Appearance: Deep mahogany body with a billowing off-white head that has good retention and lacing. Body is crystal clear or very close. A good looking beer.
Aroma: Subtly smokey, well mixed with moderately toasty malt aroma. Hop aroma is none.
Taste: The smoke comes through more in the taste than the aroma, though the smoke's not overpowering or hammy. Smoke comes through more in the aftertaste, where it has a little more assertive character. Not acrid though. Toasty malt taste blends with the smoke. Slight sweetness with an earthy bitterness. Clean lager fermentation.
Mouthfeel: Creamy body. Good carbonation, sweetness is low.
Overall: Pleasant and not over the top smoky. At some point I should make a beer with 90%+ of smoke malt for a real malt bomb.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Sunday, September 3, 2017
NEIPA #1 Review
Appearance: Golden-orange body, with haze that is not much more than normal for my ales, moderate off-white head with decent persistence and lacing.
Aroma: I get a decent hoppy aroma, kind of berry fruity. Maybe passion fruit or strawberry. Aroma improves a bit as the beer warms. Intensity of the aroma is not the kind that you could smell from across the room, but good.
Taste: Hoppy, bitter. Less fruity than the aroma, more of a dank and piney note. Slight maltiness but fortunately no crystal sweetness to distract from the hops.
Mouthfeel: Soft but not juicy. Pretty well balanced between soft mouthfeel and dank hoppiness.
Overall: OK, wish the hop aroma were more intense. Not as fruity in taste or "soft" in mouthfeel as I was hoping.
Aroma: I get a decent hoppy aroma, kind of berry fruity. Maybe passion fruit or strawberry. Aroma improves a bit as the beer warms. Intensity of the aroma is not the kind that you could smell from across the room, but good.
Taste: Hoppy, bitter. Less fruity than the aroma, more of a dank and piney note. Slight maltiness but fortunately no crystal sweetness to distract from the hops.
Mouthfeel: Soft but not juicy. Pretty well balanced between soft mouthfeel and dank hoppiness.
Overall: OK, wish the hop aroma were more intense. Not as fruity in taste or "soft" in mouthfeel as I was hoping.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Wit Beer Review
Appearance: Billowing white head that lasts. Straw body with light haze. A good looking brew.
Aroma: Low intensity, hard to identify. Perhaps a bit of Belgian yeast character. Unfortunately does not have the lemony or coriander quality it should. Or maybe my nose is stuffy.
Taste: Better. I get some slightly sweet pils malt notes, a bit of a spicy Belgian yeast character, and some earthy hops. Maybe a very small bit of tartness. It's pleasant but not as characterful as I was hoping for.
Moutfeel: Creamy and thick, but with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Pleasant, refreshing but lacking in as much character as I was hoping for.
Aroma: Low intensity, hard to identify. Perhaps a bit of Belgian yeast character. Unfortunately does not have the lemony or coriander quality it should. Or maybe my nose is stuffy.
Taste: Better. I get some slightly sweet pils malt notes, a bit of a spicy Belgian yeast character, and some earthy hops. Maybe a very small bit of tartness. It's pleasant but not as characterful as I was hoping for.
Moutfeel: Creamy and thick, but with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Pleasant, refreshing but lacking in as much character as I was hoping for.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
NEIPA #1 Brewday
BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: NEIPA 1
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: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 3.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 42.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.8 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.50 gal Boston, MA Water 1 -
5.50 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
1.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 3 -
6 lbs Brewers Malt 2-Row (Briess) (1.8 SRM) Grain 4 55.2 %
2 lbs Wheat (BestMälz) (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 18.4 %
1 lbs Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM) Grain 6 9.2 %
1 lbs Vienna (BestMälz) (4.1 SRM) Grain 7 9.2 %
8.0 oz Oats, Flaked (Briess) (1.4 SRM) Grain 8 4.6 %
6.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 9 3.4 %
2.00 oz Simcoe [11.80 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 15.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Huell Melon [5.20 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 11 0.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Lemon Drop [5.20 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 12 0.7 IBUs
2.00 oz Simcoe [11.80 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 Hop 13 18.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Huell Melon [5.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool Hop 14 4.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Lemon Drop [4.60 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 1 Hop 15 3.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 16 -
2.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 17 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Huell Melon [5.20 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Lemon Drop [5.20 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 19 0.0 IBUs
Mash Schedule: 154F, Mash Out, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 10 lbs 14.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash Step Add 14.59 qt of water at 167.4 F 154.0 F 60 min
Mash Step Add 8.70 qt of water at 196.0 F 168.0 F 10 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 2.99gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
------
Brewed 7/29/17.
