Sour Solera Brew Day

I've recently had a lot of unused capacity in my brewery - i.e. empty carboys. Since I cannot drink beer as fast I can brew it, a long-term project is the obvious solution. A sour would be perfect and I've wanted to do a Lambic style beer for a while. This one isn't quite a Lambic since the choice of yeast is not quite right (more driven by the need to pitch what was in the proliferating Mason jars in the fridge than by stylistic accuracy), but it is a sour, and I hope will resemble a Lambic. I'm also planning to turn it into a solera. In about a year, I'll draw off 3 gallons and fill the rest of the carboy space with 3 gallons of new beer.


BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Lambic-esque Solera Year 1
Style: Straight (Unblended) Lambic
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.53 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.88 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal  
Bottling Volume: 4.85 gal
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated Color: 3.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 8.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.3 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU        
5 lbs 8.0 oz          Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)            Grain         1        50.0 %       
5 lbs 8.0 oz          Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM)               Grain         2        50.0 %       
0.50 oz               Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min        Hop           3        8.8 IBUs     
1.0 pkg              Geuze Tilquin Dregs
1.0 pkg               Brettanomyces Claussenii (White Labs #WL Yeast         5        -            
1.0 pkg               Brettanomyces Lambicus (White Labs #WLP6 Yeast         6        -            
2.00 oz               Oak Cubes, American (Secondary 12.0 week Flavor        7        -            


Mash Schedule: Temperature Mash, 2 Step, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs
----------------------------
Name                    Description                                          Step Temperat Step Time    
Protein Rest            Add 14.75 qt of water at 118.6 F                     113.0 F       15 min       
Saccharification        Add 0.00 qt of water and heat to 122.0 F over 15 min 122.0 F       30 min       
Mash Step               Heat to 149.0 F over 4 min                           149.0 F       15 min       
Mash Step               Add 0.00 qt of water and heat to 159.0 F over 4 min  159.0 F       45 min       
Mash Out                Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min                          168.0 F       10 min       

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 5.41gal) of 210.0 F water

Starter: Jan. 22, with re-used Brett. C.; Brett. L. (from an experimental beer that oxidized and became rather vinegary); and dregs from Geuze Tilquin, cultured by a guy in the homebrew club. By Jan. 25 the starter was actively fermenting and smelled pretty strongly like rising bread dough.

Brewed 1/30/16:
The direct heat step mash was a slow and labor intensive process, since I had to constantly stir while applying heat in order to avoid scorching and to distribute the heat throughout the mash. I hit my temps well, but over the course of the 159F step some of the mash may have cooled a bit.

To sparge, I transferred the mash from my 5-gallon kettle into my MLT, and added rice hulls after the sparge became stuck. The 210F sparge water may have extracted some tannins but apparently this is normal for a lambic. The buys will chew some of them away.

Pre-boil OG was 1.044, slightly under volume. Post-Boil OG was 1.060, slightly below volume.

Cooled to 135F, racked to sanitized sour bucket and allowed to cool overnight to pitching temps. I left some trub in the kettle but probably transferred a bit of it into the fermenter. 5.25 gallons into the bucket.

Wort was hazy with protein and / or starch. Good, a starchy wort is desirable for this style.

I am not sure if the long multi-step mash is necessary, but it's traditional, and my wife was away all day. So why not?

1/31/16: Decanted half of starter and stirred up the settled yeast. Pitched into wort without aerating at all. Left at room temp approximate 70F.

2/21/16: Active stages of fermentation were over. Racked to 5 gallon carboy, with 2oz of boiled oak cubes. (Boiling to remove excess tanins.)

Added dregs: Roselare and Wyeast Dabom from previous beers. Also contains some champagne yeast used for bottle-carbing.

2/26/16: Made low gravity starter and added dregs of Boulevard Saison Brett 2015. Will add Roselare dregs as well, and then if I get some fermentation will add to main beer.

Clone Attempt: Smuttynose Baltic Porter

My homebrew club is having a clone competition. We're attempting to clone the Smuttynose Baltic Porter. I haven't tasted said brew but we were given some information about the recipe (and it's on the website of the brewery). I had to make a couple of substitutions, as usual.

