Some pics

Here are a few pics of Rover's hops.













Here are some pics of the drip irrigation system I have set up at my farm. I still need one more
adapter for one of the hoses and I just need to extend the gutter a bit further.



















And finally, the barley. Which doesn't look like much now other than a plowed field. But I was able to get it in before the rain this weekend.

I Mead Input

After having a discussion a few weeks ago with an old professor of mine and doing some research, I've decided I'd like to make a Mead of some kind. At the suggestion of several sources, I am considering a Dry Mead spiced with herbs. These are said to be the most drinkable when made by a rookie like myself. Any of you know much about Mead?

Here is a relevant link I was forwarded:

http://www.greydragon.org/library/basic_mead.html

Said professor was also involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism (a medieval re-enactment group) in which a lot of people "totally dig" Mead. He forwarded me this as a helpful resource:

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/brewing.html

Beds for the hops

Fortunately my dad has been as excited as me about growing the hops. Since he has had more time to make it to the farm he built beds for the hops to grow underneath the trellis lines. Here are some pics. Also he set up guttering that will feed into my rain barrel for my irrigation system. By the way, if anyone know where I can get a cheap/free 30-50 gal. rain barrel from let me know. I know Phil can get one but there is no timetable on that. Finally, the barley arrived at my parents house today.

-Der Brauer

Sound Problems and Wine Press

Well, the Pear wine is made and is releasing sulfates as I write this.  I did tape it, but the mic did not work.  So tonight I will be editing it, and adding a voice over.  I will post the video in this same post.

As far as the wine press goes, I was given an idea from a co-worker that his father has done.  A homemade wine press with a car jack.  He said his dad just inverted the car jack, put it on a bracket and then made the rest of the press.  They use it for apple cider.  Just another idea, something to think about.

This upcoming Sunday, the 18th, Irish Rover and I will be planting my hops and brewing a Kolsch.  Vids and pics will be posted!

-Matuz

Wine Press brainstorm

Right now I think I would benefit from a simple wine press. I did a little looking around online after seeing one at Friar Tuck in town that looked somewhat like this one:

From that, I did a little brainstorming and messed around on Microsoft Paint, and this is an extremely rough concept sketch of what I came up with...

If anyone has any remote clue as to how the metal screen part can be fashioned, I am looking for ideas. It's an important component for straining out the bulk of the fruit.

Watch out for Morgan Street, the dark horse of STL beer.

Watch out for Morgan Street. They are a Dark Horse of STL. Beer and once they start bottling will help the micro brews in MO.

http://interact.stltoday.com/blogzone/lager-heads/uncategorized/2010/04/schlafly-morgan-street-win-top-honors-at-world-beer-cup/

Hop Trellis

Here are a couple of pictures of the hop trellis my dad and I built at the farm. I'm pretty proud of it.

Barley

I have finally found a place to buy the barley from. I called the website and made sure, they lady told me that it was a malting barley for human consumption. Not sure that it is the ideal barley for brewing but its the best I've found and will have to do for now. I was planning on buying the non-organic version since it was quite a bit cheaper. If anyone has a major issue with that let me know. Here is the link.

Carlsberg Workers Strike Because They Can't Drink On The Job - The Consumerist

I think we would all agree we would do the same if we worked at a brewery.

Carlsberg Workers Strike Because They Can't Drink On The Job - The Consumerist

Upcoming Changes and Addressing Issues

Be sure to look for the new PAGES that will be added to the blog and will be accessible through the top navigation bar where the rest of the links can currently be found.

New pages will include so far:
1) Links and descriptions to our most used websites for homebrewing. Calculators, and
    ordering supplies and so on. Antonio, please let me know or add them yourself
    (once the page is set) of the links that you like to use most often.

2) Tips and Tricks that we have learned that may be useful for the novice.

3) Homebrew Gardening Techniques

4) A Site Feed so that we can see how many and where any other internet users are coming
    to your site!

Of course, if any of this you guys think is unnecessary let me know and I will discontinue it with a majority vote. "And if no clear winner emerges from all of this, the two-man sack race will be held on consecutive Sundays until a champion can be crowned. "


Addressing Issues of the Blog

1) Calendar - If you still cannot get it to work, contact me via phone.
2) YouTube - Please upload your videos to YouTube before you post them. If you want to post
    them in a blog you can copy and paste a link or EMBED them by copying the and
    pasting the automatically created EMBEDDING information that YouTube provides for each video
    and most likely be found to the RIGHT of the video or look for a button that says EMBED
    around the video.

