Beer stuff!
I wanted to make Jaime Paglia an oatmeal stout, because that’s his favorite. When I went to the shop to get supplies, though, Greg (who owns it) told me that you really have to do a partial mash or all-grain to get it just right. I’m not quite ready for that, yet, so I went with my backup plan, and made a Southern English Brown Ale (this is a brown ale style that’s smoother and sweeter than the northern style, and not as hoppy as the American style). It went off without a hitch, and it looked and smelled wonderful when I put it into the bucket to start fermenting. I’m really excited to see how it turns out.
I also have an IPA that’s dry-hopping with an ounce of Cascade in the carboy. I checked the gravity on Friday, and if I did the math right, it’s about 7%, which is exactly what I was going for … and holy balls does it smell and taste great. It’s got exactly the right amount of floral and citrus notes, with some hop bitterness behind it all, and it hasn’t even conditioned in bottles, yet! I’m seriously considering entering it into a competition, so I can get some good feedback on it and find out if it’s as good as I think it is. For those of you wondering, it’s called Critical Hit IPA.
Speaking of beer, the most frequently asked question at DragonCon and PAX was some variation of “How’s the beer you made with Ryan?” Oh, you mean … this beer?
In a word: awesome. It exceeded our wildest expectations, especially considering that I think I made some mistakes in the brewing process. There was an amusing moment last week when I opened a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (the beer it’s based on) and after a few sips I thought, “It’s okay, but it’s no Wheaton’s Own Going To California!” Here’s the label that Joel Watson did for us. It was my idea to base it on the Sierra Nevada label and Ryan’s idea to include something from each of us (a d20 for me, an atom for him). I know we left Yeast off the ingredients list, but we decided that yeast could be awesome in this case.
For those of you scoring at home, Wheaton’s Own was suggested by Grant Imahara. We almost went with his revised name, Wheaton’s Pwn, but I can’t remember why we didn’t. It’s called Goin’ To California Pale Ale because we listened to Zeppelin IV while we brewed it, and it’s a California-style Pale Ale. It’s very low alcohol — I don’t think it’s even 5% — but it looks and tastes great, and that’s most important to me.
We did a 5 gallon batch, and split the bottles, so we each got around 22 for ourselves. As of this morning, I’m down to 8 bottles, so I’m rationing until the IPA is ready.
I’ve officially found a hobby that I love, and will do for the rest of my life. I’m excited to get a kegging system, learn to do all-grain, and start designing my own beers. I’ve even reached into the stars and plucked out a new dream: to own a brewpub someday. When I told Anne that, she said that she thought it would be awesome to do that, but I’d left something out.
“What’s that?” I said.
“You need to combine it with your dream of owning an 80s arcade. Think about that: it’s a brewpub where you make your own beer, serve a little food, and have the 80s arcade games you love for people to play.”
Does my wife know me, or what?
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Dude. DUDE! I would definitely make a pilgrimage to that brewpub when you open it. Your wife is a genius.
I would fly to California to play video games and drink beer at a brewpub.
I bet if you did a “Wheaton’s Brewpub Arcade” on kickstarter it would be fully funded in no time!
I think you’ve discovered something that most homebrewers eventually realize: brewing is an addiction, not just a hobby 🙂
Awesome – and I love your labels!
Hubby (the photographer at Wootstock Minneapolis) and I started brewing a couple years ago. We had moved in to a house with a giant apple tree, we had NO idea what to do with all of them, so I woke him up early one weekend and suggested making hard apple cider. We’d never brewed ANYTHING before that.
Now, his beers (all grain, from the start of the hobby!) get rave reviews, and we brew a LOT of wine together – everything BUT grape wines, LOL.
I’ve started blogging some of our wine recipes: http://www.celebrationgeneration.com/blog/category/recipes/homemade-wine. We’ll eventually add his beer recipes… need to get everything fixed (tornado!) first though.
If you build it… we will come…… Pac-Man booths…. an Asteroids bar…. Servers in Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde shirts… Locally produced high quality brews…. yes…. If you build it we will come…..
You need some of these awesome bottlecaps: http://i.imgur.com/cYUEV.jpg
(credit to GazTathums on reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/kdnkb/me_brewsta/)
My eyes are flipping between the awesome labels and your equally awesome looking double oven. Yes, I’m a geek but I’m also a foodie…
Can’t wait to see the labels for Critical Hit. :o)
Even if I had very little chance of ever visiting, I’d back it.
