Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Czech PIls Review

Appearance: Golden straw body, almost crystal clear but with very low haze. Was hoping for clearer appearance in my lagers. Billowing white head, good bubbling.

Aroma: Grainy pils aroma, light earthy notes. Some sweetness, maybe a tiny bit of a sulfury note.

Taste: Typical pils malt taste with slight sweetness in the middle. Fairly crisp finish with decent bitterness. Low hop flavor. Smooth. Don't get any yeast flavors. Clean, refreshing but not super dry.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body, moderately crisp finish, moderate carbonation.

Would brew again. Very good, but probably not quite as good as my first Czech light lager.

Monday, July 17, 2017

IPL Review

Appearance: Billowing white head with good persistence, nearly crystal clear orange body, good lacing and nice rising bubbles. A good looking brew.

Aroma: Fruity Centennial hops,  fruity character Intensity is OK but not great. Hint of malt sweetness. I don't get any yeast character. No sulfur.

Taste: I get some crystal malt sweetness and a bit of fruity hop character. Light dankness but more fruity. Bitterness at the end is moderate. Hop character increases as it warms. Clean lager character without yeast-derived flavors.

Mouthfeel:Thick body, moderate combination.

Overall:  Wish it were hoppier and didn't have the crystal malt. The sweetness of the crystal kind of obscures the hop character. Next time, try not to use crystal malt in any IPL / IPA beer.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Wit & Smoked Porter Brewday

Double brew-day on July 3, 2017. 

Recipe: Wit Beer
Style: Witbier
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.64 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.51 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal  
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 3.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 85.2 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU        
6 lbs                 Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM)            Grain         1        58.5 %       
4 lbs                 Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM)                Grain         2        39.0 %       
4.0 oz                Acid Malt (3.0 SRM)                      Grain         3        2.4 %        
1.00 oz               Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min        Hop           4        14.7 IBUs    
0.50 oz               Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 30.0 min            Hop           5        4.7 IBUs     
0.30 oz               Ginger Root (Boil 5.0 mins)             Herb          6        -            
0.30 oz               Coriander (Boil 5.0 mins)           Spice         7        -            
0.30 oz               Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 mins)      Spice         8        -            
0.50 oz               Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 1.0 min             Hop           9        0.3 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Belgian Ale (White Labs #WLP550) [35.49  Yeast         10       -            

Mash Schedule: 150F, Mash Out, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 10 lbs 4.0 oz
----------------------------
Name                    Description                                          Step Temperat Step Time    
Mash Step               Add 13.81 qt of water at 162.7 F                     150.0 F       60 min       
Mash Step               Add 8.20 qt of water at 204.1 F                      168.0 F       10 min       

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 3.61gal) of 168.0 F water

Notes:
Coriander was just ground coriander seed from the grocery store, orange just normal orange from grocery.
------
6/28/17: Starter with WLP550 from a previous batch, 1.5 liters. Very active fermentation by 6/30.

7/3/17:  Brewed, mash temps hit, slightly under volume at 7.5 gal pre-boil, but gravity was 10.6B or 1.0425 SG.

Boiled 1 hour 20 minutes, got 13.9B / 1.056 SG, a bit high, at 6.5 gallons. Added chopped ginger, orange peel, and coriander in the last few minutes of the boil.

Cooled to 120F, racked to plastic carboy, and let sit overnight at 70F ambient.

7/4/17:  Oxygenated 1 min, pitched decanted starter.

7/5/17: 7am: Very active fermentation. 6pm: Yeast cake was coming out of the bottle, the bung was blown out. Extremely active fermentation, huge krausen. Cleaned up, replaced bung and airlock.

----------------------------------------
Recipe: Locally Smoked Porter
Style: Classic Style Smoked Beer

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.26 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.51 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal  
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.059 SG
Estimated Color: 43.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 42.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 85.2 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU        
8 lbs                 Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)           Grain         1        66.7 %       
2 lbs                Oak Smoked Triticale (3.0 SRM)              Grain         2        16.7 %       
8.0 oz                Black Malt (Thomas Fawcett) (660.0 SRM)  Grain         3        4.2 %        
8.0 oz                Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (470.0 SR Grain         4        4.2 %        
8.0 oz                Chocolate Malt (Simpsons) (430.0 SRM)    Grain         5        4.2 %        
4.0 oz                Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)    Grain         6        2.1 %        
4.0 oz                Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)   Grain         7        2.1 %        
1.00 oz               Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min        Hop           8        39.2 IBUs    
1.00 oz               East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Boil Hop           9        3.0 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               S-05  Yeast         10       -            
2.00 oz               American Oak Cubes - Medium Toast (Secon Flavor        11       -            


Mash Schedule: 152F, Mash Out, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 12 lbs
----------------------------
Name                    Description                                          Step Temperat Step Time    
Mash Step               Add 16.00 qt of water at 165.1 F                     152.0 F       60 min       
Mash Step               Add 9.60 qt of water at 199.8 F                      168.0 F       10 min       

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 2.55gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
Smoked and Crystal malt from Valley Malt grain share.
Oak cubes in secondary.
-------

7/3/17: Brewed. Mash temp too low somehow, maybe 151F. Got 7.5 gal of 13B / 1.023 SG wort. Tasted good, not super smokey.

Cooled to 100F, racked to plastic carboy, let sit overnight at 70F.

7/4/17: Oxygenated 30 seconds, pitched 1 pack of rehydrated S-05.

7/5/17: 7am: Light activity in the airlock.6pm: Good activity, moderate krausen.









Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Blonde Ale Review

Appearance: White head with good retention and lacing. Straw body with moderate haze.

Aroma: Light malty aroma with some sweetness. Low hoppy character - maybe a little citrus character. No piney aroma. Grainy. Does not have crystal or character malt taste.

