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Monday, August 27, 2012

Brewday - "Sunset Ale"

Notes
An Amber ale [Imperial Red Ale].  Named in tribute to the beautiful sunsets seen over our summer of camping.  I believe this batch marks my 4th attempt at the style.

Through trial and error, I've made a few recipe changes from previous attempts.  First, reduce the amount of Roast Barley.  A measly 40g for colour only.  I've reduced the total amount of crystal malt significantly.  Finaly, I've included a protein rest and lowered the sacc temp 2 degrees.  On the hop side, I've increased the total IBUs, added an addition at the 20 minute mark and will include some dry-hops as well. 

American Amber Ale (10B) [Specialty (23)] 
Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Fermentis S-04
Yeast Starter: N/A
Additional Yeast : N/A
Batch Size (Post Boil)26L
Original Gravity: 1.054 [1.060]
Final Gravity: 1.012 (est) [1.014]
IBU: 40 [57]
Boiling Time (Minutes): 70
Colour (SRM): 11 (est)
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 15 @ 66F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 12 @ 66F 
Conditioning [Bottle] (# of Days & Temp): 21 @ 66F

Ingredients
88.7% Pale Malt (Gambrinus)
07.1% CaraMunich I (Weyermann)
03.5% CaraAroma (Weyermann)
0.07% Roast Barley (Muntons)
28.6 IBU Columbus @ 60 min (1oz)
1/4oz Willamette @ 30 min
1/4 [1/2oz] Cascade @ 20 min
1/4 [1/2oz] Willamette @ 10 min
1/4 [1/2oz] Cascade + 1/4 [1/2oz] Willamette @ 1 min
1/4oz Willamette Dry-hop (12 days)
1/4oz Cascade Dry-hop (12 days)
1/4oz Columbus Dry-hop (12 days)
1/4oz Centennial Dry-hop (12 days)

Water (City tap water treated with Campden)
Calcium Chloride, Gypsum and Epsom Salt added, pH 5.50
Ca-86/Mg-14/Na-18/Cl-97/S04-138

Mash Instructions
Protein Rest, 30 minutes (125F), 1.0qt/lb
Alpha Infusion, 60 minutes (152F), 1.50qt/lb
Double batch sparge (170F), collected ~30L into the boil kettle

28/08/2012 - Mashing
Second time using Gambrinus Pale malt for a base, second time with an extraction efficiency over 90%, 93% to be exact.  I've made some last minute recipe (hop) changes to account for the new anticipated OG (1.062).

Wort was chilled to 75F, took about an hour due to warm, summertime ground water through my immersion chiller.  Will need to build a prechiller for future summer brews.  Brewday lasted 5.5hrs, longer than normal since I had problems chilling.  S-04 Yeast was re-hydrated and  pitched to an aggressively aerated wort.

I'd like to brew this again but this time factoring in my proper extraction efficiency and actually coming close to my gravity numbers.

Here's the brew I ended with.:
26L@ 1.060, 22L into the primary.
57 IBUs
I updated the hop schedule (posted above) accordingly.

29/08/2012 - Primary shows signs of fermentation.

03/09/2012 - Airlock quiet.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Tasting - "BSB2012", 100% Centennial IPA


Brewday Post and Recipe
BSB2012, 100% Centennial IPA

Appearance

Darker than my typical pale ales, likely due to the Maris Otter base malt.  Pours with a medium, one finger width of head.  Small amount remains after sitting for 10 minutes, lasing apparent.  Chill haze significant.   

Aroma

Hoppy.  Similar to my experience with Cascade, perhaps a touch more pungent.  Nice and inviting.

Taste

Nicely balanced American IPA.  I was concerned the IBU's may have been too high given the simplicity of the grain bill, not so.  The Centennials provide a nice sharpness up front but this gives way to a grapefruity hop flavour.  I would say the hops are quite one dimensional but this would be stating the obvious since I only used one hop!  The ale does have a very nice malt backbone.  The 5% carafoam does a nice job rounding our the body. 

Overall Impressions

Very pleased with the results.  The chill haze does take away from the appearance, the few I had at cellar temperature were very nice looking.  The aroma and flavour are really nice, too bad Centennial hops are so hard to come by, would be on my regular rotation for sure.  Body on this brew was stouty, likely on account of the carafoam.  Interestingly, my BMC drinking friends also enjoyed this IPA.  The Centennials offer a more mellow bittering when compared to Columbus for example.

After a few weekends of camping, I've burnt though the entire batch, hopefully there is a picture on the digital camera that I can upload for you...


Friday, August 10, 2012

Brewday - "Starry Night"

Notes

A Cascadian Dark Ale.  Some might call it a Black IPA or American Dark Ale, I feel the Cascadian folks of the Pacific Northwest who created the style should be paid some form of homage.  A style I love to drink (often) yet oddly enough have never tried to brew;  today should be the day.

I am shooting for the body a basic American IPA, more to the dry end of the spectrum, with solid hop bitterness, a touch or roast flavour and of course, dark brown to black colour.  The trick will be not/not turning this into a robust porter, another style I love, but alas, not a Cascadian Dark Ale.

My homebrew club provided a recipe from Homebrewtalk.com, I've more or less kept the same hop schedule but modified the grain bill to suit my tastes.

