Apparently, the iPhone ap that allows me to blog from my phone...doesn't. There have been four updates that are somewhere in cyberspace. I figure I should just give a basic summary instead of trying to recreate them.
Like I said before, the Porter ended up tasting great, and I was about to brew a ten gallon batch. That was a success, and I am drinking one right now. Dark, roasty, and warming, this beer is a great Winter brew. Obviously its not Winter yet, but it is cold enough to enjoy a dark brew. There are some minor issues I will have to address in the next batch, but nothing that keeps this one from being a winner.
I am also just about done fermenting the IPA. Yes, this is the same one from last year, but I loaded up the later additions to up the flavor and aroma. The experimental batches turned out so well, that I went right to the ten gallon. I'm gonna dry hop one of them and just keg the other for a secondary experiment.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Come On In, the Porter's Fine!
It looks like the beer I started these experiments, the Robust Porter, has reached the levels of flavor, aroma, and overall character that I was looking for. It took 4 batches, and there still may be some minor tweaks to increase head retention, mouthfeel, and yeast character, but these are all process-driven things that can be worked out as I switch to brewing on the larger system.
The beer pours black with a ruby highlight, building a thin tan head that dissipates shortly after the first few sips. The aroma is all roast, beautiful, beautiful roast with a VERY mild hint of chocolate. The flavor is roast-forward with notes of dark chocolate and a dry finish. The sharpness and harshness on the tongue are gone, but for a slight "burnt toast" note, which is pleasant and welcome in the beer.
I would still like my brewing partner to give it a shot before I make a final decision, but methinks I may be drinking this one out of a 5 gallon keg pretty damn soon. I'll also use one or two of the bottles I have chilling to try out some adjunct flavors, such as coffee and bourbon, to see what happens.
The IPA is the next tasting, and the Brown is the next brew.
The beer pours black with a ruby highlight, building a thin tan head that dissipates shortly after the first few sips. The aroma is all roast, beautiful, beautiful roast with a VERY mild hint of chocolate. The flavor is roast-forward with notes of dark chocolate and a dry finish. The sharpness and harshness on the tongue are gone, but for a slight "burnt toast" note, which is pleasant and welcome in the beer.
I would still like my brewing partner to give it a shot before I make a final decision, but methinks I may be drinking this one out of a 5 gallon keg pretty damn soon. I'll also use one or two of the bottles I have chilling to try out some adjunct flavors, such as coffee and bourbon, to see what happens.
The IPA is the next tasting, and the Brown is the next brew.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Back From Vacay, Back to the Experiments
Yeah, Yeah...I know it's been a while, but I've been on vacation at the Jersey Shore for a week, and had to go right back to work. That doesn't mean, however, that the experiments aren't progressing nicely.
While down there, I gave the second Pale and Wheat versions a shot, sharing some with my brewing partner, and came up with some cool new ideas. Essentially I am going to steal from the Wheat to improve the Pale. Willamette hops, I've discovered, are not the best hops to use for a brew that is supposed to display a big hop character. While they may be delicious, with their subtle floral, slightly spicy tendencies, it seems I would have to use insane amounts to feature them in a SMaSH beer.
The Wheat, on the other hand, has a super spicy, bright, hop-forward flavor from the big Citra hop additions. Not great in a wheat beer, but (probably) amazing in a pale ale. So I'm taking the Citra hop schedule and transplanting it, with very little changes, to the Pale.
The Wheat, which seems to be having trouble tasting like a wheat, is going to get a new hop schedule entirely, and a bigger percentage of wheat. I know I have to be careful and change just one thing at a time, but this one's just so far off from what I was looking for that I think I need something drastic to reign it back in.
When I got back, the first thing I did was bottle the Porter that was a week overdue for bottling. Even though I used more UNFERMENTABLE sugars in this one, in the form of extra Crystal Malt, it seems to have fermented MORE than the others, reading 1.009 SG. Kind of weird, but my AC was set at 75 for the week since I was away, so maybe the yeast just went a little nuts with the warmer temps. The taste was great. High hopes again for this one...high hopes. We shall see in two weeks or so.
I also brewed the IPA that started this blog, with the small change of doubling the flavor and aroma hop additions for no other reason than to see what happens. It was the first beer brewed with my new mash tun, which is just a 2 gallon drink cooler wrapped in hot water heater insulation. It worked very well, losing only 4 degrees during the 60 minute mash. I may try the preheat-then-turn-off the oven trick for the next brew...which, by the way, I haven't decided on. I really want the brown to work, and soon, so that may be the one.
The Barleywine (remember that one?) got it's charge of dry hopping yesterday, so That will get bottled in two weeks.
While down there, I gave the second Pale and Wheat versions a shot, sharing some with my brewing partner, and came up with some cool new ideas. Essentially I am going to steal from the Wheat to improve the Pale. Willamette hops, I've discovered, are not the best hops to use for a brew that is supposed to display a big hop character. While they may be delicious, with their subtle floral, slightly spicy tendencies, it seems I would have to use insane amounts to feature them in a SMaSH beer.
The Wheat, on the other hand, has a super spicy, bright, hop-forward flavor from the big Citra hop additions. Not great in a wheat beer, but (probably) amazing in a pale ale. So I'm taking the Citra hop schedule and transplanting it, with very little changes, to the Pale.
The Wheat, which seems to be having trouble tasting like a wheat, is going to get a new hop schedule entirely, and a bigger percentage of wheat. I know I have to be careful and change just one thing at a time, but this one's just so far off from what I was looking for that I think I need something drastic to reign it back in.
When I got back, the first thing I did was bottle the Porter that was a week overdue for bottling. Even though I used more UNFERMENTABLE sugars in this one, in the form of extra Crystal Malt, it seems to have fermented MORE than the others, reading 1.009 SG. Kind of weird, but my AC was set at 75 for the week since I was away, so maybe the yeast just went a little nuts with the warmer temps. The taste was great. High hopes again for this one...high hopes. We shall see in two weeks or so.
I also brewed the IPA that started this blog, with the small change of doubling the flavor and aroma hop additions for no other reason than to see what happens. It was the first beer brewed with my new mash tun, which is just a 2 gallon drink cooler wrapped in hot water heater insulation. It worked very well, losing only 4 degrees during the 60 minute mash. I may try the preheat-then-turn-off the oven trick for the next brew...which, by the way, I haven't decided on. I really want the brown to work, and soon, so that may be the one.
The Barleywine (remember that one?) got it's charge of dry hopping yesterday, so That will get bottled in two weeks.
Monday, July 16, 2012
The Stout and the Brown had their inaugural tastings over the last week, and the second Pale and the second Wheat each got tossed in bottles. In addition, I also (finally) got the ingredients for the Porters latest version. I think the Beer Gods may have wanted it to happen this way, since I did learn some cool stuff.
