Miss Me?

Didn't think so.

I haven't posted because I haven't been brewing much, let alone experimenting.  I have had a busy summer, and only did like 3 batches of some basic beers.

I did, however come up with an experiment.  I went for a porter, my second-favorite beer style.  This time, however, instead of messing with the one gallon, extract stuff, I started with a five gallon batch of a basic porter (the "robust" variety), and split the batch for secondary fermentation on top of some common flavorings for the style.

In hindsight, I should have kept a gallon unchanged as a control batch, but I'll do that next time.  Here is the recipe:

- 12 lbs American 2-row
- 1.5 lbs Crystal 40L
- 0.5 lbs Black Patent
- 0.5 Chocolate
- 1 lb Organic Brown Sugar (added with 15 mins left in the boil)
- 1 oz. Fuggles hops ( added with 60 mins left in the boil)
- 1 oz. fuggles hops (added with 20 mins left in the boil)

I used White Labs WLP013 in a 2.5 Liter starter, which is just a basic, hop-less beer used to grow the yeast and ensure its health.  Based on the original gravity (1.079), it should have been a 3 liter starter, but it seems to have worked fine.

I racked the beer to three secondary fermentation vessels.  One, three gallon batch on top of frozen, thawed, then pasteurized (sort of: I baked them at 170F for 30 mins) sweet cherries; one, one-gallon batch with 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; and another one-gallon batch on top of cacao nibs which had been roasted at 250F for 20 mins.

I tasted the sample I took for gravity readings, and I'm pretty sure I would have been letting it sit for a while, as the alcohol flavor (also called "heat") was VERY strong.  It's a 7.5% ABV beer, so I'm not surprised, but it was definitely too much for my liking.  Great body and deep, rich flavor though.

I actually will start posting pics and stuff, since I just learned how to do it from my phone.

I'm Back!

Another delay, I know.  I can't really blame anything other than laziness this time.  I finally made a five-gallon batch of the beer, and it's awesome.

It doesn't have the head or clarity that I was hoping for, but the body and flavors are perfect.  Here is the final recipe:

10lbs Briess 2-row
1lb Crystal 40L
.5lb Carapils
-Mashed for 60 mins at 152 degrees F
1oz Centennial hops added with 60 mins left in the boil
1oz Cascade hops added with 15 mins left in the boil
1oz Columbus hops added with 5 mins left in the boil
Safale US-05 added after cooling

I'm going to be adding some more priming sugar to the bottling bucket this time to boost the carbonation.  I may also do a secondary fermentation to allow the beer to clear some.  From there I may try a few things such as dry hopping, adding spices, different yeasts, different water sources, etc.  But I need some ideas.

In the meantime, I am trying to think up another experiment to try and develop another beer.

Uhh...late, but I think I did it.

So I know its been like a month since I last posted, but there has been a lot of non-beer stuff going on.

The good news is that I REALLY like one of the beers I brewed last time.  The one brewed with .2 lbs of 40L Crystal malt is awesome, and I can't imagine the taste getting any better.  The aroma is great, the body is great, and it has just the right amount of bitterness with the malt backbone to balance it out.  The 60L doesn't really impress me as much, having kind of a "tangy" flavor.  There was not much difference in color if any at all.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to try the other malts (Crystal 120L and 80L, Victory, and Munich), and I am also going to try and improve some other aspects such as the amount and retention of the foam.

Some other things I may try include secondary fermentation over various ingredients, using different bottle conditioning sugars (like brown sugar, candies, raisins, etc.), and using different yeasts.

The next two batches happen this weekend.

First All-Grain Brewday a Success!

I got the two all-grain experiments brewed today.  They both turned out to be pretty easy to do, other than the fact that they each took over an hour to cool enough to pitch the yeast.  I'm going to have to figure out  a better way to cool the brew before next time.

I went with a base of Briess Pale Malt (2lbs), and added 0.2lbs of specialty.  I decided that, in order to keep things simple, it is best to start with the Crystal malts, since there are so many of them to get through.  Today I used 40L and 60L.  Next time (2 weeks) I'm doing 80L and 120 (not sure why 100 is skipped, but I've never seen it in stock at my local store).  After that, I'm moving to Special-B (a very dark Crystal), Vienna, Victory and Munich.  These are all used in pale ales on  a regular basis (not so much Vienna), and relatively easy to find.  All of them will be added at a ratio of 10:1 against the base Pale malt.

Not sure how to proceed after that...Mix a few together?  That might be the smartest way to go.  I should probably save at least one of each to mix at the end of this cycle of experiments so I can mix a few and see if I can come up with a good grain bill.  Then again, it may be more "scientific" to choose one of the 8, and then start adding to that recipe...hmmm.

