Brewer's Republik

Special Bitter

2009-01-11T13:26:00.002-05:00

Today I'll be doing a simple infusion mash and brewing an all-grain recipe courtesy of Annapolis Home Brew.

Their recipes are expensive, but worth every penny if you are looking for a high quality recipe kit. I've had excellent results with their Amber Ale, Marzen, and Golden Pilsner recipes. Some of the best compliments I've received has been on beer made from their recipes. As a local home brew shop, they are awesome! Again, pricey, but you get excellent customer service and their web site is chocked full of useful information and instructions for brewers of all skill levels. I'm willing to pay a little extra to support a great local business like AHB.

I'd disclose the recipe, but unfortunately AHB keeps the components of their recipes a secret. Proprietary rights! They generally don't skimp on ingredients, so you get good value for your dollar. For example, the ESB comes with 11.5 lbs. of grain. That doesn't seem like a lot, but compare it with comparable recipes from Terry Foster's book Pale Ale and you'll find the grain bill is similar to Jamil Zainasheff's recipe in Brewing Classic Styles. Jamil is not shy about using a lot of grain (or yeast for that matter).

My kit comes with 11.5 lbs. of grain. This is one style I absolutely love! "Strong" and "bittter" are misleading. This is a premium amber ale that balances malt with hops to create a very drinkable and flavorful pub ale. It's between a pale ale and an ordinary British session bitter.

Because this isn't my recipe, I won't make a starter, but will stick with the slap pack that came with the kit. I might play around with the yeast if I knew the grain bill, but figured AHB has fine tuned their recipes. I plan to mash with 1.25 quarts of hot liquor per pound of grain and fly sparge with 4 gallons of 170 degree
H20. Primary fermentation in glass at 65 deg. F. with a secondary fermentation at the same temperature for three to four weeks. While awesome kegged, I think I'll bottle this one so I have a nice house ale on hand should I need to take some to friends. I've already got the Wee Heavy Scotch Ale and Irish Draught Ale on tap in the kegerator in my garage. I installed the stout faucet and dedicated beer gas tank this weekend.

If you are interested in the Premium/Best/Special Bitter category, then you access the style guidelines here.

Bottling Time!

2008-12-29T13:16:00.004-05:00

I'm bottling my San Francisco lager today! Normally, I use dried malt extract instead of corn sugar, but I'm low so I'll use the corn sugar instead.

The other project I have for the weekend involves drilling a hole and installing my stout faucet so I can finally tap my Irish Draught Ale and use my nitro system.

On Tap? Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

On Deck? I have an Extra Special or Premium Bitter, a Pre-Prohibition Pilsner, and an Oatmeal Stout I need to brew sometime within the next month.

Dunkelweizen Risin'

2008-05-19T10:32:00.004-04:00

The bacteria pellicle on my Flander's Red Ale is starting to fall. It won't be long until I can bottle the Rodenbach! The Irish Draught Ale is kegged and in the fridge, I just need to clean out my kegerator, install the wood flooring and complete my fridge project. That means filling my second 5 lb. tank with beer gas, installing manifolds in the fridge walls and putting in my disconnects and forward-sealing Perlick and stout faucets.

This weekend I decided to take it back to basics and brew an extract recipe. I'd tried mashing wheat once and the experience convinced me that weizens are one style that are probably better if brewed using an extract recipe. Here's the recipe I used:

8 lbs. of Weizen malt extract from Williams Brewing (60% German White Wheat and 40% Moravian 2-Row)
10 ounces of Munich malt (hand cracked and steeped at 150-155 deg. F. for 15-20 minutes)
6 ounces of Caramunich (steeped)
5 ounces of Special B (steeped)
7 ounces of Crystal 60 (steeped)

I started it with a 90 minute boil and added 1 ounce of Tettnang hops at 60 minutes. (2) vials of White Labs Hefeweizen Ale 300 yeast pitched at 65 deg. F. Glass carboy fermentation.

I'm using the pitching rates and recommendations from Jamil Zainasheff. I just picked up his book Brewing Classic Styles: 80 Winning Recipes Anyone Can Brew. After trying his Rodenbach, I'm sold on his methods and recipes! He's not afraid of big grain bills and typically recommends either 2 or 3 vials of yeast (if you don't build a starter) per batch. Most of the styles I like require anywhere from 12 to 20 lbs. of grain.

I'm going to need a bigger mash tun...

Has it been this long?

2008-01-14T22:25:00.000-05:00

The beer challenge I laid out for myself kept me busy until May alright. May 2008!!!

I'm still working my way through my list and have a yeast starter ready for my Belgian Dubbel. The 7 gallon tun is only marginally better than the 5 gallon Gott. I should have just went with an 8 gallon or kept mashing in the 48 quart cooler I had. Both need better insulation.