I don't want to have 5 gallons of 9%+ beer, particularly when 5 gallons of RIS will be ready soon, so I brewed a 3-gallon batch of the Baltic Porter and will put it into my small keg. Along with my Barleywine and Russian Stouts this is the highest ABV beer I've ever brewed.

Baltic Porter - 3 Gallon

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Smuttynose Baltic Porter CloneStyle: Baltic Porter
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 5.24 gal
Post Boil Volume: 3.59 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 3.25 gal  
Bottling Volume: 3.15 gal
Estimated OG: 1.097 SG
Estimated Color: 56.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 40.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 69.0 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU        
7 lbs 4.0 oz          Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)           Grain         1        53.0 %       
2 lbs 10.0 oz         Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)                    Grain         2        19.2 %       
1 lbs 5.0 oz          Amber Malt (22.0 SRM)                    Grain         3        9.6 %        
11.0 oz               Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)    Grain         4        5.0 %        
11.0 oz               Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)   Grain         5        5.0 %        
9.0 oz                Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM)          Grain         6        4.1 %        
9.0 oz                Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM)               Grain         7        4.1 %        
0.50 oz               Sterling [7.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min        Hop           8        19.4 IBUs    
0.75 oz               Sterling [7.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min        Hop           9        16.5 IBUs    
1.25 oz               Sterling [7.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool  5.0 Hop           10       4.5 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Old Bavarian Lager (White Labs #WLP920)  Yeast         11       -            


Mash Schedule: 154F, Batch Sparge, Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 13 lbs 11.0 oz
----------------------------
Name                    Description                                          Step Temperat Step Time    
Mash Step               Add 17.11 qt of water at 170.8 F                     154.0 F       60 min       
Mash Step               Add 10.95 qt of water at 194.9 F                     168.0 F       10 min       

Sparge: Batch sparge with 1 steps (Drain mash tun ) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
------

1/13/16: Made starter with ~1200 ml water, yeast nutrient, and 70g extract, lightly hopped. Fermented at ~55F.

1/17/16: Brewed. Went well except for minor boil-over. I hit my mash temp, and got pre-boil OG of 1.070, at about 5.1 gallons. Boiled 10 mins before adding hops.  Neglected to take OG at end of boil. Force-chilled to 60F, then placed in fermentation fridge overnight for cooling to 45F. 

By brewday the starter had fermented.

1/18/16, 10am. Oxygenated for 1 minute, pitched mostly decanted starter. Total volume in fermenter, including trub, was about 3.5 - 4 gallons. Temperature profile will be 45F for 12 hours, then ramp over 12 hours to 50F, hold for two weeks. Then diacetyl rest followed by cold crashing and lagering.

1/20/16, 5pm: Fermentation proceeding actively. Nice krausen but I don't yet think at highkrausen.

1/27/16, 530pm. Still actively fermenting after more than a week though high Hayden has probably passed. I probably under pitched by a substantial amount, so I am a bit worried that fermentation will stall. But the continued activity is a good sign.

2/20/16: After crash cooling to 35F and holding for a few days, racked to 3-gallon keg and purged head space. Began carbonation.

Funky Mild Review

This is my second attempt at a beer from American Sour Beers. This one isn't actually soured, but dosed with Brett-C in the secondary fermentation. 

Appearance: Deep ruby brown. Nearly opaque but in bright light it is clear. Low but persistent tan head. The camera on my phone doesn't do the appearance of my beers any favors.

Aroma: Noticeable bretty cherry quality. Kind of musty with a chocolate note. Like dark bitter chocolate mixed with cherries. The Brett smell is similarly funky to my Brett C saison but definitely has a stronger cherry like nose. Perhaps that's an interaction between the Brett and the dark or crystal malts. I don't think I get any English yeast type esters.

Taste: Similar to the aroma. I get some bretty horseblanket funk. Maybe some leathery notes, a bit of chocolate, but doesn't have as much cherry as the nose. Low sweetness, very low bitterness, hops not detectable. Maybe some dry, spicy notes from the rye malt, but it all blends together.

