Monday, December 8, 2014

Batch 10: Papa Bear Porter: Secondary Fermentation/Bottling Day

After about five and a half weeks in the secondary fermenter at around 63°, the final gravity of the beer ended up at 1.016. With an original gravity of 1.074, the ABV ends up being about 7.61%. The sample tasted amazing with a near-perfect balance of coffee, vanilla, and chocolate notes and a mouth-feel that seems slightly bigger than the previous batches. I primed the beer with 3.5 oz. of corn sugar before bottling, and for the first time, I re-pitched yeast into the beer before bottling. The previous two batches of this recipe had been woefully under-carbonated, though I haven't really figured out why that might be the case. I'm hoping that new yeast will solve the problem. I'll again be giving away almost all of this batch as Christmas presents to family and friends.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Batch 10: Papa Bear Porter: Primary Fermentation

The fermenting ramped up within 24 hours of pitching, and there was obvious airlock activity for seven days after that at a consistent 67°. I halved two vanilla beans, and cut the halves into 1" pieces, which I added to the sanitized 5-gallon carboy. I racked the beer to the carboy for secondary fermentation after nine total days in the primary and measured the specific gravity at 1.014, which (if my measurements were correct) puts the ABV at nearly 8%. The sample had subtle coffee notes and strong chocolate flavors, a reversal from the previous batch. I'm planning to let the beer condition for four or five weeks before bottling.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Batch 10: Papa Bear Porter: Brewing Day

Today is a first for me; I'm introducing a friend to the joys of brewing. Clint H., welcome to the fold!
  1. Boil 4 gallons of water, and set aside to cool over night.
  2. Steep 1/2 lb. crystal 60L malt, 1/2 lb. chocolate malt, and 1/4 lb. black malt in 3 gallons of water at 160º ±10º for 30 minutes.
  3. Add 3.3 lb. of pale LME, and stir till dissolved.
  4. Bring to boil until break (approx. 20 minutes).
  5. Hop.
    1. 0.5 oz. Magnum hops T-60 minutes.
    2. 0.8 oz. Willamette hops T-40 minutes.
    3. 0.5 oz. Willamette hops T-20 minutes.
  6. Add half a tab of Whirlfloc T-10 min.
  7. Add 6.6 lb. of pale LME at knockout, and let stand for 10 minutes.
  8. Chill wort with ice bath and frozen water in soda bottles to below 70º.
  9. Siphon wort to to pail, leaving behind as much sediment as possible[1], and add cooled boiled water to just over 5 gallon-mark (or approx. 3 inches from top of pail).
  10. Measure original gravity.
  11. Pitch White Labs California Ale Yeast (WLP001).
  12. Aerate the wort by pouring back and forth between sanitized pails.
  13. Siphon into 6.5 gallon carboy primary fermenter, and affix airlock.
  14. Ferment in swamp cooler at 70º ±2º.
The original gravity was 1.074. I expect the final gravity to be around 1.017, which should put the ABV a little above 7%.

Our friends, Becky and Clint, and my wife. #NoFilter

Becky and Clint's daughter (above) with our daughter (below).

#NoFilter

My daughter and I at the brew supply shop.
[1] - Turns out, there's just not much sediment to leave behind at this stage. It's not worth siphoning.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Batch 10: Papa Bear Porter: Ingredients

  • 9.9 lb. – Golden Light LME
  • 8 oz. – crystal 60L malt
  • 8 oz. – chocolate malt
  • 4 oz. – black malt 
  • 0.5 oz. – Magnum hops 
  • 1.25 oz. – Willamette hops
  • 1 vial – White Labs California Ale Yeast (WLP001) (for fermentation)
  • 1 packet – Wyeast American Ale Yeast (#1056) (for carbonation)
  • 2 – vanilla beans
  • 4 oz. – corn sugar
Typically, I would just go with the Wyeast American Ale Yeast (#1056), but the shop only had a single packet of that so I got the White Labs California Ale Yeast (WLP001), the identical strain, as well. The previous batches of this beer had been under carbonated so I'm trying something new and will be pitching again for bottling. Previously, a clerk at the shop suggested steeping the specialty grains, setting the tea aside, and only adding it to the wort at knockout to avoid drawing out the acridity of the chocolate and black malts. I did this with the previous two batches of this beer, but I've grown suspicious that it's really not necessary. Another clerk at the shop today confirmed that I didn't really need to bother so I'll be doing a single steep/boil/chill this time.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Batch 9: Simcoe MIPA Iteration: Tasting Day