With the Stout and Brown, the chocolate malt was exposed (thanks to my brewing partner-I knew I kept him around for a reason) as the "sharp" flavor I was referring to in earlier posts, not the black patent malt, as I had assumed. So in each of these, I'm replacing it with different kinds of chocolate malt. The Brown, which is delicious except for the sharp aftertaste, will be getting a dose of PALE chocolate malt instead of the chocolate malt. The roastiness I have been calling "sharp" is supposed to be diminished in the pale variety; The color seemed a little darker than I expected as well, and the paler malt will fix that, so it just seems like the right thing to do. The Stout, which I was quite...no DAMN proud of as a first attempt, was pretty good to begin with. The IBU's are somewhere in the stratosphere, but the intensity of the malt bill keeps the bitterness in check. So for this one, I am replacing the chocolate malt with an equal amount of chocolate WHEAT malt. The roasty characters are also diminished in this malt, but not so much color is lost. The wheat adds some haze to the beer, but its black as night as it is, so who cares?
Watching the Pale and Wheat sit next to each other for a while was really interesting. I found it odd that the wheat was the clear one. I've always been under the impression that wheat malt lent a hazy character to the beer, but there it was in its mini fermenter, clear as polished amber, while the Pale held on to haze right through to the bottle. Also, since/ the Pale had a poop-ton of hops in it, I was expecting a thick trub at the bottom, but the wheat had the thicker, more separated trub when the two were compared. That whole thing about yeast loving wheat must be true...since they were happier, they produced more babies (don't we all), and flocculated better, clumpimg up and settling to the bottom faster.
The Porter brew went very well, and it looks like I'm finally getting a handle on my processes, shoring up efficiencies, and enjoying smoother brewdays. The recipe was almost identical to the last one, except for just a touch more Crystal 40, to lend some extra body and sweetness. I'm happy with the one I have, but I think it might just need a little something...something that's not Chocolate malt.
With the Stout and Brown, the chocolate malt was exposed (thanks to my brewing partner-I knew I kept him around for a reason) as the "sharp" flavor I was referring to in earlier posts, not the black patent malt, as I had assumed. So in each of these, I'm replacing it with different kinds of chocolate malt. The Brown, which is delicious except for the sharp aftertaste, will be getting a dose of PALE chocolate malt instead of the chocolate malt. The roastiness I have been calling "sharp" is supposed to be diminished in the pale variety; The color seemed a little darker than I expected as well, and the paler malt will fix that, so it just seems like the right thing to do. The Stout, which I was quite...no DAMN proud of as a first attempt, was pretty good to begin with. The IBU's are somewhere in the stratosphere, but the intensity of the malt bill keeps the bitterness in check. So for this one, I am replacing the chocolate malt with an equal amount of chocolate WHEAT malt. The roasty characters are also diminished in this malt, but not so much color is lost. The wheat adds some haze to the beer, but its black as night as it is, so who cares?
Watching the Pale and Wheat sit next to each other for a while was really interesting. I found it odd that the wheat was the clear one. I've always been under the impression that wheat malt lent a hazy character to the beer, but there it was in its mini fermenter, clear as polished amber, while the Pale held on to haze right through to the bottle. Also, since/ the Pale had a poop-ton of hops in it, I was expecting a thick trub at the bottom, but the wheat had the thicker, more separated trub when the two were compared. That whole thing about yeast loving wheat must be true...since they were happier, they produced more babies (don't we all), and flocculated better, clumpimg up and settling to the bottom faster.
The Porter brew went very well, and it looks like I'm finally getting a handle on my processes, shoring up efficiencies, and enjoying smoother brewdays. The recipe was almost identical to the last one, except for just a touch more Crystal 40, to lend some extra body and sweetness. I'm happy with the one I have, but I think it might just need a little something...something that's not Chocolate malt.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Delay
So I went to this new homebrew shop that opened in the area, you know, to support local businesses. He had nothing...not literally, but I was really surprised by the fact that #1 he didn't have Maris Otter, #2 He didn't have Crystal 40 (really?), and #3 he wouldn't give me less than a pound of each grain. Now I realize there are some limittions to what some small businesses can do, but those things just chased me away.
I didn't have much time to run anywhere else, so this week's brew is delayed. I'm not off until Wednesday, which is the Fourth of July, so I'm not sure it will even get done then. It's disappointing, since I had a good streak going, but reat beer is worth the wait, right? Right?
I didn't have much time to run anywhere else, so this week's brew is delayed. I'm not off until Wednesday, which is the Fourth of July, so I'm not sure it will even get done then. It's disappointing, since I had a good streak going, but reat beer is worth the wait, right? Right?
Friday, June 29, 2012
What Now?
As the title suggests, I'm a bit stuck as to what to do with this Porter. Don't get me wrong, its good, just not great. Its a dry, true-to-style, robust porter, with no hot alcohols, just the right touch of hop flavor, and a deep, rich mouthfeel. The Black Patent malt seems to be at the right level, giving some sharpness, but not enough to call it astringent or harsh. I think it needs just a touch of something else...but what?
Crystal 40? Chocolate? They are the only components that will have the effect on the character I feel is missing from the beer. Maybe the 40, which would make it more caramely (is that a word?); Maybe the chocolate, which would add some richness and...well...chocolate flavor, but that can build on the harshness that just lingers beneath the surface in this style.
I really have no idea. I guess I'll just have to start with the Crystal, taste it, and go from there. Its a really good beer though, so at least I'm getting close.
Crystal 40? Chocolate? They are the only components that will have the effect on the character I feel is missing from the beer. Maybe the 40, which would make it more caramely (is that a word?); Maybe the chocolate, which would add some richness and...well...chocolate flavor, but that can build on the harshness that just lingers beneath the surface in this style.
I really have no idea. I guess I'll just have to start with the Crystal, taste it, and go from there. Its a really good beer though, so at least I'm getting close.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Porter Time
This week's brew was the second Pale. As mentioned, I simply doubled the hop additions all the way through. I also did a 90 minute boil. The more research I do, the more I find that the extra half hour at the beginning of the boil makes better beer. I haven't had the chance to taste any of the ones I've done this with, but that will change after today, as the 3rd Porter is ready to go.
I have high hopes for both of these beers. I liked the faint flavors and aroma present in the first Pale, and I'm hoping to get that significantly bumped up in this one. As for the Porter, I liked the taste of the young beer during bottling, so I feel like this might be the one.
Either way, I'm brewing another Porter this weekend, but the result of today's tasting will determine wether I'm doing a repeat to determine reproducability, or a new recipe.
Here's the Pale:
-1.5lbs Pale Ale Malt
-0.4oz Willamette @60
-0.8oz Willamette @15
-0.8oz Willamette @0
-5g Rehydrated US-05
I have high hopes for both of these beers. I liked the faint flavors and aroma present in the first Pale, and I'm hoping to get that significantly bumped up in this one. As for the Porter, I liked the taste of the young beer during bottling, so I feel like this might be the one.
Either way, I'm brewing another Porter this weekend, but the result of today's tasting will determine wether I'm doing a repeat to determine reproducability, or a new recipe.
