Kolsch - May 14/2017

This is a great and simple beer to make. I see a lot of recipes on the web but none like this. I use Kolsch Malt. The Munich malt plays a flavoring role. You can change this with similar German malts. The best Kolschs will result in about 4.5 to 5% ABV. This give the best malt balance. More ABV and it seems to be too malty. Less and theirs not enough flavor. So ideally with my technique I would 16 lb of base malt.Yeast is important. It give the beer the Kolsch flavor that you are familiar with. Hops should be mild and noble. Cascade is a nice hop but it does detract from the pure Kolsch flavor.



Malts
20 lbs Kolsch malt

1 lb Munich malt
Yeast
1 pack Kolsch WLP white pack
Hops
1 oz Liberty
2 oz Cascade
2 oz Cascade (Hop Rocket)
Other
1 tsp Yeast Nutrients
2 tablets whirlflox
Mash
120F 60 mins
150F 60 mins
170F Sparge

Produced 13.5 Gal
Boil
Cascade Leaf 60 mins
Liberty pellets 20 mins
Other  20 mins



Hop Rocket
2 oz Cascade leaf (before coil)
Produced  9.5 gallons



Measurements 
OG 1.050
FG 1.002 (really?) Ok so this was 6.3% ABV
Fermented in house at about 75F (House was about 68F)

West Coast Smash IPA - Aug 6/2017

This is a kit from Morebeer. This is a good hoppy brew but nothing special. The ingredients and the results are simple with no complexity.

Simcoe hops have a great profile but this was not a "oh my god, smell the hops brew". I would consider making this again if I could get fresh whole hops.

Ingredients

14 lbs California Select Malt - 2-row
1 oz Simcoe 60 mins
2 oz Simcoe 5 mins
2 oz Simcoe 1 min
2 oz Simcoe Dry hop for 5 days

Mash

122 F 60 mins rest
158 F 5 mins (accident)
149 F 60 mins

Other

Brew Nutrients 1/2 tsp
Gypsum 1 tsp

OG 11.2 Brix (1.044)
No other measurements. Guessing this came to FG 1.010 (4.5%ABV)

Extra Special Bitter 11/04/2017

My first brew was a Bitter. It was an extract brew and I nailed it. What I like about Bitters is their lower carbonation, ease of drinking, slightly warmer serving temperature and mouth feel.

Over the years making this I've experimented a lot. What I’m learning is to keep this very simple. Less flavoring hops and malts. Better malt extraction with the mash.

Ingredients
20 lbs  Maris Otter
2 lbs Caristan
2 oz. Magnum 60 mins
4 oz EK Golding. 15 mins
2 tsp Gypsum mash
2 tsp Gypsum
Whirflox (forgotten this time)

Mash
25 mins 125F
60 mins 153F, 2 tsp Gypsum
Sparged with 180F (2 gallons)
Mash yield: 12.8 gal

Hard boil with Hop additions. No bags.
First use of Trub Catchers. This does not seem like a good thing.
Boil yield: 9.8 gal

Cooled to 90F

London Ale Yeast  WLP013, 89F
Target OG 1.048, Actual G 1.064

Russian Rivers Blind Pig

Morebeer's Recipe

Nov 20th, 2016

Malts

13 lb 2-row

8oz white wheat

8oz carapils 

8oz 40L

Mash

128F 40 mins

152F 60 mins

170F sparge 

Produced 8 gals

Boil

Oz. Name. Mins

2.  Magnum. 60

1/2 cascade 25 (recipe said 30)

1.  Cascade 5 (recipe said 15)

Yeast Saf 05

Brix

Pre boil 11.7

Post boil 15.8

FG 7.3

ABV 7.6%

Nov 27 secondary

1 oz Oak chips

1/2 oz cascade pellets 

1 oz willamette pellets

Post boil 6.2 yield

Kegged Dec 3 with 1 growler filled

Centennial Single Hop Ale

Centennial Single Hop Ale

Nov 25, 2016

Malts

Qty Lbs.    Names

10.              2-row

2.                20L

Mash

120 to 149 rising circulation 

1 Hr 149F

Sparge 170F

Yield 12.3 gals 

Boil 1 hr with hops added

Mins.                                      Ozs

60,58,56,54,47,45,43,40.     1 each

30,25,20,15.                            1 each

10.                                            4

FO.                                            2.25

OG. 1.059

FG.  1.007

ABV. 7.2%

Reused Irish Red Yeast. Started fast!

Kegged Dec 9

Enough for 4 growlers too!

Black Lupulin Ale

March 6, 2016

Aiming for something not normally found. A light black Imperial IPA full of a wide spectrum of hop flavour. My technique is going to change to bring out more hop flavours while creating a lighter drinking black ale. Malts add some complexity but the hops dominate the beer. Yeast that I've chosen should dry out beer while not adding any unexpected flavour. This is a 5 gallon batch but due to the hops boil thievery I'm treating this like  7 gallon batch. 

Method

• Mash target temp is 154F to produce 9 gallons (OG 1.045)(pull out more malt flavour). Strkie temperature: 157F
• No Water treatment.
• Boil is 60 minutes. First 40 minutes is vigorous with Magnum hop additions.
• Then remaining 20 mins is done at a simmer (kettle lid on) to retain hop aromas and flavours. Some steam escaped but not a lot.
• Cool down will target 75F and fermentation will be kept at 65F in the house.
• No Yeast nutrients added. No Clarifier added. No Oxygen added.
• OG 1.057 with 7 gallons produced.

• When FG hit 1.011 I will ferment 2 days at room temp (67F).
• OG Target 1.088
• ABV Target 9%

Malts

GR311FM          Pilsen Malt 4 oz Milled

GR692CM          Black Prinz Malt 1 lb Milled (may use less)

AJ40             Flaked Brewing Oats (1 Lb)

GR363EM          Fawcett Halcyon 5 lb Milled

Hops

Bittering

HMAG2 (60m)      Magnum Pellet Hops 2 oz

Hop Flavour (added with muslin bags)

HAMA2 (26m)      Amarillo Pellet Hops 2 oz    

HCOL2 (21m)      Columbus Pellet Hops 2 oz

HGAX2  (8m)      Galaxy Pellet Hops 2 oz, 
                 Simcoe Pellet Hops 2 oz, 
                 Falconer's Flight Pellet Hops 2 oz

Yeast

DY44             Dry Yeast - Belle Saison (11 g), Hydrated in 2 cups of water (tap temperature)

Purple Velveteen Rabbit - Dark Wheat Ale