Town Park Home-Brew & Tasting Event

[mrafoltz]

I play a really mean knife and spoons at the BBQ.

awesome!

it's hard to come by a good spooner!! 

 Listening to: david via

[nebraskawhit]

The first one is going to be a clone of Fishbone brewer extrordinaire James' Toasted Cocconut Porter.  A medium to light porter with the suttle taste of chocolate and toasted coconut.  Wow! This beer is outstanding if you haven't tried it.

OMG! I'm totally drooling right now. That sounds like heaven to me! I hope I get the chance to meet you and to try the beer!! 

~Whitney

 Listening to: Drive-By Truckers

[Chelsea]

The first one is going to be a clone of Fishbone brewer extrordinaire James' Toasted Cocconut Porter.  A medium to light porter with the suttle taste of chocolate and toasted coconut.  Wow! This beer is outstanding if you haven't tried it.

OMG! I'm totally drooling right now. That sounds like heaven to me! I hope I get the chance to meet you and to try the beer!! 

~Whitney

ditto!  that sound incredible!   

[meanderingjeeper]

toasted

 Listening to: dreams to remember

[meanderingjeeper]

toasted

coconut

 Listening to: dreams to remember

[meanderingjeeper]

toasted

coconut

porter....quite delicious I agree.  make room in the freezer chest!!!!!

I think even Amy Grant enjoys that one actually.....

 Listening to: dreams to remember

[Maineahhh]

Amy Grant likes beer??!!??!! wow, learn something new every day . . .

[TellurideTom]

Amy Grant likes beer??!!??!! wow, learn something new every day . . .

Not only that! She drank some moonshine in my camp!
And then dedicated a song to me during her performance.

P.S. That song is on my website!

[Maineahhh]

now THAT is something to be proud of . . . .

[Pirate Looks at --]

Yea I still have the taste of Rumplesmitz (sp) in my mouth!!! I'll be ther earlier this year with a couple bottles of Gran Centenario

[Daniela]

Once I post our pre-fest schedule you're going to insist on taking another day or two off (without pay!) to join in all the OTHER fun we're going to have!

Tom, when will you be posting this "pre-fest schedule" you speak of?  I'm hungry, tired,  thirsty and crabby, sitting here in my jail cube, and need something to look forward to.  I can look out my window and see the sunshine and the open road.  I just want to jump in my truck and head south till I see the majestic San Juan mountains on the horizon and hear the bluegrass music in the air and smell springtime coming.  I want to go check out my secret planned camping spot in Town Park, walk through the festival grounds, go have a cocktail at the Buck, and dream of the magic that will occur in this great place in 98 days.  Who's with me????   

[smolakian]

Hey guys. I just started homebrewing this year. I am gonna start keggin' because I already have a kegerator. My question is: How do you bring your brew to the festival? I'm sure there is a way to keep a couple of Cornies cold and carbonated for the weekend. Do you bring your CO2 setup along or use a picnic tap? I'm gonna be in Town Park so shade and ice won't be a problem. I have also noticed the portable ball-lock taps that you attach a CO2 cartridge to. Do those work alright?

[Maineahhh]

Daniela, sounds like heaven! However, my drive from Maine may take a bit longer . . . . hehe

[Hippie]

I really find that a proper jockey box with ice, co2 tank, and small kegs is the best way to go. The manuever well in the pack, are easy to carry, and can be stashed in the shade when full or empty.

I simply carbonated in the keg and brought a hand pump my first few festivals and observaed what the other folks did for set up. Town park is the best spot to catch on to how to do it.

Good luck
 

just 99 days to rumballs

 Listening to: the wind on my hillside

[Kaptain Karlos]

P.S. nice hat Kaptain although I wasn't complaining about the Krown, on the contrary, I found it very fitting.

Thanks Rick - I'm switchin' back to the Kaptain in the Crown picture.

Brewers Notes:  5 gallons Toasted Coconut Porter

Friday nite @ 8:45pm - 6.5 gal H2O on the fire to boil-off chlorine.
Cut fire at 10:30pm after 15 min. boiling.
Saturday morning @ 8:00am - 2 glass fermenters filled with TDC and hot H2O for cleaning.
10:30am - Lit fire under brew-kettle with chlorine-free H2O in it.
10:50am - Grains mashed-in and H2O brought to temp. @ 165 deg. F - held for 45 min.
(During the 45 min. mashing period both fermenters broke while cleaning - no bloddy hands.  Luckily had 2 additional double-batch glass fermenters to subsitute.)  Big lesson learned!  Don't roll glass jugs filled with hot H2O on hard surfaces.  Ouch!
11:30am - mash temp. @ 153 deg. F - removed grain-bag and added malt extracts.
Partial clean-up of broken fermenters.
12:15pm - Fire lit under brew-kettle.
12:25pm - Wort is boiling - bittering hops added.
1:10pm - irish moss added to help clairify wort.
1:20pm - airomatic hops added - immursed copper wort-chiller - added yeast nutrient.
1:25pm - cut heat.  Covered kettle and began cooling wort.
2:00pm - Yeast pitched.  Fermenter filled with cooled wort.
Original gravity = 1.058
Original % alc. = 7.3
Wort Temp. = 75 deg. F
Tosted coconut will be added to the secondary fermenter for 2-3 weeks and then strained-off prior to kegging.

2:25pm second 5-gallon batch started.  Run-A-Muck Red.  Pretty much same procedure as above with different ingredients and less the broken fermenter incident.  Details spared... and 9 beers later...
7:45pm - pitched yeast - filled primary fermenter with cooled wort.
Original gravity = 1.074
Original % alc. = 10.0
Wort temp. = 72 deg. F

General overall feeling about the brewing and sanitization process - Mighty Fine!
 So... that's it for now.   

Kaptain Karlos