tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65030414145765084802024-02-20T05:56:40.812-08:00Seanywonton's Brewing BlogHomebrewer, pro brewer, and beer judge. My goal is to keep a record of my brews and experiences, and share my ideas with other brewers.
Warning! This Blog contains graphic descriptions of hot Yeast on Malt action. There may even be some intense three-ways with yeast, malt, and bacteria! Please be advised: Mature viewers only!!!Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-65661773358148336562014-01-25T17:44:00.001-08:002014-01-25T17:45:56.665-08:00Introducing Filigree Brewing Company!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's my pleasure to announce that I am finally diving in to opening a farmhouse-style brewery, here in my hometown of Athens Ohio. This has been a long time coming, I've been dreaming of it since before I became a professional brewer four years ago. My partner and I have been planning this for a full year now, and it's time to put the feelers out to finance this project. We are looking for investors, people that will be passionate and take pride in being a part of a brewery, not just looking for a return on investment (although that is certainly a part of it). If anyone is seriously interested, please feel free to contact me at seanywonton (at) gmail (dot-com). This opportunity is not open to just anyone, we need to make sure they are a good fit with us and that our personalities are compatible. Thank you in advance for your interest! Here is a copy of our executive summary as well as some drafts of initial logo and bottle concepts. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 32px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Filigree Brewing Company</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-462bee70-cc28-ae25-5d42-e30ff5b58edf" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1500000000000001; white-space: pre-wrap;">Executive Summary</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Company Information: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Filigree Brewing Company will be an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation), owned by Jimmy Stockwell, Sean White, and investors. Sean and Jimmy will be the primary business managers, with Sean overseeing brewery operations, and Jimmy overseeing sales and finances. The business of the company will be to brew, and sell beer on-site in the taproom, as well as to retail establishments, bars, and restaurants. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The brewery will be located at 8675 Armitage Road within the city limits of Athens, Ohio. The location has been picked to optimize ease of travel from the city by car or bicycle, while providing a “farmhouse” ambiance, outdoor space for customers and events, and areas to grow fruit, hops, and herbs for brewing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mission Statement:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To brew, sell, and share some of the finest beers in the region, with an emphasis on farmhouse-style ales and barrel-aged sour beers. To create an environment in which to drink these beers that evokes a rustic and natural feel. To develop craft beer awareness in the southeast Ohio area through education of our staff and customers. To treat our employees with respect, offer competitive wages, and allow them to be a part of the creative process. To make money for ourselves and our investors, and to do so in an environmentally sustainable way. To contribute to the local economy through our support of other local businesses and agriculture. Above all, to always push ourselves to make better beer, do better business, and find our own happiness and fulfillment while doing so.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Company Growth: </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Filigree Brewing Company will not be a “large” brewery, even by micro-brewery standards, but will rather find strength and cache in its small size. We will start production at 750 barrels per year, and top out at 1,500-2,000 barrels per year by year five. Nevertheless, our financial projections show that this size of brewery can be quite profitable, especially when brewing beer styles that command a higher price per volume, like saisons and barrel-aged sour beers.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Funding and Projected Earnings:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Business startup costs will be</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> $600,000, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">which we will be sourcing through our own investment ($40,000), private investors ($160,000), and a bank loan ($400,000). This will be sufficient for startup and operating costs until we can generate cashflow. We intend to repay our bank loans over a 10 year period.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Financial Snapshot:</span></div>
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<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; width: 624px;"><colgroup><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Year 1</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Year 2</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Year 3</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sales</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$331,400</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$440,800</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$551,000</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cash</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$126,000</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$205,000</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$352,000</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Assets*</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$404,000</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$343,000</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$282,000</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Book Value**</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$193,000</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$241,000</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">$360,000</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Assets do not include equity in the land or appreciation thereof</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Book value is calculated as the total value of the company minus outstanding debts. Again, excluding the value and appreciation of the land.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Return on Investment:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Investors will own stock in the company which they can sell at market value at any time. Starting in the 4th year of business, annual dividends will be paid to stock owners. Other fringe-benefits include a 20% taproom discount on all beer, and an annual company party.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_Ek2W7IC6mNpUKMbXmLJ4zPHKc75r8frT_Eo2NaHB9LsXtWitfA9LvZJZD85kYHxASHZvexG_bsQXia7RgEdXadhyphenhyphenfLuCHReaQDLV0_v2QdfgrrUuAVrdnTDSgsfAps0ZC5eqzFZsxYg/s1600/Screenshot+2014-01-25+at+7.59.36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_Ek2W7IC6mNpUKMbXmLJ4zPHKc75r8frT_Eo2NaHB9LsXtWitfA9LvZJZD85kYHxASHZvexG_bsQXia7RgEdXadhyphenhyphenfLuCHReaQDLV0_v2QdfgrrUuAVrdnTDSgsfAps0ZC5eqzFZsxYg/s1600/Screenshot+2014-01-25+at+7.59.36+PM.png" height="400" width="306" /></a></div>
<br />Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-25533067272092520712013-02-23T03:50:00.001-08:002013-02-23T03:50:47.451-08:00Final Blog Post..For nowWell friends, I think it's time to wrap this blog up. Looking back to the first post, I can't believe I have kept this going since 2008, and it's been an active archive of most of my homebrews for most of that time. That's pretty cool! Not only that, but I've been able to keep a bit of a journal on my progress, not only as a homebrewer, but also through life and on my transition to being a professional brewer. <div>
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I got this comment last week from a fellow homebrewing blogger:<br /><div>
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<dt id="c709844295793980913" style="color: #202020; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: nowrap;"><img alt="Blogger" class="comment-icon blogger-comment" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://www.blogger.com/img/cmt/comment_sprite.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: -45px -117px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; height: 16px; width: 16px;" /> <span dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/08927415629512391464" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;">Orion Homebrewing</a></span> said...</dt>
<dd style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #202020; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
Hey, I am moving soon back to Boulder, CO from Portland and am hoping to secure a brewing job there. Any advice as to how to approach a potential employer and gain employment? Aside from obvious things like a resume do you think I should offer a link to my blog on my resume? Any tips since you have gone down this route would be most appreciated.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I thought for my final post here, why not try to sum up my experiences on going pro, and offer some advice to people who are thinking of making the commitment to taking brewing on as a career. That is largely what this blog became for me, so if I can pass on some helpful hints, I'd be happy to. However, keep in mind, this is just one brewer's perspective, and some other brewer might give different advice, because there really are different ways to doing this. Also, I'm not going to try to sugar coat this. This is my honest, trying to be balanced opinion, but I'm not doing anyone any favors if I try to paint this as a "dream job", or make it sound easier than it is.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">People get into this business in different ways. There is a certain amount of circumstance or luck involved to getting your foot in the door, especially if you do not have a brewing diploma of any kind. Some people seem to be really lucky, and just end up in the right place at the right time, and land an entry-level brewing job with little or no experience. I feel like I had to make my own luck. I'm not sure if I did things the best way, but I chose the strategy of moving to a brewing city and committing to working as a brewer, no matter what it took. I didn't have a brewing degree, and in Portland, I'm not sure that is would have helped much. Possibly at the bigger breweries, but most of the smaller ones that I was interested in didn't seem to put much weight on that. That was a hard route to go, but it worked, eventually. A friend of mine called Portland "Hollywood for brewers", because there are a lot more people looking for brewing jobs than there are job openings, and people move from across the country with the same idea. This can make it even harder to find work, and it also effects the pay scale, and possibly even some employers' attitudes about employees. One anecdote I'll pass on, when I was asking Van Havig, who brewed for Rock Bottom at the time, to check out my resume, he said something to the effect of "You want to brew? You shouldn't have moved to Portland." Well, Van can be blunt at times, but he had a point! Yet still, I have seen quite a few friends make the transition in that time, and it is do-able.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My strategy worked out eventually, but financially, it probably would have worked out better if I had stayed at my office job in NYC for a little while longer, invested in a brewing certificate of some kind (I think I would have chosen the American Brewer's Guild program), and then started looking for a brewing position anywhere in the country. So, that's another option I would suggest that people look into if they can swing it. I'm sure it would be a good learning experience too. I have checked out about half of their course materials, and while I knew a lot of the stuff pretty well, there were other areas like engineering that I had been totally ignorant of. But then again, just being a part of the Portland beer culture was a really great experience. That's something I might have missed out on if I had taken that route.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Also, be aware of the payscale of most brewing jobs. Chances are, unless you work for one of the very large craft breweries for a long time, or start your own brewery, you're probably not going to be able to finance your kids' college tuition on a brewing salary. There is an annual brewers salary report in The New Brewer Magazine if you want to check that out.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Starting off as a fledgling pro brewer, for an experienced homebrewer, can be very weird at times. one of the tough gaps to bridge is giving up creative control, at least for a while. 