Anyway, enough rambling.  Here's how these next few experiments will go:

• 26 cups of water heated to 155 degrees F
• Nylon grain bag filled with 2lbs Briess 2-Row Pale malt, and 0.2lbs specialty grain and lowered into water
• Bag "massaged" with large spoon to ensure equal wetting of grains
• Sheet of foil draped over pot. (Temperature is checked regularly to make sure it stays between 150 and 152 degrees F while starches from grain are converted to sugars
• After 60 mins, bag is removed and placed in strainer over pot
• 4 Cups 170 degree water poured slowly over bags to rinse or "sparge" the grains
• When grains have drained, wort brought to boil; Boil is 60 mins in duration
• .2oz Centennial hops added at 60 mins left in boil
• .2oz Cascade hops added at 15 mins left in boil
• .2oz Columbus hops added at 5 mins left in boil
• At end of boil, pot is removed from heat, cooled to 80 degrees F and transferred to fermenter
• 5.75g Safale US-05 dry yeast added, fermenter closed, left for a few moments to allow yeast to rehydrate some, and shaken for one minute

That's the formula for the next 8 batches.  I'm going to check the specific gravity in 10 days to see where we're at. and bottle if its ready.

Beerfest!

The Philadelphia Winter Beerfest was yesterday.  It had been postponed from a few weeks ago due to a run-in with the PA Liquor Control Board and the very odd laws they enforce.  It was a great time, and showcased some amazing beers from craft breweries all over the country.

The Standout, for me, was Williamsburg Brewery's Washington Porter.  Great taste, great mouthfeel, and a good, solid kick...pretty much perfect.  I think I might try a porter in the next experiment, since those seem to be what I've been enjoying the most lately, but I'm getting way ahead of myself.  I was excited to try Stone Brewery's Oak Aged Arrogant Bastard, but ended up being a little disappointed.  The hoppy punch of the original AB was gone, which happens as hop-forward beers age, and the oak flavor was huge, like drinking a campfire.

There is another event in March that I'm looking forward to, but I may not be able to go...that would suck.

On another note, I have come up with the recipe and procedure for phase II.  Basically I am going to switch to an all-grain system, using a technique called brew-in-a-bag.  this way, I can really control the flavor.  I'm going to do a few batches with only pale malts first, so I can develop the base, then throw in specialty grains in the next few batches.  I have a bunch I need to go through, as there are several types of crystal malts, chocolate malts, light malts, dark malts, and all of them have different flavors.  I am going to start with crystal first, specifically crystal 40 and 60 (the numbers refer to the depth of color, as well as the level of caramel flavors), and then move on to 80 and 120.  I'll probably move on to Munich, Vienna, chocolate, and a few others as well.

Heading to the brew shop this Wednesday, and brewing next weekend...Yay!

Should Have Listened to Cinderella

It's true, You don't know what you got 'til it's gone.

I tried the second and third combo experiments, and could not have been more disappointed.  After tasting my 3 week old, first combo experiment, then tasting the other two, I've decided that I was right the first time.  All I had to do was wait a week, and the Combo #1 (Centennial at 60, Cascade at 15, and Columbus at 5) was dead on PERFECT.  The aroma had come through, the "stickiness" of the cascade had dissipated, an all was right with the world.  I will still save a few of the other two for another week or two and taste them again, but I think I've found the one...and I only have one left.

I'm still seeking suggestions on how to proceed with the grain bill construction.  I wish I was better at this.

Yup, They Were Ready

I tested the gravity of the beers, and they were all set to bottle.

I also taste a sample of each, and, from those, I think the Simcoe one may be kind of harsh.  Obviously I'll have to wait another week or two while they condition and carbonate, but It looks like the Centennial at 60 minutes, Cascade at 10, and Columbus at flameout will be the best of the two.  Then I'll compare them to the Cascade at 15 minute beer, and decide on the best one.

From there, I have to start trying malts.  This won't happen until I've decided on the definite hop schedule, but it's coming soon!

I'm currently doing a little research on the different malt recipes for some of my current favorite beers.  Looks like I'll start with a base of American 2 Row Brewers Malt, and some type of Crystal Malt.  Usually these are used in a 90/10 or so ratio.  I'll give that a try first.

Tomorrow's Challenge

Tomorrow is day 10 for the two experiments currently fermenting in my closet.  I am going to test the gravity of both to see if they are done, and bottle if so.

I am trying to think of the best way to get the beer out of the Glass jug, since it doesn't have a spigot.  I HATE siphons, but maybe the best way to get it done is to siphon the brew out into my extra fermenter (now repaired) and bottle from there.

This will open up THREE WHOLE FERMENTERS!!!!!!  I'm not quite sure how much I can do right away without actually tasting the two experiments left, so I will have a week or two to plan out the next phase of my master plan...Muahahahahahahahaha!

