Brew Dudes Homebrewing Blog

SMaSH Beer Comparison – Cascade Vs. Cascade

On April 20, 2022

Our audience likes to send us hops. My brother likes to grow hops. These two truths converged when we were sent Cascade hops grown in Canada and my sibling’s Cascade plant produced a substantial harvest of cones. We brewed two SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hops) beer – one for each type of Cascade. See how this Cascade Vs. Cascade comparison went down in this video!

Cascade Vs. Cascade Tasting Notes

When it comes to classic American hop varieties, Cascade is one of, if not the, best known. It’s been showcased in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and as American beer drinkers, Mike and I know the hop quite well.

That’s what made this comparison so interesting. The Cascade we know is grown in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Beyond just comparing these two examples of the variety against each other, we were examining if they would be different from the classic version of the hop.

Here’s what we thought of each variety from the different grow locations.

Canadian Cascade: We thought this version had aroma and flavor notes very much like Juicy Fruit gum with a bit of floral essence mixed in there.

Homegrown Massachusetts Cascade: When we tasted the beer brewed with this version, we got more of a Froot Loops cereal aroma with a strong geranium note in the flavor.

As you can see, the traditional grapefruit descriptors were not detected in these beers. They were more fruit forward – and artificial fruit at that.

Although we have tested it before, it’s still fascinating that a well-known variety grown in a different part of the world can impart different aromas and flavors in a beer. These examples of Cascade are remarkably different from the Pacific Northwest grown version.

We did like the Canadian Cascade SMaSH beer better, which is promising since I have more of those hops to use in an upcoming pale ale.

BREW ON!

Muntons Brewery In A Bag – Dark Ale

By John Krochune

On April 13, 2022

In Beginner, Extract, Videos

These Brew Dudes take another crack at homebrewing beer the easy way with Muntons Brewery In a Bag. We were sent this all-in-one Dark Ale brew kit a while ago. Right before the COVID lockdown, Mike brewed the Pale Ale version of the Brewery In a Bag. He followed the directions to the letter and we thought the process could be improved using our homebrew knowledge. Watch this video as we do a take two on this type of beginner brew kit and see if we brew better beer this time.

What Was Different This Time?

The first time Mike brewed a beer using the Brewery In a Bag kit, he used the dry yeast that came with it. We were unsure how fresh the yeast was so we thought we’d use better quality yeast for the next time. For the Dark Ale, Mike used yeast from his British Strong Ale. All the other instructions were followed for the kit. He added water to the bag and then pitched his yeast. In a few weeks, he had beer.

Brewery In a Bag Dark Ale Tasting Notes

Well, even with the slight adjustment using better yeast, I think we made worse beer this time around. I am chalking it up to the age of the kit. What I tasted had lots of off-flavors. There was a strong soy sauce note that wasn’t desired. Maybe the malt extract was past its prime. I don’t think it was a yeast derived issue or a fermentation control problem. There was something off in the base extract.

Since we’re focused on beer styles with our Jar of Destiny series, we know there is no sanctioned English Dark Ale style. My feeling is this beer would best align with a Southern English Brown Ale. There were notes of molasses in it – was that an ingredient in the kit? We may never know. This product no longer appears on the Muntons site from what we can see. Our Brewery In a Bag Dark Ale may be the last of its kind.

To that notion, I say, Brew on.

Kentucky Common Beer held up next to a Cream Ale

Kentucky Common Beer – Recipe and Tasting

By John Krochune

On April 6, 2022

In Recipes, Style Profiles, Videos

Over the past 10 to 12 years, the Kentucky Common beer style has resurfaced and can be called truly American. Just like Cream Ale or Steam Beer, this style is one that we can call our own. Mike’s experiments with adjuncts, piqued his interest because this beer’s grain bill calls for a large portion of corn (maize). We present this post and video as the culmination of Mike’s research into Kentucky Common Beer, his creation of a recipe that was sized down to a homebrew volume, and our thoughts after tasting his beer.

Cream Ale on the left, Kentucky Common on the right

What’s The Deal With This Beer?

According to the BJCP, Kentucky Common was produced and sold in a small part of the USA, around the city of Louisville, KY. It was prevalent in this area from the 1860s to 1920s (The Civil War to Prohibition). It was quickly produced, light in body, and low in alcohol.

Mike read up on the style since it is not widely available today as Prohibition nearly wiped it out. From his research, he found the uncovered historical recipes for the style. Many of the sources have adjusted the ingredients for today’s brewing practice. In general, this style today is comprised of 6-row malt, corn, Caramel 40° L malt and Black malt. Mike sees this beer as a darker version of American Cream Ale but with a significantly higher levels of corn in its grain bill. The historic recipes have corn grits in them. For his mash system, he choose flaked corn instead. He didn’t want to have his brew day get ruined with a gunked up mash tun. Since both products are pregelatinized forms of corn, the end result is the same.