Here's the Pale:
-1.5lbs Pale Ale Malt
-0.4oz Willamette @60
-0.8oz Willamette @15
-0.8oz Willamette @0
-5g Rehydrated US-05
Friday, June 22, 2012
It's About Time One Went to Plan
The Pale Ale was ready for tasting this past weekend, so I invited my brewing partner over and we tried it out. The Willamette hops didn't give quite the amount of flavor I was expecting, nor did they bitter the brew enough. I was hoping for some lighter bitterness, so I could just bump that up, but I really wanted that soft, pleasant flavor and aroma that Willamettes carry, and it was only slightly there. For the next batch, I'm doubling all of the additions. If that doesn't give me what I'm looking for, I will have to scrap the SMaSH Idea for this one, and add some other hops to augment the Willamette.
As for the brewday, I definitely suck a little bit less each time. This was the second attempt at the American Wheat. I used Citra hops, a more potent American cousin of the Tettnanger I was using before, and 60% wheat instead of an equal 50/50 split. Recipe:
-10oz 2-Row
-15oz Wheat
-0.1oz Citra @ 60
-0.05oz Citra @ 15
-0.1oz Citra @ 5
As with the Wheats before, the yeast chewed through this like it was nothing. So far, I think the only beers that used the blowoff tube were the Wheats. I've heard of people using at least a little wheat malt in every recipe. Apparently, the effect it has on the yeast, and the boost to head retention can really improve the finished product. It can also, however, add some cloudiness. Not a really big deal to me, mind you, but its worth mentioning.
This week is the second Pale, and I'm bottling the Stout. This is the last week of having nothing to taste, since every subsequent one has a bottle, sample, and brew scheduled...except the week I'm at the Jersey Shore, pumpin' my fist- but not my gas.
As for the brewday, I definitely suck a little bit less each time. This was the second attempt at the American Wheat. I used Citra hops, a more potent American cousin of the Tettnanger I was using before, and 60% wheat instead of an equal 50/50 split. Recipe:
-10oz 2-Row
-15oz Wheat
-0.1oz Citra @ 60
-0.05oz Citra @ 15
-0.1oz Citra @ 5
As with the Wheats before, the yeast chewed through this like it was nothing. So far, I think the only beers that used the blowoff tube were the Wheats. I've heard of people using at least a little wheat malt in every recipe. Apparently, the effect it has on the yeast, and the boost to head retention can really improve the finished product. It can also, however, add some cloudiness. Not a really big deal to me, mind you, but its worth mentioning.
This week is the second Pale, and I'm bottling the Stout. This is the last week of having nothing to taste, since every subsequent one has a bottle, sample, and brew scheduled...except the week I'm at the Jersey Shore, pumpin' my fist- but not my gas.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Brewing the Darkest, and Tasting the Lightest
The Stout brewday went pretty well. I got my now-normal 88% efficiency in the mash, and the numbers ended up perfect. I boiled this one for 90 mins, as was suggested in a few places. The hop schedule, a big one, only went from 60 minutes in the recipe, but I tossed in the bitterring charge at the 90 minute mark...oops, force of habit. It's ok though, because it didn't change the IBUs at all.
-1.5lbs 2-row
-2.4oz Roasted Barley
-2.4oz Chocolate
-2.4oz Crystal 40L
-0.25oz Warrior @ 90
-0.2oz Cascade @ 30
-0.2oz Cascade @ 0
This should be a deep, dark, roasty, hoppy beer with a lot of character.
Today marked two weeks since the Wheat went into bottles, so I opened one to see what I had made. It's kind of boring actually. There is very little wheat character, and almost no hops at all. I think for the next batch, brewing this weekend, is going to have more wheat malt- maybe 60% as opposed to 50% of the grains. I'm also going to abandon the Tettnanger hops and throw in an American variety to give it more character.,,I just have to choose which one. The beer also lacked the clean character I was expecting from the Safale US-05, so I will have to treat the yeast a little better from now on.
-1.5lbs 2-row
-2.4oz Roasted Barley
-2.4oz Chocolate
-2.4oz Crystal 40L
-0.25oz Warrior @ 90
-0.2oz Cascade @ 30
-0.2oz Cascade @ 0
This should be a deep, dark, roasty, hoppy beer with a lot of character.
Today marked two weeks since the Wheat went into bottles, so I opened one to see what I had made. It's kind of boring actually. There is very little wheat character, and almost no hops at all. I think for the next batch, brewing this weekend, is going to have more wheat malt- maybe 60% as opposed to 50% of the grains. I'm also going to abandon the Tettnanger hops and throw in an American variety to give it more character.,,I just have to choose which one. The beer also lacked the clean character I was expecting from the Safale US-05, so I will have to treat the yeast a little better from now on.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Taking a Break From Studying to Brew
I take the state Nursing Boards in about two weeks, so I've been studying a lot lately. To break the monotony of answering (or attempting to answer) question after question after question, I ran to the homebrew shop this morning to grab ingredients for the stout. I'll probably brew it tomorrow, studying while I wait for the mash and boil to finish.
As I mentioned before, I use BrewPal on the iPhone to store and develop my recipes, and I went on it today to find a completely different app. I spent some time tonight learning how to use it, and so far it seems great. I am going to use some of the new features during tomorrow's brew.
I'm sort of excited for this one, not just because I LOVE a good stout, but because I have the chance to monitor the volume, gravity, and everything else that may be effecting the efficiency problems I've been having. I planned this batch around the 85% efficiency I've gotten the last few times. I think if I stir the wort pre-boil, I will see the increased gravity I've been missing previously. After that, I'll check out the volume throughout to figure my boil off rate. My numbers should be pretty predictable after that.
It has been said in more than one place that these efficiencies can actually negatively effect the beers one brews...God, I hope not.
As I mentioned before, I use BrewPal on the iPhone to store and develop my recipes, and I went on it today to find a completely different app. I spent some time tonight learning how to use it, and so far it seems great. I am going to use some of the new features during tomorrow's brew.
I'm sort of excited for this one, not just because I LOVE a good stout, but because I have the chance to monitor the volume, gravity, and everything else that may be effecting the efficiency problems I've been having. I planned this batch around the 85% efficiency I've gotten the last few times. I think if I stir the wort pre-boil, I will see the increased gravity I've been missing previously. After that, I'll check out the volume throughout to figure my boil off rate. My numbers should be pretty predictable after that.
It has been said in more than one place that these efficiencies can actually negatively effect the beers one brews...God, I hope not.
Monday, June 4, 2012
I Hope I Get Better At This
As I'm brewing the first installment of the American Brown, I find that the gravity is AGAIN in a range that puts my efficiency at like 85 %. Its a little confusing, because I definitely checked the gravity at the beginning, and it was perfect. I am trying to remember if I stirred the wort before checking the gravity or not, but I'm not even sure there would be that much difference if I did or not. Anyway, here's the recipe:
-1.6lbs Maris Otter
-0.1lbs Chocolate Malt
-0.15lbs Crystal 40
-0.15 Brown Malt
-0.1oz Columbus Hops @ 60 mins
-0.15oz Columbus Hops @ 10 mins
This time, I rehydrated the yeast to give it a head start in the finished wort. Also, to avoid the crap from last time, I just stuck with the results and went with having a stronger beer...not a terrible thing, but it does take me out of the BJCP guidelines for the style...meh.