I'm very happy with this one. It ended up spicy with round plum notes and a wee hint of orange. I've finally eliminated the off-flavor that has been consistent so far in my beers, and I suspect the culprit had been either the vinyl tubing that I replaced, used with the auto-syphon and bottling wand, or cleaning with PBW. Ironically, though I used a clarifying agent (i.e. Whirlfloc) for the first time, this batch is by far the haziest I've brewed thus far. (The haze is superficial and doesn't really bother me.) Again, I'm quite happy with this batch!


Friday, September 19, 2014

Batch 9: Simcoe MIPA Iteration: Secondary Fermentation/Bottling Day

I'm almost a week late with this post, but better late than never, right? The beer spent three weeks in the secondary. I dry-hopped an additional 0.67 oz. of the Simcoe hops during the last 26 hours in the secondary. I measured the final gravity at 1.019, which is just a couple points higher than I had expected but should still put the ABV just over 7%. I was still struck by how the Simcoe tasted very round with plum notes, but the dry-hopping added a spiciness that I really like, too. I primed the beer with 5 oz. of corn sugar (boiled in 2 cups of water and cooled) before bottling and ended up with 24 24oz.-bottles. I'm giving the beer two weeks to condition. I'm very excited about this one.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Batch 9: Simcoe MIPA Iteration: Primary Fermentation

The fermenting ramped up within 48 hours of pitching, and there was obvious airlock activity for three full days after that. I don't think the starter really started so I'll go back to the larger water volume for the next try. I racked the beer to the 5-gallon carboy for secondary fermentation after 8 days in the primary and measured the specific gravity at 1.019. The sample I took with the thief tasted amazing! The Simcoe taste much rounder than the Centennial hops. I detected plum notes. I'm planning to let the beer condition for two or three weeks before bottling. I'll dry-hop an additional 0.67 oz. of the Simcoe hops during the last three or four days.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Batch 9: Simcoe MIPA Iteration: Brewing Day

Here was the program:
  1. Boil 4 gallons of water the night before, and set aside to cool.
  2. Steep 10 oz. of CaraPils in 3 gallons of water for 30 min. at 160º ±10º.
  3. Add 3.3 lb. of Golden Light LME (minus the 2/3 cup used for the starter), and stir till dissolved.
  4. Bring to boil until break (approx. 20 minutes).
  5. Hop.
    1. 0.66 oz. Simcoe hops T-60 min.
    2. 0.66 oz. Simcoe hops T-45 min.
    3. 0.67 oz. Simcoe hops T-30 min.
    4. 0.67 oz. Simcoe hops T-15 min.
      1. Add half a tab of Whirlfloc T-10 min.
    5. 0.67 oz. Simcoe hops 0 min. for 10 minutes off heat
  6. Add 6.6 lb. of Pilsen Light LME [1] at knockout, and let stand for 10 minutes.
  7. Chill wort with ice bath and frozen water in soda bottles to below 70º.
  8. Add wort to pail, and top off with cooled boiled water to just over 5 gallon-mark (or approx. 3 inches from top of pail).
  9. Measure original gravity.
  10. Pitch White Labs California Ale V Yeast 051 [2] starter [3].
  11. Aerate the wort by pouring back and forth between sanitized pails.
  12. Siphon into 6.5 gallon carboy primary fermenter, and affix airlock.
  13. Let ferment for two weeks in swamp cooler at 68º ±2º.
I am using a few things for the first time this batch. I'm pre-cleaning with PBW. I'm also trying a clarifying agent (i.e. Whirlfloc). We'll see if either make a significant difference. I used a penny to control the boil for the first time as well, which seemed to help.

