Beer Name: French Pils - Meteor (based on May/June 2025 Zymurgy article)
Grains: 8 lbs Weyerman Pils
2 lbs flaked maize
Hops: 1 oz Aramis 8.2% AA 60m
1 oz Strisselspalt 2.4% AA 0 min hop stand
1 oz Hersbrucker Spat 2.4% AA (was supposed to be Saaz) 0 min hop stand
Yeast: 1.5 packets of SafLager 34/70
Misc:
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 01/21/26 02/06/26
Gravity: 1.054 1.010
% Alcohol:
Notes:
-12.5 qts 165 > ice > 163 > 151 > stir > 149. After 1 hour > 149. Add 8 qts boilin g > 165. 15 brix. 3.4 gallons. Add 3 gallons 175 > 167. 7 brix. Had 6.8 gallons 11.5 brix. Boiled some in 1 pot on stove until flame out. Ended with about 4.8 gallons so added 1 qt of water and adjusted gravity down from 1.057. Does corn give more gravity than barley? Added pure O2. Pitched yeast packets directly into wort which was at 50F. Next morning evidence of some airlock activity but no krausen at that time.
02/04 Taking reading, 2 weeks after brew day. 1.010. No activity for multiple days, maybe 4-5. I guess I didn't note when I brought it upstairs but it was probably around 01/26 or 01/27. No diacetyl in nose or taste. Some hop aroma and flavor, otherwise clean. Light lingering bitterness. Assuming no off flavors develop or are hidden, this should be good. Light alc note. Going to cool for a couple days and then keg.
02/06 Added gelatin to top of keg after beer was in it and cooled down some.
03/10 This beer is nice! Both the use of corn and the Strisselspalt combine to make it a beer unlike any other Pils I have made. I could see doing this or a similar version (diff French hops?) again.
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Grains: 10 lbs Rahr Premium Pils
Hops: 1 oz Perle 5.6% AA 60m
.5 oz Superdelic 10.2% AA flame out, 30 min
.5 oz Superdelic 10.2% AA after 15m was down to about 184F. held for another 15 m
Yeast: Imperial Alpha lager, jar of washed yeast from a few months ago. Starter made night before.
Misc:
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 02/01/26 02/15/26
Gravity: 1.050 1.009
% Alcohol:
Notes:
- 12.5 qts 164 > 149. After 1 hour > 148. Add 8 qts boiling > 164. 14 brix. 3.4 gallons. (1 pint used for starter). Add 3 gallons 175 > 167. 6.5 brix. had 6.6 gallons 11 brix. Boiled some in 1 pot on stove for 45m. Finished with just a hair under 5 gallons but added yeast starter. Pure O2. Was about 52F. Next day, in afternoon, still not showing all that much and is about 52F. Will see if I need to pitch some more dried yeast. This took a good 48+ hours to really get going. Maybe not quite enough quantity or fresh enough yeast for faster start.
02/15 Orange in aroma. Little bitterness. Finishes dry? Added gelatin to top of keg after beer was in it. Hopefully it will be all right.
03/10 Most of the time I enjoy this beer fine. I'm not sure if I would need to use this hop again or not. See video for more.
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Beer Name: Smoked English Lager
Click on pic for larger version.
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VIDEO on this beer.
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Grains: 10 lbs Simpsons Finest Pale
2 lbs oak smoked wheat
1 lb Skagit Valley Maple Smoked barley
.5 lb Munich
.5 lbs Caramel 20L
Hops: 1 oz Columbus 15.5% AA 70m
1 oz Perle 5.6% AA 0 min
Yeast: Washed 3470, starter made night prior
Misc:
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 02/15/26 03/02/26(?)
Gravity: 1.063 1.012
% Alcohol:
Notes:
-17.5 qts 166 > 149 > heat some up on stove, add back in > 152. After 1 hour > 151. Add 8 qts boiling > 163. 15 brix. 4.4 gallons. Add 3 gallons 178 > 167. Didn't record brix of 2nd runnings. Had 7.4 gallons of 12 brix. Boiled some in 2 pots on stove. Ended with 5 gallons before adding yeast starter. Pure O2. Was fermenting well about 24 hours later. Going in low to mid 50s most of the time.
