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Author Topic: Blending Brews  (Read 2613 times)

Offline BrewBama

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Blending Brews
« on: December 06, 2014, 04:22:48 pm »
I have a Spiced Winter Ale and a California Common on tap. A lot of folks like the hoppiness of the Cali Comm so I brewed it for them. I like the Spiced Ale but I have to admit a 50/50 blend is nice. How about you? Do you blend beers!

Offline kmccaf

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2014, 04:59:22 pm »
Yes! Duvel and Spotted Cow is amazing. I had a braggot and saison that blended nicely as well.
Kyle M.

Offline brewinhard

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2014, 05:19:14 pm »
I have done a lot of blending in the past 3-4 years.  Mostly blending sour beers to achieve a proper gueuze or flanders brown.  But I have also blended beers to make a righteous beire de garde.  My blending has always been done through closed transfers in kegs after hours of tasting and measuring in graduated cylinders and glasses before scaling up properly.  A simple bathroom scale comes in quite handy when attempting to hit your percentages with corny kegs.   

Offline tommymorris

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2014, 07:03:23 pm »
I recently blended a west coast amber and a blonde. I liked the blend so much I jumped one keg into the other. Friends say it is one of the best beers I have brewed.

To get a 50/50 blend in the keg I marked the level in the more empty keg then used a ruler to mark double that height on the outside of the keg. Then when adding the second beer I kept transferring until condensation reached my mark.

I think a bathroom scale would work better if you know the tare weight of your keg.
« Last Edit: December 06, 2014, 07:06:43 pm by alestateyall »

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2014, 05:50:48 am »
My brother in law loves to run all the taps into a pitcher with varying amounts of each beer - more than once he has hit on a pretty good combo (I usually have a lager, a pale ale, a Belgian and a porter or similar dark beer on tap).  Crazy but it can work...
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Offline kramerog

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2014, 10:39:25 am »
I blend beers of the same style together by combining kegs.  For example, I will make two to 3 single hop beers at a time (same wort) and do a hopstand and once I'm getting low I will combine the kegs and get a new beer.  I try blending the different beers in a glass just to make sure that'll work out first.

I tend to blend beers of different styles in my glass for fun, for exploration, because I want to drink a RIS but want a lower alchohol content, etc.

Offline jeffy

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2014, 11:49:20 am »
I like to blend the top three beers at the end of a judging flight.  Sometimes you get improvement, sometimes not so much, but it's always interesting.  It works especially well on flights of sours or spice/herb/veg beers.
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Offline erockrph

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2014, 12:10:24 pm »
I don't know why I've never tried this. Maybe because I bottle conditioned for so long and rarely have more than one beer at a time. I definitely want to play with this a bit.

I have a cider and a doppelbock on tap right now. I might have to try making an impromptu graff tonight for the game.
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Offline brewinhard

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2014, 02:33:52 pm »
I recently blended a west coast amber and a blonde. I liked the blend so much I jumped one keg into the other. Friends say it is one of the best beers I have brewed.

To get a 50/50 blend in the keg I marked the level in the more empty keg then used a ruler to mark double that height on the outside of the keg. Then when adding the second beer I kept transferring until condensation reached my mark.

I think a bathroom scale would work better if you know the tare weight of your keg.

The only problem with watching the condensation line is that the beer is actually higher than that in the keg.  The condensation forms after the beer chills the keg down enough, but it will get you close enough. 

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #9 on: December 07, 2014, 04:11:17 pm »
so after you blend and like it, do you ever make a new recipe based upon the blender beers?
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Offline BrewBama

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #10 on: December 07, 2014, 04:39:42 pm »

so after you blend and like it, do you ever make a new recipe based upon the blender beers?

That's probably the key. Wasn't Porter created this way?

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #11 on: December 07, 2014, 04:53:13 pm »
developed early 1700's by the Brits ( as history goes). have not heard it was by accident.

nonetheless, a recipe based upon a blend might be interesting.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
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Dort
Mead                 
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Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline pete b

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #12 on: December 07, 2014, 05:51:27 pm »
Its been years but black and tans used to be a favorite. When I gave my father in law a heavy porter I made he put a tablespoon of it in his bush light for a week until it was gone. Not that I recommend that but we still laugh about it.
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Offline brewinhard

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #13 on: December 08, 2014, 04:47:25 pm »
so after you blend and like it, do you ever make a new recipe based upon the blender beers?

I have, but it doesn't always turn out as expected.  But it does lead one in a new direction for recipe formulation. 

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Blending Brews
« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2014, 04:55:45 pm »
I'll often blend a big beer and a small beer, a belgian and a non-belgian (just to see what it's like), or even a big beer and plain sparkling water if all I've got on tap is a strong beer and I want something smaller.
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