APA today!

A ten gallon batch of APA!
15 pounds of Maris Otter
1 pound of wheat malt
2 pounds of 25l Crystal

.7 oz Chinook at 60
.5 oz Centennial at 30, 15 and 1
.5 oz of Cascade ot 30,15, and 1

Fermenting on two packs of SO-5

Kegging

Kegged this year's English Barleywine and this years version of the Old Ale. Both came out very good, the Barleywine reminded me of Fuller's Vintage Ale, which by BJCP standards, makes it an Old Ale. Anyway, its very drinkable. The old ale, this one has Brett in it is just starting to get the Brett characteristics, which are overshadowing the oak. May have to add more oak to this one!

ESB Today

11 1/4 pounds of Maris Otter
1 1/8 pounds of 75L Crystal

.6 oz Target at 60
.4 oz Challenger at 15
.1 oz Northdown at 15
1/4 tsp Supermoss ot 15

Wyeast Yorkshire Yeast

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!

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.....

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

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.

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.

The Barleywine is a boiling.
15 pounds Maris Otter
1.5 pounds Carastan
1 pound dark wheat malt
1 pound flaked barley
mashed at 150
90 minute boil
2 ozs of Willamette at 60 minutes
1 oz of EKG at both 30 and 15 minutes.
the OG is 1.092
This is going on the ESB yeast cake.

London Porter

A slight change to this brew this time. Used Willamette hops instead of Fuggles. Shouldn't change much at all. Also used Wyeast Cask Ale yeast

Brew Day

Will start the day by filling two kegs with APA out of the Brewhemoth. Then I will brew up a batch of the London Porter (love that beer), putting it on the yeast cake from the ESB. The ESB will either be kegged or racked to secondary depending upon whether its clear enough. Need to switch around taps, get Sue's Brew on tap for the holidays.

2010 HHHC Results

The competition is over, I received a third place for my cider, Strawberry Meads Forever not only won a gold but also Best of Show!!!!

Extra Special Bitter

ESB

8 lbs. - Two Row Pale Malt
1 lb. - 2 Row Malt (toasted @375 for 12 to 15 min.)
1 lb. -20L Crystal
1/2 lb. - Crystal Malt (60L)

Hop Schedule (52 IBU)

2 oz - Willamette (60 Min.)
.75 oz - Willamette (20 Min.)
1 oz - E.K. Goldings (10 Min.)

Yeast

Wyeast 1469 Yorkshire

Mash/Sparge/Boil

Mash at 152° to 154° for 60 min.
Boil for 60 minutes
Cool and ferment at around 68°

Dec. 4th Brewery work

Started the day by putting the Old Ale on oak. It has dropped down to a 1012-1011, way drier than I thought, but it does not taste dried out. Little to no Brett characteristics in it yet, those should come out over the next couple months. It had a malty taste with the black treacle in the background and fruit in the nose, pear mostly. Its on two ounces of lightly toasted American oak chips, will be tasting at intervals so I know when to pull off.
Next is to do a yeast dump on the APA and dry hop. Dry hopping with a half ounce each of Centennial and Cascade, and a quarter ounce of Chinook.