02/19 Did not take reading but will prob bring upstairs today or tomorrow. Krausen is falling.
02/28 VDK test. 1.012. No diacetyl but there is some kind of aroma/taste in heated one that is not really in other one. But could that just be from heating it up and holding? It prob got above 150F. Does that matter? Little bit smokey but not a ton. Some hop bitterness prob from Columbus. It's ok but maybe a little odd. I guess I could just leave it sitting at room temp for a bit longer. I was going to chill and try to keg but I suppose there is no rush. At least I don't think there will be any diacetyl.
04/25 As you can see in the video, we liked this beer all right. It got clear, and the combination of the dank character from the Columbus with the smoke character made it have the flavor effect of weed. Sort of. Unintentional but interesting. IDK if I would try to recreate this beer exactly but it's a tasty drinker.
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Grains: 1 lb 2 oz Simpsons Finest Pale (had this leftover)
2 lbs Rahr Premium Pils (had this leftover)
6 lbs 14 oz Weyermann Pils
Hops: 1 oz Perle 5.6%AA 60m
1 oz Triskel 4.6% AA added at flame out. 30 min.
1 oz Triskel 4.6% AA, added when wort was 186, held for 15m.
Yeast: Imperial Flagship. no starter made. direct pitch.
Misc:
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 03/28/26 04/05/26
Gravity: 1.053 1.007
% Alcohol:
Notes:
- 12.5 qts 164 > 150. After 1 hour > 149. Add 8 qts boiling > 161. 14 brix. 3.5 gallons. Add 3 gallons 180 > 168. 7 brix. Add 6.8 gallons 11 brix. Boiled some in 2 pots for quite a while. Ended with 4.75 gallons. Added 1 qt water and adjusted gravity down to 1.053 from about 1.056. No pure O2. Was fermenting in low 60s next day.
04/05 Orange aroma? ale character? Lightly bitter at first, more in finish. Hop flavor? Not that strong but it is an ok beer as it is. Maybe carbonation will make flavors and aromas come out more.
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Beer Name: Rye IPA (by Denny Conn, my 3rd time making it)
Click on either pic for larger version.
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VIDEO on this beer.
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Grains: 11 lbs Stout malt (pale)
3 lbs rye
1.25 lbs Med Crystal
.5 lbs Carapils
.5 lbs flaked wheat
Hops: 1 oz Mt. Hood 4.2% first wort hop
1 oz Columbus 15.5% AA (ended up being a 70m boil)
.5 oz Mt. Hood (30m, or in this case, 40m)
1.5 oz Mt Hood, flame out, held for 15 min
1 oz Columbus (added after the 15 min, held for maybe 10 min, wort was still 190F)
Yeast: Imperial Flagship, washed from above, starter made night before.
Misc:
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 04/25/26 05/01/26 (maybe kegged a few days later)
Gravity: 1.075 1.013
% Alcohol:
Notes:
-20 qts 165 > 151. After 1 hour > 150. Add 8 qts boiling > 161. 18 brix. 4.5 gallons. Added 2.75 gallons 182 > 168. 10 brix. Had 7.25 gallons of 14.2 brix. (had two pints I ran off into glasses cause they would not fit in kettle). Boiled some in 2 pots on stove for an hour. Ended with 5 gallons before adding starter. Added pure O2. Was fermenting a few hours later, mid 60's.
05/01 I forget if this was just a sample pull to check. I don't think I would have kegged it quite so soon. Orange aroma, alcohol, cut grass. Taste is familiar, like from 20 years ago. Bitter, malt slickness, warming. Good start. Strong. Alc %? (It's like 8). Could use some time probably.