Not sure I want to wait that long to get going again, though.  I will be ironing out the kinks, but, most likely, I will start figuring out the mix of malts Muntons uses in the DME I've been using, and switch completely to all-grain brews.  What that means, for those unfamiliar with the lingo, is that the powdered malt extract I use will be replaced by actual malt, which is grains of barley that have been through a complicated germination and cooking process (malting), and milled.  This adds a few things.

First, it adds a little credibility and a personal touch.  While brewing with extract can produce great beers, and extract is a great way to save time or boost the fermentability of your beer, all-grain brews are closer to brewing from "scratch", and put one's signature on their beer.  The body, color, flavor, head, and pretty much everything else are all much more controllable.

Second, it adds time...more than an hour more time of sitting and waiting during a typical brewday as the starches from the grains convert to fermentable sugar in hot water.

Third, it adds endless possibilities.  There are like 4,404,496,287,194 different kinds of grain, and the combination of those grains builds the malt profile of the finished beer.  I have to see what combo is used in the DME so I can recreate it for the first few beers.

So I have a little research to do...better get started.

I Couldn't Wait

Some friends were over on Friday, and I was convinced to throw one of the bottled experiments onto the porch, which becomes a beer garden as soon as the temperature drops below 40F.  It was really good.  The carbonation wasn't as strong, but that's understandable because it hasn't been in the bottle long enough.

It was very smooth, and had an excellent bitterness.  The Cascade hops were very discernible, and definitely left that lingering bite which I'm trying to minimize.  The two experiments currently fermenting were specifically designed to address this.

There are a few more experiments I want to do with hops to fine tune the profile, but I'm concerned that, once I start experimenting with grains, the flavors that result will sort of change how the hops come through.  So maybe I should just keep it simple for now, and wait to do any tweaking.  This means that, if one of the combos in the fermenter work, I will start the grains with the next batches in a little over two weeks.

I'm trying to get suggestions on how best to pull this off.  Research time.

Glass is Cool!

One thing I didn't plan on was checking on my fermenters four times a day.

Having my beer in a glass jug has allowed me to watch every little action of the contents as the yeast chomped away at the sugars.  It seems, now, that fermentation is nearly complete, and that whatever is sitting on top is starting to make it's way to the bottom of the jug.  Every once in a while, you can see a little particle slowly float down to the layer of sediment.

There are no more bubbles in the plastic bucket style fermenter, and only like 1 per 5 minutes in the glass one.

The first "Combo" beers are almost ready for the fridge.  Come Wednesday, I'll be sampling...if I can wait that long.

Success!

Much to my delight, there is excellent fermentation happening in both the regular fermenter, and the emergency 1 gallon glass jug I unexpectedly had to use yesterday.  As a bonus, I now get to see what happens inside the fermenter during the process.  Oddly enough, the jug seems to be fermenting more vigorously than the plastic fermenter.  I'm guessing this has something to do with the amount of room at the top (the glass jug has less) and the skinny neck of the jug.

Just wanted to update!

Near Disaster

Actually, it still may go bad.

After pouring the first batch (the one with the Cascade at 10 mins), I was flying high, as everything was going swimmingly.  When the second batch (Simcoe at 15) had cooled, I grabbed the second fermenter, which is the new one, and began to strain in the wort.  That's when I noticed a small drop of liquid near the tap.  The faucet has a split.  I'm not really sure if I broke it when I was putting it together, or if it was broken when I bought it.

THANK GOD I bought that glass jug, huh?  I was able to sanitize the jug and its stopper, along with a small funnel, and transfer most of the wort into that to ferment.  I had to toss some of the wort, since I need some room at the top for gas to collect, but I'm not too upset...it could have been worse.

I'm still a little concerned with the possibility of infection and/or blowoff problems (like the jug exploding or blowing out the airlock), but I figure I'll take things as they come.  In the meantime, I guess I'll have to go and get a new tap.

A Little Setback

A weird stomach bug swept through the house, and pushed brew day back to today, but the show must go on.  The water is boiling on the stove, in two separate batches, just waiting for a pound each of DME.  I've laid out all of the hops, and am exited to try my hand at two brews at a time.

I went shopping the other day, and ended up getting another fermenter and a 1 gallon glass jug for some dry hopping trials, and maybe even some spice additions.

I am using the single, 11.5g yeast packet to pitch the two batches.  The guy at the homebrew store (http://keystonehomebrew.com/) told me I don't need to be exact, since, even if I come close, I'll still be overpitching by a little bit.