The Pale went into bottles as well, so That will be ready in a few weeks. The taste of the young product was amazing. I am really hoping it turns out as well as I think it will.
I think I should put up a post detailing my process, just to document it if nothing else.
-1.6lbs Maris Otter
-0.1lbs Chocolate Malt
-0.15lbs Crystal 40
-0.15 Brown Malt
-0.1oz Columbus Hops @ 60 mins
-0.15oz Columbus Hops @ 10 mins
This time, I rehydrated the yeast to give it a head start in the finished wort. Also, to avoid the crap from last time, I just stuck with the results and went with having a stronger beer...not a terrible thing, but it does take me out of the BJCP guidelines for the style...meh.
The Pale went into bottles as well, so That will be ready in a few weeks. The taste of the young product was amazing. I am really hoping it turns out as well as I think it will.
I think I should put up a post detailing my process, just to document it if nothing else.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Busy Day
These multiple-step brewdays are NUTS!!
I had to brew the Porter#3 (which was all F'ed up), put the Barleywine (which hasn't gotten down to the gravity I wanted), and bottle the Wheat#2 (the only bright spot). I got it all done in 5 hours or so, but it was a pain in the ass,
First of all, the Porter, which I really want to turn out well, fell victim to my incessant tweaking fetish. If i was smart, I would have just accepted the efficiency of my system, and made adjustments when I scaled up...but no. I had to get all smart and mess with my process. I upped the amount of water I used to mash the grains, added a mash-out step by raising the temp, over flame while stirring, to 168F. I held it there for 10 minutes, then drained it through a colander to the boil kettle. Then I returned the grains to the mash pot, and rinsed them with the rest of the water, which was at 170F, and drained them through the colander again. My efficiency went up to 80...yes 80%. 63% to 80% is huge, and not a good thing when you're trying to keep at least some kind of consistency.
This forced me to add some water to the boil to get to the correct gravity, and then boil a little longer to get the right IBUs from the hops. I ended up with 1.25 gallons of Porter (0.25G of which I dumped) at a gravity of 1.057. The IBUs ended up a little low for the style, which is not too bad. Thank God I decided I was going to leave the brown sugar out this time, or I would have had like 3 gallons of wort. Here's the recipe:
-2lbs Maris Otter
-0.1lbs Flaked Barley
-0.05lbs Black Patent
-0.15lbs Chocolate Malt
-0.1lbs Crystal 40
-0.3oz Fuggles @ 70 mins
-0.2oz Fuggles @ 30 mins
The Wheat, on the other hand, ended up perfect in terms of gravity. It actually went down to 1.012, which is a little lower than I expected. The Safale US-05, as I have read, loves Wheat Malt. I bottled three with 5 carb tabs, and three with 6 carb tabs to see where I want the carbonation to be.
With the Barleywine, I placed it in secondary with a little fresh yeast to try and bring down the gravity some more, as it was stuck at 1.037. It's going to be in there for a while, so I guess we'll see what happens.
This weekend, I'm bottling the first Pale Ale experiment, and brewing the first Brown experiment. I honestly can't wait to taste the Pale, so I'm glad its only 2 weeks away.
I had to brew the Porter#3 (which was all F'ed up), put the Barleywine (which hasn't gotten down to the gravity I wanted), and bottle the Wheat#2 (the only bright spot). I got it all done in 5 hours or so, but it was a pain in the ass,
First of all, the Porter, which I really want to turn out well, fell victim to my incessant tweaking fetish. If i was smart, I would have just accepted the efficiency of my system, and made adjustments when I scaled up...but no. I had to get all smart and mess with my process. I upped the amount of water I used to mash the grains, added a mash-out step by raising the temp, over flame while stirring, to 168F. I held it there for 10 minutes, then drained it through a colander to the boil kettle. Then I returned the grains to the mash pot, and rinsed them with the rest of the water, which was at 170F, and drained them through the colander again. My efficiency went up to 80...yes 80%. 63% to 80% is huge, and not a good thing when you're trying to keep at least some kind of consistency.
This forced me to add some water to the boil to get to the correct gravity, and then boil a little longer to get the right IBUs from the hops. I ended up with 1.25 gallons of Porter (0.25G of which I dumped) at a gravity of 1.057. The IBUs ended up a little low for the style, which is not too bad. Thank God I decided I was going to leave the brown sugar out this time, or I would have had like 3 gallons of wort. Here's the recipe:
-2lbs Maris Otter
-0.1lbs Flaked Barley
-0.05lbs Black Patent
-0.15lbs Chocolate Malt
-0.1lbs Crystal 40
-0.3oz Fuggles @ 70 mins
-0.2oz Fuggles @ 30 mins
The Wheat, on the other hand, ended up perfect in terms of gravity. It actually went down to 1.012, which is a little lower than I expected. The Safale US-05, as I have read, loves Wheat Malt. I bottled three with 5 carb tabs, and three with 6 carb tabs to see where I want the carbonation to be.
With the Barleywine, I placed it in secondary with a little fresh yeast to try and bring down the gravity some more, as it was stuck at 1.037. It's going to be in there for a while, so I guess we'll see what happens.
This weekend, I'm bottling the first Pale Ale experiment, and brewing the first Brown experiment. I honestly can't wait to taste the Pale, so I'm glad its only 2 weeks away.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Getting on a Schedule
Now that I have a few beers in fermenters, and a few of the experiments already in bottles, it looks like I'm getting into a weekly rotation. This weekend, I'm bottling the Wheat, Putting the Barleywine in secondary (more on that in a minute), and brewing the third iteration of the Porter (more on that coming up as well). The following weekend, the Pale gets bottled, and the first Brown gets brewed. After that, A regular, weekly schedule of tasting, bottling, and brewing goes into place except for a one or two week break while I'm on vacation. I'm hoping this schedule will speed up the experiments without confusing me too much...because I get confused easily.
The Barleywine, as I said above, is scheduled to go into secondary for conditioning/ bulk aging, this weekend, but I checked the gravity, and it is still kind of stuck at about 14 points over where it should be...my first stuck fermentation. I have to look around online, but I think tossing in some new yeast in secondary may help out. I've heard of some brewers using champagne yeast as well, but I'm not sure I want to do that.
With the Porter, I think I may have broken my original plan of changing just a small aspect with each batch by reducing the black patent and adding a relatively large amount of Crystal all at once. I actually liked the first example more, so I'm going to bump the Black Patent back up to the original level, and just add a charge of Crystal 40 to combat the sharpness I was trying to soften out.
I really can't wait to get this going on a weekly basis. I love seeing how these ideas effect the final product. Even better, however, is when I go to a brewpub or taste a commercial beer, and can pick out certain ingredients because I've tried so many of them so many times. I'm having a blast.
