January brewing and doings

Just brewed (from an extract kit) a Kolsch. However, I added 4.5 ounces of additional Cascade whole leaf hops 10 minutes before flameout. In addition I will be adding wild blackberries and rhubarb I picked and froze this summer to fermentation in a couple of days. Hopefully this new year I will graduate from extract kits and start all grain brewing.

 

Recreational Lager chugging along at 49*F...next up Strong Scotch Ale and a locally sourced Cream Ale...just need to decide what kind of Cream Ale I want it to be...might be interesting to use my 1728 to make it and then use the cake to brew the Maple Scotch Ale. Seems like a lot of different yeasts could work with a Cream Ale, but 1728 probably wouldn't be my first choice... in 2016 anyway

 

I did a 10 gallon batch of German Pilsner today. 95% German Pilsner malt and 5% Melanoidin. Czech Premiant at 60 minutes and Spalt and Hallertau Mittelfruh at 20 and 10 for 45 IBUs. W-34/70 yeast reused from my prior Czech Dark. The IBUs are a bit high but this batch will be bottled and not touched until May or June, so I'm expecting some hop fade.

 

A great brew day here. My son helped me and we kegged a Citra/Cascade DIPA and we then brewed an imperial stout. This was my biggest beer by far and we hit our target OG at 1.102. Glad he was with me: my BIAB bag caught on the kettle thermowell and tore, so we poured the wort into my old kettle through a strainer before the boil. The next beer will be a much lower gravity to balance things out. Happy New Year!

 

Happy New Year!

The home brewery has been shutdown since mid-November. I don't like to mess with it during the holidays. But today the kettle is on, brewing a NW Pale Ale from a Deschutes Red Chair clone recipe.

I do most of my brewing in January thru March and then again September thru November, with an occasional spring and summer batch.

So today marks the beginning of my "brew year."

 

Brewed a German Pils today. Whole flower hopped with Tradition, Saaz, Hallertauer Mittelfrueh and Tettnanger.

1.047 OG, expected FG of 1.009.
45 IBU from 8oz of hops (5-gallon batch).
Pitched WLP800 yeast (1.5L to 3L step starter)

 

Kegging an all Denali hopped basic west coast IPA today

Collaborating with a friend on a Doppelbock next Sunday

Blending and bottling 2 YB beers that are a year old at the end of the month

Brewing a double batch of Rare Barrel blonde base to split between 3711 and 1318. Once fermented will get transferred on top of the keg dregs of the blended/bottled batch to sit for another year or so

 

Brewing up an imperial stout today. Considering adding coconut, have 2 lbs from LHBS, should I add any to boil, primary, or all in secondary? Thanks in advance.

 

HAPPY NEW BEER!!!

Brewed up a Hoppy Double Kolsch yesterday to finish my break with 5 batches brewed...hopefully I wont have to brew for a week or 2

 

Toast the coconut in the oven and add into secondary for 10-14 days...I go with around 12-14 oz of toasted coconut for 14 days usually and get a nice full coconut flavor and aroma without going overboard.

 

Thanks!

 

Creating a starter tonight for brewing Wednesday, which will be back-to-back 'None More Sessionable' 5 gallon batches. Looking for it to be a 12-15% 'lighter' version of None More Black which I will be putting into a 15 gallon rye-whiskey barrel. After I knock out 3 batches of NMS I will be doing 15 gallons of wheat wine (10%ish) for a wheat whiskey barrel. Lots of brewing over the next handful of days...

 

Tomorrow I'll be bottling up 5 gallons of my bourbon barrel aged Quad. I haven't bottled in a while, and not looking forward to it. I'll also be working on a starter for what will be in the barrel next, which will something along the lines of an English IPA/ ESB.
And planning on doing a lager soon, more than likely it will be a California Common, which in my opinion is a greatly under appreciated beer style. Cheers!

 

Realized that the ball locks on my keg weren't completely tightened, hence why my beer isn't carbed yet

I'm trying to see the glass as half-full and assuming this means no oxygen, and an extra week of aging to improve the beer...

 

I do have some on hand, just in case.

 

Finally got around to brewing candy syrup rochefort 10 clone today, my first decoction mash. Went pretty smooth, hopefully the extra time is worth it.

 

Kegged another NEIPA and brewed a higher abv Saison fermented with wlp585 and will add some form of Brett (not sure yet on which strain) in secondary and let it sit for awhile.

 

Brewed something weird yesterday. Was a AG version of the Maverick IBA, but instead of caramel wheat malt, used german wheat. Changed color a lot, could have used a little but more of specialty maybe. Had great efficiency, and start of vigorous fermentation (German WYEAST) in 4 hours.

Currently also finishing up the lagering of a Noble pilsner, and racked a rebrew of our Yeti clone into a carboy for aging. (90 days)