In a little less than two weeks, I'll be tasting these babies as I bottle them. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm....beeeeer

Finally, a Decision

After my last post, I decided to check my theory that over pitching the yeast was having a negative effect on the brew.  I tested the specific gravity of the beer in the fermenter by emptying a little bit of it into a beaker, and floating a hydrometer in it.  The specific gravity (SG), when referring to beer, basically indicates how much food (sugar) the yeast has to eat.  After fermentation, my beer should be around 1.009...it was at 1.004; a big difference.  What this tells me is that, while i WAS over pitching, the more important problem was that I was waiting too long to bottle.  I went ahead and bottled.

When beer sits on top of dormant yeast too long, it starts to take on a weird flavor.  This was only the 10th day of fermentation, and I was going to wait another 5.  So this part will definitely change.  From now on, I will be testing the beer on day 10, and, providing fermentation is done, bottling it.

I also tasted the sample, and it was awesome.  Great hop bitterness, great, crisp, clean hop flavor, and a gentle aroma that didn't assault the nose.  There was a little bit of a lingering bitterness that stuck to the back of my tongue, which is obviously due to the Cascade, and I would rather this not be there.  The aroma was kind of weak, and I would like to accentuate it a bit more.

This little episode helped me decide what to do next.  2 batches, side by side, each using different strategies to correct any characteristics that I find undesirable or less than adequate.  This next batch is going to work towards bringing out more of the Columbus aroma, and getting rid of that sticky bitterness yet keeping the flavor from the Cascade.

Here's how it will go: Batch 1 will be the same as the last, only the Cascade and Columbus will be added 5 minutes later.  Yes, this means the Columbus will be added just as I turn off the flame.  This "flameout" addition, as I've seen it called, is supposed to impart a strong aroma; stronger than the 5 minute addition.  I am also hoping the Cascade added at 10 minutes instead of 15 will cut down on the imparted bitterness characteristic.  According to the calculator I use to formulate recipes (beertools.com), the bitterness comes down by about 10 points.

As for Batch 2, I will simply swap out the Cascade hops for Simcoe, added at 15 minutes, and move back the Columbus to the flameout point.  According to the calculator, this increases the bitterness by 2 points or so, but, since the Simcoe bitterring characteristic is less sticky and lingering, I expect this may improve the brew.  The Simcoe definitely has a different taste from the Cascade, so that may be an issue, but, since I was having a hard time deciding which I liked better, this shouldn't be a problem.  The two batches will split the amount of yeast I used for the first several batches.

Brew day is either tomorrow or Friday.

An Apparent Mistake, and Some Ideas for the Future

The first hop combo brew of the quest has slowed its fermentation, and, it appears, is just waiting for bottling day.  I was concerned with all of the brews, because the yeast seem to burn through the sugars at a ridiculous rate, and the airlock would stop bubbling around 3 days after the yeast was pitched.  It should usually just be slowing down at that point.

I found out why just a few days ago.  I found, online, a pitch rate calculator, which tells you how much yeast is appropriate for your batch.  I'm throwing in 5 TIMES the amount.  Not good.  The beers have been OK, but have definite yeasty characteristics.  I plan to remedy this by brewing two batches at a time, which will cut down the overpitching rate, and speed up the experimental process...bonus.

Now I just have to be careful in the planning.  Do I brew 2 separate, 1 gallon batches, or just one 2 gallon batch and split them after the boil?  I guess, after tasting the batch currently in the fermenter, I could decide what to do next, but I was looking to brew next week on bottling day.  So maybe its better to just figure out my next move before then to keep this thing moving.

I was planning on trying some dry hopping (adding hops to the brew in a second vessel after fermentation has pretty much finished), and this will give me a chance to try it with different hop varieties.  I will just need to go and get another vessel or two.

The other option is to get another boilpot and try two separate boils, since I also wanted to try adding hops at different times during the boil.  I have been told that this changes things a bit, and, in keeping with the experiment, should be tried.

Ahhh!!  Making up your mind sucks.

New Year, New Beer

The holidays are over, and it is time to start the brewing again.  As I type, the spring water is warming in my brewpot.

I decided to go with only 3 hops.  Centennial for bitterring (added with 60 mins left in the boil), Cascade for flavor (added with 15 mins left), and Columbus for aroma (added with 5 mins left).  I wrestled with the Flavor decision, as the Simcoe had an awesome flavor to it, and I couldn't decide whether to use them or the Cascade.  I ultimately chose the latter, because A: it was my first experiment, and I liked the flavor a lot, and B:  I can always make another one.  My decision was also influenced by the fact that Simcoe's flavor was VERY potent, and I am afraid that will take over the beer.  My guess, however, is that I will end up putting that into the next experiment somehow.  Maybe I can mix it in with the cascade in some capacity, or even a little bit with the Centennial as well?  Many brewers also use it as a dry hop, so I may use it there as well when I gain that capability (I need a second fermenter).

I am starting with .20 oz of each hop, since that is what I have done for the last several experiments, but I am not ruling out adding or subtracting as my palette dictates.