Brew date: Sept. 18, 2015
#42 - 6 gal
I often find brewing to be a meditative experience. Spending the day outside, just enjoying the process and taking in the natural scene from my driveway. Apples quietly dropping from our tree. Birds chirping. The occasional passerby. Peaceful. A great way to kick off my birthday weekend and the perfect setting for this beer.
I've wanted to brew a Belgian quadruple ever since my first taste in 2007 at Brasserie V in Madison -- a great place for discovering Belgian and other European beers. The recipe is loosely inspired by several that I found, including clones for St. Bernardus Abt 12 and Westvleteren 12.
Brewing this batch did come with difficulties. The week leading up to brew day, I dutifully made a yeast starter, but to little visible effect. After a couple of days, I purchased another White Labs vial and added it to the starter, again with seemingly little effect. Finally, I pitched a pack of Wyeast 3787 Trappist yeast directly to the wort. It's now fermenting away, but I'm still not sure if that's due to the White Labs starter or the Wyeast pack.
Moreover, a hose slipped at the end of chilling and whirlpooling, causing a loss of almost a gallon of wort. Extremely unmeditative. I need to start using clamps to keep the hose in place.
Ingredients:
10 lb Pilsner malt (Avangard)
6 lb Pale ale malt (Briess)
8 oz Aromatic (Dingemans)
4 oz Special B (Dingemans)
4 oz Debittered black malt (Dingemans)
1 oz Northern brewer (7% pellet) (60)
0.25 oz Fuggle (5.3% pellet) (60)
1 t Irish moss (15)
1 lb Dark candi syrup 180L (10)
1 lb Medium candi syrup 90L (10)
0.5 lb Light candi sugar (10)
1 oz Styrian golding (3.7% pellet) (3)
1 oz Hersbrucker (2% pellet) (3)
1.8L White Laps 500 Trappist ale starter w/ two vials
1 pack Wyeast 3787 Trappist high gravity
Water:
5.25 gal filtered
5 gal RO
4 g Gypsum
Profile calculator
Schedule:
Mash in 6.25 gal @ 130F
Protein rest @ 125F (15)
Sac rest @ 150F (30)
Sac rest @ 156F (30)
Mash out @ 168F (10)
Batch sparge 4 gal
Boil (75)
Target:
OG: 1.092
FG: 1.023
ABV: 9.15%
IBU: 28
Efficiency: 70%
Observation:
1st running: 4 gal @ 1.084
Preboil: 8 gal @ 1.069
OG: 5.5 gal @ 1.104
Add 1 gal sparge water to sac rest to cool to 156F
Lost ~1gal when hose slipped out of boil kettle during whirlpool
Fermentation:
Chill to 70F and pitch
Ferment at 66F
Keep below 72F and above 64F
Monday, November 16, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Pumpkin Porter | Peter Peter Porter Eater #3 and Brett version
Brew date: Sept. 18, 2015
#40 - 4.5 gal and #41 - 2 gal
Spent my birthday weekend in meditative-brewing bliss: Two batches, three beers. First up, a split-batch pumpkin porter.
I've made different iterations of this beer over the years, but for this recipe, I settled on a slightly lower ABV, reduced the IBUs and black malt, and added debittered malt, including kiln coffee malt which I have never used before.
My aim was to emphasize the roasted character without subjecting the drinker to too much bitterness, which bordered on astringency the last time I made this. (With the higher IBUs it was more a black ale than a porter.)
I pulled about 2 gallons of the wort near the end of the boil, just before adding the spices. I chilled this separately and pitched a vial of WLP645 Brettanomyces Claussenii. This is my first attempt at a brett beer, so this is largely an experiment. I'll allow it to ferment out entirely before deciding if I want to try blending with another beer or bottling on it's own.
There's a fair amount of literature out there about English ales, especially porters, relying on brett for at least some of their character. And I think this beer base could lend itself nicely. If it doesn't turn out as I hoped, I can always rack something else onto the nice brett yeast cake that I now have going in my 3 gallon glass carboy.