The original gravity was 1.063. I expect the final gravity to be around 1.019, which should put the ABV around 7%. I'll be dry hopping an additional 0.67 oz. of hops during secondary fermentation.

--

[1] I'm only using the Pilsen Light LME because my local homebrew supply store didn't have enough of the Golden Light LME, but the clerk assured me that it wouldn't make much of a difference.

[2] Likewise, I'm also using the White Labs yeast instead of the Wyeast American Ale II because they were out of the latter, though the clerk told me that they are the same strain.

[3] I followed the same directions for a yeast starter as before with a few changes. I used a White Labs vial instead of the Wyeast slap pack for the first time, hence no need for activation. I used 500 mL of water instead of 1500 mL. This leaves a lot more headroom in the 2 L growler, which made aeration much easier. We'll see if the higher concentration of sugars proves problematic. I pitched the yeast into the starter just under 48 hours before pitching to the primary.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Batch 9: Simcoe MIPA Iteration: Ingredients

I've decided to fiddle some with the 'Merican IPA recipe, which solely uses Centennial hops, to teach myself about a few different hop varieties. Here is a preliminary list of hops that I'd definitely like to try:
  • Chinook
  • Columbus
  • Galena
  • Horizon
  • Magnum
  • Nugget
  • Simcoe
Here is the first in the project with the Simcoe hops.
  • 3.3 lb. – Golden Light liquid extract ($12.29)
  • 6.6 lb. – Pilsen Light liquid extract ($24.59)
  • 10 oz. – CaraPils grains ($1.92)
  • 4 oz.   – Simcoe hops ($8.09)
  • 1 vial  – White Labs California Ale V Yeast 051 (same strain as Wyeast American Ale II #1272) ($8.55)
  • 4 oz.  – corn sugar ($0.25)
The total cost after tax was $55.69, or about $1.11 per bottle.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Batch 8: Steamboat California Common Beer: Tasting Day

This one is interesting. It's quite understated. There is a place for a beer like this. The mouth-feel was about perfect with that measure of maltodextrin. I like the East Kent Goldings hops. I got the idea to try them because they are used in the Fuller's ESB, currently one of my favorite beers. The carbonation is fairly inconsistent from bottle to bottle. I'm about at my wit's end with that issue. I'm going to try re-pitching before bottling with the next several batches. Overall, this might not be a flashy beer, but fills an important role in a tap roster.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Batch 8: Steamboat California Common Beer: Secondary Fermentation/Bottling Day

The beer spent ten days in the secondary. I measured the final gravity at 1.009, which should put the ABV in the vicinity of 5.25%. I primed the beer with 5 oz. of corn sugar (boiled in 2 cups of water and cooled) before bottling. I ended up with 20 24oz.-bottles and 8 12oz.-bottles (i.e. 4.5 gallons). I'll give the beer two weeks to condition.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Batch 8: Steamboat California Common Beer: Primary Fermentation

The fermenting ramped up within 24 hours of pitching, and there was obvious airlock activity for four full days after that. I racked the beer to the 5-gallon carboy for secondary fermentation after 14 days in the primary and measured the specific gravity at 1.010. The sample from the thief was very smooth, drinkable, and understated. I like the East Kent Goldings. I'm excited to see how this one tastes carbonated. I'm planning to let the beer condition for a week before bottling.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Batch 8: Steamboat California Common Beer: Brewing Day

