Brewing Activities April 2016

Stopped at the LHBS to pick up wheat, pilsner, 1oz of hops and my yeast for my hefe I am brewing tomorrow. Unfortunately, out of WLP300 which I wanted to use. The guy recommended WLP351 based on his experience with it, so we will see how this turns out. Sounds like it will make for an interesting hefe. Different could be good, time will tell!

 

No Brett? (I jest.)

 

This weekend I'm planning on a repeat of one of my last batches which was a resounding success, easily my best self-conceived (inspired by Anchor) recipe and best batch in years. It was a dry hopped California Common with Citra and Nelson. This time I might switch up the dry hops or not... haven't decided. On the one hand experimentation is cool and fun, but it was just so goddamn perfect last time.

 

Gotta get that Double Sunshine clone kegged tonight. Looking forward to tasting a sample and having it on tap! I've been without kegged beer for almost two months now.

 

Just hit the 10lb mark for sugar additions to NMB. Tried some of the hydrometer sample and it's tasting pretty damn good.
Should surpass the previous batch's total sugar additions when when I feed it next in 12-24 hours.

The spontaneous starter I set out this morning at 5am (and transferred to flask+stirplate @ 10pm) looks like it picked up some good wild yeasties and seems to be fermenting away. Should brew with it sometime next week.

 

My first Berliner Weisse has been fermenting for a week now. I did a gravity check the other night, and I've hit my anticipated FG - 1.008. It tastes nice and tart.



I also have a Gose which has been kettle souring in the garage since Tuesday. I'll boil that one up tonight with some salt and coriander.

 

I was having trouble getting a closed transfer to work when I realized that the PRV on my keg had closed.

 

Brewing an Idaho 7 (a.k.a., 007: The Golden Hop) / Centennial beer tomorrow. This is my first experience with a hop that contains a colon in its name. If I like it, I will call the hop Idaho 7 moving forward.

 

My sweet and awesome wife bought me some grains for a Belgian dubbel and I plan on brewing it tomorrow on the new electric system for the system's 2nd brew.

 

Cleaning some kegs and shaking a starter today. All grain blonde ale with harmony hops tomorrow.

 

I hope the colon is not in reference to its aroma.

 

The pellets did not smell like butt. They were 2x as potent as Centennial and had a strong citrus aroma with a less intense garlicy skunk bud aroma.

 

Just finished waxing bottles of my second lambic, wondering how long will I be able to wait before drinking them all,lol.

Here is an artistic photo, lol

 

Just finished the IRS refractometer was 1.135, hydrometer was 1.115, refract is newer, which one do I go with?

 

If your hydrometer is properly calibrated, go with that. What calculator did you use to convert the refractometer reading?

 

Finally going to get back into brewing after about 6 months off - my new Brau Supply recirculating eBIAB system is coming this week!
Gonna kick it off with a few beers all built around Wyeast 1469, an English strain (Timothy Taylor) I've always heard good things about, but never tried.
First a dark mild, then an ordinary bitter in the style of Landlord, and then follow them up with some Citra, Comet, and Galaxy-blasted NEIPAs.

 

Wy1469 is a great English yeast. Enjoy!

 

Bottled up my first long-term sour today. Came from a mistake that I turned into a Flanders Red. It's been in the carboy for 17 months at this point. Decided to split half the batch onto tart canned cherries at about 1.5 lbs per gallon.


The rest was bottled as is. Excited for this to carb up.