Brewing Activities (2020)

I've never been a DIY guy outside of brewing (Drink it Yourself?), but there is enough online instruction on keezer builds that I was able to pull it off to my satisfaction. Still, I'm sure there ill be utility in talking it over with someone.

 

Brewed something like a Marzen using Mecca Grade malts: Metolius (60.1%), Pelton (34.2%) Opal 22 (3.5%, and Carafa special 1 for color (2.1%). Crystal and Tettnang at 60 min and 20 mintues. 34/70. OG 1.056. Est. IBU 27, SRM 13.

 

Bottled a golden sour today that was made with MTF Funk Island from Bootleg Biology, fermented for around 9 months, and then aged on 12lb of peaches for an additional 3 months. Pretty dang tasty. Very peachy, a little salty, very tart and slightly acetic but not overbearing.

 

This looks and sounds amazing.

 

I am bottling a rye pumpkin ale and adding mango to a mango wheat today. I will be adding a rum/vanilla/stick cinnamon tincture to the pumpkin beer along with the corn sugar. Got a busy brew schedule coming up, with a Galaxy-Mosaic IPA, cranberry saison and Christmas beer between Oct. and Nov.

 

I see this in a driveway and I'm stopping to get to know the neighbors.

 

Pumpernickel Saison today!

 

Just mashed in for 6.5g of sour brew. Planning to secondary half on raspberries and half on peaches.

Pale millet
Biscuit rice
Buckwheat
Quinoa
Dextrose
Mount Hood
Styrian Golding
Lallemand Philly Sour

 

Would love to know more about your method and recipe. I think I’d like to try this when the South Carolina peaches are ripe for the pickin.

 

Loved that article it was good read.

 

Recipe is here. Method is pretty basic: Ferment with mixed culture at room temp for 6-12 months, transfer onto lightly rinsed and quartered fruit in a secondary fermenter for an additional 1-3 months, bottle. Feel free to DM me if you have more specific questions!

 

Thanks guys!

Just posted a new writeup about my Italian pilsner, btw.

 

Gotta ask. How are you getting the pumpernickel in there?

 

I've brewed this before. Basically, it's 30% rye total (not too far off in how pumpernickel bread is made, only using barley malt instead of wheat flour to make up the difference). Basically, ~60-65% base malt (TFGP is my house base), ~20% rye malt, ~10% toasted flaked rye, ~2% each caramel rye and chocolate rye. This time I added ~2% brown malt to boost the earthy, somewhat cocoa-ish flavors you get from pumpernickel. Didn't toast the flaked rye as much as I had in the past, but the brown malt made up the difference in color at least.

Got the idea of toasting the flaked rye from someone on here (I forget who) forgetting about some flaked oats in the oven that they were toasting for an oatmeal stout, and being pleased with the results. Before, I'd toasted to what I would think was 40-50L, this time, I think it was only to about 20-30L. When I do it again, I'll try to take it a little further. Proof will be in the pudding, though, and I'll make note once it's in bottles, carbed, and ready.

Also fucked around with hopping a bit. Before I had used solely UK Fuggles throughout, with a dry hop. I don't know what was up with that batch of Fuggles, but it was way more floral than expected (along with the earthy, slightly spicy expected), and it wasn't a bad thing. This time, I'm using Willamette FWH and at 30, MI Crystal at 10, and 2:1 MI Crystal:Willamette at FO, no dry hop. I've found MI Crystal to be much more herbal than NW Crystal.

I push the low end on fermentation temps for this one. I want some esters and phenols from a saison yeast, but I want the bready malt to shine. Luckily, BE-134 is a workhorse, and the pear esters and cinnamon/pepper phenols it throws compliment at low levels.

 

Sounds very well thought out.
Have you considered tossing a few slices of pumpernickel bread in the mash? like a kvass?

 

Not really, since I'm basically already mashing what makes pumpernickel bread already, just using barley malt instead of wheat flour, and some rye malt instead of rye flour. Only real change I'd make beyond keying in hopping to my liking I'd make in the future would be making it darker, which I figure would happen with extra toasting of the flaked rye, or maybe adding a bit more chocolate rye. That would probably drive pH down the touch it needs to get the slight tang of pumpernickel. If it doesn't happen, I'll do a bit of an ascorbic addition to get there in the boil.

It's one of the few recipes I've come up with to be a work in progress year over year. I love drinking it over the winter as a light-bodied alternative to the stouts, porters, and heavy dark Belgians I usually put up, and can look forward to the the slight changes I'll make for the next year's batch.

 

Sweet Stout FG sample. Nice and dry 1.050. OG was 1.122. 9.5% ABV. It's now on Coffee Bean, Vanilla Beans, and Cacao Nibs for a couple days.

 

Kegged my Black is Beautiful yesterday. FG 1.031 from OG 1.096 for around 8.5-9.5%, depending on which formula you prefer. Going to let it chill in the fridge until a slot opens up in the keezer.

 

I like the color on this one.