*pfft.jpg*!
It's a convection oven on the bottom, and a microwave on top. You can't see the warming drawer, which is something I never thought I'd use, but use almost daily!
ooooooooo A Thick as a Brick Fan. Unfortunately I am old enough to have seen them perform it live on the first US tour with it *sigh* Nice beer too 🙂
Love that label.
We did a homebrew with a Hawaiian hula dancer on the label, an IPA that we named “Kamanawannalaya” pale ale.
It’s all about the fun. And the beer.
Mostly the fun, though. Of drinking the beer.
Oh, and I would love to see what one of your beers looks like poured. Do you get a good head?
Homebrewing is really fun — I picked it up (with my husband) a few years ago and it never gets boring! Love your labels, btw.
When I visited Portland a few years ago, I visited Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade (http://groundkontrol.com), and it’s one of the many reasons I want to move to that amazing city. If we had something like this in Southern California? Aww, man. Can’t think of a better hangout than a place where I could get together with friends to drink, game, and totally pwn them at arcade machines.
UNfortunately? More like KICKASStunately.
Yeah, look in the links to this post and there's a picture of exactly that.
Welcome to the world of homebrewing Wil! Your labels look awesome and since Sierra Nevada is one of my favorites, I’m sure the beer rocks too.
I’ve gotten back into homebrewing over the last year or so after a decade long hiatus while my kids were young. I’m still doing extract batches but my next batch will be an Oatmeal Stout partial mash kit from NB. It doesn’t look much more complicated than an extract batch so that may be something you’ll want to try sometime soon.
Cheers!
I must say, you have excelled in one area of homebrewing I routinely fail: Awesome labels! I need to move away from the “mark the bottle cap and remember the meaning” system. Too cool and too well done!
I have oven envy. :o)
Warming drawers are very useful indeed, for plates, proving dough, resting meat (not in your case, obviously) etc.
Ah, d’oh. I missed that one. Links aren’t very distinct in the view I’m using. Thank you for pointing it out!
80s video games. Home brewed beer. Ain’t life grand?
“…really have to do a partial mash [SNIP] I’m not quite ready for that, yet…”
I do all my brews as a mini-mash (or partial mash, same thing), partial volume boil, on the stove-top or on a propane burner… the only difference is time — I can shave 45 minutes off my total with the propane burner. No special equipment required beyond what you’re using already, I just employ a second 12-quart pot to mash in (what self-respecting home chef doesn’t have a 12 quart stockpot?), and then to boil “top-up” water in.
I condensed about three or four good solid techniques into a 1 page crib-sheet for a process that pleases my OC brain, and that anybody can follow (especially if you’ve got a few brews under your belt). If you have an interest in having a peek, please let me know and I’ll email it to you, and my other crib-sheets for the rest of the brew process. If you don’t find it useful, I’d be shocked.
I’ve got an oatmeal stout that I’m exceptionally proud of, and I’d suggest racking yours (when you do make one) onto medium-toasted French oak chips for the two-week ride in secondary. It gives it a great, well rounded flavour and complexity that is hard to beat. I’d also suggest you look into a “wee heavy” Scotch ale… try a Belhaven Wee Heavy as a good example of the species. And, all these nice dark malty beers benefit from an extra week or two in bottles before consuming to let the flavours mature further, and they age very, very well.
I would LOVE to read your cheatsheets. I'm wil at wil wheaton dot net. Thanks!
Alternately, you could pastebin or something here, so everyone can benefit from your experience, which I think would be kind of awesome.
Good Beer + 80’s Arcade = Barcade. I made a special trip out to Brooklyn last time I was in NYC to get there.
Awesome labels, and good luck with the brew.
And definintely props on the posting title, although an odd choice of song considering that you were brewing with your son!
This would be awesome indeed. I’m always keen to learn other folks’ techniques.
@Wil: Don’t hesitate to dip your toe into the all-grain hot tub. I made the jump about 3 years ago, without even feeling like I fully knew what I was doing with extract brewing, and it was far easier than I had ever imagined. I started with a converted 5 gallon cooler and hand-made false bottom, and have now slowly upgraded the equipment to accommodate larger grain beds. The finer control that you get over the flavors is simply beyond compare.