Here's where I am:

Flander's Red Ale -- in secondary letting the bacteria start their 8-12 month journey
Irish Draught Ale -- in glass secondary awaiting full fridge conversion for second stout tap
Scottish Ale -- in the fridge, kegged, and waiting to be carbonated and tapped

Updates on stuff:

Kegerator: I have all the stuff I need to install a wooden shelf another tap (dedicated stout tap and beer gas set up) and run the gas lines outside of the fridge.
10 gallon brewery: I have everything I need to build a wooden frame, run propane gas lines, and install wheels. I have a March pump but need hoses and connections. Also, do I really need 10 gallon capacity? I guess if I find a beer I really like and want to make a bunch to share with neighbors (a pale ale or amber lager).
Yeast starters: are now being conducted with a stir plate. Wow, the yeast you can build with a simple pint!

Next steps? I think I'll build a fermentation/lagering chamber out of some plywood, studs, insulation and a window air conditioning unit. Great for summer.

Seven Beers in Seven Weeks

2007-03-04T03:05:00.000-05:00

Let the countdown begin! Here's the brewering challenge that will keep me occupied through early May:

1. Bourbon Barrel Robust Porter
2. 1850 60 Shilling Scotch Ale
3. Belgian Dubbel
4. Pre-prohibition American Lager
5. Flander's Sour Red Ale
6. California Common Ale
7. Irish Draught Ale

New Tun

2007-02-26T17:23:00.000-05:00

I'm re-thinking my Old Faithful 5 gallon Gott as my primary mash tun. Using fly sparging, I was only able to achieve 69-75 percent effeceincy on my last two beers. Granted, they were higher gravity beers and one would expect a lower extraction, but the time I wasted with the sparge (45 minutes) could be shaved off with a batch sparge. Plus, I want a tun that will accomodate high-gravity 5 gallon batches. The 5 has a limit of about 13 lbs of grain.

I'm going to try batch sparging in a 28 quart (7 gallons) rectangular cooler from Coleman. This should give me a grain capacity of 20 lbs., more than enough for the bocks and Belgians I plan to brew until my 15 gallon converted Sanke brewery is constructed this summer. I'm not sure if that project is worth it, I enjoy brewing the 5 gallon batches inside, and my garage is a litte rustic.

The 48 quart I bought for this purpose is too long and shallow, and I've found I don't get a very good grain bed. Plus, my manifold doesn't drain evenly. The 28 quart has better dimensions to support a two arm manifold that can be used either for batch or fly sparging. Parts are on order from McMaster so that I can install a ball valve and attach it to a CPVC manifold.

Pending Brewery Projects:
-Test 10 gallon plastic containers for bulk grain storage (will mice chew through them to get at my grains?)
-Finish curing my 5 gallon oak barrel for the Robust Porter
-Rack Dortmunder into keg and finish lagering

President's Day

2007-02-26T16:40:00.000-05:00

I used my three day weekend to brew back-to-back 5 gallon batches of a Scotch Ale and a Robust Porter. The scotch ale recipe is modified from the Scottish Wee Heavy recipe found on the Northern Brewer website. Instead of using 14 lbs. of Golden Promise, I used 12 so that it was closer to one of the shilling recipes I found in Noonan's Scotch Ale book. My OG was right on target at 1.070. The recipe is pretty straight forward. 1/2 lb. of Crystal, 6 ounces of Biscuit and 2 ounces of Special B add some color and flavor to the base malt. I used a single infusion mash program of 158 degrees F for an hour (15 quarts of liquor water) before sparging with about 4 and 1/2 gallons of 170 deg. water to collect 6.5 gallons of wort. 1 ounce of Fuggles is thrown in at the boil and another ounce 15 minutes into the boil. I used the White Labs 028 Edinburgh Yeast. I may have to move the primary upstairs from my basement, because the temperature down there is about 62-64 deg. F. and the yeast doesn't ferment well below 62 deg. It's been slow to ferment, taking a good week.

My makeshift carboy cozy:

Overall, the ale has a nice inch thick yeast pancake that looks healthy. I'm glad I pitched a starter.

The Robust Porter recipe is taken from Horst Dornbusch's article by the same name found in the September 2006, Vol. 12, No. 5 edition of Brew Your Own magazine. Essentially, the recipe calls for a single infusion of 14 quarts of liquor into 9.5 lbs. of Munton's Pale Ale malt, 3 ounces of Chocolate, 13 ounces of Special B, 14 ounces of Crystal (40L), and 13 ounces of Carastan (I just subbed more crystal here). My recipe may have been a bit off because my LHBS rounded the grains to even poundage. I weighed the adjuncts, so I'm pretty close. The mash temp is 158 deg. F. for an hour. Sparged with 170 deg. water until I had 6 gallons. My pre-boil gravity 1.050 was approximateto the article's 1.058, but after an hour boil it was 1.076. The hop schedule was .55 ounces of Magnum 15 minutes after the boil, 1/2 ounce of Tettnang 45 minutes into the boil, and 1/2 ounce of Glacier hops 5 minutes before knock off. I messed up the hop schedule by misreading the directions, and complicated things by going with a 60 minute boil versus a 75 minute. I pitched the White Labs 002 English Ale yeast and it has quickly fermented. I need to take a gravity reading to make sure it's done. This was my first time using the White Labs products and they seem to be comparable with Wyeast.