The Barleywine, as I said above, is scheduled to go into secondary for conditioning/ bulk aging, this weekend, but I checked the gravity, and it is still kind of stuck at about 14 points over where it should be...my first stuck fermentation. I have to look around online, but I think tossing in some new yeast in secondary may help out. I've heard of some brewers using champagne yeast as well, but I'm not sure I want to do that.
With the Porter, I think I may have broken my original plan of changing just a small aspect with each batch by reducing the black patent and adding a relatively large amount of Crystal all at once. I actually liked the first example more, so I'm going to bump the Black Patent back up to the original level, and just add a charge of Crystal 40 to combat the sharpness I was trying to soften out.
I really can't wait to get this going on a weekly basis. I love seeing how these ideas effect the final product. Even better, however, is when I go to a brewpub or taste a commercial beer, and can pick out certain ingredients because I've tried so many of them so many times. I'm having a blast.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Pale In the Books, and the Porter's Worse
As the title suggests, I brewed the first iteration of the Pale this weekend. It was an extremely simple recipe, using only one type of malt (American Pale Ale), and one type of hop (Willamette). I still have that problem getting good efficiency in the mash. I've tried a few different things to bump it up, but I can't get above 63%...F'ing annoying. I am trying to decide if it really matters enough to try and fix anymore, or if I should just accept it, and scale the recipes accordingly when I move to 5 or 10 gallon batches. For this beer, I also gave the whole "Late-Hop-The-Crap-Out-Of-It" thing, doubling the amount of hops from the bitterring addition in both the flavor and aroma steps. Not that it's really that tough, But here's the recipe:
2.5lbs American Pale Ale Malt
0.2oz Willamette @ 60 min
0.4oz Willamette @ 15 min
0.4oz Willamette @ 5 min
5g Safale US-05
I also tried the second Porter experiment, and didn't like it as much as the first. The subtraction of a chunk of the Black Patent malt decreased the sharpness that I was looking to lose, but also seems to have thinned out the flavor too much; the Crystal 120 added some darker fruit flavors and subtle sweetness, but seemed too light for the overall impression of the beer. I think, in the next one, brewing this weekend, I will go back to the original amount of Black Patent, and go with a different malt to sweeten it up, maybe Special-B?
2.5lbs American Pale Ale Malt
0.2oz Willamette @ 60 min
0.4oz Willamette @ 15 min
0.4oz Willamette @ 5 min
5g Safale US-05
I also tried the second Porter experiment, and didn't like it as much as the first. The subtraction of a chunk of the Black Patent malt decreased the sharpness that I was looking to lose, but also seems to have thinned out the flavor too much; the Crystal 120 added some darker fruit flavors and subtle sweetness, but seemed too light for the overall impression of the beer. I think, in the next one, brewing this weekend, I will go back to the original amount of Black Patent, and go with a different malt to sweeten it up, maybe Special-B?
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Almost Forgot!
The bubbling sound that I caught during a break in the audio of the Kings/Coyotes game reminded me That I hadn't yet posted for yesterday's batch. Its probably the most simple recipe in my plans so far; just a pound of 2-row, a pound of wheat, and 0.3oz of Tettnang hops at the beginning of the boil.
I mashed at a lower temperature to try and thin out the mouthfeel since I'm planning on making this a Summer beer. This is the first time I've tried a temp other than 152F because I'm not really fond of thinner beers, but I don't think I'll mind it in a hot weather brew...hell, I may not even notice.
There was a decrease in efficiency this time, only about 63% in the mash...the inconsistency in that area is getting annoying. I may need to bring in some outside help to review my process and give me some ideas.
The fermentation took off pretty quickly, and has been the most active so far. I always use a blow-off tube to prevent any overflow, and this is the first time anything has made it up the tube and into the overflow vessel.
My wife's birthday is next weekend, so I'm not sure I'll be able to get away with a brew until sometime during the week. I haven't yet decided which of the experiments I want to try out. I was inspired by the best Brown Ale I have ever tasted, Voodoo Brewing Company's Wynona's Big Brown Ale, to maybe try the Brown, but for simplicity's sake, I could also do the Pale, which is a simple Single-Malt-and-Single-Hop (SMaSH) beer, and a bit more seasonally appropriate. I may just decide when I figure out how much time I have, since the homebrew store closest to me uses an analog scale for grain measurements, thus making the easier Pale a better choice.
I mashed at a lower temperature to try and thin out the mouthfeel since I'm planning on making this a Summer beer. This is the first time I've tried a temp other than 152F because I'm not really fond of thinner beers, but I don't think I'll mind it in a hot weather brew...hell, I may not even notice.
There was a decrease in efficiency this time, only about 63% in the mash...the inconsistency in that area is getting annoying. I may need to bring in some outside help to review my process and give me some ideas.
The fermentation took off pretty quickly, and has been the most active so far. I always use a blow-off tube to prevent any overflow, and this is the first time anything has made it up the tube and into the overflow vessel.
My wife's birthday is next weekend, so I'm not sure I'll be able to get away with a brew until sometime during the week. I haven't yet decided which of the experiments I want to try out. I was inspired by the best Brown Ale I have ever tasted, Voodoo Brewing Company's Wynona's Big Brown Ale, to maybe try the Brown, but for simplicity's sake, I could also do the Pale, which is a simple Single-Malt-and-Single-Hop (SMaSH) beer, and a bit more seasonally appropriate. I may just decide when I figure out how much time I have, since the homebrew store closest to me uses an analog scale for grain measurements, thus making the easier Pale a better choice.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Lots of Crap Happenning
The Barleywine is fermenting away over in the corner. If it ends up how I planned (which almost never happens) it should end up around 10% ABV...in like 6 weeks. After that, its going to sit in a secondary vessel for a few months before I bottle. I'm still trying to figure out why this is recommended, but everyone I talk to and/or read says its important. It will sit in bottles for at least 10 months before I give it a try...if I can remain patient. Recipe:
2.35Lbs 2-Row
1.15Lbs Maris Otter
0.1Lbs Crystal 40
0.1Lbs Crystal 60
0.1Lbs Crystal 20
0.02Lbs Crystal 120
0.02Lbs Special B
0.05Lbs Table Sugar
0.4oz Centennial @ 70
0.2oz Cascade @ 60
0.4oz Citra @ 20
0.2oz Cascade @ 10
0.2oz Centennial @ 10
0.2oz Centennial @ 0
I'm going to dry hop after 7 days with 0.2oz each of Citra and Centennial, and leave them in for 14 days more before transferring it to the secondary. It should be a strong, hoppy, sipping barleywine without too much sweetness.
The second Robust Porter experiment is in bottles now, and should be ready in two weeks. It ended up at about 1.018 SG, putting the beer at just about 6% ABV...which is perfect. The American yeast and warmer fermentation temps seemed to have helped a lot. I thought it would end up at 1.014, but 1.018 is acceptable, but I can get it lower if I lower the mashing temps, which I don't want to do because I like the mouthfeel the higher mash temps provide.
