DIY Cooking/Fermenting/Charcuterie

[zitothebrave]

I know myself and AA are into it, so I figured I'd start something on it.

SO for my fermentation. I have stopped brewing in my apartment fo rthe summer since it's entirely too hot and I don't really care for doing it in my bedroom where it could explode and ruin my clothes.

But my brother and I just brewed up a batch of a summer blonde with a nice dry hop. Didn't hit my mash temps correctly so it's going to be lower in alcohol and higher in body than I expected but I'm hoping for great results regardless since this is a beer meant to be enjoyed in the true dog days of summer (August) Though I wish I had one this week too damn hot and all I have it fat tire which is a smidge too heavy.

Next up we haven't decided which way to go for our beer, we have an outside dream that we'll have some hops that my brother planted that will have grown and if that's the case we want to do something with them. Other idea I'm kicking around is a Saison, I really enjoy Sorachi Ace hops and would love to make them in a Red Saison. Or we may go another route

Once September rolls around and I have some cooleness to work with I'm going to brew up a big belgian hopefully in time for Christmas.

 

[jpx7]

Other idea I'm kicking around is a Saison, I really enjoy Sorachi Ace hops and would love to make them in a Red Saison.

That sounds like a great trajectory, to me — though with saisons you have to be careful with temperate control: you don't want them fermenting too hot, but they need to be warm enough.

This thread also reminds me I need to start brewing again soon. I'd brewed a solid three batches – including a solid amber and a pretty nice grains-of-paradise and saffron tripel – a couple years ago, but I stopped for the exact summer reasons you mentioned, was really busy once autumn rolled around, and then never picked it back up.

 

[jpx7]

Also: how much charcuterie have you actually messed around with preparing? I've made copious fresh (as in undried and unaged) sausage, but I've never really had the appropriate cellar set-up to feel comfortable doing any drying or aging, et cetera.

Regardless: I highly recommend Jane Grigson's Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery as a resource.

 

[zitothebrave]

Yeah I'm excited to try a Saison as I haven't gone for a belgian yet, and I'm hoping though I'm sure it won't happen that I get some Saison yeast from a local place that releases their own yeast strands. They're about a buck or 2 more than Whitelabs, but I'd rather do that and support a local business that's gonna give me a much more viable yeast (fresher) and they also have a higher yeast count than Whitelabs or WyYeast.

I brew on my own (1 Gallon ALl Grains in the fall and winter) and with my brother (just started partial mash and will build up equipment for All Grain) so I still brew in the summertime since my brother's house has a basement and central air so it stays low 60s pretty much all year round. I have a few brewing projects I want to work on. For my own AG brews and for our partial mashes I want to build a mini mashtun. Would probably cost about 30 bucks or so (I know I can buy one premaid for like 40) but basically it's just a 2 gallon cooler with a few extra parts to keep the grains from getting into the boil. Should work for any amount of grain under 5 pounds which I will be under.

 

[zitothebrave]

Also: how much charcuterie have you actually messed around with preparing? I've made copious fresh (as in undried and unaged) sausage, but I've never really had the appropriate cellar set-up to feel comfortable doing any drying or aging, et cetera.

Regardless: I highly recommend Jane Grigson's Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery as a resource.

None yet. In the same boat but I'm in the process of working with my brother on making homemade bacon. Then will expand from ther.e