06/27/26 This turned out fine. It does remind me of what it was 20 years ago but as we discussed in the video, our beer drinking palets have changed. I got in touch with Denny and he provided an updated version of this recipe.
12.5 lb. Gambrinus IPA malt/
3.25 lb. rye malt/
.5 lb. C10/
.5 lb. cane sugar/
2 oz. Mt. Hood 3.7% FWH/
.75 oz. Columbus 15% 60/
1 oz. Mt. Hood 30/
1 oz. Mt. Hood 0/ 6 oz. Columbus - DH post fermentation 72 hours at 35F/
BRY-97
mash 152. ferment at 65F. cold crash, then dry hop.
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Grains: 8 lbs Weyermann Pils
2 lbs flaked maize
Hops: 1 oz Northern Brewer 7.5% AA 60m
Yeast: Washed Flagship from above, just pitched from jar on brew day.
Misc:
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 05/23/26 06/02/26
Gravity: 1.054 1.010
% Alcohol:
Notes:
- 12.5 qts 163 > 149. After 1 hour > 148. Add 8 qts boiling > 163. 15 brix. 3.2 gallons but not all of it ran out. Add 3 gallons 180 > 169. 7 brix. Had 6.5 gallons of 11 brix. Boiled some on one pot on stove. Had just over 5 gallons before pitching yeast. Was fermenting later that day. 62-62F.
06/02 It is Tuesday. I took a reading on the Friday after brewing it the prev Sat and it was only down to about 1.021. Huh? So I was swirling several times a day and keeping it in the upper 60s. Krausen finally fell a couple days ago and most of the yeast dropped out. Some corn aroma. Little bit of alc? It's ok. It tastes decent but a little yeasty and bitter still. I guess we will see. I hope it's at least drinkable.
7/20/2026 This beer has come along nicely. It has gotten more crisp and clear with time. It took a while, but now it tastes like you exepct a Cream Ale to taste. It's a simple recipie and beer but if you make it right, it becomes a quintessential example of a 'beer.'
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Beer Name: Barbe Rouge Pale Ale
Grains: 7.25 lbs Stout malt
1 lbs flaked maize
.5 lbs Carapils
.25 lbs Caramel 20L
.5 lbs flaked wheat
1 lb Munich
1.5 lbs Pils (end of sack)
Hops: 1 oz Magnum 10.7% AA 60m
1 oz Barbe Rouge 9.6% AA end of boil, hop stand for 15m
Yeast: Washed Flagship from above, starter made night before
Misc:
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 06/07/26 06/16/26
Gravity: 1.059 1.010
% Alcohol:
Notes:
- 15 qts 166 > 152. After 1 hour > 151. Add 8 qts boiling > 165. 3.6 gallons of 15 brix. (kept 1 pint for starter). Add 3 gallons 176 > 167. 9 brix. Had 7 gallons of 12.5 brix. No pure O2. Was maybe like 64F when sitting in closet a few hours later.
- was fermenting right away and stayed at 68 or below with a couple ice jugs.
06/16 nice color. Kind of a deep orange. Little alc in aroma? Taste is fairly non descript at this point but at least not objectionable. Alc warmth? Not getting specific flaor or aroma from hops or even the malt at this early point. Maybe it will just be a servieable drinking beer. Maybe some grapefruit in finish?
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06/19/26 Got CO2 tank filled. Cost $23. IDK why it has gone up so much. Was $17 last year and used to be more like $13. After November 2026 it will have to be tested, and they (only?) do the testing on Wednesday. So will be good to call and confirm and either drop off on a Tues or Wed. Or find somewhere to do an exchange. Ask Paul J?
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Beer Name: Black IPA Dustin and Chip both brewed one recently so I thought I would too.
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Click on pic for larger version.
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VIDEO on this beer.