Some photos:

Yeast starter for the porter and scotch ale

It's too cold to lauter and mash outside! It was hard enough to do the full boil in the garage.

My 5 Gallon Mash Tun

2006-11-03T13:31:00.000-05:00

I've dubbed this "old faithful" because it holds mash temperatures so well. This is the perfect tun for 5 gallon batches, provided you aren't trying to brew anything with more than 12 lbs. of grain. Experience has taught me to mix certain mashes in my hot liquor tank (also a 5 gallon cooler), then transfer them to my mash tun when lautering and sparging. I do this with certain beers to avoid a stuck sparge. Namely, recipes with a lot of adjunct grains (wheat and oats primarily). The false bottom is a stainless 9" screen attached to some vinyl hose, which is attached to a plastic male barb. This screws easily into the 1/2" coupler that comes standard with the Kewler Kitz valve from Zymico.

The Power of Aging

2006-11-02T22:33:00.000-05:00

I've let the Strong Golden Ale sit in the keg, tapped, for about 2 weeks now and the flavor has improved. Sweetness has given way to a pleasant harshness. It's still a tad on the fruity and sugary side, but age has given it some depth and character. I'll have to remember to let this one spend a little more time in the corny to mellow out and age. Perhaps a candidate for the oak barrel? It's a nice golden color.

Brewery

2006-11-01T08:17:00.000-05:00

Plans for a New Brewery
I am commencing with phase one of my new brewery. I was going to insulate and convert 6.5 gallon fermentation pails into a new mashing and lautering system, but in the end, couldn't resist the allure of stainless. So, I've bought two stainless kegs that have been converted and will use them as my mash tun and boil kettle. I have a couple of other kegs and will use the Kewler Kitz and some bulkhead fittings to convert one of these to a hot liquor tun. Essentially, I'll have a two-tiered brewery that is gravity fed. No pumps or HRMS/RIMS system. In my opinion, that's a lot of elaborate and expensive gadgetry just to step mash. I'd rather pull a decoction, or, if space permits, use hot water infusions. Yes, I'm still convinced decoction mashing can be done!

In my opinion, stainless kegs are better because:
1. Their design allows for good grain bed depth, regardless of batch size (5 or 10 gallon batches), which makes them more versatile than the 10 gallon Gott or the rectangular cooler.
2. You can insulate them so they perform as well as a cooler.
3. You can direct fire heat them (though I don't plan to do this).
4. They are made of stainless steel, and will last forever.

No Pumps
Instead of pumping the wort from the mash tun to the boil kettle (or setting the tun above the kettle), I'm going to keep the tun at eye level and collect wort into a pail, then transfer to the kettle. This method will allow me to actually measure how much wort I'm putting in the kettle for the boil without adding an expensive sight glass. The tun will be off the ground by a few feet, giving enough space to collect wort, but not so high that the second tier isn't able to comfortably sit above the tun for sparging. I'll have two burners, and have ordered the gas supplies from More Beer and the Bazooka T screens (both for the boil kettle and mash tun) from Northern Brewer.

Sparging
Instead of a sparge arm, I think I'll use a piece of CPVC that is capped, but has holes drilled into the bar. I'll attach a T fitting and will run a hose to the arm, which will rest on the grain bed and sprinkle it with hot sparge water. This way, I won't lose much heat in the air (a problem I've encountered with my rotating Listermann arm) and can maintain a more consistent sparge that rinses the grains thoroughly.

Chilling
I've been going in circles over the merits of a counterflow chiller vs. an immersion chiller. The bacteria issue scares me, and CFCs are a pain to clean and maintain, apparently. So, I'll build both. I have a 25 foot coil of copper tube and the fittings, so I'll give it a whirl. If it gets to be too much, I'll go with the 50 foot coil, which I plan to straighten, re-wind, solder, and affix garden hose connections to in order to make it a better immersion chiller.

Serving
My neighbor put in a request for a Kilkenny's Irish Cream Ale clone, or something in the ballpark of a good Irish draught ale, so I'm adding a stout faucet and separate nitrogen/CO2 tank purchased from the Beverage Factory to my existing one-tap kegerator. That will give me one tap for regular brew and a second for stouts, Irish red ales, and anything else that requires beer gas. In a pinch, I can remove the disk in the stout faucet and use it as a second faucet for brews that require regular CO2.