I am a little concerned that I have too much head space (almost 1 full gallon), but I'm hoping the pellicle that formed will prevent oxidation and the creation of pumpkin porter vinegar. Not my idea of appetizing.
Ingredients:
12 lb 2-row (Briess)
2 lb 6-row (Briess)
12 oz Black malt
8 oz Caramel 40L
8 oz Debittered black malt
7 oz Kiln coffee malt
5 oz Chocolate malt
32 oz Pumpkin (canned)
1 oz Hallertau (2.7% pellet) (60)
1 oz Cascade (7.1% pellet) (60)
0.25 oz Fugle (5.3% pellet) (60)
0.5 oz Hallertau (2.7% pellet) (15)
1 t Irish moss (15)
0.5 t Allspice (3)
0.5 t Cinnamon (3)
0.5 t Nutmeg (fresh) (3)
1.5 L Wyeast 1028 London ale, and smack pack of 1028
Water:
Brewer's Friend calculator profile
5 gal filtered
5 gal RO
5 g Gypsum
3 g Calcium chloride
1 g Epsom
Add 0.5 gal filtered water near end of boil to reach target OG
Schedule:
Mash in 6 gal @ 165F
Sac rest @ 154F (60)
Batch sparge 4 gal
Boil (60)
Chill to 66F
Target:
OG: 1.068
FG: 1.017
ABV: 6.7%
IBU: 36
Efficiency: 75%
Observations:
1st running: 2.75 gal @ 1.090
2nd running: 5.25 gal @ 1.047
Preboil: 8 gal @ 1.066
Add 0.5 gal filtered water
OG: 1.070
Fermentation:
Chill to 70F and pitch
Put ice packs on carboy
Ferment at 68-70F in first 24 hrs
Ferment at 66F
Brett Pumpkin Porter
#41 - 2 gal
Pulled two gallons of wort prior to adding spices. Chilled to 70F.
1 vial White Labs 645 Brettanomyces Claussenii
#40 - 4.5 gal and #41 - 2 gal
Spent my birthday weekend in meditative-brewing bliss: Two batches, three beers. First up, a split-batch pumpkin porter.
I've made different iterations of this beer over the years, but for this recipe, I settled on a slightly lower ABV, reduced the IBUs and black malt, and added debittered malt, including kiln coffee malt which I have never used before.
My aim was to emphasize the roasted character without subjecting the drinker to too much bitterness, which bordered on astringency the last time I made this. (With the higher IBUs it was more a black ale than a porter.)
I pulled about 2 gallons of the wort near the end of the boil, just before adding the spices. I chilled this separately and pitched a vial of WLP645 Brettanomyces Claussenii. This is my first attempt at a brett beer, so this is largely an experiment. I'll allow it to ferment out entirely before deciding if I want to try blending with another beer or bottling on it's own.
There's a fair amount of literature out there about English ales, especially porters, relying on brett for at least some of their character. And I think this beer base could lend itself nicely. If it doesn't turn out as I hoped, I can always rack something else onto the nice brett yeast cake that I now have going in my 3 gallon glass carboy.
I am a little concerned that I have too much head space (almost 1 full gallon), but I'm hoping the pellicle that formed will prevent oxidation and the creation of pumpkin porter vinegar. Not my idea of appetizing.