The Wheat tastes just like the batch we won in competition with, which means its not American at all. The next batch, brewing this weekend, will have no spices (the original has coriander) and American yeast as opposed to the Hef yeast in the original.
2.35Lbs 2-Row
1.15Lbs Maris Otter
0.1Lbs Crystal 40
0.1Lbs Crystal 60
0.1Lbs Crystal 20
0.02Lbs Crystal 120
0.02Lbs Special B
0.05Lbs Table Sugar
0.4oz Centennial @ 70
0.2oz Cascade @ 60
0.4oz Citra @ 20
0.2oz Cascade @ 10
0.2oz Centennial @ 10
0.2oz Centennial @ 0
I'm going to dry hop after 7 days with 0.2oz each of Citra and Centennial, and leave them in for 14 days more before transferring it to the secondary. It should be a strong, hoppy, sipping barleywine without too much sweetness.
The second Robust Porter experiment is in bottles now, and should be ready in two weeks. It ended up at about 1.018 SG, putting the beer at just about 6% ABV...which is perfect. The American yeast and warmer fermentation temps seemed to have helped a lot. I thought it would end up at 1.014, but 1.018 is acceptable, but I can get it lower if I lower the mashing temps, which I don't want to do because I like the mouthfeel the higher mash temps provide.
The Wheat tastes just like the batch we won in competition with, which means its not American at all. The next batch, brewing this weekend, will have no spices (the original has coriander) and American yeast as opposed to the Hef yeast in the original.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The 10 Year Experiment
I'm planning on brewing the American Barleywine in the next day or two, since I'm kind of in a holding pattern for the Porter and Wheat while they ferment and carbonate respectively. These lulls should dissipate after this first one, since I will be brewing once per week, but for now, I need to find another trial to occupy my time...So how's about a beer that takes a year or more to make?!
With Barleywines, the high amount of alcohol requires time to soften so the complex flavors of malt and hops can shine, otherwise you're looking at a drink that tastes more like whiskey or vodka than beer. Also, in American varieties, the hop profile is so intense that aging is vital as it allows time for the bitterness to mellow. This means that if it takes me ten experiments to perfect the recipe, ten years or more will pass before its perfect.
I based the recipe on a few suggestions picked up in Zymurgy magazine from a few months ago, and a podcast on The Brewing Network. It looks like it will end up at about 9.3 percent alcohol, ferment for 6 weeks or so, and age for about a year before I even think of trying it.
I also "built" a mash tun to keep my temps a little more stable in the mash. All I did was wrap some insulation (the silver, foil-like, bubble wrap type that goes around hot water heaters and such) in two layers around the pot I usually mash in. Then I duct taped two layers to the bottom, and taped two layers together to form a lid. I'm giving it a shot with the Barleywine, and will see how it does.
With Barleywines, the high amount of alcohol requires time to soften so the complex flavors of malt and hops can shine, otherwise you're looking at a drink that tastes more like whiskey or vodka than beer. Also, in American varieties, the hop profile is so intense that aging is vital as it allows time for the bitterness to mellow. This means that if it takes me ten experiments to perfect the recipe, ten years or more will pass before its perfect.
I based the recipe on a few suggestions picked up in Zymurgy magazine from a few months ago, and a podcast on The Brewing Network. It looks like it will end up at about 9.3 percent alcohol, ferment for 6 weeks or so, and age for about a year before I even think of trying it.
I also "built" a mash tun to keep my temps a little more stable in the mash. All I did was wrap some insulation (the silver, foil-like, bubble wrap type that goes around hot water heaters and such) in two layers around the pot I usually mash in. Then I duct taped two layers to the bottom, and taped two layers together to form a lid. I'm giving it a shot with the Barleywine, and will see how it does.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Porter Part II
Just finished brewing the second Porter experiment. I had to boil a little longer to get down to a gallon, which was a little weird, because I was right on with the pre-boil gravity. I probably have to turn up the heat during the boil. It is cooling in the bathtub as I write this.
The recipe was:
-2lbs Maris Otter
-0.1Lb Flaked Barley
-0.05Lb Black Patent
-0.1Lb Chocolate
-0.1Lb Crystal 120L
MASHED AT 152F FOR 60 MIN
-0.3oz Fuggles hops @ 70 min (should have been 60)
-0.2oz Fuggles hops @ 30 min (should have been 20)
0.1Lb Dark Brown Sugar @ 20 min (should have been 10)
I'm using the Safale US-05 yeast to ferment this one, 5 grams to be exact.
I bottled the Wheat as well, and it had not fermented down as far as I wanted, even though it got an extra week. This is the second, separate beer this has happened with, so I have to look at my fermentation process. I am going to try a warmer place first, trying to stay at or above 65 degrees F, or 19 C. The overpitching with a very attenuative yeast should help as well.
I also bought the barleywine ingredients, and I'm brewing that ASAP, so I can set aside some bottles to age.
The recipe was:
-2lbs Maris Otter
-0.1Lb Flaked Barley
-0.05Lb Black Patent
-0.1Lb Chocolate
-0.1Lb Crystal 120L
MASHED AT 152F FOR 60 MIN
-0.3oz Fuggles hops @ 70 min (should have been 60)
-0.2oz Fuggles hops @ 30 min (should have been 20)
0.1Lb Dark Brown Sugar @ 20 min (should have been 10)
I'm using the Safale US-05 yeast to ferment this one, 5 grams to be exact.
I bottled the Wheat as well, and it had not fermented down as far as I wanted, even though it got an extra week. This is the second, separate beer this has happened with, so I have to look at my fermentation process. I am going to try a warmer place first, trying to stay at or above 65 degrees F, or 19 C. The overpitching with a very attenuative yeast should help as well.
I also bought the barleywine ingredients, and I'm brewing that ASAP, so I can set aside some bottles to age.
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Porter
I get a chance to taste the porter tonight...FINALLY! After opening three of them, all with different carbonation levels, I've decided the one with the five tabs has the most appropriate level of carbonation. I'll use this in each one from here on out.
The porter pours a deep black with a thick, tan head. The hops are present in the nose, as are the dark malts. No sourness or alcohols are present in the aroma. The flavor is clean, with a slightly burnt aftertaste. There is a definite alcoholic warmth to the beer, bordering on downright heat. The head dissipates quickly.
I like the subtle aroma, so the late hop addition seems to work well. The bitterness level is spot on, and I'm not changing that either for the next iteration. What I will try to work on for that one is the flavor. While the beer is good, I feel some dark fruit notes may help combat the harshness of the black patent, which seems to dominate.
To accomplish this, I will take some of the black patent out, and add in some dark Crystal 120 malt. I'm also switching yeasts to the Safeale US-05, both to attenuate further, and to create a more American style ale.
The porter pours a deep black with a thick, tan head. The hops are present in the nose, as are the dark malts. No sourness or alcohols are present in the aroma. The flavor is clean, with a slightly burnt aftertaste. There is a definite alcoholic warmth to the beer, bordering on downright heat. The head dissipates quickly.