Conclusion
I'm a little sad that I couldn't go with my fermenter pails, there's a certain romance to simplicity, and this is the method Papazian still uses. At the end of the day, however, I wanted more versatility (the ability to do high-gravity 5 gallon batches or even 10 gallon batches). Maybe I'm overdoing this. I'm not sure what I'd do with a 10 gallon batch. I feel like I have an addiction, and that I've become obsessive compulsive about my equipment. I just want to make great beer, is that so wrong?

Next Steps
Phase II will require assembly of all of the above. Phase III will require some modifications to my fridge (a plywood bottom and frame for the inside, a new hole for the stout faucet, modification of the door to attach the two 5 lb. tanks, etc.) Phase IV? Choosing a name for my brewery. How about The Money Pit?

Tasting Notes...and Much More

2006-10-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

From the Tasting Room
The Strong Golden Ale is too sweet, and there is little to no hop aroma or flavor! It has a good aftertaste, a beautful gold color, nice heading properties, and the promised alcohol by volume (you'd never know it until you've had a second glass, though), but I'm disappointed with the flavor and hop profile. I'll use considerably less sugar next time, and will try a recipe from my new book on Belgian Ales by Rajotte. This has been a valuable lesson: beware internet recipes! This, and the one from BYO have turned out poorly, while most of the ones purchased from home brew stores have been excellent. My problem is probably that I'm not making the proper adjustmnets for the internet recipes, adjustments needed to compensate for boil volume, effeciency and alpha acid content in the hops. Oh well.

My Next Big Project
I am slowly working on assembling a two-tier brewing system, but am undecided about structure. I purchased two keggles from an E-bay supplier, which I plan to use as a boil kettle and mash tun. Instead of using my 48 quart cooler as an HLT, perhaps I should just convert a third keg and install a sight glass, thermometer and ball valve with a burner. I was hoping to use the boil kettle as a hot water heater, and store it in my cooler until sparge time, but it looks like the best method or design may be to just have a pump and a direct-fired HLT.

There are so many potential designs out there, I don't know where to begin! I want something automated, a system with the versatility to handle 5-10 gallon batches of any gravity. Right now, I only need something for simple infusion or decoction (not a fan of step mashing).

Here's a few photos of my new keggles:

The only problem I see with them is the thermometer position. It limits the construction design for any tiered system. Any hose running from a pump to the kettle valve will have to travel some extra distance, esp. if the kettle is to be to the left of the mash tun. This could pose a problem, as the hose may find itself passing in front of the burner. I may be able to reverse the order of the kettles and install some elbow joints that help direct liquid flow. There is a design by Rich Wilbert that I'm currently favoring, but I'd drop the RIMS and would build a wooden box to insulate the mash tun. These kettles went for a great price! Sanitary welds, 3 piece stainless ball valves, 12 inch openings, and Miljico thermometer. Very competitive with Sabco, though I haven't yet inspected the welds.

The Oak Barrel Experiment
Finally, I'm going to start experimenting with cask/barrel aging. I've found a great deal on American Oak barrels, and ordered a 20 liter so I can start aging barley wines, English old ales, scotch ales, imperial stouts and other high-gravity brews.

Update

2006-10-07T19:21:00.000-04:00

On Tap: John Palmer's Lord Crouchback's ESB (Extra Special Bitter)
Kegged, On Deck: Belgian Strong Golden Ale (Dan Morey's Vloeibaar Goud)
Bottle Conditioning: Mikoli Weaver's Annihilator Dopplebock
Ready to Bottle: Homebrew Adventures' Cream of the Crop Oatmeal Stout

Cream of the Crop Milk Stout

2006-09-04T16:31:00.000-04:00

The deluge of rain and cold wind this week reminded me that fall would soon be upon us, so thoughts turned to those beers I'd like to brew for the fall and winter. I've decided that I'd like to bottle some heavier beers for the colder months, namely a stout, bock and lager. In my search for good stout recipes, I've found several that are appealing. While I love Guinness, I'm looking to expand my stout horizons to include oatmeal and milk stouts. I found an ale kit from Homebrew Adventures that fit the bill: Cream of the Crop Milk Stout.

I made a yeast starter from the Wyeast London III Ale yeast (1318) and, while it didn't show much life in the starter, it began a vigorous fermentation in the primary within 24 hours of pitching.

This is an interesting recipe. It includes lactose sugar, oatmeal, wheat, English pale ale, carapils, chocolate, roasted barley and 120 L crystal. I used a single infusion mash of 12 quarts of liquor with a temperature rest at 153 deg. I maintained the temperature with a half quart of boiling water about 30 minutes into the mash. Also, I deviated a bit from the recipe and pulled a thick decoction with about 20 minutes remaining in the rest. I brought the grains to boiling in about 15 minutes, then folded them back in to boost the temperature to about 158 deg. F. It was an experiment, and it may have made the wort a little bitter, but I hope that it adds a more malty and complex flavor to the body.