99% of entry level craft brewing jobs are not going to give you much say in anything. They are going to assume you know very little about what you are doing, and they are going to want you to brew their beers, for the most part, and do things their way. That can be tough for someone who has had full autonomy for the past however many years. That's one of the main reasons I kept homebrewing for my first two years in the field. Yes, there are some employers that will welcome your recipe ideas and even your perspective on the brewing process, but I don't think it's the norm. So learn to be OK with that, for a while, and homebrew on the side if you have time and need to get your ya-ya's out. Also, when you do get that creative power, it will likely still be somewhat collaborative. I actually usually prefer the collaborative creative process. At Jackie O's, some beers definitely are the brainchild of one person, but almost all of them go through some sort of conversation before the first brew, and definitely if we decide to repeat them. It's fun and I think it generally leads to better beer. But if you want to be that artiste-type brewer who brews exactly what they want every time, you might want to start looking for investors now. ; )</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I did two brewing internships, one for Sixpoint in Brooklyn, and one for Upright in Portland. These weren't formal internships really, but Sixpoint did take on interns regularly, and I think Upright does from time to time also. One reason why I am so keen on them is that if you are having aspirations of brewing, but aren't sure if it's too much hard work, you'll find out very quickly in an internship. Pretty much any small craft brewery - I'm talking brewpub or 10-20 barrel production brewery where you are not pushing buttons to move beer - is going to require a LOT of physical labor from their employees. Some breweries are set up more ergonomically than others, but even in a brewery that has paid a lot of attention to having the right equipment so you don't have to break your back lifting kegs and stuff like that, there is still a ton of physical work: crouching, lifting, working in tight spaces, hot spaces, cold spaces, you name it. You are going to get dirty. You are going to get sprayed in the face or crotch with beer or yeast. You are going to be working around chemicals and hot liquids, and if you don't pay attention to safety protocol, you could get really hurt! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But the other reality of this industry is, most small breweries that I've seen aren't even set up that ergonomically. At most places, it's going to be a hindrance if you can't lift a full keg by yourself, probably multiple times in one day. That's probably not kosher with OSHA, but it's a fact, and you should know it going in. Pay attention to the amount of physical work expected at a prospective employer's brewery. If you think you might have issues doing that type of heavy lifting, keep looking for a brewery that's better set-up to your needs. (Hint: if they at least have a forklift, that's a good sign). If you end up at one of those breweries where you have to do things like say, carry full kegs up a flight of stairs regularly, then I urge you to pay attention to how you are doing those tasks, and try not cause your body damage over the long term. It would suck to be a great brewer for 5-10 years before having to bow out because your knees or back just can't take it anymore. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let's get back to finding a job though. I think it's certainly good to have a resume. Since I didn't have much experience, I tried to do a resume highlighting my internships first, then went on to my work experience, then my education, and then highlight my homebrewing qualifications. I did put on the resume that I had a blog. I seriously doubt anyone paid that any attention, but it can't hurt. Just do what you can with the resume, because a lot of getting your foot in the door is more about getting face-time at the brewery. You need to get to know the brewers, and you'll probably have to know them for a while to gain their trust. I don't know exactly how to explain this, but if you want to get in somewhere, you need to be a face they see on a regular basis and that they like seeing. Try to be that guy, or girl, who is always showing up with a good homebrew, or just to chat and have a pint, or try out their latest beer. At the same time, and this is hard to give specifics on, try not to be annoying. You also don't want to be the person that they see and pretend they don't see because you are going to ask them 100 annoying questions while they're trying to work, before saying, "By the way, I'd still like to work here!" </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A couple thoughts on bringing in homebrew to a brewery: The other part of my "resume" was my homebrew. When I was out "doing my rounds" in Portland, dropping off resumes or just checking back in with people, I always had my best homebrew with me, in clean, uniform brown bottles. Around each bottle was a label-sized piece of paper, printed from my computer, with my name at the top, my phone number and email, and the full beer recipe. This way, I looked organized, and they would easily have my contact info if they drank the beer and liked it. I got some good response to this. Some weren't job offers, some were just flattering comments or emails from brewers I respected saying they really enjoyed the beer. But at Alameda, where I landed my first brewing job, I definitely think those beers helped me get on their radar and into the lead for the next job opening. So, yes, if homebrew is what you have, use it to your advantage. Let's get more into detail on this though: Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES, bring any beer that you don't KNOW is really excellent. If you don't know, take it to a homebrewer you respect and get their honest opinion. You want to show your best stuff here. And make it look nice, no half-peeled-off labels or sharpie writing. Be a pro in your mind already, and you will be taken seriously. OK, another point: you have to make sure they actually drink the beer. Every brewery I have every set foot in has a shelf of homebrew and other beers that people bring in and they somehow never, or only rarely, actually drink that beer. One of the reasons is that they may be distrusting of the quality of some of those homebews, for good reason. Or they may just set it on the shelf and forget it. When I was at Cascade I actually found some of the bottles that I had given them on such a shelf, as we were going through a bunch of old crap and dumping out a lot of those old beers. I was like "Hey, this shit was good! Why didn't you drink it!?" Well, we did drink it there and then and it was still good. So this gets to my point in a roundabout way. Your best chance of keeping your beer off that shelf is to drink that beer with them, the day you bring it. This can lead to good things, discussion of brewing techinques in which - BING! - you get to trade some information with the brewer. This is a good chance to show them what you know but also ask them a little bit about what they do. Everyone loves a little flattery.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On a side note: I have heard, I don't remember which brewer said this, but basically the opinion that some brewers don't look kindly on homebrewers bringing in beer as a resume because at heart, they can be jealous people with fragile egos who cling tenaciously to their creative thrones. I'll just say, I believe there are probably some brewers like that, but man, what a depressing thought! I don't think this is any reason to be wary of bringing homebrew in as a resume tool. I mean, would you really want to work for someone like that? I'd venture a guess that this is a rarity and not a common opinion though.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I think you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to land that first job. Do whatever role, even if it's washing kegs 8 hours a day or bottling, you've got to take it. You are probably not going to get to be that picky. If you have a chance to work for a brewery, even if you think they are making a less than stellar product, take it! Maybe it will eventually be your chance to help them in that area. However, if you get a job offer from someone who is making really "problem" beers, I might actually advise against taking that job. If their beers are regularly showing up with obvious amounts common beer flaws that any beer judge could pick up, or worse, infections, I would actually say you should move on. That job is not going to be worth your time in the long run. That's a matter of opinion, but I'm sticking to it. Unless they hire you as a consultant, you probably know more than them already.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And this goes for any industry, but also, watch out for bad bosses. This is a tough area to make a judgement call on, because if you really need that first brewing experience, only you can make that call. We all know what bad bosses or owners are like. They usually throw up red flags before you even get a job offer. But, they could make your life miserable if you are not careful. If you end up taking a job with a bad employer, how are you, personally, going to segregate the act of brewing from the experience of working for a shitty boss? If you get in this situation, don't let them burn you out! It's not the brewing that's a problem, it's the work situation. Try to keep that in mind and move on as soon as possible, to someone who respects you.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's pretty much all I have based on my own personal experience. Just remember, BE A PRO. Be it already in your actions and your thoughts. The job search is kind of like dating - you can't be afraid of rejection, and eventually if you keep at it, everything will fall in place and you'll be able to start your dream job in this glamorous world of brewing! (Wait, do you still think it's glamorous? Go back and read this again from the top!) Best of luck, at the end of the day, this is an incredibly rewarding job that for the right person, could provide a lot of happiness and gratification.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Post-Script: </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks to everyone who read this "blog" (can we not find a better word for that?) and kept up with what I was doing. Homebrewer or pro, we're all of the same breed. It's been really fun to see what other people are doing and it's amazing the amount of information that is shared through the brewing community through blogs. I want to keep this blog fairly pure and mostly about homebrewing, which is why I'm shutting it down now. BUT, if I take up blogging at for my current job or any future breweries, I'll be sure to post updates here.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cheers, best of brewing to you, </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sean </span></div>
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Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-14726724772879290342012-06-11T18:39:00.001-07:002012-06-11T18:39:13.410-07:00Long Hiatus - Just checking in.Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I suck! We have made the move to Ohio. Things are good. I'm brewing for Jackie O's, still in the training period while the production site is being constructed. I'm glad to be back home, but I also miss the brewing scene in Portland, and more importantly, our friends we left behind. We are planning our wedding, for which I will brew the same Belgian Blond with lemon verbena, yarrow, and grains of paradise that I made for Lou&Liz and Tony& Annie's wedding. I hope it turns out well on its first commercial iteration. <br />
