a hot Saturday evening after a day full of toil. I was surprised by how much I liked it, as this type of thing is not normally my bag. It had a smooth and full mouth feel with a taste that I can only describe as creamy steel. In a positive way. This beer was nothing if not unique, and did not in any way taste like a homebrew, which is the lone metric I employ. I give it 15 Bryant McKinnies out of 20.

                                                            -Reasonably good lawyer Robert Williams

It has mellowed. It tastes much like an IPA now, but with a slight molasses aftertaste. The molasses isn't quite in sync with the hoppy bitterness, but overall it strikes me as a good beer, way different than what it was 6 weeks ago. 

                                                          - Businessperson Tim Mooney

The Surly Furious clone was my first attempt at dry hopping. Dry hopping is adding hops to the beer after fermentation has occurred to help infuse it with addition hop aroma and flavor. My attempt tastes good, but not great. Most bottles were over carbonated, had gunk at the bottom, and would foam like crazy when opened. I think I did something wrong.

I received the photo below and a comment on this beer from a fan of the blog.

The Furious I was a touch less taken with, since as you can tell from the Surly glass, I did everything but wax my taint for this tasting. The circumstances were right: I had just finished a slice of pizza, my taste buds were 'ulated, and my glass was frosted. My first taste, adulterated with a BBQ chicken from the local pie shop, hit me just right -- 100% authentic Surly Furious. Subsequent gulps tasted less legit however; the pizza clearly kept my taste buds off balance during the initial swig. However all in all, a tasty entry if a little homebrewy. I give it 2.7 Petey Pablos.

                                                                                         - Robert Kasperdad

Robert is right. The next time I dry hop, I going to do it in my fermenting bucket and not my carboy. That should help. Here is another picture. Too foamy and almost muddy looking. Thank God it is still enjoyable to drink.

I also brew, bottled, and have begun consuming a Moose Drool clone. The reviews on this beer are much more positive than I expected.

A great dark flavor without the "weightiness" of a traditional dunkelbier. Ultra-drinkable with a nice, hoppy initial, but a smooth, almost woody finish. I can count on one hand the times I've had multiple drinks by myself, but I dispatched the second bottle immediately after the first. No big, overwhelming flavors (and also without the heartburn-inducing acidity of so many black ales), but that's what contributes to how easily it goes down. Easily the best Moose Drool clone I've had.

                                                                              -Former Prescription Landscape Employee

It's better than Moose Drool the original.

                                                                             -Andy (Marlene's husband) Strom 


Currently, I am working on another batch of apple wine. I used to call it hard cider, but cider is typically sweet and this stuff is not sweet. I made this batch very similar to my first attempt, but added a little maple syrup. It all comes down to the yeast and I used the Montrachet white wine yeast again. My yeast friends will work hard on all those delicious sugars to help it taste winey. No sugar in their path is safe, so the results will be deliciously dry.

Last week I bottled a bourbon barrel porter. It was a normal porter to start with, but I soaked 2 cups of Maker's Mark in some burnt oak chips and then dumped the whole thing into the carboy. I did some sampling over the last few weeks and thought it tasted too burnt, but I think it should turn into a really great beer as long as I leave it alone for a few weeks.

I'm sure you are all asking yourselves, How does he do it? Here are photos of the Noble Trappist Ale I brewed a couple weeks ago to help you understand the process.

Steeping the specialty grains.

Waiting for them to reach 175 degrees F.

Adding the malt extract and starting a 60 minute boil.

Cracking open the hops. 

Giving the hops a good sniff before adding.

A late addition of some clear Belgian candi sugar for taste and alcohol boosting.

Jeremy shows up to help with the stirring.

We have to cool the goodness before adding yeast.

Checking the initial gravity to help determine alcohol.

I don't have pictures after this, but we dumped the beer in a bucket, added yeast, and let time take over. All signs point to a good batch of beer. Let me know and I will save some for you.

I plan on one last GoShot post for the year. I am saving them for Jake's wedding in October. Drinking the last few packets among friends will be a fitting end to the summer of GoShots.