Thanks and let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

-Matuz

Hop Rhizomes

Just received my hop rhizomes. Glacier, Willamette, and Golding.

Blackberry wine drinkin'

Der Brauer- you said on a comment on my Blackberry Racking and Sweetening video that you were anxious to taste the end results of the experiments. Ask and you shall receive. Check your facebook events invitations for the "Wine and Juggin'" event.

Irish Rover- put your RSVP to "Attending". You're going to be there.

Dunkelweizen racking

Event Calendar

It has been setup and you can now locate it in the top of the blog in the link's section. You all have the permissions to add and edit events. Now we can stay on top of each other of when and where we will be brewing or wine-making! Enjoy and let me know of any problems!

-Matuz

Happy Easter Blog Update

Happy Easter guys! I checked the menu for this Easter and beer is on it!

Real quick, as you can see the date stamp is now working, our YouTube channel is now displayed in the side column, be sure to use the channel when you can! The blog description had to go on the side because a downside to this blog is that it won't allow allow the display of the description or picture below the blog title. I will soon have an event calendar up and a few more ideas are circling in my head. If you have anything you would like to do or add just let us know!

Have a good one!

-Matuz

Hop Trellis

The hop trellis at my farm is complete. I used wire for my lines and an adjustable pole which can lower when I need to prune or harvest the hops. I didn't bring my digital camera so I have no pics of it currently. My dad is going up to my farm next weekend and he should take some pics and email them to me. I will post them as soon as i am able.

Blackberry Racking + Sweetening

Trellis Update

Here are some pics from Matuz and Rover's half day of labor. This is my 'trellis.' Using the roof as the 'post'

Now the hops in action. Top Cascade. Bottom Hallertau.

Below is Matuz's temporary trellis. Right now without hops or soil, its looks like some construction Monolith to the PVC gods. Below right is the 'haif' garden. Further landscapes will increase its size. It will do good for this summer. EDITORS NOTE (Polack slave labor was used to construct this site)

Justice

I don't know if you fellow brewers have seen the near comical commercials put out by Bud and Miller lately but this whole ultra lite beer contest is beginning to take the form of a cat fight between two 12 year old girls. Miller has just come out with a campaign to attack Michelob Ultra (99cal) as two heavy! Just drink MGD 64! For the TASTE AS WELL. This doesn't even acknowledge that AB-InBev has used some kind of alchemical witchcraft to come up with Bud Select 55. The main point is all of these beers are horse mess and someone needs to ridicule them....yes, someone.....someone........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH4siY_Aa-4

On a more serious note I am planning to solidify my summer beer with two batches: 10 gal. of Kolsch 5 keg, 5 in bottles., and 5-10 gal of a Boulevard-esque. wheat beer(light and refreshing). And grueling as the all dayers are, I enjoy brewing that much in one day. (Matuz can attest to the fact that it could be that much better outside of Lent) Maybe we could set a calendar for some dates when we can all get together for this season's drinking and brewing.

Hop Rhizomes

I just received an email from STL Beer and Wine for Rhizome orders. Obviously I cannot grow any where I am living right now, but I was wondering if Irish Rover or Derbrauer would want me to buy a different variety that we do not currently have and grow them at either of your two properties? Just an idea, let me know. Below is what was sent to me. The format sent to me was not great, but you can make sense of it.

Hops	Description	Yield	%AA
Brewers Gold	Sister to Bullion, ancestor to most major high alpha varieties. Poor storage after harvest.	High	8-10%
Cascade	Floral American aroma type.	High	5-8%
Centennial	Similar to Cascade with more alpha, can be a fussy grower.	Moderate	8-11%
Galena	Brewers Gold hybrid. Good storage. Some mildew problems.	High	11-13%
Kent Golding	English aroma type.	Moderate	4-6%
Magnum	German Hallertauer hybrid, high alpha, good storage stability.	Very Good	12-17%
Mt. Hood	Hallertauer triploid hybrid. Good vigor, half-sister to Ultra, Liberty & Crystal.	Good	4-6%
Newport	New alpha acid variety, good growth habit, good yield, disease resistant.	Good	9-17%
N. Brewer	Low yield, moderate vigor, resistant to Verticillium wilt, susceptible to  powdery mildew.	Low	7-11%
Nugget	High alpha, vigorous disease resistance.	High	12-15%
Sterling	Saaz Hybrid, aroma and oil composition very similar.	Good	6-9
Willamette	Triploid hybrid of English Fuggle.	Moderate	5-6

-Matuz