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Right now I have a lot bigger priorities than keeping this blog going, but I would like to keep writing about brewing, either on this blog or on the Jackie O's blog. I'll keep you guys and gals informed as things progress. Happy brewing!Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-72317458718450947282012-02-27T10:41:00.005-08:002012-02-27T11:37:12.808-08:00Group Brewday: Golden sour project<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnH5X2btKkGebSb9CnWHdhsqt39reLUwuH7yu7WMxNdmpvVpg2lp79zeAN9VDsrQ7TWYrK2kHBrMnVHH23CZ-Yvy76y0-2tkn35wrfZ0doKfFsXRt9ErCvN4-ne0KMkbQrCBvDDz2O_-vv/s1600/431366_590636881837_4601053_32206300_1168175486_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnH5X2btKkGebSb9CnWHdhsqt39reLUwuH7yu7WMxNdmpvVpg2lp79zeAN9VDsrQ7TWYrK2kHBrMnVHH23CZ-Yvy76y0-2tkn35wrfZ0doKfFsXRt9ErCvN4-ne0KMkbQrCBvDDz2O_-vv/s400/431366_590636881837_4601053_32206300_1168175486_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713889912365635922" /></a><div>The <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2011/03/temperanillo-barrel-flanders-red.html">Temperanillo barrel aged Flanders Red</a> has been in the barrel for almost exactly a year now, and it's tasting great. The acidity is moderate, with a little acetic character. But the complexity from the Brettanomyces, and the wood and wine character from the barrel is amazing. It sucks to say, this barrel aged beer is putting any of my previous carboy-soured homebrews to shame. That in itself s a big lesson in how important a barrel is to brewing quality sour beers. I'm not saying "Don't brew sours if you don't have a barrel," (some people have had a lot better results with the carboy sours than I have) but I believe it makes a real difference. In some ways this beer feels like it brewed itself, and that we had very little to do with its success.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In any case, since I am going to be moving away soon, I have to give up my slot in the group project for the next beer to go into the Temperanillo barrel. My slot will be taken over by Mike Wright, the owner of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thecommonsbrewery">The Commons Brewery</a> (formerly Beetje nano-brewery). The barrel project will still be strictly homebrew, but we did have the advantage of brewing all the wort at The Commons in one day, with a double-batch on the 35+ gallon "Beetje" system (the original nano-brew system from before" Beetje" expanded to a 7-barrel brewery and became "The Commons". </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The group decided to do a golden sour this time. After some deliberation on the recipe, we stuck to a pretty simple design: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">1.062 O.G<br />85% Gabrinus Organic Pilsner malt<br />8 %Vienna malt<br />6% CaraHell<br />1% Acidulated malt<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Mash at 154<br />Boil 90 minutes</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><b>10-12 IBU's from Perle hops at 60 minutes.</b><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;color:#222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPZw-PqfgDGboP4lHFqQWuRn2xSkdnspsOpKRbjkmsGJof-v5RFU4sGRuV3sF6-BfVHbQ8C6Xs7h5nrmRrX4sW_Pgo2e1RyOWQwuxbfdOUS31AKZ_R8_fkDimzQ3a_tZHkmNFlzUYYbLj/s400/cIMG_0235.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713889802113258850" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As the above picture clearly illustrates, we brewed the beer on a Sunday morning, and many of us had had a late Saturday night. Luckily we had donuts from Acme Donuts, and not much work to do for a lot of the time. Some drinking was done and it was decided that we all really like Green Flash "Rayon Vert", as well as The Commons "Flemish Kiss", both dry hopped, brett-aged belgian pale ales inspired by Orval.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJig18_y2lWEzFyWDTDMyOhxWO8CHNHJ5LF05BkqqD1N0ch5B_W6K9diRM6DUeVTcYmVhZTMp-Ex9CicQgG8RRglfRGx90rYrecLVeC7-xfMNdTKCM0oVPamyHNwrYNBiGs9ZUTMoqQ6it/s400/IMAG0457.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713889800375698226" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px; " /><div style="text-align: left;">The brewday was very straightforward, but it did end up being about 12 hours, and we still had to get 16 carboys over to Walker's house by car.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm_FkRpI1NA8_tuZkgyCnvvZ2XL_nlugqimtn7j0EoXzqEVMwyrO7k7prpkSJg6_3te0R4uhE00XVb1yPB-R9ZkTBci41qdAx-TGkLgEmhQPbpuzM0UVmpHTM2O0wXSYecjdQDQtZaFmE/s400/aIMG_0221.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713889795066183490" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Since the only big space we had to ferment the beer in was Walker's basement, we decided to use an alt yeast to ferment the beer. Wyeast #1007 / German Ale Yeast is one of The Commons house yeasts, and we fermented it at ambient basement temperature, which ended up being about 63 degrees fermentation temp.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5MNTBA_xEPdEM10ODg8Hbsgev1CwR4itnbIbxd9dldKlgRq8evv4tAGx96msx9rBZVV83oX5shF6zOjBcl7TL5ydcXk28gDFLt_hyphenhyphenJt8n3SMq_Qb6kwDaoy1rCl8V-_jo7B00CvoUh8H/s400/IMAG0458.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713889807334060466" /></div></div><div>We are scheduled to rack the beer into the barrel on the same day we rack the Flanders out. We are going to do as little barrel cleaning as possible, possibly just giving it a quick cold water rinse to get most of the trub out. Possibly not even that. We also discussed the idea that if for some reason the golden sour does not progress enough in actual sourness, because of the clean primary fermentation, we could top-up with a strong lacto culture, possibly isolated from a bottle of Fantome or Cascade beer. </div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKd_zUWI8nvyeB2ByePMbGiRx3Dm7R_wgyu5dk32v1QYfg2R29jWq7xOcwH5EO2EFvSNaMJ-SudWEAdUsO_Y-42JIbdaJJlp_G2QObyzOvAl4iOq6AkAFyA32OIHHtUciHe7k3JhSAzpg/s400/eIMG_0249.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713889821489759890" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>As it turns out, we are racking the Flanders out on March 4th, exactly one year after it was filled. That wasn't planned, I just realized it today when looking back at the notes for the first barrel fill. I won't be in town, as Clarissa and I will be in San Clemente for the birth of her sister's first baby. Sounds like a visit to Pizza Port is also in order! </div><div><br /></div><div>I still haven't gotten around to putting up a post on our other barrel project, the Old Ale with Brett C. that I jokingly call the Billy The Mountain Clone (it was first intended for a 2nd-used bourbon barrel, but we ended up using a pinot barrel due to availability, just like Upright's Billy). I guess I'll get to this when we pull a sample from that barrel, which should happen some time in March.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-76854558621934288342012-02-15T12:31:00.001-08:002012-02-15T13:26:04.539-08:00IPA Tasting and Recipe (Simcoe, Falconer's Flight, WY1968 yeast)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHhyiMUGK-1v-Fgz7A5ePgJ3oh1gxiV9NTtvDA-1FKcIW9Piz_gy4ZQdauiu04FLDL0pkWgHXdOD5TG-KcOw_EM3mPhR-dOzXj4JzYluwS5F0a1LjhxdEFaA02iWHGXryTFqaQV96ceuJ/s1600/100_3787.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHhyiMUGK-1v-Fgz7A5ePgJ3oh1gxiV9NTtvDA-1FKcIW9Piz_gy4ZQdauiu04FLDL0pkWgHXdOD5TG-KcOw_EM3mPhR-dOzXj4JzYluwS5F0a1LjhxdEFaA02iWHGXryTFqaQV96ceuJ/s400/100_3787.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709471881502031714" /></a><br />To preface this recipe and tasting a little bit, I'd like to talk about yeast choice. Normally, when it comes to IPA's, I am a Cali ale yeast guy, and I wouldn't think of using another yeast. But in this case, I went to the homebrew store and they were almost cleared out of yeast! I could have gone back for some Cali later, but I got a little lazy and decided to go down to a local brewery for some of their house yeast, which is the Fuller's strain (or Wyeast 1968 ESB yeast). Now, although this isn't my first choice, I had to give it consideration because the brewery is cranking out some great IPA's with it. I won't mention names, but if you were to Google-map my house on NE 57th and Failing street in Portland, it would be a fairly large and well-known brewpub about a mile from my house. <div><br /></div><div>So, I talked with a friend who is one of the brewers at this brewery, and he had some interesting insights on homebrewing with the WY1968 yeast. His observation is that it does not ferment out as dry in a homebrew as it does on a professional level. I would think that the main reason for this is the high flocculation of this particular yeast. It tends to drop out fast and heavy after fermentation, leaving some residual sweetness and some diacetyl in the beer. On a pro level, in a big conical, the natural convection in the fermentation will keep this yeast up in suspension a little longer than in a carboy at home. So his (and my) solution to this problem was to mash low for fermentability, and more importantly, to start agitating the fermenter pretty heavily after primary fermentation starts to slow. I was shaking/rousing my yeast 2-3 times daily when I saw signs of it slowing, up until the day I dry hopped it. And after that, I still agitated in once a day or so.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think this did help to reduce diacetyl to very low levels (not none, but not noticable), and also helped get a few more points of attenuation, although I think it would have finished slightly drier and even less diacetyl with Cali ale yeast, for sure. See my "overall" comments for even more thoughts on this, below. On to the tasting:</div><div><br /></div><div>Appearnce: Slightly hazy golden-orange, I assume haze is from dry hopping and overall hop load. White head with good lacing, thanks Carapils. </div><div><br /></div><div>Aroma: Citrus, Citrus, Citrus (mainly orange) from the hops, some evergreen, some fruity esters and alcohol, some background malt sweetness. No noticable diacetyl but it is probably there in some very small amount. Not hot, no off aromas.</div><div><br /></div><div>Flavor: Assertive first sip of hop resins, and malt presence with some caramel and mid-palate sweetness, followed by some hop tannins, and a spicy lingering bitter finish. Moderate alcohol on the finish, not hot, just a substantially strong brew. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mouthfeel: Moderately full body thanks to some residual sweetness and dextrins. Resiny hop bite with a slight hop astringency (green tea like), not out of balance though. slight warming finish.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall: Good drinkability, good balance (for an IPA). The slight sweetness, to my palate, is sometimes welcome, other times I think it gets in the way a bit of a full-on hop blast. This almost drinks like some sweeter imperial IPA's I have tried. I think with a cleaner yeast, it might be easier to go back for a second pint, but maybe I am just being a little too picky. I really wish I had done a side-by-side fermentation with Cali yeast! One additional thought, the final gravity of 1.017 is not that high, but there is definitely a perception of sweetness. I think this might be due to the difference between residual dextrins vs. residual simple sugars, which I'm sure this yeast left a little bit of. So, I think it's probable that this beer would taste different than the same beer fermented with Cali and mashed a bit higher, even if they finished at the same gravity (if that makes sense). </div><div><br /></div><div>OK, whatever, here's the recipe:</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Recipe: IPA - Flight & Simcoe</div><div><br /></div><div>Style: American IPA</div><div>TYPE: All Grain</div><div><br /></div><div>Recipe Specifications</div><div>--------------------------</div><div>Batch Size (fermenter): 6.30 gal </div><div>Boil Size: 8.00 gal</div><div>OG: 1.069 SG</div><div>FG: 1.017</div><div>ABV: 6.9%</div><div>Estimated Color: 6.7 SRM</div><div>Estimated IBU: 84.4 IBUs</div><div>Brewhouse Efficiency: 89.00 %</div><div>Boil Time: 60 Minutes</div><div><br /></div><div>Ingredients:</div><div>------------</div><div>Amt Name Type # %/IBU </div><div>12 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 92.6 % </div><div>8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 3.7 % </div><div>8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.7 % </div><div>14.00 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 6 Days Hop 11 0.0 IBUs </div><div>42.00 g Falconer's Flight [10.50 %] - Dry Hop 6 days Hop 10 0.0 IBUs </div><div>28.00 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 9 0.0 IBUs </div><div>42.00 g Falconer's Flight [10.50 %] - Boil 0.0 m Hop 8 0.0 IBUs </div><div>28.00 g Simcoe [12.40 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 9.4 IBUs </div><div>28.00 g Falconer's Flight [10.50 %] - Boil 10.0 Hop 6 7.9 IBUs </div><div>28.00 g Falconer's Flight [10.50 %] - Boil 30.0 Hop 5 20.2 IBUs </div><div>28.00 g Simcoe [12.40 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 46.9 IBUs </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Notes:</div><div>------</div><div>Mash in SS pot</div><div>4.75 gal + 2 gr Gypsum + 1 gr. CaCl </div><div>149-50 for 40 min, then raise to to 152</div><div>152 for 30 min, then sparge out</div><div><br /></div><div>5 gal sparge, no minerals, 175 for starters but quickly fell to 168ish</div><div><br /></div><div>Collect 7.5 gallons (held off .5 gallon of that to add later as "top-up")</div><div>Wyeast nutrient & whirlfloc at 10 min</div><div><br /></div><div>Pitched 300 ml WY1968 slurry (78% measured viability), pretty thick stuff. </div><div>80 seconds of O2</div><div>Pitched at 69 degrees</div><div>Ferment in SS keg at 68</div><div>after 48 hours, start agitating fermener (rocking) 3x per day.</div><div>1/11/12 -1.017 Dry hopped loose in fermenter. Agitated every day or so.</div><div>1/17/12 Racked to keg</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-40183498582051980412012-02-01T10:40:00.000-08:002012-02-01T11:10:47.319-08:00Jackie O's<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV59afuM-csQ4J8olQpUvD5vW96UKMFzhZ9fXzMYEOu7s9qmCbWnBDF4nnd-_8E7BfS6ZfzV8_Eu9OXZrslW_IQEaCRd2usebOycox8WT3pf4kz1FRYbd_-3c-NOpYXXZvgy8DAEe7Zc0e/s1600/jackie-os-logo21.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV59afuM-csQ4J8olQpUvD5vW96UKMFzhZ9fXzMYEOu7s9qmCbWnBDF4nnd-_8E7BfS6ZfzV8_Eu9OXZrslW_IQEaCRd2usebOycox8WT3pf4kz1FRYbd_-3c-NOpYXXZvgy8DAEe7Zc0e/s400/jackie-os-logo21.