Ingredients:
12 lb 2-row (Briess)
2 lb 6-row (Briess)
12 oz Black malt
8 oz Caramel 40L
8 oz Debittered black malt
7 oz Kiln coffee malt
5 oz Chocolate malt
32 oz Pumpkin (canned)
1 oz Hallertau (2.7% pellet) (60)
1 oz Cascade (7.1% pellet) (60)
0.25 oz Fugle (5.3% pellet) (60)
0.5 oz Hallertau (2.7% pellet) (15)
1 t Irish moss (15)
0.5 t Allspice (3)
0.5 t Cinnamon (3)
0.5 t Nutmeg (fresh) (3)
1.5 L Wyeast 1028 London ale, and smack pack of 1028
Water:
Brewer's Friend calculator profile
5 gal filtered
5 gal RO
5 g Gypsum
3 g Calcium chloride
1 g Epsom
Add 0.5 gal filtered water near end of boil to reach target OG
Schedule:
Mash in 6 gal @ 165F
Sac rest @ 154F (60)
Batch sparge 4 gal
Boil (60)
Chill to 66F
Target:
OG: 1.068
FG: 1.017
ABV: 6.7%
IBU: 36
Efficiency: 75%
Observations:
1st running: 2.75 gal @ 1.090
2nd running: 5.25 gal @ 1.047
Preboil: 8 gal @ 1.066
Add 0.5 gal filtered water
OG: 1.070
Fermentation:
Chill to 70F and pitch
Put ice packs on carboy
Ferment at 68-70F in first 24 hrs
Ferment at 66F
Brett Pumpkin Porter
#41 - 2 gal
Pulled two gallons of wort prior to adding spices. Chilled to 70F.
1 vial White Labs 645 Brettanomyces Claussenii
Monday, October 26, 2015
Black IPA: Bottled
Bottle date: Aug. 5, 2015
Desired CO2: 2.3 vol (5.25 gal @ 60F)
106 g Corn sugar
1.5 c Black IPA
1 gal of Black IPA left over. Decided to bottle with cacao nibs.
6 g Corn sugar
2 oz Water
0.25 oz Cacao nibs
Desired CO2: 2.3 vol (5.25 gal @ 60F)
106 g Corn sugar
1.5 c Black IPA
1 gal of Black IPA left over. Decided to bottle with cacao nibs.
6 g Corn sugar
2 oz Water
0.25 oz Cacao nibs
Black IPA: Dry Hop
Dy hop date: July 28, 2015
1 oz Centennial (9.0% pellet)
1 oz Simcoe (12.3% pellet)
1 oz Chinook (13.1% pellet)
0.25 oz Cascade (7.1% pellet)
0.25 oz Columbus (15.6% pellet)
Ingredients:
1 oz Centennial (9.0% pellet)
1 oz Simcoe (12.3% pellet)
1 oz Chinook (13.1% pellet)
0.25 oz Cascade (7.1% pellet)
0.25 oz Columbus (15.6% pellet)
Black IPA
Brew date: July 12, 2015
#39 - 6.5 gal
Getting to this entry very very late. Unfortunately, I don't remember much about the brew day. Efficiency was much higher than expected. I added water to dilute OG and increase batch size.
Future lesson: Increase brewery efficiency for any beer under 8% ABV.
My first use of blackprinz malt. Really nice subtle roasted flavor, that came out in the finished product.
Ingredients:
10 lb 2-row (Briess)
5 lb Pale ale
0.5 lb Caramel 60L
12 oz Debittered black malt
7 oz Blackprinz
3 oz Dark chocolate malt
0.5 oz Simcoe (12.3%, pellet) (FWH)
0.5 oz Chinook (13.1%, pellet) (FWH)
0.5 oz Columbus (15.6%, pellet) (60)
0.75 oz Cascade (7.1, pellet) (5)
0.25 oz Columbus (5)
0.5 oz Chinook (5)
0.5 oz Simcoe (5)
Fermcap (60)
1 t Irish moss (15)
0.5 t Yeast nutrient (10)
1.5 L Wyeast 1056 American ale yeast starter
1 oz Centennial (9.0% pellet) (DH)
1 oz Simcoe (DH)
1 oz Chinook (DH)
0.25 oz Cascade (DH)
0.25 oz Columbus (DH)
Schedule:
Mash in 6 gal @ 163F
Sac rest @ 152F (60)
Mash out @168 (10)
Batch sparge 4.5 gal (10)
Boil (60)
Chill
Target:
OG: 1.067
FG: 1.017
SRM: 29.66
ABV: 6.6%
IBU: 71.7
Efficiency: 75%
Water:
5 gal RO
5.5 gal Filtered
8 g Gypsum
Water profile
Observation:
1st run: ~3.5 gal @ 1.091
2nd run: 4 gal @ 1.043
Preboil: 7.5 gal @ 1.067
Added 0.75 gal filtered water @ 15 min
Added 1 gal filtered water @ chill
OG: 1.069, 7 gal
Fermentation:
Chill to 66/68F and pitch
6 pm that day - 68/70, add 1 gal cold water to tub and cover fermenter with shirt.