Mike’s Kentucky Common Recipe

Here are the details of his recipe:

Volume: 6.5 US gallons – Post Boil
Assumed Mash Efficiency: 70%

Grain Bill:

7.75 pounds (3.515 kg) of Six-Row Malt (61%)
4.5 pounds (2.041 kg) of Flaked Corn (35%)
4 ounces (113 g) of 40°L Caramel malt (2%)
4 ounces (113 g) of Black Malt (2%)

Hops:

0.5 ounces (14 g) of Cluster Hops at 7 %AA for 60 minutes
0.25 ounces (14 g) of Saaz at 3.75 %AA for 5 minutes

Yeast:
SafLager™ W-34/70 Dry Lager Yeast

Instructions and Targets:
Mash temperature: 152° F (66.6°C) for one hour
Boil time: 1 hour
Fermentation temperature and duration: ~60° F (15.5° C) for two weeks
Target Original Gravity: 1.052
Target Final Gravity: 1.012

Brew Dudes Tasting Notes

First off, this beer has a lovely amber color from the Caramel and Black malt. It is a bit cloudy but clarity is in its future. For comparison, Mike held a pint of the Kentucky Common next to his Cream ale, because of their corn content. The latter is crystal clear so the former should follow suit. There is a small note of malt in the aroma. For the flavor, it is remarkable how clean and simple this beer is. The corn is mildly sweet but the caramel malt and black malt seem to hide the corniness of it all. With the hop rates so low (especially in this day and age) this beer has no bitterness and only hints of hops in the aftertaste.

Overall, this beer presents itself exactly as advertised: a light and easy drinker. Brew this style if you’re looking for a change of pace.

BREW ON!

Homebrew Jar of Destiny: The Second Pick

By John Krochune

On March 30, 2022

In Style Profiles, Videos

As we continue with the Homebrew Jar of Destiny series, we go back to the start and choose two more beer styles to learn and brew. Check out the next batch of beers in this video:

What Is Our Density – I mean, Destiny

I am not sure it’s destiny. It’s certainly chance. This label is certainly another example of these Brew Dudes trying to make something out of nothing.

No matter what your take is, the fact that we’re putting a hand in a jar and choosing one of dozens of different beer styles to brew is exciting for us.

Let’s dive into what the Jar had for us in this second round for 2022.

2B. International Amber Lager

Well, this style is interesting. As Americans, I think we have been taught to think that Dos Equis Amber (now branded as Ambar) or Yuengling Lager are the classic examples of the style. Knowing that one of my favorite styles is Vienna Lager, I am looking forward to see Mike’s take on this beer. In my estimation, the International Amber Lager is a Vienna Lager with less malt character. We shall see!

26C. Belgian Tripel

Here’s the style that the Jar gave me. I have enjoyed the Belgian Tripels I have had in the past. I’m willing to do some commercial beer research with this one. After picking up some examples, I will have a sense of where the flavors are with the yeast being the strongest driver. Because of the stated carbonation level on the BJCP site, I may bottle condition this beer. The Jar can be demanding so I should get a move on brewing this Tripel sooner rather than later.

Those are the two picks from this round of the Homebrew Jar of Destiny. Stay tuned between now and the end of June for the tasting posts!

BREW ON!

Check out the British Strong Ale post
Check out the Black IPA post
Check out the International Amber Lager post

BrewSensible BrewSSSiphon Review

By John Krochune

On March 23, 2022

In Equipment, Videos

We were asked to check out this piece of homebrewing equipment. In an era when all things are made of stainless steel in this era of the hobby, why shouldn’t we have a stainless steel siphon? The answer is, we should.

Even though the conventional wisdom says the majority of us are racking via closed systems, it’s always good to have a siphon on-hand. Check out our demonstration and review of the BrewSSSiphon:

BrewSSSiphon Features

I know that I have gone through about 3 different auto-siphons made out of plastic. They break easily and usually at inconvenient times. Let’s go through the best features of this stainless steel siphon:

It’s extremely durable. It feels heavy in your hand and seems to be built like a tank. This siphon will definitely last a lifetime.
It has a removable check valve that can be manually cleaned in case whole cone hops or other adjuncts might get in there.
It can be sanitized easily. The whole thing can be put in an oven and baked up to 250° F (121°C). You can use it and feel confident that this siphon is safe for sour and traditional yeast ferments.
It’s wider than other auto-siphons I have used so it has faster flow rate.
It’s versatile as it can be used to transfer hot wort in the event a kettle screen gets clogged.
If there is ever a need for replacement parts, the owner has your back. If anything gets broken, lost, worn out, he have all the parts available.
It’s the only choice for distillers. Because it is made of stainless steel and silicone, it is safe to transfer up to 190 proof ethanol.
It provides “Hands Free Racking and greater depth adjustment control with the use of the Carbon Sleeve and Spring clip.
Custom brushes & the best silicone racking tubing is available for the siphon. The tubing is more flexible than the standard silicone tubing you get at the home brew store.
The customer service is top notch – it’s one guy and he sends a personal handwritten thank you from me with every order. If anything happens, he’ll make it right.

We really liked this product and will continue to use it.

Follow this link to find the best brew siphon out there.

BREW ON!