Winter Porter

I used to do a lot more homebrewing in the past - there were a few years where I was brewing 3-4 times a year. Making my own beer was something I'd always wanted to do, but never tried to get into until a friend helped me through my first brew (and whose bottling was truly disastrous, but that's another story for another day). Then after that, I realized the basic formula: boil 12L water, add steeping grains for half an hour, discard, then boil again, add the malt extract. Combine it fully. Get the water to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer and add the hops according to the schedule. Whirlfloc with five minutes left. Cool down to room temperature as quickly as possible, add to a sanitized fermenter, top with water to 21L, pitch the yeast.

It sounds confusing the first time you do it, but after a few brews it's like autopilot. This year I've only brewed once. Been kinda getting out of the habit, despite the very significant cost savings (~$40-50 for supplies for ~40-50 bottles of beer).

I just finished my winter brew, a porter. I'll bottle it mid-November, and it should be ready to drink just before Christmas. It's based on an Irish porter I had in an empty, wood-panelled pub in Dalkey back in 2016, after my partner and I spent a day on our feet, walking around and sightseeing. We had an early supper there, before the evening crowd came in. She had a ginger plum cider, and is still thinking about it. I had a pint of the local porter, and am still thinking about it. It was cold and fruity and chocolatey - it tasted like a Fruit and Nut bar, and it was without a doubt the best beer I've ever had.

winter's Porter

Steeping grains:

Sugars:

Hops:

Yeast

~4.1% ABV.

gemlog