Fall Beer 2012

Managed to get a batch brewed this Labor Day- Bourbon Barrel Porter '12.  The base is a high- gravity Baltic Porter (O.G. 1.088), and it is fermenting at 66F on Wyeast 1335 British Ale II yeast to enhance the bready, malty, goodness.

Once fermentation is complete, I'll cask- age this baby over charred oak barrel chips that have been soaked in maker's Mark for the last 2 months.  This all should up the final flavor and mouth feel.  Will be ready around November 15.

Next is a Honey Golden Ale (last light sipper of the year), then it time for  PUMPKIN ALE!!  Can't wait.

Cheers!

Mason

Brewery Upgrades- July 2012

All, attached are pics of my most recent equipment projects.

  

I added a sight glass and a whirlpool to my brew kettle. 

  

View inside the kettle. Up top is the thermometer probe, on the right is the whirlpool arm, and in the bottom is a screen for the drain valve. Notice how the whirlpool arm directs the flow tightly against the kettle wall. This increases the efficiency of my copper coil chiller by two fold, and helps to concentrate the trub (sediment/ hops) in the center of the kettle.



Theses are the cam- lock fitting I found to connect all of my hoses to my kettle/ coolers/ pumps.



One of the two March fluid pumps



I mounted them so that the magnetic head is outside of the tool box



First mounted pump head.  Had to get longer SS machine screws do to the added thickness of the toolbox side



Pump mounted through toolbox side



   

I also added a ball valve to control flow on the "out" port of each pump.  I use one to run from my ice water through the 40' copper coil chiller, and the other to circulate the whirlpool. This setup cools 5 gallons of boiling wort to 65F in <12 minutes.





View inside the completed pump box project.  I wired the motors to the junction box and to the orange extension cord to power the unit. Next, I added switches to control them independently. The gray junction box mounted in the front also has 2 GFI outlets to run other equipment if needed.  My only concern is that the box has a water- tight gasket (orange in the picture above) around the lid, and that may cause overheating issues with the pump motors.  I'll run a test for 30 minutes and check to see if they get too hot.



Finally, I added SS ball valves and cam-locks to my mash/ sparge coolers.

Cheers!

Mason 

New goodies in the pipeline!

Here’s what cooking at LeGrue’s Brewing:

LeGrue's Brett Biere-

Texas Farmhouse Ale brewed with a blend of Saison and Brettanomyces B. yeasts.  Amber color, Crisp, Dry, slightly tart and deceptively strong and super complex.  Brewed with barley, wheat, rye and oats and spiced with orange peel and coriander seeds. The Brett yeast add earthy, pleasantly sour flavors that become stronger over time. Bottle conditioned, 9.2% ABV.

LeGrue's Lagniappe Double IPA

Traditional DIPA continuously hopped with a special blend of Pacific NW hops, then dry- hopped for a very intense hop bitterness/ aroma.  Bottle conditioned with Brett C. yeast for "a little supm'n extra".

LeGrue's Wildflower Honey Mead 2012

Traditional dry mead, brewed with local wildflower honey and spiced with lavender, cinnamon, and cloves.  Aging for 6 months on French oak chips like a wine. 13%ABV.

LeGrue's Vanilla Bourbon Imperial Porter

HUGE beer, very rich and complex, with a bourbon nose, toffee/ chocolate flavors and slight vanilla and dried fruit overtones.  Brewed with vanilla beans and aged on bourbon barrel oak chips soaked in whiskey.  Technicolor in beer form. Cask- conditioned, 9.6% ABV.

Cheers!

Mason

IPA Day 8/2/2012

IPA Day Returns on August 2, 2012

IPA Day is back! On Aug. 2, 2012, join beer enthusiasts across the globe in a collective toast to one of craft beer’s most iconic styles: India Pale Ale!
Founded in 2011 by beer evangelists and social media personalities Ashley Routson (@TheBeerWench) and Ryan Ross (@RyanARoss), IPA Day is a universal movement created to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers, and brewers worldwide, using social media as the common arena for connecting the conversation.
IPA Day is not the brainchild of a corporate marketing machine, nor is it meant to serve any particular beer brand. IPA Day is opportunity for all breweries, bloggers, businesses and consumers to connect and share their love of craft beer. It is an opportunity for the entire craft beer culture to combine forces and advocate craft beer through increased education and global awareness.

Why Celebrate the IPA?

This illustrious style represents the pinnacle of brewing innovation with its broad spectrum of diverse brands, subcategories, and regional flavor variations—making it the perfect style to galvanize craft beer’s social voice.
At the 2012 World Beer Cup®, the most-entered category was the American-Style India Pale Ale with 150 entries. The second most entered was its close cousin, the Imperial India Pale Ale (93 entries). Its popularity and accessibility makes the IPA the most inclusive style for brewers, retailers and consumers to collectively celebrate.--

Cheers,

 

Mason

Phase 1 complete

Here's the final product for Phase 1.  Up and running, and works like a champ.  There's enough room on the top to serve a cask, which pretty much rocks.

Cheers!

Mason

Kegerator is coming along....

This is an update to the last post.  The Kegerator (Keezer?) project has finished it's first evolution and is operational on 3 faucets.  Here are some pics to enjoy!



Holes drilled in the lid, ready to mount the tower




Underside of the lid, with access holes for the washers




Tower mounted, hole drilled for the drip tray's drain




drip tray/ drain installed




I mounted the first bank of 3 regulators on the back wall of the unit, providing visibility and access.




Lid re- mounted, all hardware installed and the temp control unit in place




From the left: Coco Bolo Rosewood, Walnut, Goncalo Alves hardwood, and Curly Maple



Notice the amazing hand crafted wooden tap handles courtesy of your truly.  Many thanks to my Pops for letting me commandeer his lathe for 2 days.

Cheers,

Mason

New Projects and Summer Beer

Hello all,

Rodeo is wrapped up for another year in Houston, and that means my free time can be re- directed to my beer obsession again.  Let me know what summer beers you'd like to see from LeGrue's, you might get your wish!

Last year I bought a large chest freezer on Craig's List for a steal, with the desire to convert t to a kick- ass draft machine one day.  Well, that day has arrived!

My design includes two draft towers with three faucets each (yes, that's 6 different beers on tap!), two drip trays, and a digital temperature controller to keep the beer perfectly cool.  On the inside, I'll have the CO2 lines running to six individual regulators, as well as a separate Nitro setup for pouring stouts and porters like a pro. I've even got connections so that I can serve commercial goodies from microbreweries in addition to homebrew!

I have taken the first steps toward bringing the LeGrue's Mobile Draft Station to life.  I have gotten all of the parts/ hardware for her, and am in the process of painting her a nice, glossy black. First, I removed the lid of the freezer.  Then, I sanded and cleaned the surface, then added a gray primer.  Next comes 3 coats of gloss black. Check it out:



First of 2 coats of primer



Painted the hinges and access panel as well





First coat of black enamel





More black...

























I hope to have this done before Easter, but we'll have to see.  After all, I'm working on it two hours at a time after Bennett goes to sleep. I will post pictures as the project moves along.

And yes, you can rent her for parties when she's done!

Cheers,

Mason