Moutfeel: Fairly thin, like a mild is supposed to be. But mid to high carbonation range, which is probably a little too high. Aftertaste is bretty funk, maybe with a slight taste of bitter chocolate. Pretty dry - the brett must have consumed some of the sugars left over from the English ale yeast.

Overall: I'm not sure what to make of the taste profile of this one. Not clearly a sour, not clearly a mild, not a saison. Just different than anything that comes to mind. It's pleasant but has a stronger taste than a mild and probably a little more alcohol, both due to the brett. Probably not quite the session beer due to its more robust taste... but probably still is pretty low ABV.

I would like to continue brewing the beers from American Sour Beers. Maybe next is the Buckwheat Sour Amber or the Lambic. We'll see.... I currently have too many unfilled carboys so I'm looking to fill them with some sours or the like.




 

Czech Pale Lager Reivew

Appearance: Persistent and fluffy white head. Straw gold body. Not quite crystal clear but close. I probably disturbed some sludge from the bottom of the keg while transporting it from the lager fridge to the keg-o-rator.

Aroma: I get a crisp, earthy and spicy Noble hop aroma. Pilsner malt aroma contributes nicely with a sweet and grainy character.

Taste: Very nicely balanced between hoppy taste and malt. Like the nose the hoppy quality is crisp, earthy and spicy. The malt quality is a little bit bready like the crust or so. Sweetness is low but there.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly full for such a low ABV beer. Carbonation is moderate and contributes to the crisp / dry aftertaste. The aftertaste has a spicy hop quality and maybe a slightly mineral note.

Overall: I'm very happy with this one. It's flavorful, hoppy and well balanced between malty and hoppy. Very drinkable. Similar to my Helles but lower ABV and more balanced between the malt and hops. My wife said that it tastes like Krombacher or Warsteiner from her native Germany.

At some point I should do a side-by side with Notch Session Pils to see if it tastes like an "real" example of the style.

Festivus Ale Review

Happy Holidays!

Appearance: Tan head that doesn't quite persist long enough, moderately hazy deep amber body. Moderate opacity when held up to the light.

Aroma: Clearly holiday spice. Nutmeg / cinammon come through the strongest (I find their taste fairly similar) with ginger hiding in the background. Hop aroma is none. Malt aroma is present - hard to describe but to me a bit Belgiany- dry and spicy. Smells a little like apple pie or gingerbread.

Taste: Again dominated by the flavor of the spices, which not only have the characteristic Christmasy taste but also seem to have a dry, tannic quality in the mouth.  Hop bitterness low, or covered by the taste of the spices The beer tastes fairly dry to me. Malt characteristic present but again hard to describe since it is dominated by the spices. Probably has a brown-ale like maltiness.

Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation. A little prickly on the tounge and dry in the aftertaste.

Overall: Pleasant but not something I would drink a lot of. Probably I mashed too low. The spices could use more balancing sweetness and maybe some mellowing out. This beer really shows how cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger are spices, and although associated with sweet food such as apple pie, they really don't have much sweetness on their own. That's why the deserts with them often have ton of sugar and why this beer could probably use a little more sweetness. It's probably my mistake that I didn't quite get the mash right. When brewed properly according to the directions and allowed to age more it's probably better.

West Coast Amber Review

Appearance: Deep amber red color, with off-white slightly tan head that persists very well. Low haze but not crystal clear. (Condensation obscures the clarity in the picture.)

Aroma: A balanced combination of fruity Cascade and Centennial hops with a toasty malt background. Hop aroma is not as intense as a good IPA.

Taste: Balanced toward the bitter side for sure. Fruity hop taste as well, but there's some decent sweetness and a hint of roast in there. Subtle malt flavors with a toasty-roast quality kind of hide behind the initial hopiness.

Mouthfeel: Moderate to heavy mouthfeel, low-moderate carbonation. Aftertaste is somehow balanced towards the malty side. Some alcohol warming as this is a "bold" full bodied and full-tasting beer.

Overall: A pretty hoppy beer with substantial malt character, some sweetness and fairly high in alcohol (7.4%). Pleasant, but perhaps best considered a sipping beer. Certainly good for the Fall weather. Reminds me of my Celebration Ale clone attempt but does not have as strong a hop aroma / taste. Also more alcoholic that the Celebration clone.