Here's the program:
  1. Boil 4 gallons of water the day before, and set aside to cool overnight.
  2. Steep 0.5 lb. crystal 40L malt 3 gallons of water at 160º ±10º for 30 minutes.
  3. Add 3.3 lb. of pale LME, and stir till dissolved.
  4. Bring to boil until break (approx. 20 minutes).
  5. Hop.
    1. 1.5 oz. East Kent Goldings hops T-60 minutes.
    2. 0.5 oz. East Kent Goldings hops T-15 minutes.
  6. Rehydrate the yeast (PDF).
    1. Boil at least 4 oz. of water for five minutes, and let it cool to 73° ±6°F.
    2. Sprinkle in the contents of the Saflager S-23 lager yeast sachet, and let it rest for about 20 minutes.*
    3. Stir gently for 30 minutes. 
  7. Add 4.6 oz. maltodextrin powder.
  8. Add 3.3 lb. of pale LME at knockout, and let stand for 10 minutes.
  9. Chill wort with ice bath and soda bottles to below 70º.
  10. Add wort to pail, and top off with cooled boiled water to just over 5 gallon-mark (or approx. 3 inches from top of pail).
  11. Measure original gravity.
  12. Pitch the yeast.
  13. Aerate the wort by pouring back and forth between sanitized pails.
  14. Siphon into 6.5 gallon carboy primary fermenter, and affix airlock.
  15. Let ferment for two weeks in swamp cooler at 60º ±6º.
The original gravity ended up being only 1.010 which just can't be right. It should be closer to 1.049. Fermentation was up and running the morning after pitching.

* - I accidentally dropped and spilled the dried yeast so I had to wait until the following day to buy, rehydrate, and pitch the yeast. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the unpitched wort didn't encourage any odd bug growth over night.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Batch 8: Steamboat California Common Beer: Ingredients

So, I was unhappy with how hoppy the last batch was--more IPA than steam beer--so I'm experimenting and making a few changes. First, I'm doing without the black malt. That just ended up being inappropriate/unnecessary. Second, I'm upping the maltodextrin a bit as the mouth-feel was a bit thinner than I had hoped. Third, I'm altering the hops. I'm going on a hunch and substituting East Kent Goldings for Northern Brewer hops. Finally, I'm trying a new yeast since my supply shop doesn't carry the Wyeast variety.
  • 6.6 lb. pale LME ($22.98)
  • 0.5 lb. crystal 40L malt ($1.69)
  • 0.33 lb. maltodextrin powder ($1.18)
  • 2 oz. East Kent Goldings ($3.78)
  • 1 pack Saflager S-23 lager yeast ($5.49)
  • total $37.50

Friday, March 21, 2014

Batch 7: 'Merican IPA: Tasting Day

This batch was, hands down, my best yet. It's a big, hoppy beer but isn't overwhelming. Thanks to Tyson and Cam for making it happen financially.





Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Batch 7: 'Merican IPA: Secondary Fermentation/Bottling Day

The beer spent two weeks in the secondary. I measured the gravity of the beer at 1.013. The sample from the thief tasted clean. The nylon bag again seemed to keep most of the hop residue contained, but since the bag tends to float in the carboy, I'm wondering if it isn't inhibiting hop utilization. I'm not sure that I'll use it in the future. I primed the beer with 4 oz. of corn sugar (boiled in 2 cups of water and cooled) before bottling. I'm going to keep a close eye on the carbonation of this batch. If it seems low or inconsistent, I might try pitching a fresh packet of yeast before bottling the next batch. I ended up with 49 bottles. I'll give the beer two weeks to condition.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Batch 7: 'Merican IPA: Primary Fermentation

The fermenting ramped up within 24 hours of pitching, and there was obvious airlock activity for two full days after that. The krausen expanded a day after that. I forgot how much I enjoyed watching fermentation! For that alone, the new 6.5-gallon carboy is worth it. I racked the beer to the 5-gallon carboy for secondary fermentation after 8 days in the primary and measured the specific gravity at 1.017, several points higher than in previous batches. (I would have preferred to rack after four or five days but was busy.) I'm estimating the beer to be at about 7.5% ABV. The sample I took with the thief tasted pretty good, hops up front. The beer is cloudier than previous batches have been, and I'm wondering if this is related to the yeast starter. I dry-hopped an additional 0.67 oz. of the Centennial hops in the secondary in a sanitized mesh nylon bag. I'm planning to let the beer condition for about two weeks before bottling.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Batch 7: 'Merican IPA: Followup on the Yeast Starter

