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.

And the Winners Are....

I just opened one of the Amarillos, and I have to say that I'm quite surprised.  It's kind of like a weaker version of Simcoe, and I was expecting something a bit more unique.

Not that it's necessarily bad, just not as good as I had hoped.  Here's the breakdown:

Bitterness:  Not really prominent.  Sort of like the Simcoe, but almost undetectable.
Flavor:  Kind of like watered-down grapefruit juice.  Not quite as tart as the other varieties.
Aroma: Same as the flavor.  Grapefruit, but weak.

I also realized that I never gave a Willamette report:

Bitterness:  Weak, not very noticeable.
Flavor:  Floral and fruity.  Less citrusy than its other American cousins.
Aroma:  Light.  Not unlike cascade, but very hard to detect.

So I believe, after all this, that I am ready to begin developing the recipe for TPB.  I will definitely be using
Centennial hops for bitterring.  The Flavor hops may be a mix of Cascade and Simcoe, but I will probably just use one or the other at first.  Aroma will most likely include the Columbus.

I am waiting until after the holidays to start, since shopping, school, and home renovations will be taking up some time.  I'll check back in soon with a final recipe.

The Next Phase of the Quest

This will be my "The Empire Strikes Back" or "The Two Towers".  Since, after this weekend, I will have tasted all of the hops I intended, I need to start thinking of how best to mix them.  So far, Centennial has my favorite bitterring characteristics.  Most of the others kind of stuck to the back of my throat and made me feel like Dragon Breath from "House Party" (3 movie references in one paragraph...not bad).  I think Cascade had a nice flavor, as did the Willamette, and the Simcoe, with its distinctive grapefruit mimicry, was probably the best aroma.

These are not, by any means, final verdicts.  First of all, I haven't even tried the Amarillo yet, and second, you never know what happens once the yeast is done its work.

But this will be the next phase.  I will organize the hops into the 3 categories (bitterness, flavor, and aroma), and rate them according to how much I liked their contribution.  Then I will simply make a batch with the top three.  If something is off or missing, I will switch it up for the next batch.  My posts should be a bit more frequent now, because I plan to get another fermenter and brew once per week instead of waiting two weeks for the fermenter to be free.  This way, I should be able to get 3 or 4 beers going, all with different hop combinations, before I even taste the first.

On another note, My brewing partner and I have worked out a schedule for brewing in the new year, and it looks like we will have a steady stream of cases to keep us nice and stocked pretty much 100 percent of the time.  We have two beers that we believe we have mastered, a German Pilsner and a Dunkel, which we are very proud of, and are switching our brews to all-grain pretty much immediately.  I may never buy beer again...ok, that was too far.

Later!

YAY!!!!

I LOVE SIMCOE!!!!

These hops are the shiznit (for lack of a better term).  They have an amazing aroma and flavor, and a bitterness which is strong, yet not overpowering.  Definitely the best beer I've brewed so far, and the only one I would actually order in a bar.  The Willamette is in bottles, and I am looking forward to getting it chilled.  I have brewed the last of the experiments, the Amarillo, and it will hit the fermenter in a matter of minutes.

SIMCOE REPORT:
Bitterness: Strong, accumulating bite which stays with your tounge throughout the drink.
Flavor: Grapefruit...that's pretty much all there is to say
Aroma: See "Flavor".  Very nice, very much like grapefruit juice.

Here is what happened today:

25 c Pocono Springs bottled water brought to rolling boil.

1 lb Muntons Extra Light DME stirred into pot.

Wort brought back to boil, and .20 oz (1.64 AAU) Amarillo hop pellets added.  60 minute timer started.

At 45 minute mark (15 min left in boil) .20 oz (1.64 AAU) Amarillo hop pellets added to boil.

At 55 minute mark (5 min left in boil) .20 oz (1.64 AAU) Amarillo hop pellets added to boil

At 60 minute mark, brew pot is removed, covered, and placed in freezer to cool.

When wort reads 70 degrees F, wort transferred to fermenter, and 11.5 g Fermentis brand Safale us-05 also added to fermenter.

Fermenter closed and shaken for 1 min

The World, and the Beer, Is Flat

I'm a little late in posting this week.  No real excuses, just plain lazy.


I brewed the Willamette batch, and bottled the Simcoe.  I also cracked the Columbus.

The Columbus beer has a similar bitterness to the cascade, but not quite as intense.  The flavor, I feel, is the weakest of the three I've tried so far, but the aroma is the best.  I tried a new method of bottling, or rather priming.  I used priming tabs, but not enough.  The beer has no head whatsoever, and the carbonation is almost nil.  Full report on the Columbus, and the brew day for the Willamette follows.

Columbus:

Bitterness: Lingering, back-of-the-tongue bite.
Flavor: Not unpleasant, yet not highly present.  Mild sourness.  Grapefruit-like.
Aroma: Light, pleasant, citrusy scent.

Willamette Brewday:

24 c Pocono Springs bottled water brought to rolling boil.

1 lb Muntons Extra Light DME stirred into pot.

Wort brought back to boil, and .20 oz (0.96 AAU) Willamette hop pellets added.  60 minute timer started.

At 45 minute mark (15 min left in boil) .20 oz (0.96 AAU) Willamette hop pellets added to boil.

At 55 minute mark (5 min left in boil) .20 oz (0.96 AAU) Willamette hop pellets added to boil

At 60 minute mark, brew pot is removed, covered, and placed in freezer to cool.

When wort reads 70 degrees F, wort transferred to fermenter, and 11.5 g Fermentis brand Safale us-05 also added to fermenter.

Fermenter closed and shaken for 1 min