The wheat and oats conspired against me, and I ended up with a stuck mash. I fixed it by pouring the mash into my 9 gallon boil kettle and drained it with the Bazooka screen while fly sparging. In the future, I'll remember to mash in one vessel and transfer to another for the sparging. That seems a good fix to the problem, and I'll remember it when brewing beers that have significant wheat or oat components to their grain bills. I collected about 5.5 gallons of wort. The SG was 1.049, right on target, but at the lower end of the range. I cut the boil short by about 10-15 minutes, so that may have affected it a tad.

I can't wait to try it in about 5 weeks.

Strong Golden Ale

2006-08-24T09:29:00.000-04:00

It's in the secondary and achieving clarity as I type. I love the color and was very impressed with how the Ardennes yeast brightened up the dull wort after fermentation. I think I'll use more candi sugar next time, that is if I enjoy the style.

Thoughts of late have turned to developing a HERMS or RIMS brewing system. Something tiered, involving pumps and stainless kettles with valves, hoses and all manner of gadgetry. Then again, I just read an article that sort of took the wind out of my sails. With some reflection, does all that equipment make better beer? Maybe I should stick with my coolers and build a three tier system. After all, the HERMS or RIMS set ups are complicated means of conveniently step mashing, which is something I hardly do. Mostly, I use a straight infusion for ales and single or double decoction for lagers. The more important question to settle is finding the perfect cooler that allows me to do normal and high-gravity 5 gallon batches.

Me thinks, me ponders.

Bitter Sweet

2006-08-15T23:31:00.000-04:00

All is well in brewland. My bitter continues to impress me with it's hoppy drinkability, the strong golden ale is a beautiful gold color and has been fermenting nicely, and the wheat beer has mellowed--it actually has a nice, tangy flavor that is absent the alcoholic flavor I detected shortly after bottling.

I guess you have to really screw up before it starts affecting your beer!

Yeast Starter Convert

2006-08-13T23:17:00.000-04:00

I'll never look back.

The yeast starter I made was the best thing I could have done for the Strong Golden Ale I brewed today. Within hours of pitching, the yeast cells are making quick work of my wort, and the carbonation bubbles in my airlock are bopping out like a triphammer. I've never had such a vigorous fermentation! It's something to see.

My gravity was a bit low after my boil (1.048 vs. 1.078), but that was after I added a few gallons of water to bring the volume back up to 5 1/2 gallons. I actually took it up to about six, because I have so much sediment in this batch. Coriander seeds, whole Fuggles hops, pellet debris. It's a miracle I had any wort left to rack! My autosiphon kept gumming up on me, but I was in a hurry to rack and pitch the yeast, so I didn't let it properly settle. I tasted post-boil wort and it's nice and pale. Sweet, and hoppy. It should make for a nice beer, but we'll see if the candi sugar I made on Friday will boost the alcohol content.

I'll modify my 48 quart cooler for future use. I need to re-think my CPVC manifold. It's modeled after this one, but I didn't epoxy or glue the joints so it is constantly coming undone during the mash. Major pain! I have a new design that utilizes a 45 degree joint and will run only two 1/2 inch collection arms the length of the cooler. I should get a nice even draw this way. Now, it sort of pools around the bulkhead, which is a stainless job (Kewler Kitz) that juts way out. Also, I have a lot of foundation space, but this is because the spigot sits so high on the cooler. If I had it to do over, I would have bought a cooler with no spigot hole, and then would have custom drilled a 1 inch hole (using a hole saw drill bit) and installed a plastic drum tap or Italian bottling spigot closer to the cooler bottom so my manifold could feed directly into the opening. I'm thinking of converting a 6.5 gallon bucket (with bottling spigot and stainless false bottom) and constructing a foam insulation box to fit around it. I like the round mash tun design better--I get a better sparge and it's easier to handle. I'll use the rectangle only for high gravity batches.

The Special Bitter is a nice surprise. I'm enjoying it more and it really does make for a great session beer. I drank it in the warm weather today while brewing. It was perfect, not too heavy or filling, but hoppy and crisp enough to provide some tasty refreshment while I lugged around a bulky cooler filled with 15 lbs. of grain!

Controlling Temperature

2006-08-12T20:57:00.000-04:00

Lesson learned.

