Bill's Rathskeller

One week later the Cream Ale has mellowed beautifully. Had some recipe requests, and sampled it at the Star City Brewers Guild meeting Saturday. The Saision Classic with Freankenyeast II is about ready for secondary fermentation in the next couple of days. More later.

A few notes. First the Cream Ale with coffee and vanilla beans is carbonated and awesome. Next time I'll detune the coffee down a small it, but so close to Calm Before The Storm, the Ballast Point brew it is based on. Today, brewing a Belgian Saison Classic with Frankenyeast II. Frankenyeast is the creation of Robb Burden, a local beer supply owner. Robb had nationwide news coverage on the original. When beer yeast is close to expiring, Robb just makes a starter, and puts 19 or more kinds of yeast together. The original was mostly English type ale yeast. This time is is Belgian, wheat and saison strains. I made a recipe that will hopefully bring out the best of all types of the yeast in the mix. More later.

Did 24 hour check of the "Calm Before The Storm" clone. The dry hopped coffee is back there lurking, another 24 hours should be perfect. The Vanilla will need a few days to bloom. All in all going very well. I also have something else brewing in the Rathskeller. Kim-Chi, from my own home grown cabbage, and boy is it spicy and good, just put some on a tuna salad sandwich MMMM Good!

It's been a while since I had time to post. Took my Cream Ale out of secondary today. Added 3 vanilla beans, and cold brewed coffee. I was trying for a clone of Ballast Point's "Calm Before The Storm". It is a light Cream Ale, with coffee and vanilla and is wonderful. My Cream Ale turned out more full bodied (and that's fine), so I had to add some lightly crushed Starbucks Sumatra coffee beans to "dry hop" in the fermenter in a hop bag. Daily testing until the vanilla and coffee are just right. Will post again soon on the progress.

A new update. Bill's Rathskeller and McClure manor will be hosting the Star City Brewers Guild meeting this Sunday the 21st. Walnut Winter Wheat is on tap, as well as a limited tasting of our Irish Red brewed for the march competition.

Doing a little cooking today. A Red Rye soup! Also getting ready to put the Pub Dry Erase board us in the Rathskeller!

Been a while. We have a Scottish Wee Heavy Ale on tap. We also have my (Bill's) version of my original recipe American Pale Ale. The C-clamped top is a Belgian Saison Noel beer. We were wanting to have it for Thanksgiving, but a week later it is still a full boil fermentation. The cleaner fermenter is the same APA mentioned above, but the Rock Wright version. This contains way more hops, just the way he likes it!

It has been a long time, but finally a new post. We have many things happening right now. After a main drain pipe clog, we had to cut the steps and patio outside the Rathskeller. We are finishing up the concrete pour, and the back wall repair (Pic included). How cool is it that we now have our own manhole cover? I have joined the Star City Brewers Guild, a great and knowledgeable group of beer brewers. And we are carbonating a Scottish Heavy Ale (Pic included). More to come as we approach the holiday season.

With all the kids coming in for the Bengals/Broncos MNF game we will be attending, it was time to fill the kegs up. I first brewed a winter ale of my own recipe, with more body malts than usual, and plenty of toasted malt. The results were spectacular. A body malt forward, exceptionally toasty brew, with a smooth dark, but not bitter body. It is carbonating now. I have a Winter Spiced Ale in secondary fermentation, and will carbonate and keg condition on Christmas day. A good two weeks of brewing. I hope you all have a wonderful blessed and Merry Christmas! I have a New Year brew ready to go!- From Brewmaster Bill and the McClure family.

.We have some Red Ryder ale left, and we are brewing a Red ale this Thanksgiving weekend.

We have upgraded our brewing system to all grain. This is a brewers dream! Professional outfit with immaculate results. All grain let's us make anything we can imagine for beer, and costs much less than extract brewing which is limited. We got great beers from extract, but now we are open to anything, and the holiday tap quality will be much improved.

Bill's Rathskeller ready for the holiday party season.