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704246484224165698" /></a><br /><div>Big changes abound! Clarissa and I are going to get married, and we are moving back to my hometown of Athens, Ohio. I'll be working for <a href="http://jackieos.com/">Jackie O's brewery</a> as the pub brewer.</div><div> <div>Here's a <a href="http://thepost.ohiou.edu/content/jackie-o%E2%80%99s-expands-meet-brewery-demands">local newspaper article</a> on the subject of Jackie O's expansion. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm super stoked to get the opportunity to run the pub and work with the brewmaster, Brad Clark, on some of the planning for our production site. I've had some great experiences out here in Portland, but I really love my hometown, and I have always intended to get back to the midwest at some point.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm currently planning on starting in May, but that might get pushed back if our licensing on the new production site gets held up (I hope not). I would like to keep blogging while I'm working at the pub. I'll have to talk with them and see how they feel about that, but I imagine they'll be cool with it. </div><div><br /></div><div>I probably won't be homebrewing at all, to be honest. I want to give the pub everything I've got, and since I'll have some creative license, I won't have to do my experimentation on my days off. Plus, I'm really looking forward to getting into some other non-beer hobbies, like gardening, hiking, and maybe even fishing and hunting.</div><div><br /></div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-57427499605061547052011-12-29T11:55:00.000-08:002012-01-17T13:05:42.064-08:00Session Amber Lager (Accidental Munich Dunkel): Tasting and Recipe<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcXbzRzWTSshJ1IWscFtRu207jTSHz4zGyNz9roP2NNWd6FY11wfOLZL89i7GTUsk96u3CCJ7QsRdvkHw8sP4lm5RvgbLAP5p9P9Nc5E5F7tQTxG50i0U5_MMfC70dAXeD0EPvBQ7lkaF/s400/100_3761.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698709504739310130" /></div><div><br />Wow, about 2 months since my last post! That's a record I think. One of the reasons why is that I have decided to wait to post recipes until I do the tasting too. So I have been brewing, but the posts will go up later. <div><br /></div><div>For this beer, I was looking to make a beer that would be reminiscent of an Ayinger lager, especially their Oktoberfest, although once again I did not have their exact lager strain (which would be the Wyeast "Hella Bock" seasonal strain). I wanted it to be dark, melanoidin rich, and slightly sweet, with a big flavor profile but low alcohol. I wasn't looking to make a lager "to style", but I think it's a great example of a Munich Dunkel.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div>TASTING NOTES: </div><div><br /></div><div>Appearance: Dark brown with a stable tan head that leaves a great lacing. Ruby highlights, clear but not "filtered" clear.</div><div><div><br /></div></div><div>Aroma: Dark toasted breadcrusts, with a slight fruity sweetness from crystal malts. Very little to no hop aroma, slight alcohol contribution. Robust maltiness and a clean lager profile with maybe just a touch of sulfur (which dissipated as beer spent more time lagering). </div><div><br /></div><div>Flavor: Toasty, Munich malt derived breadcrust, Moderate sweetness, low caramel flavor, but balanced more towards toasty flavors from malts. Moderate bitterness, very clean. Slight trace of hop flavor, then it ends with dry, toasty malt and clean residual bitterness.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, a little chewy, hearty enough for winter or fall but not too thick or filling. Moderate carbonation, low alcohol warmth, dry finish with just a touch of astringency.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall: This beer is a hit with Clarissa, who has a high appreciation for drinkable, flavorful session beers (you know, the kind us beer geeks think are "boring" and hardly ever brew). I like it a lot, and it's very close to what I was going for, but still I see room for improvement. I'd like to reduce the "bready" impact just a touch, and increase the perception of a light sweetness by dropping the IBU's just a touch. It's a great "dinner" beer, and you can have an imperial pint and go back for another. This keg definitely won't last long. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>Recipe: Session amber lager</div><div><br /></div><div>Recipe Specifications</div><div>--------------------------</div><div>Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal </div><div>OG: 1.048 </div><div>FG: 1.015</div><div>ABV: 4.3%</div><div>Estimated Color: 15.5 SRM</div><div>Estimated IBU: 23.1 IBUs</div><div>Mash Efficiency: 88.00 %</div><div>Boil Time: 90 Minutes</div><div><br /></div><div>Ingredients:</div><div>------------</div><div> </div><div>5 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 61.5 % </div><div>2 lbs Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 2 22.4 % </div><div>8.0 oz Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.6 % </div><div>12.0 oz Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 3 8.4 % </div><div> 3.0 oz Carafa III (525.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.1 % </div><div><br /></div><div>17.00 g Perle [7.10 %] - First Wort 90.0 min Hop 6 19.2 IBUs </div><div>14.00 g Perle [7.10 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 3.8 IBUs </div><div><br /></div><div>1.0 pkg Bohemian Lager (Wyeast Labs #2124) [124. Yeast 8 - </div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Notes:</div><div>------</div><div>4 gallons water, 1 gr. gypsum, 2 gr. CaCl, 2 gr. CaCO3</div><div>Mash in to 125F, 15 min.</div><div>Raised to 153 over 10 min, hold 30 min</div><div>Raised to 158 over 5 min, hold 15 min</div><div>Raised to 168 over 5 min, rest 5 min</div><div><br /></div><div>sparge w/ 5 gal at 168 (no minerals)</div><div>Collect 6.8 gallons at 1.044</div><div>Boil 90 minutes, yeast nutrient and whirlfloc at 10 min.</div><div>End of boil: top up to 6 gallons (hot)</div><div>whirlpool & rest 10 min</div><div>chill thru plate chiller to 62</div><div>2 min O2</div><div>leave in garage at ambient temp (48) until visible fermentation</div><div>cooled to 50 degrees by 8 hours and visibly fermenting</div><div>fermented at 48-50 for 2 weeks</div><div>brought inside for diacetyl rest (65ish) for 1 week</div><div>11/23 Racked to keg, aged 3 weeks at 35 before drinking</div><div><br /></div><div>Starter: 3750 ml stirplate starter 4 days ahead at room temp, decanted. Bohemian Lager yeast.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-89830711697090508612011-11-10T15:10:00.000-08:002011-11-28T17:36:04.702-08:00Tasting: Fresh Hop Spelt Saison<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZRmxJXF3R_cSx5amczVOGLc72SMIMIvplAyOyUHnCgEnfzEJnixzwNyaa9JeYEsshMxiLAzUC9sYLXxCN7_WI5KDi-vUYKC4AoBoERBYt00gbG4fNsyiDpg8HZ6TKaHSIhJTd7QvMf0i/s1600/100_3701.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZRmxJXF3R_cSx5amczVOGLc72SMIMIvplAyOyUHnCgEnfzEJnixzwNyaa9JeYEsshMxiLAzUC9sYLXxCN7_WI5KDi-vUYKC4AoBoERBYt00gbG4fNsyiDpg8HZ6TKaHSIhJTd7QvMf0i/s400/100_3701.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680225222866689106" /></a><br />Sorry for the delay on posting this. I did the <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2011/09/fresh-hop-spelt-saison-with-paul-key.html">Fresh Hop Spelt Saison</a> tasting during the first week of November and I just hadn't gotten around to putting it up. <div><br /></div><div>Aroma: Huge fruit profile from esters and hops: I'm getting juicy fruit, orange, tangerine, passionfruit, hop spicyness and peppery esters with a touch of alcohol warmth. A little pils malt is in the background, as well as a wheaty aroma from the spelt.<div><br /></div><div>Appearance: This beer threw a big raw-wheaty haze when youger, but it's surprisingly clear after about a month in the keg. A slight haze with a light gold pilsner hue. Nice glass lacing, starts with a huge head and falls back to an even 1/4 inch head after a few minutes in the glass. </div><div><br /></div><div>Flavor: Nice balance of bready, slightly sweet malt, with a big spicy hop flavor contribution. Bitterness is not much higher than say, Saison Dupont, which is a really nice level, as in, it's not a Belgian IPA. Like a lot of fresh-hopped beers I have tried, even my favorite professionally brewed ones, it has a slightly sticky/soapy bitterness at the end. It almost gives a bit of a "cottonmouth" after swallowing. Very drinkable, it ends dry and spicy with a touch of warming alcohol.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mouthfeel: The raw spelt provides some big body considering the very low final gravity. It's almost creamy. Some of the soapy character I mentioned above in the back of the mouth after swallowing. Very smooth otherwise, no astringency or harsh alcohols.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall: I'm super impressed with how this beer turned out. The fairly moderate IBU's keeps this beer a very true saison, while the big aroma and flavor hop profile makes it a bold fresh-hop beer. It's very drinkable and I've never tasted a beer quite like it. I am a little less than impressed with the soapy quality from the hops, but it is not too high. It's more of a nuance that I would like to work out in future incarnations of this beer. I don't think there is anything to do about it except use less fresh hops, which I would be willing to cut back on slightly in the future. Working with the raw spelt was a breeze. The only drawbacks it seems to have is that it is very hard to crush, like probably any unmalted grain would be, and it requires a step infusion mash, but clearly not a cereal mash. I'd highly recommend playing around with the grain, especially in saisons or other beers that require some raw grain contribution. </div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-61394943383961618792011-10-06T15:40:00.000-07:002011-10-06T16:03:51.561-07:00Tasting and Recipe: Cherrywood Smoked Porter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdz76v8JsnVpK4QZxSzZ3i0rkoDO8N2YQX5AOUENNUWu4ZahgrLdqyfeJC5uAihciOEZwY6AfjrlYSLnRgeKSinff632keOfPKUu75cs1H557DAYIDpW3B5T7GtNW3dyhUgQipf4NV9w3/s1600/100_3692.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdz76v8JsnVpK4QZxSzZ3i0rkoDO8N2YQX5AOUENNUWu4ZahgrLdqyfeJC5uAihciOEZwY6AfjrlYSLnRgeKSinff632keOfPKUu75cs1H557DAYIDpW3B5T7GtNW3dyhUgQipf4NV9w3/s400/100_3692.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660518155610897410" /></a><br />Well screw it: I was going to save this for later but after drinking half a glass of the Calypso Pale Ale, I decided I'd wash my mouth out with something I like a little better. This is a new beer I had not posted a recipe on yet: a smoked porter using Briess Cherrywood smoked malt. We have a sack of of this malt at the brewery and it smells really damn good, like a barbeque in the summertime. Pork ribs come to mind as well as BBQ potato chips, although it's much better than that. It's very tasty to eat on it's own. I was going for a well-balanced recipe, so I erred on the more reserved side as far as percentage of smoked malt, using only 12% in the grist. Well, let's get to the tasting first and then the recipe: <div><br /></div><div>Appearance: Reddish-tan head, not quite black body but could pass for a stout. Nice head retention! </div><div><br /></div><div>Aroma: Smoke, but light, slightly burnt roast character with a hint of molasses, unsweetened cocoa, and sharpness. A touch of warming alcohols, not surprisingly hardly any hop aroma. No Diacetyl, low esters. Very enticing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Flavor: Caramel, followed by a quick hit of dry roastyness, and a subtle but lingering smokey finish. A touch of that "cherry cola" sharpness I get from certain proters and stouts. Hop bitterness is moderate, this is not a sweet beer. Finish is roasty, chocolatey, with a mild campfire-smoke that stays for a while.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mouthfeel: Full bodied but not cloying, slightly creamy, moderate carbonation, spicy and dry roast with just a touch of roasted astringency. </div><div><br /></div><div>Overall: Lovin' it. This beer has been a real hit so far with other people. I am in some ways tempted to tweak it (maybe dial down the black malt by just a smidge since it is toeing the line of stout, or up the smoked by a hair and the bitterness down by just a few IBU's), but then again, sometimes you start doing all this stuff and realize you had it right the first time. For now I'm just drinking it. One thing I think really works for this beer is it's smokey enough for people that are looking for a touch of smoke, but not so much that it would turn off a regular porter drinker. This keg will kick fast, and then I'll want more.