My Hefe is doing well, it has almost reached full carbonation and should be ready within the next two weeks. I tried a test bottle today and noticed that, while the flavor is good and the color magnificent, it has a slightly alcoholic finish. After working my way to the bottom of a 22 ounce wheat glass, I picked up on the sharp alcoholic taste. It's not awful, but has a slight affect on the beers flavor profile. I'm sure a beer judge would catch it. According to Palmer, yeasts activated during fermentations above 80 F produce too much of the higher weight fusel alcohols which have lower taste thresholds than ethanol. I towed the line with this and happened to brew this batch during a massive summer heat wave. I did the best I could by placing it in the basement and surrounding it with ice packs, but I'm sure the temperature reached 80 deg. F. My dedicated fridge is lagering a Dopplebock at the moment, but I have found some inexpensive solutions to the temperature control question through an internet search. Basically, I'm going to either purchase an Igloo cube cooler or a 33 gallon trash can, where I'll float some water and rotate frozen 2 liter bottles in and out of the water bath every day until fermentation is complete. I'll only need to do this with my ales, keeping them at a comfy 65-70 deg. F. I can boost the fridge temp. to 48-50 deg. for my Dortmunder and it will hopefully not affect the Bock in secondary. I wouldn't want to raise it to ale temperature though.

The Belgian Ardennes starter worked like a charm. It's ready to pitch! I'll brew tomorrow morning while my wife goes to church. I'm glad the yeast I washed from the last Belgian I made is usable.

Today I saw the brass ring of homebrew set ups on the Internet. My hat is off to these fine people and the amazing set up they've constructed. I feel like such a complete novice! Here's their site: The Most Amazing HomeBrew Set Up I've Found. My lone consolation is that they started with an extract kit and some surplus 5-gallon plastic water coolers as fermenters. According to their picto-o-history, I'm about where they were after a year of brewing.

So, maybe there's hope.

August 11, 2006

2006-08-12T01:14:00.000-04:00

Belgian on Deck
Tonight I made Belgian candy for a strong golden ale I plan to brew this weekend. A little sugar, citric acid, some water and a candy thermometer and I was able to get .75 lbs. of nice amber candy. I hope it works, I still haven't figured out when you add this during the brewing process but will research that tomorrow. I also made my first yeast starter using some washed Belgian Ardennes yeast and about a quart of wort made from some light DME. I have it pitched and waiting for take off in a 1 gallon glass jug in the basement. If it starts bubbling tomorrow, I'll try to brew my golden ale. It should be easy--a straight infusion mash with a corriander addition and candy.

On Tap
I tapped my English Special Bitter, the one I brewed using John Palmer's recipe in his on-line brewing bible. I'm a little disappointed with the gravity, but the beer has a nice crisp flavor with a good hop balance. This is light, very much a session beer, and it retains a lacey head. I started force carbonating early this week, and it's up to about 10 psi, which is good for an English bitter. The color is a dull reddish hue, but the beer has a bit of a malty or grainy nose. If I do brew this again, I'll try boosting the Maris Otter pale malt and adjusting the saccharification temperature to better suit my tastes. I haven't decided if it needs more body, but I'll check my notes. One thing I do remember about this is that the yeast pack arrived activated, which could have seriously affected the fermentation. I notice this is really absent any strong fruity flavors. I believe it was the Whitbread ale yeast, but I'll check. I know most traditional bitter yeasts are low on the fruity profile. I may consider using the London ESB Yeast 1968 to add a little more character to this one.

Ok, errands to run in the morning and then I'll start my SGA if the yeast starter has picked up at all. If not, I may wander back into the dangerous waters of decoction...I do have that Dortmunder from Homebrew Adventures. I checked on what it would cost to keg a Guinness or Kilkenny's Irish Ale. Wow, I'm looking at about a $280 - $340 set up. I'll need a new tank, regulator, faucet, tap and corresponding hoses and accessories. Most kits are priced in this range, and it doesn't look like there is a cheap alternative. My neighbor will be crushed! He wanted a Kilkenny clone so badly. I may have to give him an Irish red ale [gasp] carbonated with CO2!

The horror!

Bottling Time

2006-08-09T11:12:00.000-04:00

Last night I bottled my Hefeweizen in 22 oz. amber bottles. The finishing gravity was a bit low for this style: 1.008, but it has a nice pale straw color and tastes fine. A bit thin for my palate, but there's nothing wrong with the flavor despite all of the brewing minefields I walked through on this one. The high fermentation temperature didn't seem to affect the wheat flavor, either, though it's a bit tangy and lacks some of those beautiful clove and banana flavors and aromas characteristic of the Weihenstephan yeast strain pitched. The question regarding Polyclar is answered. It had absolutely no influence on the cloudy properties of my Hefe. So, if you want to throw in some fining or clarifying agent during a secondary fermentation (which also is fine for the Hefe regardless what folks may tell you) and are considering Polyclar, know that it won't ruin the traditional color or physical properties of your Hefeweizen. I'm anxious to see how this tastes after it develops some carbonation.

I racked my Dopplebock into a secondary and have it lagering in my dedicated fridge at about 40 deg. F. The gravity, 1.034, was a bit higher than recommended by the recipe instructions for racking to secondary, but I just can't see how this thing could still be fermenting. It's been three weeks and there is no activity in the carboy. The flavor is rich and complex, still a hint of astringency, but it's starting to mellow. I plan to leave it in the secondary for three weeks and then will bottle it and pray that a lengthy bottle conditioning will mellow and sweeten the flavor. I think my next recipe will be a Dortmunder Export and an extract version of the Hefeweizen.

