My Brother . . . the Brewmeister! June 15, 2017
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Travel & Leisure.trackback
While in Fort Collins, we got to see my brother whipping up a batch of Imperial Russian Oatmeal Chocolate Stout.
After boiling the grain . . .
And boiling it some more . . .
And boiling it some more . . .
He added the several different types of hops and flavorings required by the recipe . . .
And cooled the brew down with a copper “chiller” . . .
Once chilled, Doug added the yeast and transferred the brew to a glass bottle to allow the yeast to percolate:
After the Krauzen (the foamy stuff on top) starts to sink a bit, Doug will start thinking about “racking” it over to a secondary (5 gallon glass carboy) for secondary fermentation.
Like wine, beer making is a slow process . . . especially for an Imperial Stout. This brew won’t be ready until Octoberfest.
But Doug didn’t disappoint.
He had other beers in the pipeline “ready to go” ~> specifically Red Banshee Ale and a delicious Bavarian Helles Lager.
We sampled both on Friday night while sitting around the campfire . . .
Right before toasting marshmallows and eating S’Mores ~> YUM!
Don’t worry, we didn’t drain his kegs. And if we had, no worries ~> “Drink all you want, we’ll brew more.”
Aah . . . that’s better!
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Spirit Lights The Way 
I’m not sure which is better – visiting with family, sampling homemade brew, or sitting around a campfire. Put them all together though, and you have a winning formula!!
We did pack our short visit with LOTS of fun moments!
Doug’s brew is delicious. Better than any store bought beer I’ve had lately.
I admire the fact that he knows how to do this! Sounds like you had a wonderful trip!
We also went with him to Hops & Berries ~ the store where he gets his supplies.
Home brewing must be more prevalent than I’d suspected given the quantity of stuff they had for sale ~ more grains than a grocery store!
Not a big fan of homemade beers but I am a fan of family, fun and s’mores! Sounds wonderful!
It was a fun-packed few days . . . and we was well fed too!
Derek would love to pay your brother a visit, Nancy. He’s always been fascinated by Brewmeisters. The breweries/restaurants are so popular these days. Some in our area do tours.
Doug would welcome Derek with open arms ~ he enjoyed educating us on the process.
We did a tour of the New Belgium brewery while in Ft. Collins ~ same process, bigger equipment.
I like homemade beer but have never been moved to make my own. I’m sure Doug’s beer was wonderful, as were the s’mores. It sounds like a great evening.
We had a fun-packed time in Ft. Collins. Doug’s got a great set-up for his hobby . . . with enough space to keep 3 kegs tapped and ready at all times.
Doug has an impressive setup, certainly! How fascinating. I am always very interested in how others take their interests and move to “the next step,” investing in equipment and taking the time to learn the timing and technique to successfully master a craft. I’m sure he appreciated how much you enjoyed his home brew! Yum!
Doug does have an impressive setup . . . with increasingly impressive results. My other brother (in NJ) also has taken up the hobby, but I haven’t seen his setup yet, or tasted his wares!
Doug’s neighbor (in Photo #2) is/was a brewmaster for a local brewery and is a source of terrific tips and techniques, helping Doug to master the craft.
Wonderful to have a Brewmeister in the family! Sounds like a great pit stop 🙂
The best!
What a perfect end to your day. 😃
Yes! For me, the best part of camping was ALWAYS sitting around the campfire . . . with or without s’mores.
Sounds like a perfect weekend! Love sitting around a campfire – and s’more are just a bonus!
Campfires = a great way to cap off a delight-filled day!