Hit my mash temp and volume OK, but got OG of 1.056, a bit high.
After whirlpool, used IC to get wort to 100F, racked, then left to cool.
7/30/17: Pitched one packet of US-05 at ~70F, which is on the high side. Did not oxygenate, but did rehydrate the yeast.
Activity by that evening. High airlock activity and krausen by the following day. By 8/1, fermentation still going but high krausen appears to have past.
8/3/17: Added dry hops.
8/12/17: Kegged with carbing sugar. Aiming for 2.4 volumes of CO2.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Märzen and Rauchbier Double Brew
Double brew day. Doing two lagers in one day makes better use of the lagering fridge, which is big enough to fit two 5-gallon fermenting vessels at once.
BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Marzen - 6A
Style: Märzen
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: 1.058 SG
Estimated Color: 12.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 22.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 85.2 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.00 gal Boston, MA Water 1 -
5.50 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
4 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 33.7 %
3 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 4 25.3 %
2 lbs Munich Dark (BestMälz) (12.7 SRM) Grain 5 16.8 %
2 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 6 16.8 %
8.0 oz Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 7 4.2 %
4.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 8 2.1 %
2.0 oz Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (470.0 SR Grain 9 1.1 %
0.37 oz Polaris [18.00 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 10 18.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Hallertauer [2.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 11 3.8 IBUs
2.0 pkg Octoberfest/Marzen Lager (White Labs #WL Yeast 12 -
Mash Schedule: 150F, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs 14.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash Step Add 16.84 qt of water at 162.1 F 150.0 F 60 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 5.35gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
Carafa Spec. III added during sparge, for color adjustment only.
------
7/10/17: 2 packages of yeast into 1.6L starter, shook to aerate, ferment at 70F.
7/16/17: Brewed. Hit mash temp and pre-boil well. About 7.6 gal, 11B / 1.046 pre-boil, about 6 gal 15B / 1.060 post boil. Cooled with IC and wort re-circulation to 100F, allowed to settle, then racked clear wort to fermenting bucket. Placed in fermenting fridge with target temp of 45F.
7/17/17: Wort at 45F. Oxygenated with O2 for ~75 seconds. Pitched decanted starter.
7/19/17: Solid krausen, fermentation proceeding at 50F.
Recipe: Classic Rauch - 6B
Style: Rauchbier
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: 1.057 SG
Estimated Color: 16.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 23.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 85.2 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.50 gal Boston, MA Water 1 -
5.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
6 lbs Smoked Malt (Weyermann) (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 52.2 %
2 lbs Munich Dark (BestMälz) (12.7 SRM) Grain 4 17.4 %
2 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 17.4 %
8.0 oz Caramunich II (Weyermann) (63.0 SRM) Grain 6 4.3 %
8.0 oz Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 7 4.3 %
4.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 8 2.2 %
3.0 oz Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (470.0 SR Grain 9 2.2 %
0.37 oz Polaris [18.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 10 20.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Hallertauer [2.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 11 2.8 IBUs
2.0 pkg Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) Yeast 12 -
Mash Schedule: 150F, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs 8.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash Step Add 15.38 qt of water at 162.7 F 150.0 F 60 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 5.42gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
Carafa III at sparge for color only.
------
7/16/17: Brewed, hit mash temp pretty well, maybe a degree or so too high. Got ~ 7.7 gal, 1.046 preboil, ~6 gal, 1.060 post-boil. May have boiled slightly too long or short since I somehow accidentally pause the timer for a few minutes.
