Thursday, September 13, 2012

Pale Goat

Maibock/Helles Bock Specsheet

As near as I can google, the main difference between a Maibock and a Helles Bock is a Maibock is on the higher end of the hop and gravity spectrum (within the parameters presented above from the BJCP) and a Helles is on the lower end. That and a Maibock is brewed to be had in May.

This Corvus Hella Goat will be on the lower end and will be consumed well before May.

We'll lager a Maibock in January for the Spring Equinox.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Bock Bock

Our first attempt at a lager was brewed back in January and stored in deep lager for 7 months.
Large Format Corvusator

Today we bottled it. 4 - 1000 ml bottles, 1 - 660 ml bottle, 1 - 500 ml bottle (seen here) 9 - 330 ml bottles and 18 - 12 oz bottles (not shown). A small yield in big bottles from an early production.
Corvusator

The Double Goat, weighing in at just over 7%, will be ready for Octoberfest!!

And it frees up the lager vessel.
Lagerin'

Soon we will brew a Helles Bock to lager till January.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

State Route 13

State Route 13
It's a California Common. It's a Steam Beer (Trademarked 1981). It's a Cali-Co. It's a NorCal Common. An Oakland Common. A Temescal Common. A Temescalifornia Common. Temescalifornication. It's Style 7B. It's Corvus Steam Beer Made in Oakland.

This is not a clone. It's American Two Row and Crystal 60L and Victory and Rye. It's Northern Brewer and Liberty. It's an original recipe fitting into the guidelines. It's State Route 13 and it will only be bottled in Anchor Brewing bottles.




Friday, April 13, 2012

Brewer's Log, Stardate 65748.7

We've encountered a sampling of adjuncts, very colorful in nature. We're going to throw them in the wort.

Adjuncts
Another batch of Corvusblanca is in the fermenter, Pallidus Crystal is conditioning and Pallidus Columbus and Pallidus Centennial are about to be released.

Also, Believe The Hype:

Imperialis

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Hopsplosion of Life

HopYard Year 2
Our winter rains have finally arrived and so have our hops. The vines are strong and happy.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Breaking the Law, Breaking the Law

California state statute § 23356.2 allows the manufacture of beer for personal or family use, and not for sale by a person over the age of 21. The aggregate amount of beer with respect to any household shall not exceed 200 gallons or 100 gallons if only one adult resides in such household.
The brewery has been a busy place and it's going to have to keep up the late nights if we're going to exceed the legal limit of brewing in 2012.

There's been the bottling of the very anticipated and much talked about Imperialis (Duplices Oculus Pallidus Cervisie).
DIPA

Two Pallidus were brewed last week. A Double Brewday Week with a Golfday in between.

Pallidus Columbus
CTZ (hop) is an acronym for Columbus, Tomahawk, and Zeus, three trade names owned by various private corporations for the same variety of hop, a superalpha cultivar that is capable of delivering about 14% to 18% alpha acids. In addition to being a powerful bittering hop, CTZ also has some solid, slightly pungent aromas derived from about 1.5 to 2 ml of hop oil per 100 g. CTZ ranks among the most widely grown hop in the United States and is planted in all major American growing regions.

Because of its powerful bittering potential, CTZ has become a much sought-after hop by craft brewers experimenting with distinctly American beer tastes, particularly American pale ale, "double IPA", imperial stout, or barley wine. In these brews, this hop is often paired with other typically American hops, including Cascade and Chinook. An American West Coast favorite, CTZ is useful for making "extreme" beers with very high international bittering units because it can deliver a big punch of bitterness without loading up the kettle and/or whirlpool with too much plant material. The Oxford Companion to Beer.
2012
Columbus

And Pallidus Centennial
Over time, certain varieties of hops are grouped together. Noble hops are a group of hops that have been used in beer for a very long time and they are all grown in continental Europe. Another hop group, which is much newer, is the Three Cs. These are American hops that all have names that start with the letter “C” and have come to define ales brewed in this country. Cascade, Centennial, and Columbus (some sources now extend the group to more than just 3).

Centennial (hop)
Origin: USA. It was bred in 1974 (known as CFJ90) and released to the public in 1990. It is a cross between many different varieties including: Brewers Gold, Fuggle, East Kent Golding & Bavarian.
Aroma: Pungent. Citrus-Like. Floral but not as floral as Cascade. More bitter than Cascade though.
Alpha Acid: 9% to 12%
Typical Usage: Some sources stated bitterness; other sources stated aroma/finishing hop. I think Centennial is one of those great dual purpose hops.
Beer Styles: It is a defining hop variety in American pale ales and IPA styles. Some sources stated that they would work well in darker ales too.
Brewdudes

Centennial

Both Brewdays went very well. Target gravities were hit, efficiency was excellent, challenges were presented and met. It went very smoothly, twice. Part of the thrill came from our exciting new North Carolina Walnut mash paddle.
New Mash Paddle

AND we've got the Corvusator into Deep Lagering.
Lagerin'

That will be bottled in May. Then we shall brew an Octoberfest and slam that in the box for the rest of the summer. Sadly this lageration ties up a valuable carboy and slows down production.

More glass is needed.

Friday, February 17, 2012

It's Friday!

On Tap Today at Russian River
We're Road Trippin' for Lunch (Pliny the Younger)!!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

My Life is a Beer Event

SF Beer Week
Beer Week is in full swing and last night's event was big fun. There was a great turn out of enthusiasts and Garage Brewers including local celebrities OBC.

We poured four different Single Hop Pallidus, put out hop samples, and had a great time.

Super Thanks to Todd and Toast!!
DRINK CORVUS and BE HAPPY

Beer Drinkers