The Penrose Picobrewery This is a site where I keep my brewing info up to date, what's brewing, recipes, and my bragging section. Enjoy.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Cider!!!
Kegged my version of a New England Cider yesterday. Tasted very good! Put together a batch of Common Cider tonight. Got to keep that stuff on hand!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Classic American Pilsner
A forgotten style from the days before Prohibition. A light fizzy beer, with a nicely hopped finish. This is where the brewer is going today, it will be a blend of American 6-row, German pilsner and flaked corn. A multi-step infusion mash with a protein rest, and saccharification rest at 142 and 158. Full recipe will follow.
It was a challenge!
13.75 pounds of Canadian 6-row malt
6.25 pounds of American Pilsner malt
5.25 pounds of flaked corn
Mash schedule
protein rest at 125
saccrification rest at 145 and 157
90 minute boil
Hops
1.5 oz of Northern Brewer at 60
2 oz of Tettanger at 30, 10 and knockout.
White labs 840 (two vials in a 4 gallon starter)
Presently fermenting at 56, trying to cool lower.
All is good, at 54 now.
It is now the 19th, entering the lagering stage. Did my rest at 65 for 3 days, the gravity is now at 1010, bringing it down to 40 a couple degrees a day, I'm at 61 now.
The lagering phase is not going well. I'm having problems bring the temp down, seems my little fridge cannot handle the heat load. Been chilling with snow and ice, but the 50 degree mark seems impossible. Might have to rig up a glycol type chiller to get the temp down and hold it down. I'm at 47 this morning, will spend the day working to get to the 30's. The fridge seems able to maintain, but not drop.
Went to a low tech solution to the temp drop. It is now sitting outside, and watching the temp drop rapidly, makes me realize that the surface to volume ration of this is going to make it very hard to lager in.
While it hasn't lagered very long, I have this on tap now, keg one anyway. It is quite good, a malty flavor, hint of corn, nice bitter bite, heavy on the noble hop flavor. If it only finished drier.....
It was a challenge!
13.75 pounds of Canadian 6-row malt
6.25 pounds of American Pilsner malt
5.25 pounds of flaked corn
Mash schedule
protein rest at 125
saccrification rest at 145 and 157
90 minute boil
Hops
1.5 oz of Northern Brewer at 60
2 oz of Tettanger at 30, 10 and knockout.
White labs 840 (two vials in a 4 gallon starter)
Presently fermenting at 56, trying to cool lower.
All is good, at 54 now.
It is now the 19th, entering the lagering stage. Did my rest at 65 for 3 days, the gravity is now at 1010, bringing it down to 40 a couple degrees a day, I'm at 61 now.
The lagering phase is not going well. I'm having problems bring the temp down, seems my little fridge cannot handle the heat load. Been chilling with snow and ice, but the 50 degree mark seems impossible. Might have to rig up a glycol type chiller to get the temp down and hold it down. I'm at 47 this morning, will spend the day working to get to the 30's. The fridge seems able to maintain, but not drop.
Went to a low tech solution to the temp drop. It is now sitting outside, and watching the temp drop rapidly, makes me realize that the surface to volume ration of this is going to make it very hard to lager in.
While it hasn't lagered very long, I have this on tap now, keg one anyway. It is quite good, a malty flavor, hint of corn, nice bitter bite, heavy on the noble hop flavor. If it only finished drier.....
Saturday, January 1, 2011
American Brown Ale
10 gallon batch
20 pounds of Maris Otter
1 pound Chocolate malt
1.5 pounds 62l Crystal
1.5 pounds Munich malt
Mashed at 149
Hops
100% Cascade
2 oz at 60 minutes
3 oz at 15 minutes
4 oz at 0 minute
Yeast is two packets of S-05
20 pounds of Maris Otter
1 pound Chocolate malt
1.5 pounds 62l Crystal
1.5 pounds Munich malt
Mashed at 149
Hops
100% Cascade
2 oz at 60 minutes
3 oz at 15 minutes
4 oz at 0 minute
Yeast is two packets of S-05
New Year's Resolution
Changing brewery tactics! Will be watching fermenter temperatures more closely, making yeast starters on a more regular basis. No longer will I be satisfied with making good beers, they must all be great. I have the technology to do this, just have to make myself do it.
That said, I'm starting out the new year by making a 10 gallon batch of my American Brown Ale.
That said, I'm starting out the new year by making a 10 gallon batch of my American Brown Ale.
Lager Starter
Made a 4 gallon starter yesterday in order to brew a Classic American Pilsner next week. This will go in the Brewhemoth next Saturday to test the "add-on" chilling device. Interesting, almost an entire batch of beer for a starter.
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