7/15 - Temp at 66F. Remove from water.
7/28 - Dry hop
#39 - 6.5 gal
Getting to this entry very very late. Unfortunately, I don't remember much about the brew day. Efficiency was much higher than expected. I added water to dilute OG and increase batch size.
Future lesson: Increase brewery efficiency for any beer under 8% ABV.
My first use of blackprinz malt. Really nice subtle roasted flavor, that came out in the finished product.
Ingredients:
10 lb 2-row (Briess)
5 lb Pale ale
0.5 lb Caramel 60L
12 oz Debittered black malt
7 oz Blackprinz
3 oz Dark chocolate malt
0.5 oz Simcoe (12.3%, pellet) (FWH)
0.5 oz Chinook (13.1%, pellet) (FWH)
0.5 oz Columbus (15.6%, pellet) (60)
0.75 oz Cascade (7.1, pellet) (5)
0.25 oz Columbus (5)
0.5 oz Chinook (5)
0.5 oz Simcoe (5)
Fermcap (60)
1 t Irish moss (15)
0.5 t Yeast nutrient (10)
1.5 L Wyeast 1056 American ale yeast starter
1 oz Centennial (9.0% pellet) (DH)
1 oz Simcoe (DH)
1 oz Chinook (DH)
0.25 oz Cascade (DH)
0.25 oz Columbus (DH)
Schedule:
Mash in 6 gal @ 163F
Sac rest @ 152F (60)
Mash out @168 (10)
Batch sparge 4.5 gal (10)
Boil (60)
Chill
Target:
OG: 1.067
FG: 1.017
SRM: 29.66
ABV: 6.6%
IBU: 71.7
Efficiency: 75%
Water:
5 gal RO
5.5 gal Filtered
8 g Gypsum
Water profile
Observation:
1st run: ~3.5 gal @ 1.091
2nd run: 4 gal @ 1.043
Preboil: 7.5 gal @ 1.067
Added 0.75 gal filtered water @ 15 min
Added 1 gal filtered water @ chill
OG: 1.069, 7 gal
Fermentation:
Chill to 66/68F and pitch
6 pm that day - 68/70, add 1 gal cold water to tub and cover fermenter with shirt.
7/15 - Temp at 66F. Remove from water.
7/28 - Dry hop
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Heart Full of Black Russian Imperial Stout with cacao Tasting Notrs
Appearance: Deep brown to black. Nice, very light tan head. Over carbonated, but bubbles subside quickly.
Aroma: Not much at first, but more cacao chocolate as it warms. Perhaps some whiskey, but very very remote.
Taste: Over carbonated. Sweetly dark chocolate, some caramel goodness. Some alcohol warmth at end of palate. Nice bitter balance against the residual sweetness of the malt.
Final Thoughts: I wish I had dialed in the carbonation better, but I like the flavor overall. Definitely a sipper. Really opens up as it warms in the hand. Big chocolate flavor without being too sweet. Finishes warm. I still like the base RIS beer better.
Heart Full of Black Russian Imperial Stout with cacao Tasting Notrs
Appearance: Deep brown to black. Nice, very light tan head. Over carbonated, but bubbles subside quickly.
Aroma: Not much at first, but more cacao chocolate as it warms. Perhaps some whiskey, but very very remote.
Taste: Over carbonated. Sweetly dark chocolate, some caramel goodness. Some alcohol warmth at end of palate. Nice bitter balance against the residual sweetness of the malt.
Final Thoughts: I wish I had dialed in the carbonation better, but I like the flavor overall. Definitely a sipper. Really opens up as it warms in the hand. Big chocolate flavor without being too sweet. Finishes warm. I still like the base RIS beer better.
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