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the recipe: </div><div><br /></div><div><div>BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com</div><div>Recipe: Cherrywood-smoked porter</div><div>Brewer: </div><div>Asst Brewer: </div><div>Style: Robust Porter</div><div>TYPE: All Grain</div><div>Taste: (30.0) </div><div><br /></div><div>Recipe Specifications</div><div>--------------------------</div><div>Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal </div><div>Boil Size: 7.00 gal</div><div>Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal</div><div>OG: 1.061 SG</div><div>FG: 1.019</div><div>ABV: 5.5%</div><div>Estimated Color: 34.7 SRM</div><div>Estimated IBU: 38.2 IBUs</div><div>Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.00 %</div><div>Boil Time: 60 Minutes</div><div><br /></div><div>Ingredients:</div><div>------------</div><div>Amt Name Type # %/IBU </div><div>1 lbs 8.0 oz Cherrywood Smoked malt (5.0 SRM) Grain 2 12.2 % </div><div>8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 6 4.1 % </div><div>8.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.1 % </div><div>8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.1 % </div><div>8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 5 4.1 % </div><div>4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 7 2.0 % </div><div>8 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 69.4 % </div><div>18.00 g Falconer's Flight [10.50 %] - Boil 60.0 Hop 8 27.0 IBUs </div><div>28.00 g Falconer's Flight [10.50 %] - Boil 15.0 Hop 9 11.2 IBUs </div><div>1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 Yeast 10 - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Notes:</div><div>------</div><div>Mash: 4.25 gal + 3 gr. chalk, 1 gr. Gypsum, 2 gr. CaCl</div><div>to 151, rest 45 min, fell to 146</div><div>bring up to 162 over 10 min, rest 10 min</div><div>Sparge: 5 gal at 168, no salts, 30 minutes</div><div><br /></div><div>Collect 7 gallons @ 1.052 </div><div>Boil as noted, nutrient & whirlfloc at 10 min</div><div><br /></div><div>Whirlpool & rest 15 min</div><div>Chill thru plate chiller over 20 min to 70</div><div>oxygen 60 seconds</div><div>pitch 2nd gen Wyeast 1056 (1 week refrigerated)</div><div>Ferment at 68, then keg.</div><div><br /></div><div>Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com</div><div>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-63211645137616074272011-10-06T15:04:00.000-07:002011-10-06T15:35:10.539-07:00Tasting: Calypso Pale Ale<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_GHACS2fn7kjXL9IgQl_UmoaAOzpKBgY05LEK5ueOydPgWNnnCrTyGs1V3uUwhi0H13mYbY2WUeL_0e8CbG_id-WNsmrxf7P9Nl6lQh1CSwMsSDX0FnRTLipES6z0l3F-fD8QYhQev5p/s1600/000_0020.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_GHACS2fn7kjXL9IgQl_UmoaAOzpKBgY05LEK5ueOydPgWNnnCrTyGs1V3uUwhi0H13mYbY2WUeL_0e8CbG_id-WNsmrxf7P9Nl6lQh1CSwMsSDX0FnRTLipES6z0l3F-fD8QYhQev5p/s400/000_0020.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660509007549524402" /></a><br /><div>A tasting of the dry-hopped, <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2011/09/calypso-pale-ale.html">all-Calypso pale ale </a>I did recently:</div><div><br /></div><div>Appearance: Hazy burnished orange, definitely some hop or chill haze going on that I would like to fine out if it were a commercial beer, but which I'm fine with for a homebrew. Fairly resilient head and nice glass lacing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Aroma: Hoppy, but not assertively aromatic, vaguely fruity hops with a touch of red apple, pine, and a little onion. Light grassy/bready grain background, very clean low esters and alcohol aroma. No diacetyl. Not bad, not very memorable as far as the hops go.</div><div><br /></div><div>Flavor: Fairly balanced between bready, caramelly malts and grassy hops. A slightly rough, almost burnt quality of bitterness enters in the flavor mid-palate and seems to linger long after swallowing. Not overly bitter, but at the same time, not a clean or crisp bitterness. Dry finish, no alcohol bite or fermentation off-flavors</div><div><br /></div><div>Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied, medium carbonation adds some spicy, prickly character. Just slightly astringent on the gums, which I would think is hop derived rather than malt derived. Clean finish, rather easy to drink.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall: Some aspects of this beer I really like. I like the malty, grainy character provided by the fairly large percentage of Vienna malt and crystal malt, although if I were truly looking to design a "perfect" pale ale, I would dial them both back just a touch. The Calypso hops, I have to say, I am not too excited about. The high cohumulone percentage definitely seems to have added a rough bitter aftertaste that I think doesn't make it ideal for a bittering hop, yet on the other hand, the aroma is not really that astounding compared to the more choice American varieties like Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra, or Centennial. So I don't really know where this hop finds its place, either as a bittering or flavor/aroma hop, but maybe other people will have more success with it than I did. Overall, it's a fairly good beer, but the keg is not moving very fast, which is always a sign of how drinkable it really is. </div><div><br /></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-66044332136781404602011-09-21T13:01:00.000-07:002011-11-28T17:34:13.330-08:00Fresh-Hop Spelt Saison with Paul Key<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRJLH_NKEjQe3fo_GFjilxU9QT6E9rgh2lSci2t4XoG6y5oqwg4-sruhyphenhyphenHyLpj9oeKm9NWZWIhJySmLoHGEMDHa0piZJmLCbpV57rCytVd86QoSvqA6wzJrEmYJ9swuJQECvzEnWP4RY7/s1600/100_3685.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRJLH_NKEjQe3fo_GFjilxU9QT6E9rgh2lSci2t4XoG6y5oqwg4-sruhyphenhyphenHyLpj9oeKm9NWZWIhJySmLoHGEMDHa0piZJmLCbpV57rCytVd86QoSvqA6wzJrEmYJ9swuJQECvzEnWP4RY7/s400/100_3685.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654906750586588194" /></a>It's wonderful to be out in the Northwest, so close to the hop fields, where every year we get to brew up a special batch (or three) of fresh-hop beer. <a href="http://thisbeerisapipebomb.blogspot.com/">Paul Key</a>, my fellow homebrewer-geek, had a nice harvest of Fuggle and Columbus hops growing in his front yard right here in Portland. He was able to knock out a couple of fresh-hop IPA's, and I pitched the idea of getting together for some kind of fresh-hop saison. We kicked around some ideas and came up with this: A pale, moderately strong saison, with about 30% raw spelt in the mash (inspired by Brasserie Blaugies' Saison D'epeautre), moderate-high IBU's for the style at an estimated 30+ IBU, and brewed with a blend of commercial saison yeasts. I certainly have high hopes for it, as the spelt mash had a unique character, and the fresh hops, all added at knock-out, had an intense citrus-orange-spice pungency.<div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEG0q41Kmz-FnmwaNbGR_vkfDAKtkR-3HKWM1jSuLDDWl8QhWIXxQ1z0_wJ25YBgDD2E9WfvlRxMLly2MjfAJWts2zsP8nnUIz8zA-iISV2fkfu-EcEc1e4bXclomq62tFHSj1iSnKDYD/s400/100_3672.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654906365790737106" /></div><div>We picked most of the hops while working on a long step-infusion mash, with a protein rest. We didn't have much info on spelt as a grain, which we just bought from Whole Foods, but we assumed that because it was a type of wheat, that it would probably have a similar gelatinization point. Wheat gelatinizes at regular mash sacharification temperatures, so if spelt is the same, that means you don't need a "cereal mash" which would incorporate boiling the spelt to gelatinize it prior to adding it to the mash. I have seen a good deal of internet homebrew recipes with raw spelt that call for a cereal mash, and I don't see how it's necessary. Anything I found online suggested that it gelatinizes at similar temperatures to wheat. Anyway, we actually did an iodine starch-conversion test after our sach rest to make sure we had fully converted the mash, and it showed that we got good conversion. </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpaJt5rWt91HAIctM-1_ziaKY-94qpe0LFxZM51T_USAsbarcmfAhTh8kc2CQHuDkAxJNksBZmZa_1n5vA21OrxEGj2RBAm-DpIFgelmFBJZ1TjTotjshMaX1LSOFN2SLUpuHVTiiaLR2/s400/100_3673.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654906360129259778" /></div><div>Runoff was aided by some rice hulls, but we had no problems with a stuck mash whatsoever. Probably could have gotten away without them but it's always good insurance.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLPH6uKF_q44YPpAex-Yk-ktdH1T48FXualUVQWXP4dU4Aax_ZgkEwhv8JF0FulXyNvWC1ybJ-WJ9EA0Dh_N16eX9eyiKcNwPHv7bB0SeW4_GgXfqKlAr3trUZNCEF9Ok_z9wt6GiTeUf/s400/100_3679.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654906357280441650" /></div><div>We bittered with pelletized hops to keep the IBU's somewhat predictable, and used a boatload of fresh hops at knockout only. These sat in the mash for 20 minutes during "whirlpool", and then an additional 25 minutes while we transfered through the heat exchanger. I think this provides a really nice hop profile and it's very close to what happens in a professional brewery. </div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oLwd0eab0ESgALNNQiGFwv5ezbqe_j0v_B9MkPVryCJEXagHc1vTUjycW5g2q_CAab9dAxCBaQloV5hh5ulqjM18ezc32UqiPOPeEsaUmaiYwGKNdf23sl_RTpPAYNMKjjEFkYqcBd0O/s400/100_3681.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654906351694790882" /><div>We lost quite a bit of wort from the hops, which we forgot to consider when designing the recipe, but I don't think we could have done much about it anyway. Based on our kettle size, we made the biggest batch we could. Sometimes it is just better to collect less wort than do tricky stuff to increase the volume, and neither Paul or I are ever hurting for beer to drink. It's OK to have a smaller yield sometimes.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKonAFNp23yoar1rG5vEvRLkSGZGBf7JEnFsUTOwTWHsqerm3FoInjaP2U_EWuGmisTmBJZDpnQazHJaYJ4a4-c2FcpLIK_rhAKWK1hxJYf81Dle7DfEr4DGMrmqEldmbv_IwjEQZMFtUG/s400/100_3686.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654906512525843602" /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We decided to go with a saison yeast blend for this beer, which is the first time I have tried blending saison yeasts right off the bat. But both Paul and I have come up really frustrated with the Dupont yeast as a sole fermenter in the past, so this blend will be worth trying in a few beers. We decided to pitch both the "Dupont" strain and the "French Saison" strain, with twice as much Dupont yeast. The fermentation was started rather cool and ramped to 80 over a few days, a good compromise between the French strain which produces plenty of character at cooler temps, and the Dupont yeast which can't seem to finish out if it drops below 85 degrees. The French saison yeast will definitely help attenuate the beer faster when the Dupont yeast slows to a crawl in the last 1/3rd of fermentation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On a side note, the French Saison yeast has been a bit bothersome for me in the past too, it definitely has its own problems. I have noticed that it tends to dry a beer out almost excessively, so that if there are any tannins from grain extraction at all, it tends to accentuate them and leave an annoying tannic astringency in the beer. We tried to alleviate that with a good dose of calcium to the mash and the sparge water, which should keep the pH low and avoid extracting any harsh tannins in the first place. I think that should help.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQf7jWiFMh4lRFRrzOSicyd_tvcE2pbYfR2b1UiFomiua62LDbnzfP6r2CLvlvgpOyJ2ohvkQl-22LPdDULCOB3KrTiEHbjl4Bgl73JEiv7k7WGTgXu_FWUgUB4ZaBIXIgyNP56A30OfkZ/s1600/100_3688.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQf7jWiFMh4lRFRrzOSicyd_tvcE2pbYfR2b1UiFomiua62LDbnzfP6r2CLvlvgpOyJ2ohvkQl-22LPdDULCOB3KrTiEHbjl4Bgl73JEiv7k7WGTgXu_FWUgUB4ZaBIXIgyNP56A30OfkZ/s400/100_3688.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654906349367949186" /></a>Well, I'm looking forward to tasting this beer and using the blend in at least one other brew. If you brewed any interesting fresh hop beers, feel free to brag about them in the comments. Cheers! </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com</div><div>Recipe: Fresh-hop Spelt Saison</div><div><br /></div><div>Recipe Specifications</div><div>--------------------------</div><div>Batch Size (fermenter): 11.00 gal </div><div>Boil Size: 13.50 gal</div><div>OG: 1.056 SG</div><div>F.G. 1.006</div><div>Estimated Color: 3.4 SRM</div><div>Estimated IBU: 24.1 IBUs</div><div>Boil Time: 90 Minutes</div><div><br /></div><div>Ingredients:</div><div>------------</div><div>Amt Name Type # %/IBU </div><div>15 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Canada (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 66.7 % </div><div>7 lbs Spelt - Raw (1.0 SRM) Grain 2 31.1 % </div><div>8.0 oz Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 3 2.2 % </div><div>74.00 g Delta [4.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 4 24.1 IBUs </div><div>1.0 pkg Belgian Saison (Wyeast Labs #3724) [124. Yeast 5 - </div><div>1.0 pkg French Saison (Wyeast Labs #3711) [50.28 Yeast 6 - </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Notes:</div><div>-Used Paul's mash kettle w/ false bottom for mash and boil too-----</div><div><br /></div><div>Water additions: 4 gr. Gyspum, 4 gr. CaCl to mash, same to sparge</div><div>8 gallons mash water, mash in to 126 for 20 min</div><div>Add heat & stir for 15 minutes to 147, rest 20 min</div><div>Add heat and bring to 155 over 7 minutes, rest 30 min</div><div>Bring up to 168 over 20 min</div><div><br /></div><div>Sparge with 9 gallons at 168 over 40 min</div><div>collect 13.5</div><div><br /></div><div>boil 90 min, additions as noted</div><div>yeast nutrient/whirlfloc at 10 min</div><div><b>Knock-out fresh hops: </b></div><div><b>1 lb. Fuggle</b></div><div><b>2.25 lb. Columbus</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Steep 20 min while setting up.