tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35371476825571177702008-05-11T19:57:19.169-06:00Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-86237873613197407162008-05-01T14:28:00.002-06:002008-05-09T19:47:55.743-06:00

What a great combination...air & hops! I ran into a predicament while transferring kegged beer to another keg. I had empty a 5 gallon corny, and proceeded to siphon the remaining 2 gallons into a 3 gallon corny. After trying many times without success (I think it was because of all the CO2 in solution), I ended up pouring it as gently as possible. That went as well as could be expected, but I'm

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-31164393391548380372008-04-25T16:56:00.003-06:002008-04-25T16:13:18.877-06:00

Here goes another 1 gallon stout yeast starter. Still one more stout idea that may spark something unusual for my brother's wedding in the Fall. This an improvised version from Randy Mosher's Radical Brewing. Here I used some starter wort from some previous batches, adding a touch of crystal into it. Then I took the put in chocolate for half the dark malt proportion and split the half into

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-14181940530845058592008-04-22T00:20:00.000-06:002008-04-21T23:19:31.936-06:00

Thousand and thousands of hungry worms chow down on every last spent grain. Apparently, they can't get enough, so Mikey says. He's built up a hefty supply of red wigglers, and would love to sell you a pound if you like. They are a thinner cousin of the basic sidewalkin-after-a-big-rainfall earthworm, but possess a much larger appetite. Vermicomosting is what he does. I'm happy to have someone

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-3863160537307475652008-04-20T16:12:00.003-06:002008-05-11T19:52:44.814-06:00

I'm still finding beer styles I've never brewed before. English Bitters...these are styles that aren't too common at bars in Chicago. Even when they are found in six-packs, they are usually American versions. But, after trying two traditional English imports on tap at the Map Room, I instantly loved the taste. So unique and purely quaffable, there is nothing quite like it brewed in America. Right

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-25806577876211589832008-04-15T22:10:00.000-06:002008-04-15T21:09:51.638-06:00

A few weeks ago, Travis (CNYBrew.com) sent me a few bottles of his home brewed ales and lagers. At that time, I was very busy, and didn’t have any time to sit, drink, and give them the attention they deserved. Recently, I got an email from him asking if I had drunk the Lagunitas IPA clone. I didn’t. And that was a good thing, because he informed me that Jonathan over at (MNB -

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-69132965673065329132008-04-14T20:27:00.001-06:002008-04-15T09:15:54.778-06:00

I invited my next door neighbor to sit down and kick back with a couple pints of Copper Lager 2 on draft. It was a calm Sunday afternoon, perfect for brew and good conversation. He was very impressed with it, and even ranked it as one of the best tasting beers he's ever had. What a great compliment! I too am enjoying it very much, and could also rank it as one of my best lagers. It is super

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-79638141736324854452008-04-11T19:55:00.004-06:002008-04-21T20:08:54.196-06:00

Here is the third and final round of split batch amber ales fermented with competing yeast strains. In round 1, the beers remained somewhat understated to see how the yeast strains effect the malts. In round 2, the hops were kicked up a full ounce and the 60 minute bittering units increased about 10 points. In round 3, the beers will resemble round 2, but present a more American hop feel. This

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-10798868191177445542008-04-04T16:04:00.001-06:002008-04-04T15:10:15.441-06:00

Nine gallons of two old ales were finally bottled, blended, or transfered to another bulk aging vessel. First of all, I'd like to thank the Eric Gons (a recent visitor) for sharing his experience with a similar undertaking in old ale blending. I decided to follow his example and brewed a fresh batch of old ale (Fresh Old Ale) to blend with a 14 month old stock ale (Ancient Ale) for bottling. The

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-65654738958838089142008-03-31T23:00:00.003-06:002008-04-13T21:54:15.910-06:00

Entering the second round after only 10 days of first round action. And some action it was. Both strains gave a great performance, and showed off their distinctive personalities. London ESB gave off larger bubbles, and though the krausen foam was just as large, it didn't seem to exhale as many air-locked bubbles. It also tried to finish earlier, so it got a couple spins to loosen its clumpy yeast

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-4344183183766647142008-03-21T13:55:00.009-06:002008-05-04T08:52:00.919-06:00

This is the first round of a number of split brew sessions. London ESB is going head-to-head with American Ale 2 to win my preference as a good pale ale yeast strain. It will be a lot of fun finding out how they perform over a few rounds. Read about the break down of this experiment here. For the first round, the beer style and hopping is a session-like English style bitter/amber. It may be a

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-49605219869661289262008-03-17T19:52:00.008-06:002008-04-11T19:05:24.673-06:00

Up next on the brewing radar is a slew of back-to-back split batches to find out how two yeast strains ferment similar batches of boiled wort. The results should be very interesting, hopefully leading to a solid understanding of their overall contribution and individuality. Two 4 gallon batches will result from the runnings of one large mash. Each will have the same water profile, original

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-83439815544881968842008-03-07T10:38:00.000-06:002008-03-07T10:38:31.469-06:00

To follow up on a post about 3 methods of "doughing-in," I'd like to share some useful tips for better infusion mashing. It is important to pay careful attention to this stage in the process. Especially, keeping the grains "in-suspension" allows converted sugars to dissolve more completely in the surrounding water. Recording Ph and conversion readings regularly will take the mystery away and put

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-61163678601390784942008-03-04T15:23:00.002-06:002008-03-07T10:43:00.146-06:00

Doughing-in/mash-in refers to the mixing of pre-measured crushed grains and heated water in order to sustain a constant mash temperature for a period of time. There are many variables to consider while doughing-in (grain weight, grain temp, mashtun temp, water volume, water temp). I'd like to take this time (brewing downtime) to write about how to reduce the number of unknown variables leading to

