Vienna Hot Dog
A VIENNA Lager fermented w/ sport peppers. GET IT?
Although Hot Dog beer doesn’t sound too tasty, so I have to rethink the name. . .
Fermentation: SPORT PEPPERS (amount as of yet undecided)
I gave my friends a sixpack of the Blommer Chocolate Stout about a month ago and told them to keep it in their cellar for a few weeks before trying it. This was the stout that I bottled on December 10th, 2009. Last week I received a message saying they’d tried a bottle and it had a nice head, pine/foresty aroma and a roasty flavor.
Here’s the pic they sent:
Blommer Chocolate Stout
Approximately 10 people have tried the stout so far. Most people have reported the chocolate/roasted flavor and aroma, which is great.
Next time I will be using cocoa powder or cocoa nibs to increase head retention. I may even increase the amount of oats because I want that aroma and flavor to come through more.
So, I cracked open a bottle of the 2nd version of the Burnham Brown (which I brewed on New Year’s Eve). I was super surprised by the clarity this time. Additionally, it had a nice foamy head and good carbonation. Better aroma than before, but still reminiscent of the original. The taste is SLIGHTLY more watery, which was understandable because the previous version only yielded 3.5 gallons (because it was my first brew ever and I was still learning!) as opposed to this one which was about 4.5 gallons. Hop bitterness was present but not much hop aroma or flavor.
This is a very drinkable beer that appeals to a wide range of tastes. I believe I met my goals for this specific beer. CHECK OUT THE CLARITY!!! The glass I used is a Rock Bottom Brewery glass and you can actually see the letters from the back of the glass.
The beer still tastes “young”. I am going to condition it for another couple weeks and I think it will be even better.
Burnham Brown Redux
I’ve been really lazy in updating this blog, I know. I have a running list of topics to address, but have been lacking the inspiration/time to do so. Tomorrow I’m starting a 3-month contract (creating online training curriculum) to help pay the bills and save for what’s coming up. It’ll be 40 hours/week of my time that I won’t be able to spend on brewery/business, but I do get the luxury of working from home so I don’t have to worry about lost time on a commute. Plus, more money coming in means more beer I can #homebrew and more beer-related travel/events!
Here’s a brief update on what I’ve been up to:
1. Attending all sorts of beer-related events. If it’s related to beer, I’m there. I’ve toured most of the Chicago breweries and hope to check out the new Revolution Brewing pub soon. I also purchased tickets to Night of the Living Ales happening in March.
2. Attending all sorts of entrepreneurship/business-related events. Earlier this week, the Business School at Kendall College put on a workshop for entrepreneurs. Some Northwestern Law School students were there talking about the common legal issues that entrepreneurs face when starting a business. While most of what they covered was stuff I already knew about, it did give me another perspective on incorporating as an S-corp rather than an LLC. I have been researching the best way to structure the company for almost 5 months now, and I think I’ve finally decided how I want to do it. It all depends on how I’m going to fund this venture!
3. Reading, reading, and more reading on beer, brewing, brewery history, beer news, and various business books. Last week I finished the “The History of Beer and Brewing in Chicago, Volume 2” by Bob Skilnik and have started The Wall Street Journal’s “Complete Small Business Guidebook.” by Colleen DeBlaise.
4. Continuing to talk with #beer people, business people, and anyone who wants to hear about Robey Street!
5. Working on new brew recipes. Today I’m bottling the MLK & Cookie Stout and will be trying to fit in the brew day for the Belgian Rose Witbier sometime next week.
6. Participating in a BJCP study group starting next week.
7. Continuing to fill in sections of my business plan.
8. Planning the (rescheduled from December) Robey Street Fundraising Party, tentatively scheduled for March!
