Brew 'n' Smoke 2 Rye IPA

Brew date: Aug. 6, 2016

#52 - 6.75 gal

Our second annual Brew 'n' Smoke! A day filled with beers, meat, and more meat the gents. Brewed up a rye IPA this year. While it turned out to be a solid beer in the end, I'd cut the caramel rye in half and maybe drop the sac rest mash temperature 1-2F.

Ingredients:

13.5 lb 2-row (Briess)

1.5 lb Rye malt

1 lb Flaked rye

12 oz Caramel rye

8 oz Caramel 20L

4 oz Acidulated

1 oz Chinook (Kraemer Brew 13% leaf) (FWH)

0.5 oz Simcoe (12.9%) (FWH)

0.25 oz Zythos (10.9%) (FWH)

0.5 oz Columbus (13%) (60)

0.5 oz Mandarina Bavaria (6.8%) (60)

1 t Irish moss (15)

1/2 t Yeast nutrient (10)

1.8L Wyeast West Coast IPA

Post boil:

0.25 oz Zythos

0.25 oz Chinook

0.25 oz Simcoe

Dry hop:

0.5 oz Zythos

0.25 oz Simcoe

0.5 oz Mandarina Bavaria

Schedule:

Mash in 6 gal at 129F

Protein rest at 122F (15)

Sac rest at 150F (60)

Mash out at 168F

Batch sparge 4 gal

Boil (60)

Chill to 68F

Water:

50/50 RO & Filtered

9 g Gypsum

1 g Calcium chloride

pH 5.55

Target:

OG 1.067

FG 1.017

SRM 12.2

ABV 6.59%

IBU 89

Efficiency 75%

Observation:

1st run 1.089 at 3.5 gal

2nd run 1.048 at 4.25 gal

OG 1.076 at 7 gal

Ferment:

68F for 1 week

71F for 2-3 days

8/16 - Chill to 60F, FG 1.014

8/18 - Chill to 53F, dry hop

8/20 - Dry hop 0.25 oz Chinook pellet

8/23 - Keg FG 1.016

Raising Arizona Grapefruit IPA

Brew date: June 24, 2016
#51 - 6.5 gal

Father's Day brew day. Been wanting to brew a citrus-forward IPA for quite sometime, at least since first trying Ballast Point's Grapefruit Sculpin. Here's my crack at my own adaptation.

Ingredients:
14.5 lb 2-row malt (Briess)
12 oz Carapils
12 oz Cara 20
8 oz Cara 45
4 oz Acidulated malt

0.75 oz Centennial (7.6% YHC pellet) (First Wort Hop)
0.5 oz Mosaic (11.3% YHC pellet) (FWH)
1 oz Chinook (13% Kraemer Brew leaf) (60)
0.5 oz Simcoe (12.9% YHC pellet) (Post boil 170-180F) (15)
0.5 oz Mosaic (PB) (15)

1.5 L 1056 Wyeast American Ale slurry

Water:
5.5 gal filtered water, 5 gal RO water
9 g Gypsum
1 g Calcium chloride
Mash pH 5.57

Schedule:
Mash in 6.5 gal @ 163F
Sac rest @ 152 (60)
Mash out (10)
Boil (60)
Chill to 66F

Observation:
1st running: 4 gal @ 1.071
2nd running: 4 gal @ 1.038
Preboil: 8 gal @ 1.056
OG: 5.75 gal @ 1.069

Fermentation:
6/25 - 68/70F while cooling (24 hr)
6/26 - 72/74F add ice jugs (12 hr)
6/27 - 64/66F

6/28 - Secondary:
~200 g peeled grapefruit zest

7/5 - Dry hop:
2 oz Mosaic (DH)
1.25 oz Centennial (DH)
0.5 oz Simcoe (DH)

Lil Pout American Stout | Tasting Notes

Appearance: Lovely light toffee-colored head that hangs around until the last sip. Foam lacing gently sweeps all the way down the glass. The beer itself is a deep brown-black color fading to sherry brown-red at edges. Looks clear.

Aroma: Sweet brownie with a medium Colombian coffee roast backbone. Maybe just a hint of that sweetness comes from the flaked barley which shows up at the very end. Smells just like an American stout should. Boom!

Taste: Really great dry roastiness comes through. Just a hint of toast. Nice mouthfeel, full but not heavy, not too thick not too thin. Just right.

Final Thoughts: What a great beer! Definitely the best stout I've done. Possibly the best beer I've brewed. Period. Also my first on draft.

"Czechmas" Pilsner

Brew date: Nov. 7, 2016
#54 - 6.25 gal

Pilsner Urquell has long been my favorite pilsner, and I have long wanted to brew one. It serves as the inspiration for my first crack at a Czech pilsner.

The perfect beer to tap for a little holiday cheer.

Appearance: Slightly hazy straw gold color. Nice foamy white head that sticks around.

Aroma: Spicy hop aroma, some leafy hop cone character, very slightly floral.

Taste: Spicy hop flavor, grainy-ness, finishes dry. Really nice even bitterness, not too much or little. Has some of that leafy hop flavor.

Final Thoughts: Perhaps a little over-hoppy, but a really good first effort at a Pilsner.

Next Time: Reduce water salts. Reduce IBUs.

Ingredients:
12,75 lb Pilsner - Avangard
12 oz Carapils - Briess
6 oz Light munich - Avangard
4 oz Acidulated - Meussdoerffer

0.5 oz Saaz (0.2%) (FWH)
1 oz Magnum (12.4%) (60)
1 t Irish moss (15)
1.5 oz Saaz (10)
1.8 L Wyeast 2001 Urquell Lager

Water:
10 gal - 75% RO & 25% filtered
2 g Gypsum
2 g Calcium Chloride

Schedule:
Mash in 6 gal @ 128F
Protein rest @ 122F (20)
Sac rest @ 145F (40)
Sac rest @ 155F (20)
B. sparge 4 gal
Boil (60)
Chill to 50F

Target:
OG: 1.059
FG: 1.015
ABV: 5.77%
IBU: 46

Results:
1st run: 3.5 gal @ 1.075
OG: 1.066

Fermentation:
48F for two weeks
50F for one week
Diacetly rest to 65F for 48 hours
Lager @ 34

Notes:
- Overshot mash temperature, heated to 136F. Mashed in and stirred continuously to cool to protein rest.
- Didn't use insulation.
- Rack to keg on 12/4/16, FG: 1.014