The only ingredients that I added on my own was some nutmeg, which I was worried about as it aged, but it turned out great, and the people that I pressured to drink the beer didn’t collapse, get sick, or drop the bottle in a fit of rage, so that was good.

Honestly, it tasted great, and one 22 oz. bottle was all you really needed, as the gravity level was quite high.

Next up, an IPA from a kit that Melissa recently bought me.

Mangos, pears, onions, and beer. So good together.

These Hipstamatic iPhone shots don’t always look so great. This looks more like a Shamrock Shake than a beer.]]> http://www.philadesigns.com/2011/03/04/homebrew-power-porter/feed/ 0 http://www.philadesigns.com/2010/08/12/homebrew-1-amber-ale/ http://www.philadesigns.com/2010/08/12/homebrew-1-amber-ale/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:27:47 +0000 Carl http://www.philadesigns.com/?p=2344 For my birthday this past June, Melissa hooked me up with a Homebrew Kit from Home Sweet Homebrew in Rittenhouse. This is something that I wanted to get into, but had been putting off, so it was great to suddenly be able to dive right into it. In the end, Melissa and I were pleasantly surprised, and I now have to give some away before I drink the entire 5-gallon batch.

The kit included everything needed for a hoppy Amber Ale. Since I never did this before, I decided to just follow the instructions word-for-word and not get creative. My aim was for it to be drinkable. Delicious would just be a bonus.

The malted extract.

I only use Fox Ledge Spring Water…because that’s what they sell down the street at Fishtown Market.

The hops in pellet form.

The dry ale yeast.

The wort…Pot by IKEA.

Initial fermentation.

Secondary fermentation.

22 oz. chilled bottle. (Thanks to Paulette for the bottles.)

Ready for drinking! (Thanks to Ray & Allyson for the glasses.)

You want one? Come on over!

Located on Delaware Avenue in the 19123, Yards is technically in Northern Liberties. Politics aside, the split-up from their previous location in Fishtown that spawned the Philadelphia Brewing Company was nothing but a win-win situation for locals that enjoy quality brews.

Tours are held every Saturday at Noon, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 3:00 pm, and last approximately 45 minutes. A few cups of whatever they want to offer are provided for free, but that’s about it. The Tasting Room dishes out beer for $5 a pint, as well as serving up what looked like some great pub lunch dishes. If you want to just hang in the Tasting Room, it’s open until 7:00 pm.

Our tour guide, Toby, was practically a standup comedian working at Yards. Very funny guy with many “asides”, cracks on attendees, and any guy that can make fun of himself and laugh at himself is always good by me.

Definitely swing by Yards some Saturday afternoon and sample something new. I checked out their barley wine, Old Bartholomew, which I had never even heard of. Meanwhile, my favorite Yards beer remains the Thomas Jefferson Ale.

Shipping area…Bad photo, I know.

Tasting Room winding down…It was quite hectic in there upon arrival…Seats were hard to find.

The locale of Yards Brewery used to be a skate / bike park, and this is a remnant of that.

I remember a few events over the past couple years where Melissa and I were wishing there was a place nearby to get a good cake, besides a supermarket cake at Thriftway. Based on the photos, this place looks amazing. This Yoda looks grotesquely like him, but I’m very curious as to sticking a fork in his eyeball and finding out what flavor it is.

Melissa’s been taking loads of “meal” photos lately, and it’s fun to look back on her creations. Looking at this, I can remember exactly how it tasted.

Otherwise, I am quite the carb whore…No surprise there really.

Monday:

• 1 cup of yogurt, granola, and fruit from Saxby’s
• 1 medium coffee from Saxby’s
• 1 medium coffee from Metropolitan Bakery
• 1 breakfast burrito from Metropolitan Bakery
• 1 pack of Fig Newtons
• 1 pack of Pepperidge Farm chocolate chip cookies
• 2 bottles of Poland Spring water
• 8 pieces of Orbit Peppermint gum
• 1 Chicken Tikka Massalla from Etka Indian Restaurant (chicken, rice, spicy sauce)
• 1/2 Rosemary Naan
• 1 glass of water

Tuesday:

• 1 millet muffin from Metropolitan Bakery
• 1 medium coffee from Metropolitan Bakery
• 1 small coffee from Saxby’s
• 1 bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on an “everything” bagel from Saxby’s
• 1 CLIF Bar – Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch
• 6 pieces of Orbitz Maui Melon Mint gum
• 3 bottles of Poland spring water
• 1 slice of pizza with asparagus and plum tomatoe toppings from Rustica
• 4 mini pancakes with Dickinson’s blackberry jelly

Wednesday:

• 1 small coffee from Rocket Cat Cafe
• 1 medium coffee from Metropolitan Bakery
• 1 CLIF Bar – Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch
• 1 chicken burrito from Chipotle
• 2 bottles of Deer Park spring water
• 1 4-pack of Chips Ahoy! chocolate chip cookies
• 1 plate of pasta with mustard greens, spinach, and orange peppers
• 1 banana
• 8 homemade chocolate chip cookies
• 2 glasses of red wine

Thursday:

• 1 medium coffee from Rocket Cat Cafe
• 1 CLIF Bar – Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch
• 1 Salmon Burger on a kaiser bun with lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese from Marathon Grille
• 1 Caesar side salad from Marathon Grille
• 1 cup of coffee from from Marathon Grille
• 2 bottles of Poland spring water
• 1 Power Bar – Peanut Butter and Chocolate CHip
• 2 glasses of wine
• 1 glass of water
• 1 plate of tofu, mustard greens, spinach, and tabouli
• 6 homemade chocolate chip cookies

So far, it goes great with watching the Phillies tease my hopes and dreams, and watching Dan In Real Life. I really recommend this beer if you’re looking for a seasonal local sweet tasting brew filled with the sensations of autumn. At roughly $44 a case, it’s steep, but it’s f-ing once a year, right? Yum, indeed. “Get Your Gourd On!”, as the bottle says.