I like the subtle aroma, so the late hop addition seems to work well. The bitterness level is spot on, and I'm not changing that either for the next iteration. What I will try to work on for that one is the flavor. While the beer is good, I feel some dark fruit notes may help combat the harshness of the black patent, which seems to dominate.
To accomplish this, I will take some of the black patent out, and add in some dark Crystal 120 malt. I'm also switching yeasts to the Safeale US-05, both to attenuate further, and to create a more American style ale.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tons of Ideas in My Downtime
In the past few weeks as I wait to taste the Porter (Saturday) and bottle the Wheat (Friday), I've had a some time to think up a few more experiments, and an overall theme for my resulting beers.
I intend on going for a collection of American-style ales based on the seasons in which they are served. So far, I've designed a Double IPA, a Stout, a Pale Ale, a Brown, and a Barleywine in addition to the Porter, Wheat, and of course my IPA. They are all made according to their respective style profiles on the BJCP website. Obviously, as the experiments progress, they all have the potential to deviate from the standards, but I think they provide a good starting point.
This means, however, that the yeasts I have to use will change for the porter and wheat to reflect the clean character of American beer styles, but its something I'm willing to try in order to keep with the theme...at least to start with.
I have ideas for the individual beers as well, such as using spruce tips in the Brown, and cherries in the Barleywine (a la Mad Elf). I am also looking at specific hop profiles for some of them, designing the Pale with 100% Willamette hops.
I will probably be making one gallon batches for at least the next 2 years before I finish all of these, running multiple experiments at a time as I am now. I will also have to do a lot of research on these styles to see what those who have brewed them before have learned from their experiences.
Most likely, since barleywines take a year or more to age properly, I will make a batch of that soon. I don't have anything to brew this week, so I could do it this weekend, but I may not have enough time to get to the store for ingredients by then...work, school, and responsibilities in general kind of suck.
I intend on going for a collection of American-style ales based on the seasons in which they are served. So far, I've designed a Double IPA, a Stout, a Pale Ale, a Brown, and a Barleywine in addition to the Porter, Wheat, and of course my IPA. They are all made according to their respective style profiles on the BJCP website. Obviously, as the experiments progress, they all have the potential to deviate from the standards, but I think they provide a good starting point.
This means, however, that the yeasts I have to use will change for the porter and wheat to reflect the clean character of American beer styles, but its something I'm willing to try in order to keep with the theme...at least to start with.
I have ideas for the individual beers as well, such as using spruce tips in the Brown, and cherries in the Barleywine (a la Mad Elf). I am also looking at specific hop profiles for some of them, designing the Pale with 100% Willamette hops.
I will probably be making one gallon batches for at least the next 2 years before I finish all of these, running multiple experiments at a time as I am now. I will also have to do a lot of research on these styles to see what those who have brewed them before have learned from their experiences.
Most likely, since barleywines take a year or more to age properly, I will make a batch of that soon. I don't have anything to brew this week, so I could do it this weekend, but I may not have enough time to get to the store for ingredients by then...work, school, and responsibilities in general kind of suck.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Odd Hiccup
The bewday went well, but there were a few little problems I will have to correct.
First, my Robust Porter experiment finished higher in gravity than I was expecting. I was looking for a final gravity if 1.014, but ended up with 1.020. It looks like i will need a more attenuative yeast for this beer. Maybe I should try a full packet of the US-04 as opposed the just a half. Also, The Wheat experiment I did ended up at a lower gravity, so I had to boil off a significant amount to meet my original gravity reached with the award winning batch,
What I did, was bottle the porter as is, and try different carbonation levels by adding 3, 4, or 5 carb tabs to each bottle (two of each) to give me an idea of the best way to carbonate the experiment. At the very least, I'll have an idea of that aspect of the beer.
Also, I boiled down the wheat to my expected original gravity, and started the boil time from there, adding the tettanger hops at 7 brix (1.028) and then .20 grams of crushed coriander at 10 minutes left in the boil. What I ended up with was 3 quarts of the original,award winning recipe for the spice beer, and a full six pack of 16oz bottles of the base Robust Porter with differring levels of carbonation,
The yeast I pitched was more than was called for in the original beer, so I will have to see how this affects the final result. I have a few weeks to wait to find out. Meanwhile, there's only two weeks before i get to taste the Robust Porter.
First, my Robust Porter experiment finished higher in gravity than I was expecting. I was looking for a final gravity if 1.014, but ended up with 1.020. It looks like i will need a more attenuative yeast for this beer. Maybe I should try a full packet of the US-04 as opposed the just a half. Also, The Wheat experiment I did ended up at a lower gravity, so I had to boil off a significant amount to meet my original gravity reached with the award winning batch,
What I did, was bottle the porter as is, and try different carbonation levels by adding 3, 4, or 5 carb tabs to each bottle (two of each) to give me an idea of the best way to carbonate the experiment. At the very least, I'll have an idea of that aspect of the beer.
Also, I boiled down the wheat to my expected original gravity, and started the boil time from there, adding the tettanger hops at 7 brix (1.028) and then .20 grams of crushed coriander at 10 minutes left in the boil. What I ended up with was 3 quarts of the original,award winning recipe for the spice beer, and a full six pack of 16oz bottles of the base Robust Porter with differring levels of carbonation,
The yeast I pitched was more than was called for in the original beer, so I will have to see how this affects the final result. I have a few weeks to wait to find out. Meanwhile, there's only two weeks before i get to taste the Robust Porter.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
A Second Experiment
Since I have to wait a month to try my porter experiments, I decided to run a separate experiment concurrently. My brewing partner and I placed in a local competition with a spiced wheat beer, and it was suggested by a chef friend of mine that I do what he does with his recipes, and work to perfect that beer.
It was your basic American style wheat, containing 50% 2-row, and 50% malted wheat, Tettnanger hops, and crushed coriander. We used a Hefeweizen yeast to ferment. I am going to make one gallon batches of this, again trying some little changes, until its perfect.
Tomorrow is bottling day for the porter, so what better time to start than that? I'll start with the original recipe as a calibration, and go from there. The only problem I can foresee is that the Hef yeasts only come in liquid form, so it will be tough to get the right pitching rate. I'm furiously searching the internet for suggestions.
It was your basic American style wheat, containing 50% 2-row, and 50% malted wheat, Tettnanger hops, and crushed coriander. We used a Hefeweizen yeast to ferment. I am going to make one gallon batches of this, again trying some little changes, until its perfect.
Tomorrow is bottling day for the porter, so what better time to start than that? I'll start with the original recipe as a calibration, and go from there. The only problem I can foresee is that the Hef yeasts only come in liquid form, so it will be tough to get the right pitching rate. I'm furiously searching the internet for suggestions.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Winner
Of the seven beers I bought to sample yesterday, the bomber of Allagash Black really stands out. I saved this one for tonight, as the first six were enough to have me feeling pretty good.
The beer pours nicely with a strong fluffy head, and leaves an attractive lacing as it creeps down the glass. The taste of Belgian style yeast is prominent, as is the strong malt backbone. It reminds me of the type of flavors I'm looking for in my robust porter.
