Brewing Activities (2019)

Closed the fermentor late last night on the second iteration of a Maris Otter Styrian Golding smash.
11# MO 60-min mash @ 153°
.5 tsp Brewtan B split between strike and mash-out water
1.25 oz SG hops for 60-min
5 tsp yeast nutrients @ 10 min.
6.5 oz SG in hopstand for 45-min, avg temp 165°
Considering a dry-hop if I can find more Styrian in the next couple days.

Outside temp dropped more quickly than expected and the wind didn’t die down. That, along with 6.75-gal boil volume in a 7.25-gal kettle made monitoring boil-over and maintaining a decent boil a PITA.
On the plus side, once the immersion chiller started flowing it took 2 minutes from about 205° to 170°, and after hopstand it took 15 minutes from 160° to 70°.

 

Early start today for my first 2019 batches ... Imperial Red Ale (very loosely based on Zoe) followed by Oat IPA with Amarillo, Azacca, and Columbus. Will also be the first that go into kegs for me when they’re ready.

 

Batch 7 of a Kolsch recipe I’m trying to dial in, sort of...

Weyermann Floor Malted Pils
20% Admiral Gallagher’s Best
2% Carahell
Magnum/Liberty to 30 IBUs
GY021

Did some forced diacetyl tests yesterday on two hoppy beers and both passed so soft cooled them to 58 to harvest some yeast today and dry hop them. If they turn out well I think I’m going to enter them into the Reuben’s Brews Hop Idol comp. We’ll see..

IPA is getting a blend of Southern passion, Galaxy, and Sabro. IIPA is getting Strata and HBC692.

 

Strong bitter today

Looking for 1.052 O.G.
Maris Otter
Medium and Dark crystals
Lyles golden syrup

EKG and Willamette hops

Thames Valley Ale yeast

Cheers

 

Just finished cleaning up after brewday. Brewed a double sip o sun clone.

Happiness is hitting all of your numbers. I think I finally have my brew-cipher parameters dialed in.

 

Bottled an all-Centennial barleywine today, first brew since October after the passing of a good beer friend. Also my first go-around with my mini Brew Bucket. Despite all my efforts to cause it go to go awry -- possibly over-pitching massively with dry yeast after reading through @dmtaylor's exploration on the topic on the AHA website, ending with a FG of 1.036 vs expected 1.020 even after wanton dry-hopping to try and cause a little hop creep -- my taste from today was actually pretty nice. We'll see how it does carbonated up as it made me think of a slightly sweet Two Hearted, who knows what will happen.

Good to get back in the saddle and screw a few things up as it makes me want to get my process back in order.

 

Pineapple IPA carbed up and serving.
The Amoretti pineapple is just barely making it through the citra and mosaic. Nowhere near the prominence it displayed in my cider last year. I think I overdid it on the hop stand. There’s no room for the pineapple.

Still, it’s a good drinking IPA and those who have tried it ask what’s in it so I know there’s a little bit of piña showing up.

<IMG>

<IMG>

 

HGIPA #7 gotta use up the cascades. 5 lbs to go.

 

I’ll take some off your hands. PM me.

 

Been drinking an ipa I brewed around 75 with Voss Kveik and it tastes like marmalade. I only used hornindal once and didn’t ferment as warm and it seemed a little more saisony than the Voss. Super cool yeast strains though definitely going to use them this summer

 

On a brewing hiatus for a bit as my pipeline is full at the moment… I have four beers on tap now (DIPA, Kolsch, Dunkel and Prima Pils)… Dunkel is about to kick and my Weizenbock will go back on. Then I have a Doppelbock ready to go after some 8 weeks of lagering and a new Festbier that is just starting it’s lager… Girlfriend wants me to brew her a beer to tap on her birthday mid-March, likely a session IPA, so that will get squeezed in there as well.

Anywho, as far as brewing activities:

Yakima Valley Hops got in all their German hops, so just placed my yearly order for all the goodies… German Magnum, Mittelfruh, Tradition, Perle, Saaz and Tettnanger. Those will go along with hops I already have in (Hallertau Blanc, Hersbrucker and more of the varieties just ordered). Will be an epic year for some delicious Pils and other lager!

 

Just doughed in on what's becoming a house NE pale ale. 2-row, flaked oats, and wheat malt. Planning on a 30-min boil with a little Warrior and then lots of late Galaxy and Mosaic. Fermenting with 1318.

 

Hoping to get two hoppy brews in this weekend...

1) SMaSH Pale Ale:
Pale Millet Malt
Ekuanot
BRY-97
I'll be doing a single infusion rather than my typical step mash. We'll see if my efficiency takes a big hit or not. It would be nice to shorten my brew days a bit.

2) NEIPA w/ Galaxy & Amarillo + tiny Warrior bittering.

Both will be kegged up, which is awesome. Having beer on tap is incredible in both quality and convenience .

 

Brewing up a good ol’ West Coast IPA

CTZ is 40% of the hop bill with Centennial, Cascade and Chinook

2-row, Carahell & US-05

I’ve never used Carahell in a WC IPA before. Just always been American crystal malts or a few other specialty malts. Using about 5% in the grain bill.

 

bottleing burton light , brewing more irish stout.

 

Carahell is used in Fat Head's Head Hunter, one of the best WC IPAs of all time, IMO. Around 5% of the grist if I recall, as well.

 

Forgot, I'm also bottling a Smoked Saison. I ended up adding a lemon grass tincture. Should be nice.

 

im really likeing my first saison. how much smoked malt did you add, GF of course.

 

11%. I can't say I detect a strong smoke component. If anything, I think it adds to the dryness of the beer. I decided to add lemongrass to bring out some minty citrus. Now, I feel like the smoke is more evident playing along with those flavors. We'll see when it's carbed up.