Beer #8 – Random Vanilla Stout
So, after getting home from work today I decided to fire up the turkey fryer I had purchased back in December but never put to use. Now that summer is getting a bit cooler, I figure it’ll be fine for me to use it to boil some beer. Well, I calibrated it (at 5, 5.5, 6, and 6.5 gallons) and then picked a spot to do the boiling at. It turns out that the best spot will be just off of my front porch on the sidewalk. I had initially fired it up in the garage, but at maximum flame it kicks out a ton of heat, and I’m also worried about carbon monoxide. I’m probably just being paranoid, but it seems better this way.
So, if things go as I hope, come Saturday or Sunday (it’ll be cooler Sunday… Hmm…) I’ll make up a batch of something I’m currently calling Random Vanilla Stout.
Anyway…
I’ve also started to use a piece of software called Promash for my brewing calculations. It really makes everything very, very easy. Also, playing with the numbers in a piece of software really gives one a better understanding of how things fit together behind the scenes.
After creating the recipe I went ahead and exported it. So, if you’d like to see the recipe, take a look here.
Thus far it’s planned to be a 52.8 SRM beer and 45 IBU. This will be extremely dark, somewhat bitter, and will hopefully, thanks to the addition of two vanilla beans in bulk conditioning, have a nice underlying vanilla flavor.
So, yeah… That’s it. Hopefully it’ll go well. My attempt to buy the ingredients today didn’t go so hot, but that’s because I had forgotten that today is the one weekday I can remember which Cap’N’Cork is closed. This was so they could attend some sort of event or festival… Ah well. I’ll go tomorrow.
I want to come round and drink all your beer.
Heh, well, if you’re ever in the area you’re more than welcome to some… And you could see the fabulous Detroit area as well!
Ok, that stout sounds really really yummy. Maybe I’ll learn how to brew beer in Denver, what with my copious amounts of spare time looming. (but probably not. much more likely that I’ll just drool over your descriptions.)
Go for it… My understanding is that there are plenty of homebrewing stores in that area. The only problem is you generally need a gas stove, and about a small closet full of equipment. However, if you find yourself out in this area again, you’re welcome to swing by for a pint or so.
I’m not sure if my apartment will have a gas or an electric stove. We shall see, eh? (how come I can’t use an electric stove?)
I also sincerely doubt I’m that welcome for a pint, but thanks anyhow.
Electric stoves typically aren’t capable of producing enough heat to boil ~3-4 gallons of water in a timely manner…
Ah! Good to know.
It’s actually ideal to boil the full volume of water, which in the case of the batch I want to do tomorrow is right about six gallons. As such, I’m going to try and use a turkey fryer. We’ll see how that works out…
(Note: While it is a turkey fryer, the pot is still brand new. Fats / oils in beer are a BAD thing, as they’ll kill any head. One really can’t use normal cooking gear for beer…)