</div><div>run off probably 25 minutes, lost track.</div><div>maybe lost extra gallon from hops, about 9 gallons in fermenter, plus .5 gallon starter</div><div>chill to 70</div><div>pitch starter and oxygenate 2 minutes</div><div>Fermented at 68-70 for first 24 hours</div><div>Ramped to 80 by day 3</div><div>Keg carbonated after hitting terminal gravity</div><div><br /></div><div>Yeast starter:</div><div>Very fresh Dupont pack: 90% Viability</div><div>Older 3711 pack: 55% Viability</div><div>Both into a 2L stirplate starter, should give approx 2:1 ratio</div><div><br /></div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-73333925122497080592011-09-01T10:52:00.000-07:002011-10-06T15:33:13.249-07:00Calypso Pale Ale<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeJ2nb2pc2-1e8B8Okly2BHkd9vFdhqaLLaDjuQ16EKBnAYfmpAGRWQDnQiwaMdhu6qzWlqxUFt7pvQy0BIP3ea8mNgybDmMTeyXGvFR29GtStStkDrMmo5iVCpG2R631T1BRySO0S1YE/s1600/100_3670.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeJ2nb2pc2-1e8B8Okly2BHkd9vFdhqaLLaDjuQ16EKBnAYfmpAGRWQDnQiwaMdhu6qzWlqxUFt7pvQy0BIP3ea8mNgybDmMTeyXGvFR29GtStStkDrMmo5iVCpG2R631T1BRySO0S1YE/s400/100_3670.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647461270935664866" /></a><br />I haven't posted any recipes in a while, but I've been brewing a bit. For my friends Tony and Annie's recent wedding, we re-brewed a beer I was very happy with: the <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2010/05/belgian-ale-with-lemon-verbena-yarrow.html">Belgian summer ale with lemon verbena, yarrow, and grains of paradise</a>. The brew went off very well, and was pretty much identical to the first brew. The only thing we changed was the yarrow: it was a different varietal of yarrow (whatever is growing in our front yard, with yellow flowers), and we used the flowers as opposed to the leaves, which I think added a more floral/honey character and less of the slight aspirin bitterness that the leaves add. The beer was very well received at the wedding party, and we kicked 5 gallons pretty fast. We also bottle conditioned 5 gallons, and primed the bottles with wildflower honey. I'll do a tasting of that pretty soon for the blog.<div><br /></div><div>On to yesterday's brew: We have a few new varieties of hops to play with at Cascade: Bravo, Delta, and Calypso. These are all fairly new hybrids. I wanted to do a single-hop brew with one of these, so I started by doing an aroma evaluation and checking out their information sheets. The Bravo is pretty much a high-alpha bittering hop, not much aroma going on there, so that was out. The Delta is apparently a cross between a Cascade male and a Fuggle. It has a nice, mild, pleasant aroma but it didn't seem extremely unique. I figure I'll save that for another brew, possibly an all-Delta saison or something. The Calypso is apparently a dual-purpose hop. It immediately stood out as having an intense fruity aroma, not much pine or resin, just sort of a high, almost sharp fruityness that reminded me a bit of blackberries or wine. That was definitely the type of hop that I was looking for, something with a unique character that was going to make its mark in a straightforward, hoppy pale ale.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Calypso information claims that the hop has a "pleasant fruity aroma, with hints of pear and apple". It comes in at 12.8% Alpha Acid (which I guess would almost be considered a mid-alpha hop in today's age of many 16+% bittering varieties. The one thing that stood out was its huge cohumulone percentage: 40-42%. I don't think I have ever seen another hop this high in cohumulone, ever. It used to be widely accepted that higher cohumulone hops contributed a rougher, less refined bitterness than lower cohumulone varieties. I don't know if this is entirely true though, it seems that that theory is being challenged a bit these days. So, we'll see if this hop seems more bitter in this brew or contributes any "rough" bitter character to the brew. </div><div><br /></div><div>Personally, I don't think assertively hopped American ales need to shy away from a slightly rough character. Grown-ups like hop flavor and bitterness. As long as there's nothing too funky or astringent in the aftertaste, I think a bit of roughness is to be expected. It's not a Czech pilsner after all, it's a hoppy American ale. In any case, I did decide to dial back by just a few IBU's just in case this hop really seemed to be more bitter than the IBU's would suggest. I also didn't fully "hop-load" the end of the boil, the time at which cohumulone doesn't have a chance to get changed into mellower compounds (don't ask me to look up what it gets changed to, if you're interested in stuff like that, check out Principals of Brewing Science, or do an online search).</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, enough blabbing, here's a recipe, have at it. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Recipe: Calypso Pale Ale </div><div>Style: American Pale Ale</div><div>TYPE: All Grain</div><div><br /></div><div>Recipe Specifications</div><div>--------------------------</div><div>Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal </div><div>Boil Size: 7.00 gal</div><div>OG: 1.054 SG</div><div>FG: 1.015</div><div>ABV: 5.1%</div><div>Estimated Color: 9.0 SRM</div><div>Estimated IBU: 42.7 IBUs</div><div>Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.00 %</div><div>Boil Time: 60 Minutes</div><div><br /></div><div>Ingredients:</div><div>------------</div><div>Amt Name Type # %/IBU </div><div>7 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 66.7 % </div><div>8.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.8 % </div><div>8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.8 % </div><div>2 lbs 8.0 oz Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 2 23.8 % </div><div>25.00 g Calypso [12.80 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 6 15.6 IBUs </div><div>28.00 g Calypso [12.80 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs </div><div>28.00 g Calypso [12.80 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 10.4 IBUs </div><div>9.00 g Calypso [12.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 16.7 IBUs </div><div>42.00 g Calypso Dry hop - in bags</div><div><br /></div><div>Notes:</div><div>------</div><div>2 gr. gypsum, 1 gr. CaCl, to mash only.</div><div>Mash: 4 gallons H20, 153 for 55 minutes (fell to 149 over that time). Raised to 168 over 10 minutes,</div><div>Sparge with 5 gallons water at 165 over 30 minutes</div><div>Collected 6.75 gallons at 1.048 = 86% efficiency.</div><div><br /></div><div>Boil as noted, with additions of Whirlfoc & Wyeast nutrient at 10 min.</div><div>After boil: Top up to 6.25 (hot volume), Whirlpool & Rest for 15 minutes.</div><div>Chill through Heat-X, rack to carboy, and add pure oxygen for 60 seconds.</div><div>Pitched 1 qt. stirplate-starter of Wyeast 1056, a little warm at 72, came down to 70 within an hour. Ferment at 68</div><div><br /></div><div>Keg on 9/8/11, dry hops in 2 tea bags for 3 days warm, 10 days cold.</div><div><br /></div><div>Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com</div></div><div><br /></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-60505765375582334262011-07-29T11:47:00.000-07:002011-07-29T12:48:36.147-07:00Better performance with Dupont Yeast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIxph1SYR4CulaPQlQkq5cO2Uea1-lZTAk124z_eGi2xDNUTIUW7RajWB7LT0pci25S9W4sixms-4YxNeQUb-xS62rkHy0vrMX5GsHhOm6DgdHVu4HC94Yqtc-rVyWABgZVD_YShA0osa/s1600/100_3668.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIxph1SYR4CulaPQlQkq5cO2Uea1-lZTAk124z_eGi2xDNUTIUW7RajWB7LT0pci25S9W4sixms-4YxNeQUb-xS62rkHy0vrMX5GsHhOm6DgdHVu4HC94Yqtc-rVyWABgZVD_YShA0osa/s400/100_3668.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634860549005883842" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Ludd Lite</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Since my last couple of saisons, I have had a little more time to work with Dupont yeast and get to know its performance over successive generations. I've also had the chance to work with it the pro level, with a collaboration saison I did with Ben Edmunds at <a href="http://www.breaksidebrews.com/">Breakside</a>. <div><br /></div><div>Ben and I brewed a pretty much straight-up saison with Whitelabs 565, the equivalent yeast of Wyeast 3724 which I have been using. We brewed two 3.5-barrel batches into a 7 barrel fermenter, the second batch went in 24 hours after the first. We pitched a 5-7 bbl sized pitch of yeast, started fermentation at 80 degrees, and let it rise to the high 80's on its own. I don't remember the exact details on how long the beer took to ferment, but I think that it crunched down to 1.007 in only a week or so. That's pretty darn good. We were really happy with how the beer turned out, and it had a nice earthy Dupont-like aroma. So, there's at least one example of a good single-strain fermentation on a pro level. That's what I'm looking for. I'm betting the heavy yeast pitch was a big factor in the quick fermentation.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the homebrew side of things, the second generation brew, "Ludd Lite", was a low-gravity beer to begin with, and dried out to a fairly bone-dry 1.005 within 3 weeks. I don't know how long it took to hit that gravity, that's just when I got around to racking it to a keg. It's a pretty decent beer, not the most complex beer I've ever brewed, but very drinkable. It's surprisingly tart, farmy, with a little corn flavor and some hops coming through. I think it could use a bit more bitterness but the hop flavor is pretty nice. This isn't a beer that would make beer geeks go crazy, but it's a light summer ale that's easy to drink and more interesting than a light lager or (in my opinion) an "American wheat". Fermentation and recipe details for that beer are <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2011/06/ludd-lite-saison-10-and-first.html">here</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>The 3rd generation saison was brewed about 3 weeks ago. It's a brown or amber saison that I used a considerable amount of specialty malts on, but also some D2 Candi syrup. This beer didn't dry out to bone-dry, at least not yet, but we'll see if it drops another couple points over the the next month or so hanging out in secondary. It may just be done, and if so, that's OK, because it tastes like a really tasty Dubbel made with an earthy, estery farmhouse twist. I used a very small amount of lemon thyme in the brew, but so far it hasn't reared it's head in the flavor or aroma. So we'll see, maybe I could go a little heavier than that next time. </div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;font-size:small;"><table border="0" bg="" width="100%" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-size:6;color:#FFFFFF;"><i>Clarissa's Birthday Amber Saison</i></span></td></tr><tr><td><span style="color:#FFFFFF;"><i>Saison</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" width="95%"><tbody><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Type:</i></b> All Grain</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Date:</i></b> 07/08/2011</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Batch Size (fermenter):</i></b> 5.00 gal</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Brewer:</i></b></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Boil Size:</i></b> 6.48 gal</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Asst Brewer:</i></b></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Boil Time:</i></b> 90 min</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Equipment:</i></b> 6 gallon - SS mashtun</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Final Bottling Volume:</i></b> 4.50 gal</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Brewhouse Efficiency:</i></b> 78.00</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Fermentation:</i></b> Ale, Two Stage</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Taste Rating(out of 50):</i></b> 30.0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><b><i>Taste Notes:</i></b></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bg="" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><p align="center"><b><span style="font-size:130%;color:#FFFFFF;">Ingredients</span></b></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p align="center"></p><center><u><b>Ingredients</b></u></center><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td width="22%" align="left"><b>Amt</b></td><td width="50%" align="left"><b>Name</b></td><td width="11%" align="left"><b>Type</b></td><td width="4%" align="left"><b>#</b></td><td width="11%" align="left"><b>%/IBU</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left">1 lbs</td><td align="left">Candi Sugar, D2 syrup (160.0 SRM)</td><td align="left">Sugar</td><td align="left">11</td><td