Homebrew #3 – Bottled

I finally bottled today. It sat in the fermenter for almost 4 weeks- due completely to my busyness. It should only help it in the long run… but I’ve never waited this long from start to finish, and I’m itching to try it out. I’ll taste one in a week… but shouldn’t expect them to be totally conditioned (carbonated, flavors together, etc) for 2-4 weeks.

As nice as it is to have it bottled… I hate prepping the bottles. Scrubbing off the labels is as tedious as it gets. But once the bottles are de-labeled, cleaned and sanitized, it’s a pretty quick process.

The setup:

The bottling: there is a ball bearing type device on the end of this wand that releases the beer when depressed.

And this, my friends, is what 5 gallons of Scotch Ale looks like bottled:

Homebrew #3

I just finished making my 3rd batch of homebrew. The 1st was an “English Style Pale Ale” which turned out ok. Some people (like my brother-in-law) seemed to really like it… I thought it was ok. My 2nd batch was an “African Ale,” sort of like Mac & Jack’s. And I’m not going to lie… it is perfect. Like a party in my mouth. If this was available in restaurants/pubs I would order it every time.

Right now I’ve just made a Scottish Ale… it could be compared to a Pike “Kilt Lifter.” I won’t know for a month or so how it turned out… but I’ll keep you updated. And by “you,” I mean, um, whoever the heck might read this nonsense.

The Boil: Right after the hops were added

Now it sits and ferments for a couple week. This is right after the yeast was pitched. Soon it will be bubbling up through the tube and into the waste bucket.