Middle Eastern Coffee

2006-08-05T16:54:00.000-04:00

Are Coolers Worth It?

2006-08-04T13:03:00.000-04:00

In hindsight, it doesn't take a lot of fancy, expensive equipment to brew excellent beer at home. Hobbyists like me are often infected with the "buy-more-stuff" virus and end up with a bunch of gadgets. Eventually, our basements and garages end up looking like science labs or dedicated brewing stations.

Lately I've been wondering if I should ditch my coolers and go with (2) 6.5 gallon plastic fermenter pails modified to serve as my mash tun and hot liquor tank. I know, that's blasphemous talk to the all-grain enthusiast.

But, plastic is a good insulator, and I've heard the heat loss over an hour is within a degree or two of what you'd find with a cooler. I have a stainless false bottom, the clamps, a drill, a sparge arm and some additional spigots to make it work. I could easily set up a nice system capable of handling high-gravity batches (up to 15 lbs. of grain) and could auction off my Gott coolers and 48 quart rectangular mash tun with CPVC collection grid on E-bay. I thought I needed the Kewler Conversion Kit from Zymico, but it turns out they are too cumbersome and awkward for my 5 gallon coolers. I can't comfortably connect my false bottom to the fat bulkhead. In the end, a bung or bottle spigot may be the best thing. Here are two set-ups I admire for their simplicity and frugal use of resources:

El Cheapo Mash Tun
You can use the Sure Screen and substitute that if you don't want to mess with a toilet braid. A little more expensive, but maybe a bit easier. You get a nice, heavy gauged steel screen.

The Gates of Dawn Mash Tun

If need be, I could just wrap the pails with insulated padding, or construct a light box lined with Styrofoam to throw over the plastic tun while the mash rests. You can easily spend $110-150 on constructing a complete mashing system from Gott coolers. Retail, they go for around $150-188 from an on-line HBS. The plastic bucket system would cost you about $70 to make yourself, and less if you bought the Listermann or Northern Brewer All-Grain System set ups.

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

2006-07-27T10:53:00.000-04:00

The last supplies needed for this weekend's brew session arrived from Williams Brewing last night. I have a replacement auto siphon, some citric acid for making Belgian candy (a future project...tackle the Belgian Strong Golden Ale), a replacement poppet valve for one of my corny kegs, new thermometer, lab thermometer to test my thermometer collection (none of which can seem to agree on a temperature) and an extract Hefeweizen recipe kit. The yeast for the hefe recipe was activated somehow in transit from the west coast to Baltimore (surprise dufus, it's summer), so I'm not sure if that will have any affect on flavor or fermentation. I'm heading to Columbia, MD, to Maryland Homebrew this weekend to pick up an additional set of bottles and another secondary so I can have two batches going at one time. Maybe while I'm there I'll grab another wheat yeast as a back up to the one from Williams.

I've decided that I'm over my decoction apprehension. I've visited a few other sites that make it seem less intimidating and I'm convinced it can be done in under 3 hours if I plan and execute things properly. Like anything, a little practice and familiarity with the process will probably help me cut my time down. I just hate giving up on a technique that is considered "a must" by the pros for brewing German-style lagers. So, I've resolved to whip it, despite assurances from fellow brewers that infusion mashing is a respectable substitute. Besides, that would be admitting defeat.

The plan for this weekend? Raise my fridge temp. to about 65 deg. F. so my Dopplebock and finish its primary fermentation. Then, brew my extract hefeweizen recipe from Williams (8 lbs. of weizen extract, 1 oz. Tettnanger hops, 3068 yeast) and place it in the fridge so it can undergo primary fermentation at the proper temperature: 65 degrees F. Trip on down to Columbia, get my other supplies and return. Bottle the all-grain hefe recipe that is bubbling in my secondary. The Dopplebock should be ready for the secondary just about the time the Hefe is finished fermenting in the primary (sometime in the middle of next week), so I'll be able to lower the fridge to 40 deg. F. and let it sit there for a good month or two before bottling. I'll have a fermenter free, so maybe Sunday or Monday will be a good time to brew my Dortmunder Export or the Sweet Oatmeal Stout recipes. This way, I'll have two hefe batches in 22 oz. bottles to enjoy in a month's time and can see if there are any advantages to the all-grain recipe vs. an extract. I'd like to go into the fall and winter with a stout, dortmunder, wheat and bock in bottles, with a special bitter and Belgian strong golden ale on tap.

