What's Brewing - May '17 edition

Are you using that hop cage for dry hopping in the keg? If so, you'll love it.

 

I was going to use it for dual purpose: Bittering 60 minute hops, and dry hopping in keg as well.

For boil hops I'd rather have a larger screen with an open top and hooks for hanging it, but funds are limited. It was that, or a keg king pump. I sided with the pump.

 

Got the starter going for my wedding beer. Making a wild sumac and\or rhubarb saison with the mad fermentationist saison blend yeast

 

hell yes!

 

I'm so excited! I finally got a pump for recirc / transfer!

 

Just doughed in on a Pilsner. German malt and yeast, French Aramis hops, American Water. Gonna call it NATO Pils.

 

Cream ale comparison brews: 2 row vs. 6 row.

 

Doing a simple throw-together that may be along the lines of a Belgian blonde.
11 gal
28# Maris Otter
0.5# Crisp brown malt
2 oz Belma @ 60 min
1 oz Mt Hood @ 15 min
1 oz My Hood @ 5 min

2nd gen wlp 565.

At least it gets another one in the pipeline while the Brett is chewing away to another couple of months on a BDSA.

 

Just bottled the APESB. 48 bottles, now to wait two weeks for tasting.

 

Bottled up my pils today. 1.052-1.010 40ibu saaz in the boil, mandarina dry hop. Tasted like beer today.

 

Racked wake up dead clone onto oak and nibs, racked spruce session onto cherry wood and dry hopping with citra, all separate carboys.

 

Looking for an excuse to drink some beer and smoke a cigar this weekend, I brewed up a perennial neighborhood favorite Octoberfest/Marzen. Appears to be fermenting along nicely on WLP0029

 

Hydro reading on my German Pils brewed a week and a half ago, currently at 1.011 (5.6% ABV currently). May or may not be done, will check again in 2-3 days... Expected FG of 1.009.

However, this may be single-highhandedly be one of the best Pils flavors I have ever experienced (my own and commercial!). I was planning to dry hop this one originally, but I am really second guessing that decision given how perfect the aroma and flavor balance is right now... This is tough... I think I nailed my Pils recipe to say the least and will follow my same recipe/water/technique going forward... I suppose third time was a charm!

The malt flavor is really intense this time around (100% pils, however did a decotion just to mash-out). Mix of both pellet and whole flower hops (Magnum, Czech Saaz and Tettnanger). Amazing floral, noble hop aroma... So stoked.

So... What to do? Still add the Mittelfrueh and Saaz dry hop (1oz each) as originally planned or just skip over that? This is a tough choice.

 

Have NEIPA and Flemish Red in fermentor.

 

Kegged the summer's first batch of my Tallgrass Blonde. It's officially lawnmower beer season.

 

I would say go for the dry hop....you can always reproduce the Pilsner again and you might just have an even better beer with the DH!