Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Apartment brew series - Stormy Night English Dark Mild

I brewed an English Dark Mild last week in my apartment. It's something I've wanted to do for awhile, but kept putting off for brewing on my big boy system. I'd like to have a series of 5 gallon batches bottled on hand at the apartment. Basically, I want to relax, brew, bottle, and be able to watch my beer through the whole process, rather than stress about it being 30 minutes away. There was something truly nice about being done with a brew in 3.5 hours and on the couch relaxing.

 I haven't done this in awhile...

 Thanks to Gregg at the Pumphouse for this sample of Mangrove Jack yeast. Rehydrated according to online instructions.

 Added the DME right before the boil.

 I think I'll have to stick with 3-4 gallon boils. My electric range stove was just about perfect for this volume. Boiled for 60 minutes with three additions of Fuggles.

 I like to think Ben would be happy with the brew. He had an affinity for English Ales.

After 5 minutes of manual aeration/workout.

 Collected a little more wort than I wanted, but no big deal. 1.052 @ 6 gallons.

A giant igloo cooler, check. Frozen jugs, check. Kickass consistent ale ferment temperature, check. Fermented at 65 degrees for 3 days, then let it sit in our ambient apartment ~70 degrees.

Update: 8/22/2013 - Two weeks ago I set myself up to bottle until I realized that my fermentation got stuck around 1.020. I pitched a full sachet of Danstar Windsor Ale yeast and gave it another two weeks. I didn't see any fermentation activity in my bubbler, so I assumed it was just stuck and I'd bottle it despite its high FG. Well, last night I realized that the bucket lid wasn't on all the way... It tasted more mature, but I didn't sense oxidation, so I bottled it with Muntons carbonation tabs @ 1.012 FG.

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Stormy Night English Dark Brown
Brewer: Adam Keck
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Northern English Brown Ale
TYPE: Extract
Taste: (30.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 3
Post Boil Volume: 5.73 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal   
Bottling Volume: 4.78 gal
Estimated OG: 1.053 SG
Estimated Color: 21.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 27.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 0.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
8.0 oz                Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)    Grain         1        7.1 %         
8.0 oz                Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)               Grain         2        7.1 %         
6 lbs                 Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM)             Dry Extract   3        85.7 %        
1.00 oz               Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min         Hop           4        16.1 IBUs     
1.00 oz               Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min         Hop           5        8.0 IBUs      
1.00 oz               Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min          Hop           6        3.2 IBUs      
1.0 pkg               Newcastle Dark Ale (Mangrove Jack #MO3)  Yeast         7        -             

House Hefeweizen 1.3 1

Suddenly I had to brew twenty gallons of Hefeweizen within a week and a half. I guess I don't need to sleep this week!

With the short time frame, I didn't really have any time to make a proper starter with Wyeast 3068 like I normally do for my house hef. It's served me really well, but alas, I'm not going to spend over $40 on enough liquid yeast packs to pitch raw. That led me to dry yeast options. I read thoroughly over Danstar Munich and Safbrew WB-06 reviews on homebrew forums and was initially really unimpressed. I then read Fermentis's details page for their yeast. The manufacturer says that WB-06 will accentuate banana flavors at over 22C and clove under 22C. Since I assumed the banana flavors are what brewers were disappointed by, I hypothesized that the brewers in question weren't getting their ferments up consistently to 72 degrees or higher. I then checked probrewer.com and found this awesome post from a brewer in Akron with several GABF and WBC awards won by Fermentis yeast. Hmm... He had some great things to say about WB-06 with three caveats: push fermentation temperature to and beyond its limits, underpitch, and don't aerate. WTF?

I'm suddenly excited about using this dry yeast! 

It makes me realize also how valuable probrewer.com is. There's an extra degree of creativity when the profit motive or scarcity is introduced and brewers are forced to make great beer with equipment and process tweaks in lieu of ideal ingredients every single brew. 

I'm going to ferment just past the recommended upper bound and go for 75 degrees F, 23.9C. 

I also had to sub in 2 lbs of white wheat malt because I made a LHBS pickup mistake. And like last time I'm adding some carapils for head retention - I really want that classic sticky lacing on the side of maßkrug next Saturday!

Mashed in at 130 degrees for protein rest for 35 minutes; did a combination temperature and infusion mash to 156 for 45 minutes; then decocted 3 gallons and boiled for 15 minutes. Collected about 13.25 gallons of wort and started boiling. I've been doing so many whole leaf IPAs lately that it's strange throwing in half an ounce of hops for a bittering addition.

PB OG: 1.039 @ 13.25
OG: 1.045 @ 12 gallons

The boil is throwing off such a distinct sweet wheat aroma. I don't know why I'm picking it up so strongly now. I think this will be a great beer. I'm hoping the white wheat gives it a little more subtle bready flavor.

Pitched about 15g of rehydrated dry yeast into unaerated wort. Set fermentation temperature for 73 degrees knowing that with ambient temperature at 65 degrees, it'll mosey on up to 75 degrees and likely above with the fermentation activity.

I get to brew it again tomorrow.

UPDATE: the fermentation is going crazy and the internal temperature is at 79F. Part of me is wishing that I would have made room in my fermentation chamber to control the temp more and part of me is looking forward to tasting what the enhanced fermentation temperature is going to produce! I'll update with taste results.

Update 2: tested the gravity on 7-31 and was blown away. It's just about fermented out after only two days - 1.015. The banana flavor is very, very prominent. If it's any telling, I won't be disappointed with WB-06 fermenting at ~80F.

Update 3: My mom says this is the best the House Hefeweizen's been, so the WB-06 isn't a bust for sure. It's definitely got more flavor than 3068 fermented at 62 degrees.


BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: House Hefeweizen (1.3)
Brewer: Adam Keck
Asst Brewer:
Style: Weizen/Weissbier (Wheat Beer)
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 12.70 gal
Post Boil Volume: 11.70 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 11.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 10.75 gal
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 3.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 10.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 73.6 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU      
1 lbs                 Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM)                     Adjunct       1        4.8 %      
9 lbs                 Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM)                Grain         2        42.9 %      
8 lbs                 Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)            Grain         3        38.1 %      
2 lbs                 White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)               Grain         4        9.5 %      
1 lbs                 Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)             Grain         5        4.8 %      
0.50 oz               Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min     Hop           6        4.3 IBUs    
1.00 oz               Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 30.0 min     Hop           7        6.6 IBUs    
4.00 tsp              Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins)          Other         8        -          
0.50 oz               Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 0.0 min      Hop           9        0.0 IBUs    
2.0 pkg               Safbrew Wheat (DCL/Fermentis #WB-06) [50 Yeast         10       -          


Mash Schedule: Decoction Mash, Single -> Braukeiser
Total Grain Weight: 21 lbs
----------------------------
Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time  
Protein Rest      Add 27.20 qt of water at 138.2 F        130.0 F       35 min      
Infuse to Sacchar Add 16.80 qt of water at 198.3 F        154.0 F       45 min      
Decoction to Mash Decoct 12.20 qt of mash and boil it     168.0 F       15 min      

Saturday, July 27, 2013

SimConan IPA

I grew a Conan yeast culture from a can of Heady Topper that my lovely friend Alaina brought home from Vermont. When I realized that Simcoe went so well with Conan yeast linguistically, I figured that it follows that it would make great beer in this minimalist recipe.

I decided to doll up the malt bill with a touch of wheat to see how the apricot notes of the Conan yeast played off a little wheatness in the beer. I also added a bit of Munich because, well, why not. A half pound of caramel 40 for color and complexity.

Mashing in light at 148. Held steady at 148-150. Heated to 168 for mash out.

PB OG 1.048.

Boiled strong for 60 minutes. I thought I had an extra ounce of Simcoe, so we'll have to go with 3 oz of knockout hops instead of 4. Chilled to 180 degrees and let sit for a 30 minute hop stand.

There's an incredible pine aroma coming off the wort from the knockout addition. It's filled up the entire garage. Lots of hop oil floating on top of the wort as well.

Forgot whirlfloc....

OG: 1.069

This thing is going to be a monster. Can't wait to see what Conan does to it. Speaking of, I have no idea what temp I'm going to ferment this thing at. Vacillating between a low ale ferment around 64 degrees like I would an English Ale yeast or going higher to make sure I get some apricot/peach notes. I wish I knew what the Alchemist ferments Heady at.

I think I'll follow this:

In Mitch Stelle's IPA book, the El Jeffe (dark IPA) recipe from The Alchemist mentions fermenting at 68F for 3 days then raising to 72F. Using it at 66F (slightly cooler to make up for the lack of pressure provided by a large conical) seems to be the "normal" use of the yeast for the brewery. I doubt he treats the yeast differently for Heady vs. other hoppy beers. That's what I'll be shooting for in my next beer.
66 degrees for 3-4 days then turned up to 70 to finish it out.

Update: tested the gravity on 7-31, about four days after pitching, and it's just about cleaned out at 1.016. The taste was very unique. Almost like fruit juice between the late kettle Simcoe and the peach flavor from the yeast. I might have to rename it as a Pale Ale, because there's not much bitterness detected. I'm also toying with the idea of adding a few ounces of Columbus to give it a little resin/dank flavor. Then again, I might just leave it be at six ounces of Simcoe dry hop. Decisions...

Update: I ended up dry hopping 5 gallons with 4 oz Simcoe and 5 gallons with 2 oz Columbus and 2 oz Simcoe. I wanted to mix it up and bump up the dry hopping volume because, well, the two oz. of Magnum bittering were absolutely overpowered by the Conan yeast. That's all I can figure out! It went into the fermenter tasting like I thought it should for 2 oz of Magnum and came out tasting mild. In fact, I think I'm going to serve it as a pale ale.

That being said, the dry hop flavor is amazing. It's ridiculously fruity. It really needs more bittering, but a fair beer at any rate and a good first try with Conan yeast.

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: SimConan IPA
Brewer: Adam Keck
Asst Brewer:
Style: American IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 15.00 gal
Post Boil Volume: 14.00 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 12.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 11.75 gal
Estimated OG: 1.066 SG
Estimated Color: 5.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 59.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 73.7 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU      
10.00 g               Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent   1        -          
23 lbs                Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)           Grain         2        80.7 %      
2 lbs                 Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM)                Grain         3        7.0 %      
1 lbs                 Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)                    Grain         4        3.5 %      
8.0 oz                Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)    Grain         5        1.8 %      
2 lbs                 Cane (Beet) Sugar (0.0 SRM)              Sugar         6        7.0 %      
2.00 oz               Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min         Hop           7        41.9 IBUs  
2.00 oz               Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min         Hop           8        17.5 IBUs  
3.00 oz               Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min          Hop           9        0.0 IBUs    
3.0 pkg               English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) [35.49  Yeast         10       -          
6.00 oz               Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days      Hop           11       0.0 IBUs    


Mash Schedule: Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 28 lbs 8.0 oz
----------------------------
Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time  
Saccharification  Add 33.12 qt of water at 159.1 F        148.0 F       75 min      
Mash Out          Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min             168.0 F       10 min      

Sparge: Fly sparge with 10.40 gal water at 168.0 F
Notes:
------