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

Doppelbock - Decoc

The beer shown above is amazing. It can best be described as a gentle smoky malty beer that is full of flavour but medium body. Wonderful smoky beech-wood flavours with smooth malty flavours hang on your pallet from beginning to end. I hope to come close with this brew.

Malts

• 15 lbs Weyermann Rauch Malt

Yeast

• Wyeast 2206 (Lager)

Hops

• Bitter Hallertau 2 oz, 60 mins
• Flavour Liberty 2 oz, 7 mins, also Whirflox, yeast nutrition

Decoction Mash

1. 125F  30 mins,  mash temp ended at 123F, strike temp 134F 
2. First decoction --> 20 min bring 2 large colanders of mash to boil. Added 1 gal of tap water. Boiled for about 7 mins.
3. Added above back to mash resulting 135F mash temp for 30 mins
4. Second decoction --> 2.5 large colanders plus 1 gal of mash liquid boiled down. Added some more mash liquid to this to raise mash temp more.
5. Mash temp now 155F. Lid off for first 10 mins then covered for 60 mins 
6. Sparged at 173F to make 9 gallons

The rise in mash temperature is created by removing stiff grains from the mash and bring them to a  boil for 5 mins then  adding it back to the mash. This is done to bring the temp up. 

Boil

• 60 mins bitter hops
• 5 mins flavour hops

Comments

1. OG 1.076
2. Fridge 58F until I see active fermentation then set to 54F
3. 1/9/2016 Gravity is 1.017. Taste full of body with a mild smoky flavour.
4. 1/23/2016 1.014 Brix 9.5. Abv 8.1%