Specialty beer (23)  <I guess?>
Cascadian Dark/Black IPA/American Dark Ale
Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Fermentis US-05
Yeast Starter: Nope
Additional Yeast : Hydrated
Batch Size (Post Boil)26L
Original Gravity: 1.062
Final Gravity: 1.014 (est)
IBU: 63.7

Boiling Time (Minutes): 65
Colour (SRM): 25 (est)
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 15 @ 66F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 12 @ 66F 
Conditioning [Bottle] (# of Days & Temp): 21 @ 66F

Ingredients
90.0% Pale Malt (Gambrinus)
03.0% CaraAroma (Weyermann)
03.0% Wheat Malt (OiO)
03.0% Melanoidin (Weyermann)
00.8% Acid Malt (Weyermann)
(Added at Vorlauf)
200g Black Patent (Muntons)
200g Chocolate (Muntons)
100g Roast Barley (Muntons)

23 IBU Centennial @ 60 min (1oz)
1oz Centennial @ 30 min
1oz Centennial @ 20 min
1oz Cascade @ 15 min
1oz Cascade @ 0 min
1oz Willamette @ 0 min
1oz Willamette Dry-hop (12 days)
1oz Cascade Dry-hop (12 days)

Water (City tap water treated with Campden)
Acid Malt, Calcium Chloride, Gypsum and Epsom Salt added, pH 5.49
Ca-84/Mg-14/Na-18/Cl-94/S04-135

Mash Instructions
Single Infusion, 60 minutes (151F), 1.25qt/lb
Add Black Patent, Chocolate and Roast Barley @ 1st Vorlauf
Double batch sparge (170F), collected ~30L into the boil kettle

10/08/2012 - Brewed, over shot the mash temp, 152F.  Using Gambrinus malt for the first time, not sure what happened but I ended with some insane extraction efficiency.  Estimated 80% and ended with near 90%!  This means my OG was measured at 1.070 rather than the anticipated 1.062.  This has also had an impact on the IBUs.  My brew software recalculated the IBUs at 58.2, significantly lower.

The colour turned out near perfect.  Brown-black with a touch of mahogany.  At 1.070 the hydro sample was quite heavy.  I aerated the wort heavily trying to help the US-05 yeast.  I hope the FG finishes near 1.014.  Before pitching, I am thankful I took a final temperature reading, the wort was sitting at 80F, much too warm for this yeast.  I opted to let the wort sit in the primary until the next morning before pitching.

11/08/2012 - Pitched US-05.  Initially I though to hydrate the yeast before pitching, however; I was in a rush to get out the door and opted to sprinkle on top dry.

12/08/2012 - Primary showing signs of vigorous fermentation.  Air-lock very active.

26/08/2012 - Primary fermentation appears complete.  Will test and transfer to secondary soon...

27/08/2012 - Racked to secondary.  Will require some major conditioning time.  Sample was very "hot".

03/09/2012 - 1.5oz Cascade + 1/2oz Willamette Dry Hop added

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Tasting - "Wheat on Rye"

(Trying out a new format for my tasting posts...)

Brewday Post and Recipe
Wheat on Rye


Appearance

While the brew had a certain amount of cloudiness which would be normally associated with Wheat beers, I believe in my case, the cloudiness had less to do with protein haze and more to do with chill haze.  Either way, there is a certain amount of cloudiness but no where near what you would see in say a Hoegaarden.  I used S-04 which is known for it's strong flocculation characteristics.  Colour is pleasant, a light straw-golden colour.  Head retention is excellent, very white.

Aroma

Nothing really.  No yeast aromatics, no hop aroma.  Perhaps a touch of hay from the malts but that's it.  The Rye malt doesn't show up much either.

Taste

Light, crisp.  Some graininess from the wheat.  Moderate carbonation.  Slight spice (Rye?) with predominate fruitiness (S04 yeast). 

Overall Impressions

I think I got the body right but the yeast is all wrong.  Could have been drier.  An enjoyable beverage but complete out of style. The first few bottles were very green, apples galore!  After 5 weeks + these flavours began to mellow, malt coming through.  My first attempt at a wheat beer, I'm pleased with the result but there's definitely room to improve.  




Thursday, August 2, 2012

Update - Busy Night

"77 Ringwood Stout" was bottled last night.  Hydro sample was fantastic!  Originally brewed at the beginning of June, the stout has been in some form of fermentation or conditioning for the better part of two months.  Without question, the longest I've ever left a beer alone.  If the saying is true, that your beer gets better with neglect, this is sure to be the best beer ever.... I may be getting a little a head of myself.  I was shocked at the final gravity, it had finished at 1.010, well over 83% attenuation on my mystery yeast.  This stout should have a serious kick at +6% ABV.

With my bottling gear was sanitized from the stout, I though what the hell and racked my no salts Amarillo Pale Ale experiment.  Hydro sample had a stronger bitterness than previous incarnations.  Still very pleasant.  Near 6 weeks since brewday, the US05 had dropped crystal clear.  The ale transferred into the bottle bucket sooo clean, this should be a beautiful looking beer.  I guess the pipeline is working since I was able to leave both beers alone for a much longer time, I think it will pay off in the end.  The US-05 had finished at 1.012.

Lastly, Dconn's Rye IPA was moved to secondary, I plan to hit it with some Columbus dry hops tonight.