My homebrewer’s club took some video of my all-grain process that we’re in the process of sending to the interwebs. I’ll drop a link here when it’s ready so that folks can see.
I can’t recommend enough checking out a local homebrew club. All the homebrewers I know are friendly, helpful, enthusiastic, and like nothing more than sharing tips, recipes, and stories. And beer. Always beer. Except when it’s mead. Or cider.
Inspiring! Took your idea of brewing with your Son, and did the same with mine. As he is only 11 we brewed Root Beer. Someday he can help me brew Mocha Cherry Stout, but for now we are enjoying the process of making something together, and that’s a good thing!
Mr Wheaton, I will fly to California tomorrow to attend the grand opening of your Brewpubcade. Make it happen. For realz. Srsly. And so forth.
I’m positively shocked that someone hasn’t built something like this in Portland yet. Yeah, we have Ground Kontrol (as Crystal pointed out), but Ground Kontrol isn’t a pub.
Those labels totally rock!!!!! I would buy that beer! I love trying new beer, having a catchy label is just a bonus! Congrats on your father & son project. It makes me smile!
A brewpub/arcade in sleepy old-school MONTROSE!!! Dude, right there on Honolulu, you must do this! I grew up there too, just a bit before you, and everytime I go back for a visit I’m amazed at how unchanging it is.
Anyways, long time fan, first time poster; but after reading the occasional post about Shakey’s/bowling alley lost quarters (I hung out there a lot too, even girls liked arcade games), I needed to add this crucial geographical element to your dream. =)
Wil, if you’re ever in Brooklyn, I’d be happy to take you to Barcade, which is an awesome craft beer bar, with probably 30 old arcade games and a dingy dive bar atmosphere.
One of my favorites in the neighborhood!
If you make it, I will come. Especially with that brown ale you’ve got brewing (not as much an IPA person, myself). Oh, and if you get Silkworm. I think that’s one of my favorite 80s arcade machines.
Awesome beer label, opening a combination arcade/bar (another commenter suggested Barcade), and a Jethro Tull reference in the blog title? Mr. Wheaton, do you have a license for this much awesome?
If you ever do open up your own brewpub, you can do the 80’s arcade theme, and try to figure out a way to display all of the gaming dice you have collected from the various conventions somewhere in it too.
I suggest a pub done up like a D&D tavern, massive tables made out of old barn doors for gaming, wenches serving beer.
I’m going to get a home brew kit for my Dad and I as he is retiring. Reading all your posts about brewing your own beer has been causing me to be excited!
You have to do the pub-arcade. It would be awesome.
OMG! You may get me to imbibe yet….
seriously? you are buds with Grant Imahara? Can you get more awesome?!
seriously: a D&D tavern. it must be done. And a New Hampshire Ale of the Darkmagic variety…. or a Darkmagic Ale of the New Hamphsire variety… something.
of course it might be a bit on the nose but Aeofel does have the word ALE in it… just sayin.
I love the kits from Brooklyn Brew Shop, and I've heard that Northern Brewer and More Beer are great.
Here's a list of places you can get kits, that's really useful: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/vendors/
If you pull off the brew pub/arcade thing, I will freakin’ WALK down from Canada just to stand on your floor and gawk.
Where do I send the application for serving wench?
The home fire burning;the kettle almost boiling…But the master of the house is far away…
Living in Austin, I may be biased, but Austin Homebrew Supply is a fantastic source of equipment, ingredients and kits (both recipe and equipment kits). They’re also the second largest online homebrew retailer, and keep lots of everything on hand. http://austinhomebrew.com
I spend more time and money there than I’d care to admit. *grins*
while I agree it’s good… isn’t this something akin to the old “Segaworks” places that tried?
(Wil, more power to you. I hope you try the pub/arcade thing and loot Vorpal profits.)
(sorry, can’t come up with better than that or “looting an Epic Win” while at work. /shrug
When you are ready to make Wheaton’s BrewCade a reality, just set up a kickstarter. I’ll make sure my credit card is clear and my credit limit high.
Wheaton – first off, long time reader, but just a lurker – That BrewPubCade idea is AMAZING. I HAD to make an account to comment on it, and how AWESOME it is. If it ever comes to be, I will drive there from wherever I’ll be when it happens, and spend as much time there as possible. Sir, please keep being awesome!
Sorta FAIL; 12 ounces demands a d12. Just as iconic and hints at greater things to come… (20oz?!)