Taste: Malty and grainy with a hint of sweetness. Maybe has a bready note. Hop taste is low. Bitterness is low but noticeable. Soft finish with a minerally note.

Mouthfeel: Light body, moderate carbonation.

Overall: Easy drinking, pleasant, and lowish in alcohol. A good summer lawnmower beer.

For next time: Would only try to reduce the haze. Not sure if it's chill haze or something else. 

Monday, May 15, 2017

Czech Pils + IPL Brewday

Czech Pils
 
Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.64 gal
Boil Time: 90 min
End of Boil Vol: 6.51 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 5.00 gal
Fermentation: Laget
Date: 5 May 2017
Equipment: 7.6 Pre-Boil, Big MLT, 90 min Boil
Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 79.5 %
Taste Rating: 30.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.50 gal Boston, MA Water 1 -
5.50 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
11 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 88.9 %
12.0 oz Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM) Grain 4 6.1 %
10.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 5 5.1 %
1.00 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 75.0 min Hop 6 12.2 IBUs
2.00 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 7 17.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 4.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 2.3 IBUs
1.00 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 min Hop 10 2.1 IBUs
2.0 pkg Czech Budejovice Lager (White Labs #WLP802) [35.49 ml] Yeast 11 -

Gravity, Alcohol Content and Color

Est Original Gravity: 1.058 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.8 %
Bitterness: 38.8 IBUs
Est Color: 3.9 SRM

Mash Profile

Mash Name: 154F, Mash Out, Batch Sparge
Sparge Water: 2.78 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F

Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash Step Add 16.47 qt of water at 167.5 F 154.0 F 60 min
Mash Step Add 9.90 qt of water at 195.8 F 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 2.78gal) of 168.0 F water
Mash Notes:

5/12/17: Made a starter with 1 yeast old package. Went to LHBS to pick up a second, freshe pack.

5/15/17: Brewed. Hit mash temps well, got 1.0492 gravity pre-boil at ~7.4 gallons, 1.0598 post-boil at ~6 gallons. 
 After short whirlpool, racked to carboy with about 5.5 gallons and some hop gunk. 90F. Moved to freezer overnight.

5/16/17, 7am: Wort at 45F. Oxygenated for 70s. Pitched most of starter and 2nd yeast pack, with a little bit of rehydrated 34/70 from the IPL.

India Pale Lager 
 
Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.64 gal
Boil Time: 90 min
End of Boil Vol: 6.51 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 5.00 gal
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
Equipment: 7.6 Pre-Boil, Big MLT, 90 min Boil
Efficiency: 75.00 %

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.50 gal Boston, MA Water 1 -
7.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
5.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 3 -
8 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 58.2 %
3 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 21.8 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Munich (BestMälz) (7.6 SRM) Grain 6 9.1 %
1 lbs Wheat (BestMälz) (2.0 SRM) Grain 7 7.3 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 8 3.6 %
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 10.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 10 12.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 11 5.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 12 6.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 30.0 min Hop 13 11.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min Hop 14 7.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 30.0 min Hop 15 13.2 IBUs
1.0 pkg Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) [50.28 ml] Yeast 16 -
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 17 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 19 0.0 IBUs

Gravity, Alcohol Content and Color

Est Original Gravity: 1.069 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.2 %
Bitterness: 66.7 IBUs
Est Color: 5.2 SRM

Mash Profile

Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 18.19 qt of water at 163.6 F 150.0 F 75 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 4.99 gal water at 168.0 F (split into 2 x 2.5 batches).
 ---
 
5/14/17: Brewed. Got 7.9 gallons of 1.0577 wort, pre-boil. Post boil 1.0698 OG, 6.3 gallons (24L). Added 2nd dose of Centennial whirlpool hops at knockout + 15mins.
 
Chilled to 90F, racked to carboy, and placed in freezer overnight.
 
5/15/17, 7am: Wort at 45F, oxygenated 70s, pitched 2.5 packs of rehydrated 24/70.
 

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Solera Pull 1 Review

This is the first pull from a 5-gallon carboy of sour beer, so it's not technically a solera yet. After pulling about 2.5 gallons, I added another 2.5 gallons of freshly fermented clean beer. In any case, the beer today is a bit over a year old, from a single brew, but with a ton of different sour dregs and brett strains, and a pack of Roselare blend.

Appearance: Hazy golden body with thin, white head. Lots of carbonation bubbles on the side of the glass.

Aroma: Fairly clean sour smell. Lemon-rind like. No hop aroma. A hint of acetic acid, maybe a little diacetyl.

Taste: Starts off a with a sharp tartness, maybe some vinegary character. Bretty funk is in there too. Quite dry, with a tannic quality at the end. Malt taste pretty low. Bitterness low to none.

Mouthfeel: Dry, low to moderate combination, sharply sour finish. Light-ish body.

Overall: Not sure. Pretty good, nice lemony and refreshing beer, but should have less vinegar, probably needs a bit more carbonation. Will see how it tastes in a few months.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Weizenbock Review

Appearance: Thick billowing, slightly tan head with excellent retention. Dark reddish body. Good lacing.

Aroma: Dark fruit aroma, with a hint of alcohol. Light bready notes.

Taste: Starts off with dark fruit, then some bready character and finishes with clovey and phenolic notes. Doesn't taste sweet to me, and doesn't have noticeable bitterness. Slight alcohol bite. The clove / phenolics are dominant. Tastes almost like a Belgian beer. Probably

Mouthfeel: Moderate to high carbonation, creamy sensation in the mouth.

Overall: Not sure what to think in terms of how well it matches the style guidelines. I wish I could do a side-by-side with a good commercial example. It's pleasant but I wouldn't want to have more than 1 or 2 glasses. Entered into a comp, eager to see how it does.