Brewing Activities (2021)

In the midst of brewing latest pilsner, which landed recipe wise at:

100% best malz pils, with enough acid malt subbed to get pH to 5.2
All RO water, some Sulfate and and Chloride in there, but pretty soft
Magnum bittering,
a whole buttload of whole cone cascade in the late boil / whirlpool
Escarpment labs Isar Lager in 4.5 L starter

Trying a novel method I read about from a local homebrew guru she's calling 'Live Lagering' which is apparently a traditional method, and purportedly preserves hop character in the final beer. The process is essentially put a few litres of wort into a purged bright tank (in my case a corny keg), and pitch the same rate of yeast as your main ferment. Allow this to ferment at a slightly elevated temp, but then lower the temp to juts above 4 degrees after a few days. When main fermentation is done, rack the beer into the bright with a that whole load of fresh healthy yeast. let it lager warmish around 4-5 C for 4 weeks or so then transfer to serving keg.

Here is her write up :

http://yegbierfrau.ca/Live-Lagering.php

She has reported huge success with this method for hop flavor preservation, which is something ive been chasing. Will report back with results!

@invertalon

 

- Kegging a gf Brown Ale. I love having an additional tap thanks to the new manifold!

- Brewing a gf NEIPA w/ Columbus & Simcoe hotside, Galaxy & Amarillo DH. Verdant.

 

Brewing a German Pilsner now. 100% Barke Pilsner malt, Magnum to bitter, Hallertau Mittelfruh and Saphir for flavor/aroma. OYL Bayern Lager at 52 degrees. Should be pretty simple but this is a style I would really like to nail down this year and from my previous attempts I know it is not easy at all.

 

Blended and bottled my 11.8% English Barleywine after about four months in secondary. I’m really happy with how the different oak treatments came out. The bourbon soaked spiral added noticeable but not overwhelming bourbon character/alc warmth and sweetness. The Sherry/madeira spiral added dried fruit, tannins and a drier finish. I can’t wait to crack one on a cold night.

 

You paying bills with all that or what? Lol just busting your chops. That’s seems like a job though. I’d wanna be reimbursed for all that hard work.

 

Yesterday I prepped ~8lbs of mexican guava by washing, quartering and freezing over night. Today I racked a blend of two different mixed-ferm saisons over the top of the guava and some gin soaked oak. It should be ready for bottling in April... then hopefully ready for consuming later this summer.

 

Brewing a small batch of gf American Strong Ale. Great opportunity to use up some malts to produce a high gravity brew to finish off the winter. All Columbus in the boil. Dry hops (if any) TBD. S-04.

 

Brewed for the first time in a long time this weekend.

Brewed BierMunchers (from HomebrewTalk) Centennial Blonde recipe. I brewed this recipe quite often when I was brewing regularly. One of my favorite easy drinkers.

Next weekend is a brown ale with espresso beans and cocoa nibs.

 

Focusing on the temp control of this years Maibock, moving up to Diacetyl rest for the next few days. Sounds really exciting!
Cheers

 

my attempt at a low O2 transfer. Psi at 2. Lid not clamped so I don’t blow or crush my fermenter. Transferring an ESB to the keg. Will let this carbonate over the next week and will put it on when the next tap opens.

 

When I used my Anvil fermenter I left the lid clamped and can confirm it will not damage. The gasket will leak before anything else gives way.

 

I’ve never done an ESB but it’s my friends favorite style and he wants me to make some. I want to do a clone of Bells Expedition stout. So I was thinking about doing the ESB and using the yeast cake for the stout. Gonna use WL Edinburg Scottish yeast. Not sure on the rest yet lol

 

Brewing up a Dunkelweiss. Munich, caramunich 2, malted wheat, dash of carafa 3 for color. 1 oz tettnang at 60 for 12 ibu. Using OmegaOYL-021 Hefeweizen ale1

 

Brewing a gfNEIPA before game time. Changing my process a bit due to a slight off flavor that my gf brethren and myself are picking up from rice malt. It doesn't occur until after fermentation. The current theory is that it's possibly due to hot side aeration. So, I've added brewtan B to the mash and have adjusted my process to limit HSA a bit. We'll see...

Biscuit Rice 4L
Munich Millet
Quinoa
Oats

Columbus & Simcoe hotside
Galaxy & Amarillo dry hop

Verdant

 

Yesterday we brewed two different weizen(ish) beers in weather conditions we aren’t used to

 

Brewed up a pale ale yesterday that was inspired by a Kolsch style beer I brewed recently and have been enjoying immensely. I was so impressed with how the Imperial Dieter allowed the minuscule hop addition to come through in that beer, that I figured I better try and amp it up a bit in a decidedly non-Kolsch beer.

1.044 OG (had some unexpected efficiency problems on the Unibrau)
1/3 Gambrinus pale 1/3 Gambrinus pils, 1/3 Best Malz pils for base malt (didn't feel like opening a new sack of pale)
10% wheat malt
3 % acid malt

Accidentally bittered with Idaho 7, grabbed the wrong hops for the bittering charge, so lucky they are a good 14% AA, although I was hoping to save them for whirlpool.

Whirlpooled at 180 for about 20 mins with
1oz Idaho7,
3 oz Amarillo,
1 oz Cryo Centennial
1 oz Simcoe

Couldn't get the Imperial Dieter again but picked up WLP 029 which is effectively the same strain AFAIK. Currently bubbling away at 62 F, harvesting that CO2 in the keg !

 

Kegging a simple saison tonight. Finally getting around to drinking a batch of rye saison that’s been bottled for about a month now. Slowly bringing a Czech Pilsner down to 34F for the next 2 weeks before kegging. Planning a recipe for a big batch of Amarillo/Enigma IPA soon, as well as a strawberry kettle sour with lactose. C’mon spring!