Czech Pale Lager

After hearing about this style on the Beersmith podcast recently, seeing that it was added to the BJCP guidelines, and wanting to brew a session strength beer for my next lager, I decided to brew a Czech Pale Lager (Style 3A). I saw this article on Brew Your Own magazine, which provided the recipe for this beer. Note that I used the "false decoction" method - my first ever decoction mash. Pretty sure I didn't quite do it right, but not surprised about that since it's my first attempt.

Recipe: Czech Pale Lager
Style: Bohemian Pilsner
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.53 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.88 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal  
Bottling Volume: 4.85 gal
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 4.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 38.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 77.5 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU        
5.25 gal              Boston, MA                               Water         1        -            
7 lbs 8.0 oz          Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)            Grain         2        86.9 %       
7.0 oz                Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM)               Grain         3        5.1 %        
6.0 oz                Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM)                Grain         4        4.3 %        
5.0 oz                Acid Malt (3.0 SRM)                      Grain         5        3.6 %    

0.25 oz               Magnum [12.20 %] - First Wort 60.0 min   Hop           6        13.1 IBUs    
0.75 oz               Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min        Hop           7        10.2 IBUs    
1.00 oz               Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min        Hop           8        6.4 IBUs     
0.30 oz               Magnum [12.20 %] - Boil 10.0 min         Hop           9        5.2 IBUs     
1.00 oz               Tettnang [4.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool  10. Hop           10       3.2 IBUs
   
1.0 pkg               Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70)  Yeast         11       -            


Mash Schedule: 154F, Batch Sparge, Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs 10.0 oz
----------------------------
Name                    Description                                          Step Temperat Step Time    
Mash Step               Add 13.78 qt of water at 168.2 F                     156.0 F       45 min       
Mash Step               Decoct 3.67 qt of mash and boil it                   168.0 F       10 min       

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 5.87gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
------
http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/3244-czech-pale-lager-style-profile
5 g calcium chloride (CaCl2) to the mash
3 g CaCl2 to the sparge water.

Brewed on 11/1/15
Mashed in as usual, and hit my goal temp of 156F. After mashing for 40 minutes, pulled a thick decoction of approximately .8 gallons. I used a soup ladle to do so, and then drained some of the liquid out using a colander.

Put the decoction in my 5gal kettle, on gentle heat, and raised to a boil, stirring very frequently. Didn't check the temp of the main mash during this time. Boiled the decoction for 15 minutes.

The decoction definitely boiled off some liquid, and caused the grain husks to become a little more fractured, giving the mash a mushy texture. Also it seemed to get a little bit darker.

Immediately after the decoction boil.

After boiling the decoction, returned it to the main mash. Somehow, even after 5 minutes of rise time, the main mash was still only in the 160F range. Perhaps the main mash lost significant heat during the decoction?

Waited 15more minutes, then recirculated, added first wort hops. Added 2.5 gal of sparge water at 170F, waited 10 minutes, the collected batch 1. Repeated, collecting ~7.5 gallons of pre-boil wort.

I did notice a few dark-looking grain husks in the mash. Perhaps I got a little bit of scorching or darkening in the decoction. 

Pre-boil OG was 1.035, post-boil was1.045. Right on the projected numbers, but above the numbers in the BYO article.

Cooled to 80F, racked to carboy, and placed in freezer to get to 45F pitching temps.

Ack! The starter was getting a bit slushy with ice.... Not sure if / how much yeast survived. Anyway I just swirled it around to loosen things up, decanted, then pitched. We'll see if it works or if I get a nasty batch of infected crap. I would really hate for that to happen!

11/3/15 - Rumors of yeast's death were greatly exaggerated. Fermentation is apparently proceeding apace.


11/17/15 - Began diacetyl rest after 2 weeks of fermenting at 50F. After 3 days of rest, the beer will cool to 35F over 48 hours, then will enter a lager period of 3 weeks.

11/18/15 - Racked to keg and began force carbonation. Careful not to rack any of the sludge at the bottom of the carboy into the keg. Remaining lagering time will occur in the keg. Gravity was 1.016, for ~ 3.8% ABV. The sample was already tasting pretty good but did taste a little "green"