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Grains: 9 lbs Stout malt (could use pale or two row probably)
1.5 lbs Munich
1 lb chocolate malt
.75 lb Carafa III special dehusked
.5 lb Caramel 20L
Hops: 1 oz Cascade 7.3% 70m (kind of first wort hop)
1 oz Centennial 10.9% AA 70m (kind of first wort hop)
1 oz Cascade 7.3% post boil hop stand for 15m
1 oz Centennial 10.9% AA post boil hop stand for 15m
Yeast: 1.5 packets US05
Misc: .5 lb white sugar. Might have done 1 lb but didn't have it. So I increased the Stout malt by 1 lb up to 9 lbs.
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 7/19/2026 07/28/26
Gravity: 1.068 1.015
% Alcohol:
Notes:
-16 qts 165 > 154 > ice > 152. After 1 hour > 150. add 8 qts boiling water > 164. 16 brix. 3.9 gallons. Add 3 gallons 182 > 170 > ice > 167. 8 brix. Had 7.2 gallons 12.5 brix (before adding the .5 sugar in the boil). Did not do pure O2. The next morning the beer was around 64 F with ice jugs, and not super active. Some foam starting to form on surface.
PROPANE check: this was the 10th batch I brewed since last fill. Normally I go 11 or maybe even 12 batches, so hopefully can do 1 more.
7/21 Was fermenting at 64 this am. Room floor is down to 69. Did not put in fresh ice jugs (I did put in 2 fresh last night). I hope there is enough yeast to do the job.
7/21 Got as high as 69, yesterday eve. I added fresh ice jugs and it was 67 this am. I swapped out a couple ice jugs again. It has a decent krausen but is not climbing to the top of the fermenter.
7/24 I hope this thing is fermenting all right. Krausen has now started to fall but it never got super high, and it's been mostly in the 64-67 range. After I am noticing this morning that it is falling, I took it out of the tub with the ice jugs and swirled it. It is on the floor with a temp of 69, so I'm going to let it warm up to around that temp over the next day or so and take a reading.
07/25 Took a reading. 1.018. Up to about 70 for last day or so. Tried swirling but it looks like most everything is pretty well settled to the bottom at this point. I checked my other Black beers, and they range from 1.014 to 1.020 for FG. So I guess it is in that spec. And this might be the only time I pitched dried yeast. No starter, no extra aeration. Maybe that isn't the best way to go. But I think this beer will be ok cause it has a lot of rich, roasty, burnt flavor along with hop bitterness and flavor.
07/28 Looks like the swirling a couple times a day, and few more days, made it ferment a final bit more. The krausen was almost gone when I started, but it was totally gone this morning. I'm sure it was not getting any lower and I want to have it ready for Pig Out in 4 days. Already it tastes a bit less sweet, more ashy and burnt. Sample is 75F righ tnow so hopefuly the hop flavor and bitterness will come through more with carbonation and some chill.
08/16/26 Did the video tasting yesterday. I'm pretty happy with this. I thought it could be a little more bitter, and that is possibly true, but in drinking it side by side with the other two, it's bitter enough.
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Beer Name: Smokey Kiss Belgian Warrior (brought to you by MacGuyver)
Grains: 7 lbs Stout malt
2 lbs oak smoked wheat
1 lb honey malt
1 lb Munich
.25 lb Caramel 20L
Hops: 1 oz Warrior 16% AA 60m
1 oz Perle 5.6% AA flame out. 15m hop stand.
Yeast: Cellar Science Monk, 1 packet + about 4g leftover from a year ago (Biere de Garde).
Misc:
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 08/21/26 08/30/26
Gravity: 1.055 1.010
% Alcohol:
Notes:
08/22 14 qts 165 > 152. After 1 hour > 151. Add 8 qts boiling L> 165. Collected 3.8 gallons of 14 brix. Add 3 gallons of 173 > 166. 6 brix. Had 7 gallons of 11 brix. Ended with right about 5 gallons even. Was fermenting with couple inch krausen next morning around 64, using ice jugs to keep coolish.
08/23 Was 70F this morning after it was 63-64 last night, so I skipped adding fresh ice jugs. I just added more now so it should cool down a couple degrees by tonight.