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-85688878828178794592008-02-28T22:41:00.006-06:002008-03-11T09:24:49.213-06:00

Enough is enough! Something has got to be done about that Ancient Old Ale hiding in the corner, behind a dark wooden chair collecting layers of dust in our tiny foyer. It's been sitting around for over 14 months! The Lambic blend of yeasts and bacteria have finally had their fill and are completely exhausted. I'm glad there is a nice thin & slimy pellicle protecting this precious brew, because

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-80213175064776700622008-02-26T09:46:00.007-06:002008-03-03T23:19:18.258-06:00

While most people complain and grow weary of our frigid Chicago Winter weather, I am quite pleased. I'll begin to strike up a boring conversation about how my lagers depend on the weather they despise, and how cool my styro-igloo is. Luckily this year has been consistently cold, and it has worked out marvelously. A space heater thermostat is utilized to control primary fermentation temps in an

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-54032706227924728772008-02-22T13:37:00.004-06:002008-04-25T16:11:23.772-06:00

As a yeast starter for an upcoming Fresh/New Old Ale, this will be one gallon of jet black stout. Since I haven't brewed any in a long time, I've been enjoying a lot of commercial stouts during this exceptionally long and cold Winter season. Two that I've become particularly fond of are North Coast Old #38 and Left Hand Milk Stout. They both have opened up my imagination, and here I want to play

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-71626243046760991982008-02-21T21:59:00.010-06:002008-02-22T00:32:38.753-06:00

Two nights ago the Half Acre Beer Co. crew, my brother and I, had a great time joining Sam Calagione and David Phillips for an exclusive beer and cheese tasting at Sheffield's. Our taste buds were in bliss experiencing 12 excellent Dogfish Head craft beers on tap (many of which I had never tasted before). The cheese pairings were absolutely fantastic. One beer was totally unexpected...Johnny

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-26492146169111540662008-02-18T14:52:00.002-06:002008-04-21T23:24:27.481-06:00

After reading a blog post from the Bearded Brewing Co. about water conservation, and having a little dialog about it, I got inspired and decided it was time for action. The Bearded Brewer has been taking measures to be an environmentally responsible brewer, and I highly encourage a visit to his site. Roughly 25 gallons flows through the immersion chiller to get 5-6 gallons of scalding hot wort

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-28351190389280242042008-02-15T15:30:00.004-06:002008-03-13T16:56:56.370-06:00

Quinoa is a wonderful little seed. It's flavor is very unique, being earthy, nutty and slightly sweet. I thought it would make an interesting addition in a pale lager. Its presence may act like other adjuncts and lighten this beer to a purely dangerous level of drinkability. For this unique beer, the majority of the grist will consist of pale lager malts. Pilsner, Munich, and Carapils. Then at

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-58934458501547392222008-01-28T23:28:00.000-06:002008-01-28T23:35:36.725-06:00

This past weekend I said farewell to a very good beer that hung around for a very long time. A Munich Dunkel made using an all-grain, double decoction mash schedule. Three 1-liter swing-top bottles cellared for 1 year. My original intention was to drink them in a 1 liter mass krug with an old friend, but somehow, time kept slipping by and we never did. Each one changed in it's own way. One

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-10228185224174954892008-01-27T23:23:00.003-06:002008-03-29T21:51:36.958-06:00

Now for a beer style I've been longing one year to make. As you may already know, I love a deep smoke flavor in certain beers. Originally this was going to be a pale smoked lager with almost 50% rauchmalt. Then I massaged the recipe several times, and it became much bigger, and much darker. I had a good recipe going, and it was dipping into the bock category. While re-assuring myself with some

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-7449389157679148472008-01-21T21:12:00.000-06:002008-01-21T23:42:32.427-06:00

There are two foods that are virtually naked without a half liter of home brewed lager beer by their side. Perhaps it's the other way around. Home made pretzels and home made sauerkraut, just doesn't taste right, without a half liter of home brewed lager chasing them down. A few nights ago I made my first soft pretzels. I used a recipe from allrecipes.com, and they came out pretty good, soft and

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-39221998227422497842008-01-13T23:31:00.000-06:002008-01-14T00:10:50.230-06:00

Batch sparging is really the simplest method to get the wort out. If you haven't already learned about it, I highly encourage reading from the source that spells it out so well...Denny Conn's article. If you haven't tried it yet, then I highly recommend you do. Only after a few attempts, I've become a total convert to this method. But I have noticed the pre-boil wort was more cloudy than

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-43805930013590698732008-01-10T15:15:00.000-06:002008-02-01T10:37:58.025-06:00

Lets kick start the new year with a batch of beer...shall we? Not just any beer, but the first lager this winter season. Not just any old lager, it's Copper Lager 2. Last year's was a throw-it-together beer that turned out to be one of my all time bests. This time I'm brewing a full batch, and keeping it copper and true, without any secondary flavor additions. I think it will become an annual

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3537147682557117770.post-91938080098652420902008-01-04T17:52:00.000-06:002008-01-04T18:45:36.872-06:00

I had to get myself a beer related gift this year. A $5 gift certificate, helped pay for a fun and inspiring beer book called Microbrewed Adventures, by Charlie Papazian. It has a similar motivational effect as Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher. I enjoy reading about these start-up and success stories, and the recipes look fantastic. I especially like what Peter Bouckaert (New Belgium Brewing

Ted Danylukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08416906043519452478noreply@blogger.com