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.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
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.
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