08/29 Was mostly in the mid 60s but did get to that one higher temp for a part of one day. Will prob keg it soon.
08/30 A little clear? Did not add gelatin. Little darker than I might have expected, dark orange/amber color. Hint of smoke in aroma and also maybe Belgian phenols. Taste is kind of dry, with some fininishing bitterness. There is a little smoke flavor in the beer. I mean, it's not great. I do not get much from the Munich or Honey malt at this point. Seems mostly kind of dry and a little bitter. Not a strong Belgian yeast character, which I suppose is just as well. I guess we will see if this ends up being merely drinkable or somewhat decent.
09/07/26 First glasses of this make me think, yup, this is a MacGuyver beer. It's not bad, but it's not great. It's not very defined. It's a little too bitter, possibly. I'll see if that mellows. I thought the sweet malts would add more sweet character but they don't seem to have. No real smoke character or Belgian yeast flavor (which was kind of my intention). Chip and I might play "guess this beer" because he doesn't know anything about it and I wonder if he will get any smoke or Belgian yeast.
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08/28/26 Propane tank filled. Took 4.6 gallons which surprised me. Brewed 11 batches since last fill.
Not sure why it was so much lower. Either they don't fill it all the way, or maybe I boiled a little
longer or more vigorously, although I wouldn't know why.
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RECIPE FOR 1 GALLON BELOW. I am trying to make a 3 gallon batch.
Ingredients: 4 lbs tomatoes
2 lbs sugar
~3.33 quarts water
2 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
.5 tsp pectic enzyme
Yeast: 71B Narbonne (I used 1 pack in 3 gallons)
Misc:
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 09/05/26
Gravity: 1.082
% Alcohol:
Notes:
- tomatoes were mostly frozen so heated them slowly in a pot and made sure they were all broken/cut into quarters at least. In a different pot I heated 2.5 gallons of water some so the sugar would dissolve more easily. Added acid blend and pectic enzyme. Cooled the water down in an ice bath. I put the tomatoes in a sanitized cheesecloth bag and put in sanitized bucket. Added water. Stirred a bit and took a gravity reading. I could already see after a while the 'red parts' of the tomato were separating and falling to the bottom of the test tube leaving a clear liquid. Added yeast nutrient at this time, and then yeast. Been punching down the cap twice a day. It is Sept 7 today. It was 79F this morning. Yikes. I put some ice jugs under a shirt that I put over the bucket. Upper end of yeast range is 86F so hopefully no off flavors from this warmer temp.
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Grains: 7 lbs Rahr North Star Pils
3 lbs flaked rice (same as torrefied I think)
Hops: 1 oz Perle 6.1% AA 60m
Yeast: 34/70 dried lager, 1.5 packets (one older, previously opened)
Misc: rice hulls
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date: 09/06/26
Gravity: 1.052
% Alcohol:
Notes:
- added 1 quart before pitching yeast and adjusted gravity down from 1.054. Will use ice jugs and try to keep as cool as possible. It was about 63F and fermenting the next morning. Did not do pure O2. 12.5 qts 163 > 149. After 1 hour > 148. Stirred in some rice hulls (6 oz maybe). Add 8 qts boiling > 164. 3.3 gallons of 14.5 brix. Add 3 gallons of 179 > 167. 7.5 brix. had 6.7 gallons of 12 brix. Boiled some on 2 pots for 45 min and this made me end with about 4.75 gallons. Maybe could have done one pot? Also no big deal to add a quarter of water into the fermenter. I'm excited to make another beer that I really want. I am curious to see how 34/70 does with these temps. It is said to come out just fine but I'm not sure if I have done a lager this warm w/o pressure before. Funny, as I typed that I just remembered that I have a dumb pressure fermenter.
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Beer Name:
Grains:
Hops:
Yeast:
Misc:
Brew Date:
Rack to Secondary:
Keg Date:
Date:
Gravity:
% Alcohol:
Notes:
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© 2026 Don Osborn