Brewing Activity February 2016

Did this cleaning up my first ever batch. Since that first batch, I drink more and work out less. Hasn't happened again. Correlation?

 

Brewed up a half batch of an IPA tonight. Got 2.8 gal in the Spiedel in 4 hours. Not easy to do with a 2 year old and a 8 year old breathing down your neck and wife working. The little guy busted my scale so I had no way to measure out hops and planned on some sugar but scrapped it for fear of adding too much. So we'll see how the "wing it" hop schedule goes. Very simple grain bill of 2-row, white wheat, flaked oats, and carapils. Bittered with Simcoe and flameout addition of Mosaic, Simcoe, and touch of Citra. Finished it off with London Ale III set at 67.

All cleaned up and now I can enjoy a beer or three.

 

Kegged 1056 portion of a 7% American IPA got some pearl and golden promise a touch of dextrose buttered lightly with summit and Columbus. Centennial cascade chinook and Columbus late and simcoe mosaic cascade dry hops for 5 days. Tastes awesome on first sampling.

 

Brewed a robust porter, fermenting now with Wyeast 1968. Also dry hopped an Amarillo IPA with Citra/Amarillo.

 

Been there, done that more than once.

 

Nice looking Alt

 

Another nice day. Threw 15 different things into brewersfriend plus some simcoe/williamette and made a frankenbrew. First time using Thames Valley 1275 so it will be interesting to see how it comes out.

 

I didn't brew, but I put this bad boy together so that I can finally stop bottling. on tap right now is an imperial sour brown ale I aged on french oak chips and vanilla beans that I soaked in Powers whiskey

 

Bottled a peated stout. Going in to bottles (before priming with corn sugar) tastes great. Peat smoke + roasted barley bitter + alcohol burn (subtle) all happen at the same time.

Also, had my first bottle break during capping.

 

Just did a half batch (2.5 gallons) of a Belgian Dubbel and a half batch of a Belgian Golden Strong on Friday. Haven't brewed since July 31...man it feels good!

 

Kegged my Bohemian Pilsner this weekend... Ended up at 1.013 as a FG (estimated at 1.017). Assuming I got more fermentable sugars than expected due to the decoction mashing process I did... I am happy for the lower FG though to dry it out, I was concerned that 1.017 would be a bit sweet. Finished at 5.8% ABV.

It took exactly 2 weeks to finish primary... Fermented WLP300 at 50F, raising to 53F about half-way in and when the beer hit 1.018 I allowed the beer to warm up to room temp (~64F) to do the D-rest.

Hydro samples are filled with glorious Czech Saaz goodness... Beer is a bit hazy now, can't wait to see how it looks and tastes after the 4-5 week lager.

The recipe was 97.5% German Pils Malt, 2.5% Acid Malt. Bittering with German Magnum and 4oz of Czech Saaz between a 20min and 5min addition. Yeast used was WLP800 (fermented nicely, no sulfur aroma or diacetyl detected at any point).

 

This month, brewed a Wheat, Black Mild, and yesterday, the (M)Octoberfest recipe from Brulosophy. Can't wait to see how the hybrid German Ale/Kolsch yeast works out. Played with my water chemistry this last batch with respect to salts and PH. May have been coincidence, but it appears to have helped my efficiency. Kegged a Pliney clone and a Black IPA. The Black IPA seems to be a favorite.

 

By this weekend, I plan to add the bourbon oak chips and coffee to my Porter that is fermenting.

 

We hadn't brewed since, like, August...been too busy dealing with the red tape of getting the commercial gig off the ground. What a roller coaster.

Anyway, last week we brewed 10 gallons of a new pale ale recipe, and yesterday 10 gallons of Koelsch. Both brew days, we also did a 5 gallon "sidecar" batch of a bunch of old (probably stale) ingredients that we had lying around just to get rid of them and have some supplemental drinking beer so we can get back to not having to buy beer to support the...uh...habit.

Here are the rough specs:
Pale Ale: 1.044 with 2-Row, Amber, and Crystal 40...late hopped with hops I can't remember, Cali Ale Yeast
Koelsch: 1.042 with Pilsner, Bohemian Wheat, and Honey Malt...German Ale/Kolsch Yeast
Sidecars: both around 1.056 with 2-Row, Wheat, and Honey Malt...one got a healthy dose of Vienna as well, only bittering hops to balance...both got US-05

Felt great to get back to actual brewing instead of only dealing with the paperwork of starting a brewery. I never want to talk to a lawyer, architect, or landlord again. Unfortunately, they don't go away haha...

 

BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Making a diacetyl rest to a Bohemian Pilsen fermented with 34/70 and to a Kolsch fermented with Nottingham , both beers have been fermenting 8 days at 60 F.

Cheers

 

Jagermeister!

 

I love it !!!

 

Haven't had it in years but I enjoy it as well.

 

Kegged a single malt golden promise IPA. 25 lbs 10gallons at 1.065 with a lb of corn sugar. Got down to 1.010 in 10 days. Used .5 oz Columbus at 60. 4 oz topaz 4 oz azacca and 2 oz chinook in whirlpool for 20 minutes. Dryhopped with 2 oz summer 2 oz chinook and 1 oz summit. 1056 was the yeast the other half is fermenting slower with Conan yeast and will be dryhopped with 2 oz summer and 3 oz wakatu