It looks like I will have to try a Trappist or Abbey yeast in my finished beer once I dial in the base recipe. It also seems as if I would want to add some sweetness to my porter if it's not present. It will be a challenge to add the right malts and stay within the style guidelines since I am already against the ceiling for alcohol content.
The beer pours nicely with a strong fluffy head, and leaves an attractive lacing as it creeps down the glass. The taste of Belgian style yeast is prominent, as is the strong malt backbone. It reminds me of the type of flavors I'm looking for in my robust porter.
It looks like I will have to try a Trappist or Abbey yeast in my finished beer once I dial in the base recipe. It also seems as if I would want to add some sweetness to my porter if it's not present. It will be a challenge to add the right malts and stay within the style guidelines since I am already against the ceiling for alcohol content.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Sampling While I Wait
As I sit here, impatiently waiting for the yeast to finish its job in Robust Porter: Experiment 1, I figured, since SWMBO is out at a sneak preview of The Hunger Games, that I had some time to sample some commercial brews. Some are rather common beers that I have never had for one reason or another, while others are some brand new brews by some of my favorite craft breweries. I got a six pack and a bomber from a local Italian restaurant that has an impressive beer fridge.
I picked up Leffe Blonde, a Belgian Blonde Ale, Pilsner Urquell, a Czech Pilsner, and Anchor Steam, a California Common. Those are the more well known of the 7 examples.
I also have Weyerbacher Heresy, Allagash Black (that's the bomber), Magic Hat Single Chair, and Brooklyn Brewery Monster Ale. The Monster may have to wait, since it's a barleywine and I may have to work tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.
Not that its that popular, but I use Pintley.com to track and log all of the beers I try on for size. It's one of the most used apps on my iPhone.
I picked up Leffe Blonde, a Belgian Blonde Ale, Pilsner Urquell, a Czech Pilsner, and Anchor Steam, a California Common. Those are the more well known of the 7 examples.
I also have Weyerbacher Heresy, Allagash Black (that's the bomber), Magic Hat Single Chair, and Brooklyn Brewery Monster Ale. The Monster may have to wait, since it's a barleywine and I may have to work tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.
Not that its that popular, but I use Pintley.com to track and log all of the beers I try on for size. It's one of the most used apps on my iPhone.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Some Scramblin', But Still OK
I finished the brewday a few hours ago, and I'm pretty satisfied with the results. There was a little hiccup at the end, but it ended up being a blessing.
I forgot that I had intended to use brown sugar in the beer, so when I came up a quart and a half short, I was able to boil up the water and 1.6 oz of dark brown sugar, and add it to the gallon jug. That way, I ended up with a gallon of beer at an original gravity of 1.061.
The recipe was:
-2 pounds Maris Otter
-.15 pounds Chocolate Malt
-.05 pounds Black Patent
-.1 pounds Flaked Barley
-.1 pounds Dark Brown Sugar
-5.5g Safale US-04
In two weeks, I'll bottle, and two weeks after that, I'll try it.
In the meantime, I'll be drinking...you know, to get ideas for more experiments.
I forgot that I had intended to use brown sugar in the beer, so when I came up a quart and a half short, I was able to boil up the water and 1.6 oz of dark brown sugar, and add it to the gallon jug. That way, I ended up with a gallon of beer at an original gravity of 1.061.
The recipe was:
-2 pounds Maris Otter
-.15 pounds Chocolate Malt
-.05 pounds Black Patent
-.1 pounds Flaked Barley
-.1 pounds Dark Brown Sugar
-5.5g Safale US-04
In two weeks, I'll bottle, and two weeks after that, I'll try it.
In the meantime, I'll be drinking...you know, to get ideas for more experiments.
Brewday Underway!
Went and got my grains today, and I started the boil. The mashing technique seems to have worked very well.
I threw the grains loose into 77C water, and stirred it down to 68C. I only lost 1 or 2 degrees C the whole time. I kept the heat in by wrapping the pot in towels. After 60 minutes, I poured the whole thing into another pot through a fine mesh colander, and rinsed it with 80C water.
I got 11.2 Brix (1.045 specific gravity) out of it, which means I am getting a little over 70% efficiency. We'll see how the gravity holds up though the boil.
I threw the grains loose into 77C water, and stirred it down to 68C. I only lost 1 or 2 degrees C the whole time. I kept the heat in by wrapping the pot in towels. After 60 minutes, I poured the whole thing into another pot through a fine mesh colander, and rinsed it with 80C water.
I got 11.2 Brix (1.045 specific gravity) out of it, which means I am getting a little over 70% efficiency. We'll see how the gravity holds up though the boil.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Another Experiment
Um, yeah...I am just going to completely ignore the fact that I haven't posted in months, and pretend it never happened.
After successfully completing an American IPA with which I am very happy, I figure it will be just as much fun to try the same process with another beer style. As I mentioned last time, Porters, more specifically Robust Porters, are a close second to American Style IPA's on my favorite beer list. Some of the best out there (in my humble opinion of course) are Anchor, Bells, Great Lakes, and Williamsburg. All of them are deep, dark, malty, flavorful beers with varying degrees of chocolate, toffee, and coffee flavors. This is what I'll be going for. If it takes as long as the last experiment, I'll have a perfect Porter in time for the bitter cold of Winter.
I'm starting with a recipe based on the descriptions I found on the Beer Judge Certification Program website combined with a modified version of the my IPA. I'm switching the American 2-row to Crisp Maris Otter, an English base malt which will add a good malty base to the beer. I will then replace the Crystal 40 with a combination of Black Patent and Chocolate malts, and the CaraPils with Flaked Barley. Fuggle hops are some of my favorite, so I'll start with those. I'm also going with a dry yeast for this one. I have a feeling I'll have to go through a few of these as I find the right yeast profile. I'm starting with Safale US-04.
Brewday is tomorrow, and I'm trying a new technique without the bag.
After successfully completing an American IPA with which I am very happy, I figure it will be just as much fun to try the same process with another beer style. As I mentioned last time, Porters, more specifically Robust Porters, are a close second to American Style IPA's on my favorite beer list. Some of the best out there (in my humble opinion of course) are Anchor, Bells, Great Lakes, and Williamsburg. All of them are deep, dark, malty, flavorful beers with varying degrees of chocolate, toffee, and coffee flavors. This is what I'll be going for. If it takes as long as the last experiment, I'll have a perfect Porter in time for the bitter cold of Winter.
I'm starting with a recipe based on the descriptions I found on the Beer Judge Certification Program website combined with a modified version of the my IPA. I'm switching the American 2-row to Crisp Maris Otter, an English base malt which will add a good malty base to the beer. I will then replace the Crystal 40 with a combination of Black Patent and Chocolate malts, and the CaraPils with Flaked Barley. Fuggle hops are some of my favorite, so I'll start with those. I'm also going with a dry yeast for this one. I have a feeling I'll have to go through a few of these as I find the right yeast profile. I'm starting with Safale US-04.
Brewday is tomorrow, and I'm trying a new technique without the bag.
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