The poor-man's yeast starter seemed to work fine. There were no blowoff issues, and the beer smelled and looked normal. Primary fermentation seems to be going normally, too.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Batch 7: 'Merican IPA: Brewing Day

Here was the program:
  1. Boil 4 gallons of water, and set aside to cool.
  2. Steep 10 oz. of CaraPils in 3 gallons of water for 30 min. at 160º ±10º.
  3. Add 3.3 lb. of pale LME (minus the 2/3 cup used for the starter), and stir till dissolved.
  4. Bring to boil until break (approx. 20 minutes).
  5. Hop.
    1. 0.66 oz. Centennial hops T-60 min.
    2. 0.66 oz. Centennial hops T-45 min.
    3. 0.67 oz. Centennial hops T-30 min.
    4. 0.67 oz. Centennial hops T-15 min.
    5. 0.67 oz. Centennial hops 0 min. for 10 minutes off heat
  6. Add 6.6 lb. of pale LME at knockout, and let stand for 10 minutes.
  7. Chill wort and reserve water with ice bath and frozen water in soda bottles to below 70º.
  8. Add wort to pail, and top off with cooled boiled water to just over 5 gallon-mark (or approx. 3 inches from top of pail).
  9. Measure original gravity.
  10. Pitch Wyeast American Ale II Yeast (#1272) starter.
  11. Aerate the wort by pouring back and forth between sanitized pails.
  12. Siphon into 6.5 gallon carboy primary fermenter, and affix airlock.
  13. Let ferment for two weeks in swamp cooler at 66º ±6º.
The original gravity was 1.062, about 0.01 points lower than expected; however, I'm guessing that the starter accounts for this and will correct the difference. I'll be dry hopping an additional 0.67 oz. of hops at secondary fermentation.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Batch 7: 'Merican IPA: Yeast Starter

When I was at my friendly, local homebrew supply store recently, I was prepared to buy a yeast starter setup (i.e flask, DME, etc.), but the clerk talked me out of it. He suggested two things, first, that the yeast should acclimate to the kinds of sugars that they'll be fermenting in the beer (i.e. LME vs. DME) and, second, that an airlock will put pressure on the yeast by not evacuating the CO2 quickly enough. Admittedly, I'm a bit skeptical, but if his method saves me money, I'm going to give it a go.
  1. Activate yeast packet, and let sit for about 24 hours.
  2. Boil 1500 mL of water with 2/3 cup LME and one hop pellet.
  3. Cool wort in water bath to 70º.
  4. Poor wort into sanitized growler and aerate.
  5. Sanitize packet, and pitch yeast into growler.
  6. Seal loosely with a sanitized piece of aluminum foil.
  7. Let sit for one to three days or until a notable yeast cake flocculates at the bottom.
I'm using a 64 oz. growler. I'm a little concerned that the beer doesn't leave enough room in the growler, but I'll report back on this.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Batch 7: 'Merican IPA: Ingredients

I'm making this one for the annual trip to Gatlinburg. I've brought some investors on board so this batch will be known as "Brad's 'Merican IPA Presented by Cam and Ty."
  • 9.9 lb. – Pale liquid extract ($34.47)
  • 10 oz. – CaraPils grains ($1.12)
  • 4 oz. – Centennial hops ($7.16)
  • 1 packet – Wyeast American Ale II Yeast (#1272) ($7.49)
  • 4 oz. – corn sugar ($0.25)
The total cost after tax was $54.02.

I also took the opportunity to spend some Christmas money on a couple upgrades to my setup, adding a 6.5 gallon glass carboy to replace my brewing pail for primary fermentation and a digital scale. (To be honest, the pocket scale makes me feel like drug dealer--which brings new meaning to the term "hop head." #rimshot)