Cooled to 100F with recirculating IC, allowed to settle, racked clear beer to sanitized plastic carboy. Placed in fridge at 45F target temp.
Measured OG of left-over wort at ~ 1.060. Tasted smoky but not overwhelming. Wort was darker than that for the Märzen.
7/17/17: Pitched 2 packets of S-34/70. Did not rehydrate. The directions on the packet say only to sprinkle into wort.
7/19/17: Good krausen and airlock activity at 50F.
Both:
8/12/17: Kegged Märzen and began force carbing, racked Rauchbier to secondary. Both had gone through D-Rest and subsequent cooling to 35F in the primary while I was away on vacation.
BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Marzen - 6A
Style: Märzen
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: 1.058 SG
Estimated Color: 12.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 22.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 85.2 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.00 gal Boston, MA Water 1 -
5.50 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
4 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 33.7 %
3 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 4 25.3 %
2 lbs Munich Dark (BestMälz) (12.7 SRM) Grain 5 16.8 %
2 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 6 16.8 %
8.0 oz Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 7 4.2 %
4.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 8 2.1 %
2.0 oz Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (470.0 SR Grain 9 1.1 %
0.37 oz Polaris [18.00 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 10 18.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Hallertauer [2.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 11 3.8 IBUs
2.0 pkg Octoberfest/Marzen Lager (White Labs #WL Yeast 12 -
Mash Schedule: 150F, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs 14.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash Step Add 16.84 qt of water at 162.1 F 150.0 F 60 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 5.35gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
Carafa Spec. III added during sparge, for color adjustment only.
------
7/10/17: 2 packages of yeast into 1.6L starter, shook to aerate, ferment at 70F.
7/16/17: Brewed. Hit mash temp and pre-boil well. About 7.6 gal, 11B / 1.046 pre-boil, about 6 gal 15B / 1.060 post boil. Cooled with IC and wort re-circulation to 100F, allowed to settle, then racked clear wort to fermenting bucket. Placed in fermenting fridge with target temp of 45F.
7/17/17: Wort at 45F. Oxygenated with O2 for ~75 seconds. Pitched decanted starter.
7/19/17: Solid krausen, fermentation proceeding at 50F.
Recipe: Classic Rauch - 6B
Style: Rauchbier
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: 1.057 SG
Estimated Color: 16.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 23.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 85.2 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.50 gal Boston, MA Water 1 -
5.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
6 lbs Smoked Malt (Weyermann) (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 52.2 %
2 lbs Munich Dark (BestMälz) (12.7 SRM) Grain 4 17.4 %
2 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 17.4 %
8.0 oz Caramunich II (Weyermann) (63.0 SRM) Grain 6 4.3 %
8.0 oz Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 7 4.3 %
4.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 8 2.2 %
3.0 oz Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (470.0 SR Grain 9 2.2 %
0.37 oz Polaris [18.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 10 20.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Hallertauer [2.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 11 2.8 IBUs
2.0 pkg Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) Yeast 12 -
Mash Schedule: 150F, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs 8.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash Step Add 15.38 qt of water at 162.7 F 150.0 F 60 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 5.42gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
Carafa III at sparge for color only.
------
7/16/17: Brewed, hit mash temp pretty well, maybe a degree or so too high. Got ~ 7.7 gal, 1.046 preboil, ~6 gal, 1.060 post-boil. May have boiled slightly too long or short since I somehow accidentally pause the timer for a few minutes.
Cooled to 100F with recirculating IC, allowed to settle, racked clear beer to sanitized plastic carboy. Placed in fridge at 45F target temp.
Measured OG of left-over wort at ~ 1.060. Tasted smoky but not overwhelming. Wort was darker than that for the Märzen.
7/17/17: Pitched 2 packets of S-34/70. Did not rehydrate. The directions on the packet say only to sprinkle into wort.
7/19/17: Good krausen and airlock activity at 50F.
Both:
8/12/17: Kegged Märzen and began force carbing, racked Rauchbier to secondary. Both had gone through D-Rest and subsequent cooling to 35F in the primary while I was away on vacation.
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.
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.
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.
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