Christmas Beer is a brewin'!

So last week we got together for our 3rd meeting.  It was good to gather again, enjoy some really good Pumpkin Ale from the last meeting, and brew something new.  After looking at the results of the survey, Christmas ale won.  So we just went with a Jubelale recipe from Brew Brothers, doubled it, and brewed it up!  We'll be having about 2 gallons on tap at our next meeting, and we'll bottle about 8 gallons so y'alls can take some home to enjoy and give as gifts.  Another great reason to homebrew, cheap gifts that people get really excited about!

Recipe:
10 gallons

Fermentables:
21.3 lb 2 Row
2.84 lb Crystal 120L
1.42 lb Crystal 70L
5.12 oz CaraPils
2.56 oz Roasted Barley

Anticipated OG: 1.069
Actual OG: 1.064
Anticipated FG: 1.021
Actual OG:
Actual ABV:

Hops:
4 oz Cascade for 60m
2 oz Cascade for 30m

2 oz Goldings @ flameout

2oz Cascade for 7 days dry-hop
2oz Goldings for 7 days dry-hop

75 IBU

Yeast:
One half with a Pacman Slurry
One half with a Wyeast 1968 London ESB slurry

Notes:
Good day brewing.  The pumpkin ale we had was delicious.  Fermentation is going a little slow, so hopefully it picks up soon.

The Second Meeting: Pumpkin Ale

So this last weekend Cana met again.  We had 6 people show up because evidently we aren't the best at getting the word out.  Sorry everyone!  We'll work on that some more.  This time we tasted the Cana Pale Ale from last time and made a Pumpkin Ale.  Weather was great for fall and we had a really good time.  Here's the details about the recipe:

Recipe:
11 Gallons

Fermentables:
12 lb GW 2-Row
2 lb Crystal 20L
1.5 lb Munich Light
1.5 lb Victory
12 oz Flaked Wheat
About 5 lb of roasted pumpkin

Anticipated OG: 1.047
Actual OG: 1.050
Anticipated FG: 1.010
Actual OG: 1.011
ABV: 5.1%
Brewhouse efficiency: 75%

Hops:
1 oz Cascade (10.2%) for 60m
1 oz Cascade (10.2%) for 30m

26 IBU

Yeasts:
Safale US-05 in one half
Safale US-04 in other half

Notes:
Brewing was really smooth.  We were worried about the mash sticking, but everything went great.  We added the pumpkin to the mash after roasting it for an hour the day before.  To roast it, cut in half, scoop out seeds, lay face down on baking sheet with 1/2 to 1 inch of water, and bake for one hour at about 400 degrees.  Then scoop out the pumpkin from the skin.  Then add to the mash!  We also added in some nutmeg and cinnamon to the boil.  We just sort of pinched some and put it in, so it wasn't much, but we don't know how much it was.  We also didn't know how much the pumpkin would add to the gravity, so we were hoping just a few points, and it added just a few points.  So that worked out pretty well.  Can't wait to taste it next month!  You should join us!
Update 10/29/12: Kegged 2 gallons yesterday and bottled 41 bottles to take home!  Come on out and grab a few to take to your Thanksgiving feast to share!  See you Saturday, November 3!

The First Gathering...

So this last weekend we started meeting as an official Homebrew club.  We had six of us, which I'd say is pretty good since we didn't do a very good job of promoting it.  Hopefully next month will be bigger and better!  Here's what we brewed...


Cana Pale Ale
Recipe:
11 gallons

Fermentables:
20.62 lb GW 2-Row
3 lb CaraHell
1.63 lb Munich Light

Anticipated OG: 1.060
Actual OG: 1.054
Anticipated FG: 1.014
Actual FG:
Final ABV%:

Hops:
2oz CTZ for 60m
1oz Cascade for 10m

4oz Mt Hood at Flameout in hopback

4oz Dryhop for 7 days (2oz in each bucket)

45 IBU's

Yeast:
WhiteLabs WLP001 California Ale Slurry in one bucket
Fermentis Safale-05 in one bucket

Notes:
Great day brewing and made a couple new friends.  Our gravity came in a little lower than expected and we had some clogging issues with the new hopback.  That was our first time using it.  Fermentation is going solidly.  We'll rack to secondary and add dryhops in about a week or so.  All in all this was a great first run and we're pretty excited about Cana!

Why Cana?

So why Cana Homebrew Club? Why not something else?

We believe the bible is the very word of God to us. It is His divinely authored text to us concerning many things, chiefly who He is and how he interacts with His creation. The bible is the very word of God, and it is from front cover to back chiefly concerned about the person and work of Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. It is a story about how Jesus came to earth as a man to deal with sin, for which we are justly condemned, for those who would believe in Him and this for His glory. In the Gospel according to John at the very beginning we find the story of Jesus at a wedding, a wedding in Cana. The host runs out of wine and Jesus' mother finds out and asks Jesus to do something. Jesus then accomplishes His first miracle by turning six large pots full of water into wine. Not only that, but it's really good wine and is commented on by the head waiter as to its high quality.

This is not just a miracle. This is not merely a demonstration of the power of God and His declaration that He has come to earth. This is all those things and a declaration of the new covenant which after thousands of years of waiting has finally arrived. The old wine (the old covenant) has run out and the new better wine (new better covenant) is here. His glory was manifested and His disciples believed in Him. The new covenant had arrived, it had been vindicated by the miracle and people were saved.

Cana Home brew club is about seeing the same thing happen as what happened at the Wedding in Cana. (not that we hope to miraculously turn 30 gallon pots of water into wine) But we hope that similar to a wedding, an event that brings people together, we can bring people together through home brewing. All for the purpose of bringing forth the message that the new covenant is here, Jesus Christ died, rose again and putting your faith in Him and His work saves.

John 2:

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;  and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”  And Jesus said to her, “ Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.”  His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”  Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.  Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him.When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,  and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”  This beginning of His  signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.