Tempermental Wheat

2006-07-26T12:11:00.000-04:00

I was sure my hefeweizen was done fermenting, but alas, I notice there is a tad bit of foam that has found its way into the three-piece airlock in my secondary fermenter. Also, there appears to be some activity in the wort, which is producing a little bit of CO2 this morning. This was my first time using an open fermenter for a beer. Instead of my 6.5 gallon carboy, I used my bottling bucket with spigot, which I just opened into my secondary when I racked it. I can't imagine this had an affect on my beer...The krausen had clearly fallen and I was sure it was done fermenting. I've heard that the Wyeast 3068 is a tempermental strain, and this reinforces my belief that the next Weizen batch I brew will be done in my fridge, where I can keep the temperature at a steady 65 deg. F. So many "next times" with this batch. I'll be brewing an extract recipe this weekend and will compare the two in an informal taste test in about a month or so. This is such a wonderful summer beer!

I'm convinced home brewing is an obsession that has an addictive quality I liken to heroine. You get a little taste and it isn't long before you're lurking the homebrew forums 'til the wee hours of the morning in search of new recipes, equipment suggestions, free advice or just someone else who can relate with your crazy new infatuation.

The odd thing is, I hated science in high school and college. Now, I'm actually considering a short course in brewing at one of the professional schools. Only beer could bring me to science.

July 23, 2006

2006-07-24T09:16:00.000-04:00

Wow, this wheat debacle may actually turn out ok! I racked the fermented wort into my secondary (I use a 5 gallon glass carboy) on Sunday morning and added some Polyclar, mostly to ensure no grain particles end up in my bottles. I hope that doesn't detract from the cloudy body characteristic of Hefeweizens. The color is a beautiful gold, and it should let some light through in 22 oz. hefe glasses once it's been bottled and conditioned. This is a style I really enjoy, so I'm sure there will be plenty of time to experiment and refine my technique if I don't get it right this first round.

This weekend was an occasion to celebrate the arrival of packages. Sweet packages from my homebrew stores! My 9 gallon kettle arrived from Homebrew Heaven. It has a ball valve and thermometer, all installed with brass thru-wall fittings! Quite a nice price on a boil kettle that can double as a mash tun. My whole set up was less than $190 with shipping. Plus, the ball valve will accomodate a Bazooka Screen, unlike the inlets for the infamous (and more expensive) Polar Ware 10 and 15 gallon kettles, which are non-threaded and 3/8" in diameter. I was impressed with the quality and speed of shipping as well. Also, two all-grain recipes I purchased from Homebrew Adventures found their way to my porch. One is a dortmunder export and the other is a sweet oatmeal stout.

My Belgian Saison is still very tasty. I've noticed the head retention is lacking--the nice foamy head quickly dissipates to a thin lace within a matter of minutes. The color is a sturdy orange, and the flavors are complex with a hint of spice from the Ardennes yeast. The corriander doesn't quite come through, but it probably adds something to the sweet, refreshing flavor. The Kent Goldings hops give a nice finish that balance out the fruity sweetness. Slightly bitter and aromatic. I don't know how representative this is of a farmhouse ale, but I love it. It is abound with character and is very quaffable.

With my PhilChill Phittings on the way, I'll be one step closer to a counterflow wort chiller, which will mean my brew day will get that much easier.

Decoction Dysfunction

2006-07-21T20:31:00.000-04:00

Last weekend's experimentation with decoction mashing, or as I like to think of it, "a well-intentioned waste of a beautiful summer day" ended in a stuck mash, massive skin trauma from acute sunburn, a broken autosiphon and a primary fermenter filled with wheat wort that's fermenting about 20 degrees F. too hot! My siphon broke so I just poured the cooled wort into a plastic bucket and pitched my yeast. My dedicated fridge with an external temperature control is filled with a tapped Belgian Saison and a Dopplebock nearing the end of its primary stage. So, I had to let this disaster ferment in the basement.

Yeah, it was painful. But, I'm still hooked and that evil decoction beast will be tamed. Oh yes, she will be tamed.

I have Eric Warner's book German Wheat Beer, and his technique looks simple on paper. However, controlling temperature during the mash was much harder than I anticipated. The good news is that the wort is fermenting. I'll probably end up with a ton of banana and fruity esters due to the high fermentation, but I may save this batch yet. I used the classic Wyeast 3068. Any lessons learned?

Throw away your floating thermometer. By the time they register the correct temperature, chaces are you've overshot your mash temp. Plus, they are just waiting to break on you in your pot or mash tun.
Add some rice hulls to your weizen all-grain recipe to avoid stuck mashes. This is especially true when your wheat grain accounts for more than 50 percent of your total grain bill.
Consider an extract recipe. Seriously, 6-9 hours for decoction mashing is insane. Who has that sort of time?

Of course, I won't give up on an all-grain until I conquer this Bavarian tradition. I'm too stubborn. I shouldn't expect too much. This is my third all-grain batch. Before that, I brewed one extract recipe and three partial mash recipes (using a mini-lauter tun from Listermann).