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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.