Monday, January 18, 2010

Homebrewers of the World Unite!

I had a thought yesterday evening, and yes it hurt. I guess most of the people who read Fuggled are more than just beer lovers, they are also home brewers - I know for a fact of at least 10 regular readers who also make their own brew, not to mention the two or three professional brewers who are also part of the Fuggled community.

Several of these home brew/pro-brew bods have given me invaluable tips and advice for improving my beer making, whether discussing ingredients, brewing techniques or methods for dispensing the amber nectar. It was this sense of community that got me thinking about organising an international home brewing project.

The project would be something along the lines of the multi-blog beer reviews I have done in the past with blogs like Pivní Filosof and The Bitten Bullet. However, instead of writing about the same beer and posting our review on the same day, this project would be to brew the same beer, on the same day, each brewer using their own preferred methods (whether all grain or extract with grains) and each brewer using their preferred yeast. The beer in question would sit in primary fermentation for 14 days before being bottled, then after 3 weeks of conditioning, each participating blogger would review their brew - whether they do it just themselves or get a group of people to try the beer and give their views would be entirely up to their whimsy.

Assuming the people I am thinking of would be interested in such a project we could have the same beer brewed in the US, Ireland, the UK, Germany and maybe the Czech Republic - it would also give us more insight into water differences, the influence of yeast on the same base ingredients and various other interesting questions. For those of us in geographical proximity to participants, we could trade beers and then write about those as well.

If you are interested in taking part in the project, then either leave a comment to this post, or drop me an email. The sharp of sight among you will have noticed a poll in the top left of the page, to decide which style of ale we will make (that is my only executive decision, we will be making an ale as opposed to a lager - largely because I don't have the technical necessities to do so!). You we see on the poll that to begin with I have rather broad beer styles to select from, the next decision will be which beer type from within the chosen group will be made.

So, let me know if you are interested, and cast your vote for the beer style to be made, and let's get this started.

7 comments:

  1. Sounds like fun. I'd be in. I'm not sure if you ever read or use Homebrewtalk.com, but its members sometimes organize coordinated brews and swaps just as you are describing. Here is an example of a Stone 09-09-09 Vertical Epic Clone swap that was organized:

    http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f38/09-09-09-barleywine-swap-guidelines-recipe-64150/

    ReplyDelete
  2. I will smoke everyone's ass! I work with a great water source, which has enabled Proper Real Keg to flourish!

    Ca 61
    Mg 25
    S04 212
    Na 94
    Cl 96
    Alkalinity as expressed as CaCO3 110

    Easily manipulated by cutting with distilled or RO water.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Would this be all grain or will there be extracts involved? I only ask because I'd be interested in joining this parade, but I don't have the all grain setup yet.

    Thanks

    Mike

    Mike's Brew Review

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mike, if you do extract and grain then you are more than welcome - I am not set up for all grain either yet. When the recipe has been formulated I will post it as both all grain and extract with specialty grains!

    Welcome aboard.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'd be interested, but depends on the timing.

    My water profile :P

    Ca: 83
    Mg: 5
    SO4: 60
    Na: 31
    Cl: 50
    Alkalinity: 135

    Any good for PRK Whorst? Mmmmm :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have no idea what my water profile is but I might be up for it.

    ReplyDelete

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