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Brew depression

tommiwommi

Master Brewer
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
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Location
West virginia
My wife and I are right in the middle of purchasing a home which is really awesome, But I'm starting to go through withdrawl from brewing. I have everything boxed and packed away at the moment. I'll probably be back at it in a month or so. I don't know how to pass the time, I kinda never realised how much time I put into this hobby until I can't do it. So I'm planning new recipies, Any recommended Ideas to brew in early october for some heavier ales for winter? I'm definately going to do the arrogant bastard clone again.  Any recommended ideas would be great
 
I was in the exact same boat for most of the summer.  My wife and I moved from Florida to North Dakota and into our first ever home (we've been apartment living for several years now).  I too went through withdrawals and they never really go away.  Some of the things I did were:

-go through my brewing notebook and purge old stuff and add some new stuff as well as get it organized
-Read, read and read some more.  I took the time to dive into some homebrewing topics that I never really gave much though to before like water chemistry (hence all of the sudden water chemistry questions coming from me here lately)
-Planned out my new brewery, we have an unfinished room in our new house that is dedicated to beer making so I planned what will go where.  I also planned out my next several beers, what to brew when takes a lot of thought you know.
-stayed active with my homebrew friends.  I couldn't brew any for myself but I sure could help them (at least drink their beer and watch them do the work) I also tried to stay up on this board and others in an effort to keep talking about homebrewing
-spent a ton of time trying to figure out where I was going to get my stuff, there aren't really any homebrew stores here in North Dakota (well there are but I think the nearest one is like 4 hours away) so I did a lot of research on how to source from the web. 

Hope that helps, as far as beers go I would recommend a christmas ale for the colder season.  My personal favorite is St. Arnolds and the recipe is in BYO's 150 clone.  Also, BYO published a "Christmas in a bottle" recipe that turned out really good when I made it too.

Hope that helps, hang in there it will pass.  I'm proof of that as I can proudly say that I am going to brew my first NoDak batch tomorrow!
 
I found this recipe yesterday.  Maybe Beersmitning it will help your deppression.  ;)

Banana Bread Holiday Ale recipe
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/banana-bread-holiday-ale-39775/

Recipe Type: All Grain 
Yeast: Wyeast Weihenstephan 3068 with starter 
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5 
Original Gravity: 1.050 
Final Gravity: 1.010 
IBU: <10 
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60 
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): none 

You've never had anything like this before. This ale utilizes the sweet banana esters of the Wyeast Weihenstephan yeast to bring out a smooth, banana bread taste. The flaked oats give a soft mouthfeel. The specialty grains give a hint of nutty bread. This will be the Edwort's Apfelwein of Spiced Holiday Brews.....or not.

No real bananas will be harmed making this beer  , although they can be used in the secondary at your discression.

8 lbs. American 2-row
2 lbs flaked oats
1 lb. biscuit malt
1 lb. honey malt
.25 lbs. crystal 90 (optional for raisin banana bread)

1 oz. Mt. Hood 60 minutes

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract into secondary
1/2 Tablespoons of almond or walnut extract into secondary
1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon into secondary

Wyeast Weihenstephan 3068 with 500ml starter

Mash at 154 for 60 minutes

Ferment near 72° for 10 days.
No secondary fermentation
 
Same boat here brothers...new baby and remodling has all but shut the 1882 brewery down.  I am hoping as we get into some long conditioned stuff that it'll spark the brew bug again. 
 
First brew, Amarillo Pale Ale, a quick awesome brew that is ready in about a week (kegged) a little longer bottled.  It is a refreshing and small (<5%) brew and will hit your hop fix.

And we are coming up on Barleywine season.  Think a nice big BW or Wee Heavy, besides on week 2 you will have a yeast cake to use.

Fred
 
Yay! We have the house now and brewing will commence next week. I have a barley wine recipe ready, And I'm looking for a clone for great lakes brewery's "eliot ness" I tried that stuff a month ago and have been in love with it ever since. If anyone has any info please post!
But anyways,,,I figured I'd share my jubalee!
 
Awesome,

Elliot Ness is a big Vienna Lager.  The 6.2% and 35IBUs are out the top end of the style.  Start with Jamil's recipe from his book to get the base right and then adjust to suit your needs.

Fred
 
I lost six out of eight batches in a row and have been scared off the horse, so I've got the brewing depression but of a different nature.
 
Maine,

Say it ain't so  ???  what did you lose them to? 
 
Was thinking about brewing the Banana Bread Holiday Ale recipe above and was checking into the walnut extract but was unable to find any locally just walnut flavoring. Walnut flavoring is not an alcohol base like extract but water base with a few additives to preserve it. I believe I read somewhere that you should not add anything to your brew that contains additives like that. Is that true?  ???
 
Wow blackmold? I found it in my racking/bottling tube.  I soaked it, but soon realized $3-5 was worth a new tube.  I have some in my bottling bucket spigot too.  That renders that bucket useless except for a bottle dryer.

How did your mold get you.  I'd double up on cleaner.  Hit anything not disposable with iodine and then a clorine based cleaner too.
 
It was my first try at lager.  I made several batches over several weekends and they all got that white ring, soon followed by little rafts all connected by a lattice of web-like threads.
My next ale (after tossing six batches) went fine, but I haven't brewed since.  It's a lot of work to do an all grain batch, getting up at six in the morning to be done before three, only to throw the stuff out.  Batch after batch after batch.

I hate to say it, but I think I've quit the hobby.
 
C'mon Maine.  I thought it was something specific in the basement.  Just stick with your favorites.  Don't let lager mold get you down.  Damn lagers. 
 
Maine Homebrewer said:
It was my first try at lager.  I made several batches over several weekends and they all got that white ring, soon followed by little rafts all connected by a lattice of web-like threads.
My next ale (after tossing six batches) went fine, but I haven't brewed since.  It's a lot of work to do an all grain batch, getting up at six in the morning to be done before three, only to throw the stuff out.  Batch after batch after batch.

I hate to say it, but I think I've quit the hobby.

Maine,

I think maybe you've just had setback, well a large setback to be sure, but lord knows I had many of them when I first started in the hobby, it took a long long time before I made a batch I even liked (didn't follow directions).  I've dumped so many batches of beer its stupid really but it frustrates me enough to want to do it again until I get it right.  I haven't laggered anything yet but my hope is to try soon.  We'll see how they turn out but I've invested way too much time and energy and effort to give up now, now matter how they turn out
 
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