align="left">9.1 %</td></tr><tr><td align="left">12.0 oz</td><td align="left">White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)</td><td align="left">Grain</td><td align="left">3</td><td align="left">6.8 %</td></tr><tr><td align="left">8.0 oz</td><td align="left">Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM)</td><td align="left">Grain</td><td align="left">4</td><td align="left">4.5 %</td></tr><tr><td align="left">12.0 oz</td><td align="left">Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)</td><td align="left">Grain</td><td align="left">2</td><td align="left">6.8 %</td></tr><tr><td align="left">8.0 oz</td><td align="left">Victory Malt (25.0 SRM)</td><td align="left">Grain</td><td align="left">5</td><td align="left">4.5 %</td></tr><tr><td align="left">1.0 pkg</td><td align="left">Belgian Saison (Wyeast Labs #3724) [124.21 ml]</td><td align="left">Yeast</td><td align="left">10</td><td align="left">-</td></tr><tr><td align="left">21.00 g</td><td align="left">Perle [8.20 %] - Boil 85.0 min</td><td align="left">Hop</td><td align="left">6</td><td align="left">27.2 IBUs</td></tr><tr><td align="left">14.00 g</td><td align="left">Crystal [4.30 %] - Boil 15.0 min</td><td align="left">Hop</td><td align="left">7</td><td align="left">2.5 IBUs</td></tr><tr><td align="left">28.00 g</td><td align="left">Crystal [4.30 %] - Boil 0.0 min</td><td align="left">Hop</td><td align="left">8</td><td align="left">0.0 IBUs</td></tr><tr><td align="left">2.00 g</td><td align="left">Lemon Thyme, fresh leaves, picked (Boil 0.0 mins)</td><td align="left">Spice</td><td align="left">9</td><td align="left">-</td></tr><tr><td align="left">7 lbs 8.0 oz</td><td align="left">Canadian "Super Pils" (2.0 SRM)</td><td align="left">Grain</td><td align="left">1</td><td align="left">68.2 %</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bg="" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#FFFFFF;"><b>Beer Profile</b></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Est Original Gravity:</i></b> 1.061 SG</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Measured Original Gravity:</i></b> 1.060 SG</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><i><b>Est Final Gravity:</b></i> 1.007 SG</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Measured Final Gravity:</i></b> 1.012 SG</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Estimated Alcohol by Vol:</i></b> 7.1 %</td><td width="52%"><i><b>Actual Alcohol by Vol:</b></i> 6.3 %</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><i><b>Bitterness:</b></i> 29.7 IBUs</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Calories:</i></b> 200.7 kCal/12 oz</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><i><b>Est Color:</b></i> 20.3 SRM</td><td width="52%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bg="" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#FFFFFF;"><b>Mash Profile</b></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Mash Name:</i></b> Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Total Grain Weight:</i></b> 11 lbs</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Sparge Water:</i></b> 3.93 gal</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Grain Temperature:</i></b> 72.0 F</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Sparge Temperature:</i></b> 168.0 F</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Tun Temperature:</i></b> 72.0 F</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Adjust Temp for Equipment:</i></b> TRUE</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Mash PH:</i></b> 5.20</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p align="center"></p><center><u><b>Mash Steps</b></u></center><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td width="19%" align="left"><b>Name</b></td><td width="54%" align="left"><b>Description</b></td><td width="12%" align="left"><b>Step Temperature</b></td><td width="12%" align="left"><b>Step Time</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left">Mash In</td><td align="left">Add 16.00 qt of water at 159.4 F</td><td align="left">149.0 F</td><td align="left">75 min</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><b><i>Mash Notes:</i></b> Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bg="" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#FFFFFF;"><b>Carbonation and Storage</b></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Carbonation Type:</i></b> Bottle</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Volumes of CO2:</i></b> 2.3</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Pressure/Weight:</i></b> 100.20 g</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Carbonation Used:</i></b> Bottle with 100.20 g Corn Sugar</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Keg/Bottling Temperature:</i></b> 70.0 F</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Age for:</i></b> 30.00 days</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Fermentation:</i></b> Ale, Two Stage</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Storage Temperature:</i></b> 65.0 F</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bg="" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#FFFFFF;"><b>Notes</b></span></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Mash 4 gallons at 160 plus 1 gr. Gypsum, 2 gr. CaCl<br />Mash in to 149<br />50 min, fell to 144.<br />direct heat to 154 over 5 min, rest 15 min, no mash out<br /><br />Sparge 5 gal, same salts, 165<br /><br /><br /><br />90 min boil<br />15 minute rest after KO, added candi syrup and whirlpooled.<br />Chill thru plate chiller to 75 degrees<br />oxygen 90 seconds<br />pitched maybe 100 ml saison yeast (rinsed and suspended in beer) at 75<br />Fermentation peaked at 95 by 24 hours (with heating pad)<br />After 10 days, temperature was dropped by 2 degrees per day to 85<br /><br />7/26 Racked to secondary, flavor is very good. 1.012<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p align="right"><i><span style="font-size:85%;">Created with </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.beersmith.com/">BeerSmith</a></span></i></p></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I harvested the yeast once again, and if I have time I'd like to do a 4th generation saison that would be a re-brew of original recipe, to s if I can get a better yeast performance with the same base recipe. The one thing I would like to do better is to pitch the successive generations in a more timely manner. So far it's been at least 3 weeks between brews, which is not ideal for yeast health, but so far it hasn't seemed to hurt much either. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-82855497315985904692011-06-30T13:20:00.000-07:002011-06-30T15:16:53.705-07:00Hazelnut E.S.B. / Base Beer Tasting, and process REVEALED<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhuHOWfvhcAhDF_vcWI2FhaaxvyLBdrAxIfoFqJrHVP1MPNU0bMV0hfXnqVxbBTiU02t6yRP4-3EYOSZcmgIRE-sVKW9DDpzhrJnUOGqhu2zozchjjLRhtLsXzYL_l4HMX56564PldTPc/s1600/100_3656.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhuHOWfvhcAhDF_vcWI2FhaaxvyLBdrAxIfoFqJrHVP1MPNU0bMV0hfXnqVxbBTiU02t6yRP4-3EYOSZcmgIRE-sVKW9DDpzhrJnUOGqhu2zozchjjLRhtLsXzYL_l4HMX56564PldTPc/s400/100_3656.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624139012340733474" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Finally, here's an evaluation of the hazelnut beer I made a few months ago, and details on the hazelnut product I used as well as how I used it. <div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>First, let's discuss the process, which I kept secret at first, but I promised I would get to. The hazelnut product I lucked into is produced by <a href="http://store.freddyguys.com/">Freddy Guy Hazelnuts</a> in Monmouth, Oregon. Clarissa and I regularly stock up on their dry-roasted hazelnuts at the PSU farmers market, and they are just great nuts. We put them in salads, breadcrumb mixes, desserts, and also we just snack on them when we have the munchies. A few months ago they had a little sign up that said something to the effect of "We sell hazelnut press cake for brewers, ask about it!" Hazelnut press cake is a by-product of their hazelnut oil. After the hazelnuts are pressed to extract most of (certainly not all of) the oil, a still very flavorful and largely oil-reduced hazelnut cake is left behind. As we all know, oil is the bane of foam stability in beer, and may muddle up the beer flavor in other ways. </div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhM7l-Bx8alkYxLUmsCDrZSVDyuvMS-AjnWMdg2JNsOGRgvJJTLJQajeydx2LDQF-JolKmk8onsxruNpkugbhIPAxhldj0ZNlucg5EhJR5_6FmbbAD5kI0Bk2c2XJmNpr7EL7uz_GfGAN/s400/100_3663.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624139010450851058" /></div><div>Fritz, one of the owners of Freddy Guy, has experimented with hazelnuts in his own homebrew. He typically uses a pound of nuts in 5 gallons, 5 minutes from the end of the boil, to achieve a good hazelnut flavor in his brews. While this would be a great way to introduce them to a recipe as a homebrewer, I am always thinking of how this might pan out on a commercial system. First off, I would worry about about small chunks of hazelnuts slipping into the heat exchanger, which could be very difficult to get back out. It seems like they might even plug up or stop a runnoff completely in a worst-case scenario. Maybe not, but it could be a risk. They could be bagged up, but that would be 30 or more pounds to bag up for a in a 10 barrel brew. My aim with this homebrew was to isolate the the hazelnut contribution by having a clean version of the beer to compare it to, so I decided to add my hazelnuts to half of the beer post-fermentation. </div><div><br /></div><div>I added 1 lb., 2 oz. of hazelnut press cake to 4.5 gallons of <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2011/04/hazelnut-extra-special-bitter.html">the base beer</a>. The beer had finished primary fermentation and the "clean" half was racked directly to a keg. I prepped the hazelnuts by adding them to 1 quart of boiling water to semi-sanitize them. They do soak up liquid and they soaked up the quart of water completely, so they will decrease your beer yield if they are not rehydrated in some way. Then I funneled them into a large carboy which was then purged with CO2. The beer was transferred on top of this and kept at 68-ish for 2 weeks. I would have only kept it on for a week, but then, you know, life happened, and it just sat around in my back room until I found time to empty out and clean a keg to transfer it to. I periodically spun the carboy to get the nuts back up in suspension. I did see a small trace of oil on top of the beer, but I just tried to leave it behind when siphoning to a keg. The kegged beer was not fined. I just had about 3/4 inch of the dip-tube cut off to leave any sediment at the bottom. </div><div><br /></div><b>THE COMPARISON:</b><div><br /><div><b>Base Beer</b>: Nutty, carmelly malt aroma, light citrus/fruity esters from yeast and late hops, but malt-balanced. A touch of tobacco aroma at the end. Deep copper-red hue, good clarity but not crystal clear, with light bubbles. Low foam stand, probably just from lower carbonation. Flavor is malty, like a good amber ale, with plenty of caramel and biscuit flavor from malts and high level of crystal malts, but not cloying. Hop flavor is moderate, spicy, and grassy. Medium-full bodied mouthfeel, finish is dry. Nice drinking beer, not really an E.S.B., more of an American Amber. I could see having a couple of pints in a row with dinner or a yard-work session.<div><br /></div><div><div><b>Hazelnut Beer:</b> Exactly the same in appearance as the base beer, no excess haze or particulate, and both have a light wispy head. Aroma is definitively hazelnutty, but it is different than that of a hazenut-extract beer (i.e. it does not smell like hazelnut-flavored coffee or Torani syrup). There is a certain smooth, creamy, nut-buttery quality to it, a light floral perfumeyness, as well as a dry-roasted presence. It's not restrained, it's very much the dominant aroma, but still smells like beer. The hops are not as present in the aroma, and the malt plays a background role. Flavor is like the base beer, but with a sweeter presence similar to almond extract, and a slight dry-roasted nut finish. Not as bitter or hoppy (going back to the base beer for a taste it seems really hoppy in comparison) but it has a nutty dryness at the end. Overall, I think it really captures the essence of the hazenut. The flavor combination works, and I would say it's a very drinkable beer. All the same, maybe the hazelnut level is a bit (like 25%) too high, because I think after a pint of this I would be ready to move on to a different beer. The hazelnut aroma/flavor seems to be powerful enough to potentially stand up to a stronger base beer like a porter or stout. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>If you are interested in obtaining some press cake for brewing, and if you do not live in the area, you should contact <a href="http://store.freddyguys.com/Contact-Us-5.html">Freddy Guy</a>'s via their website. It looks like they have a mail-order page, and although they do not have the press-cake listed their, I'll bet they would be willing to ship it if you asked nicely. It looks like minimum orders are $25, so you might want to go in on it with some friends or buy some other stuff too. I can't say the exact price they would charge for the cake, but it is probably a pretty good deal. </div><div><br /></div></div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-24477696332864449642011-06-16T11:26:00.000-07:002011-07-29T12:46:35.475-07:00Ludd Lite Saison 1.0, and first impressions of Beersmith 2.0<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi895CVcuqdtSj2iAuOjf3fAyrlf5Qm-9kH8_N1gqyl6F1f56KhNhvaP0t1JR68zqmsA0aZg5mie9iQUgltjU5zTf9XlecY2WA8Gbxx60UdTduqWRimg0V8mkDY-j7PyhdrE_iWkILfoKCs/s1600/100_3645.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi895CVcuqdtSj2iAuOjf3fAyrlf5Qm-9kH8_N1gqyl6F1f56KhNhvaP0t1JR68zqmsA0aZg5mie9iQUgltjU5zTf9XlecY2WA8Gbxx60UdTduqWRimg0V8mkDY-j7PyhdrE_iWkILfoKCs/s400/100_3645.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618905636673684738" /></a>(Above: Typical Oregon summer. You have to dress your carboys up like Kenny from South Park and, use heating pads to keep your saisons warms enough!)<div><br />This is a pretty "corny" name for a recipe...I was kind of conceptualizing a product that could be marketed one day, even though in all honesty I will probably never call it Ludd Lite (if I did I would probably get a cease and desist request in the mail from a certain macro-brewer). I have always been interested in a saison using all American ingredients, and more specifically, one brewed 6-row barley and corn. So, this was really just a daydream, but I wanted to see how the beer might actually taste: a low gravity "entry level" craft beer that is actually a saison, but takes significant influence from macro-American-lagers. I guess the real trick is making a beer that is super-drinkable but also substantial enough not to be called "watery". We'll see how it comes out. The "Ludd" part of the name is kind of a jokey reference to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Ludd">Ned Ludd</a>, the legendary leader of the Luddite movement in England which rebelled/rioted against automated machinery in the workplace taking away from skilled human jobs. It seems to fit the saison/farmhouse philosophy of doing things.<div><br /></div><div>I'm still pulling my hair out over this damn Wyeast 3724 (Saison Dupont) yeast. I had my first generation batch (<a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-saison-and-working-with-dupont.html">the saison with rye</a>) in the keg/secondary with an airlock, kept warm at 85 degrees for 3 weeks. It was bubbling slowly but constantly, so I was hopeful that it was dropping in gravity...until I pulled a sample yesterday during my brew session. It has only dropped 2 points in that time from 1.026 to 1.024! Damn, that was so frustrating I almost stopped my brew session right there. But I decided to keep going, and it did encourage me to pitch and ferment even hotter this time. So far that seems to be paying off with a visibly more vigorous ferment in the first 24 hours. I will pull about a quart off of the new beer to re-krausen the first saison, and hopefully that will do the trick in getting it going again. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, this is my first try at using <a href="http://www.beersmith.com/">Beersmith 2.0</a> for Mac. I have always used Promash in the past, even though I've had to keep a barely-working old IBM Thinkpad PC around to run it. Well, so far my opinion of Beersmith is that it's good, but in some ways incredibly over-engineered. I'm sure part of that is just getting used to a new program and figuring out how to do things, but it seems like it is trying to automate too much of the brewing decision making. For instance it is trying to tell me exactly how much water to use in my mash, when and how to do the mash steps, and I don't really brew like that. It's also trying to tell me how many days days it will take to ferment (if you know this yeast, that is even more of a knee-slapper). From the "Brewsheet" layout, I learned that on 7/29/11, I am supposed to "Drink and Enjoy", at which point I am supposed to self score my beer on a 50 point scale. It seems hard to just ignore these parts of the program, but maybe I can change my preferences or make them go away. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, with Promash I always used the mash-in temperature calculator to tell me what temp I should get my mash water to in order to hit my target mash temp, and it worked great within a degree every time. With Beersmith's calculator and I ended up mashing in 4-5 degrees hotter than I wanted (easy fix, just mix in a little extra cold water real fast). It is frustrating for now, but I want to try figure out these hangups before I gripe too much about it. </div><div><br /></div><div>But...I can copy & paste the recipe reports! (Text in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;">RED</span> is some of the stuff that is just wrong or that I would prefer not to have automated and I don't know how to change yet.) If there's any confusion on numbers, see the "notes". They are correct.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;font-size:small;"><table border="0" bg="" width="100%" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-size:6;"><i>Ludd Lite (6-Row, Corn, Crystal hops)</i></span></td></tr><tr><td><i>Belgian Specialty Ale</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" width="95%"><tbody><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Type:</i></b> All Grain</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Date:</i></b> 06/15/2011</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Batch Size (fermenter):</i></b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">5.70 gal</span></td><td width="52%"><b><i>Brewer:</i></b></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Boil Size:</i></b> 7.21 gal</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Asst Brewer:</i></b></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Boil Time:</i></b> 60 min</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Equipment:</i></b> 6 gallon - SS mashtun</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Final Bottling Volume:</i></b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">5.20 gal</span></td><td width="52%"><b><i>Brewhouse Efficiency:</i></b> 88.00</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Fermentation:</i></b> Ale, Single Stage</td><td width="52%"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Taste Rating(out of 50):</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"> 0.0</span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><b><i>Taste Notes:</i></b></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bg="" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><p align="center"><b><span style="font-size:130%;color:#FFFFFF;">Ingredients</span></b></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p align="center"></p><center><u><b>Ingredients</b></u></center><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td width="22%" align="left"><b>Amt</b></td><td width="50%" align="left"><b>Name</b></td><td width="11%" align="left"><b>Type</b></td><td width="4%" align="left"><b>#</b></td><td width="11%" align="left"><b>%/IBU</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left">3 lbs 9.0 oz</td><td align="left">Pale Malt (6 Row) US (1.8 SRM)</td><td align="left">Grain</td><td align="left">1</td><td align="left">51.4 %</td></tr><tr><td align="left">2 lbs</td><td align="left">Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM)</td><td align="left">Grain</td><td align="left">2</td><td align="left">28.8 %</td></tr><tr><td align="left">1 lbs</td><td align="left">White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)</td><td align="left">Grain</td><td align="left">3</td><td align="left">14.4 %</td></tr><tr><td align="left">21.00 g</td><td align="left">Crystal [4.30 %] - Boil 60.0 min</td><td align="left">Hop</td><td align="left">5</td><td align="left">12.7 IBUs</td></tr><tr><td align="left">21.00 g</td><td align="left">Crystal [4.30 %] - Boil 20.0 min</td><td align="left">Hop</td><td align="left">6</td><td align="left">4.3 IBUs</td></tr><tr><td align="left">14.00 g</td><td align="left">Crystal [4.30 %] - Boil 0.0 min</td><td align="left">Hop</td><td align="left">7</td><td align="left">0.0 IBUs</td></tr><tr><td align="left">6.0 oz</td><td align="left">Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)</td><td align="left">Grain</td><td align="left">4</td><td align="left">5.4 %</td></tr><tr><td align="left">1.0 pkg</td><td align="left">Belgian Saison (Wyeast Labs #3724) [124.21 ml]</td><td align="left">Yeast</td><td align="left">8</td><td align="left">-</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bg="" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#FFFFFF;"><b>Beer Profile</b></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Est Original Gravity:</i></b> 1.039 SG</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Measured Original Gravity:</i></b> 1.038 SG</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><i><b>Est Final Gravity:</b></i> 1.006 SG</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Measured Final Gravity:</i></b> 1.005 SG</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Estimated Alcohol by Vol:</i></b> 4.3 %</td><td width="52%"><i><b>Actual Alcohol by Vol:</b></i> 4.3 %</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><i><b>Bitterness:</b></i> 16.9 IBUs</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Calories:</i></b> 0.0 kCal/12 oz</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><i><b>Est Color:</b></i> 2.5 SRM</td><td width="52%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bg="" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#FFFFFF;"><b>Mash Profile</b></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF6600;">Mash Name:</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF6600;"> Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out</span></td><td width="52%"><b><i>Total Grain Weight:</i></b> 6 lbs 15.0 oz</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Sparge Water:</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"> 5.06 gal</span></td><td width="52%"><b><i>Grain Temperature:</i></b> 60.0 F</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Sparge Temperature:</i></b> 168.0 F</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Tun Temperature:</i></b> 155.0 F</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Adjust Temp for Equipment:</i></b> TRUE</td><td width="52%"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Mash PH:</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"> 5.20</span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p align="center"></p><center><u><b>Mash Steps</b></u></center><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td width="19%" align="left"><b>Name</b></td><td width="54%" align="left"><b>Description</b></td><td width="12%" align="left"><b>Step Temperature</b></td><td width="12%" align="left"><b>Step Time</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left">Mash In</td><td align="left">Add 11.94 qt of water at 157.1 F</td><td align="left">148.0 F</td><td align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">75 min</span></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Mash Notes:</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"> Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).</span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bg="" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#FFFFFF;"><b>Carbonation and Storage</b></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Carbonation Type:</i></b> Keg</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Volumes of CO2:</i></b> 2.7</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Pressure/Weight:</i></b> 17.22 PSI</td><td width="52%"><b><i>Carbonation Used:</i></b> Keg with 17.22 PSI</td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Keg/Bottling Temperature:</i></b> 45.0 F</td><td width="52%"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Age for:</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"> 30.00 days</span></td></tr><tr><td width="40%"><b><i>Fermentation:</i></b> Ale, Single Stage</td><td width="52%"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Storage Temperature:</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"> 65.0 </span>F</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" bg="" style="color:#C0C0C0;"><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#FFFFFF;"><b>Notes</b></span></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Yeast: Generation 2 Saison. Cold stored 4 weeks. 4 Tbsp thick slurry into a 1 quart stirplate starter with a little extra yeast nutrient, 24 hours before pitching.<br /><br />Mash: 2 gr. gypsum, 2 gr. CaCl. Mashed in high: 153ish. Calculation said I would mash in to 149. Adjusted quickly with cold water. Fell to 140 over 45 minutes. Heated over 5 minutes to 154. Rest 20 min and sparge.<br /><br />Sparge: 3.75 gallons at 170. 2 gr. Gypsum, 2 gr. CaCl.<br /><br />Collect 5.5 gal at 1.040 = 88% efficiency<br /><br />Top up with 2.5 qts<br />Boil 60 min<br />Wyeast nutrient (1 tsp) and whirlfloc at 10 min<br />Top up to 6 gallons (hot volume) at end of boil (should be 5.75 cold volume)<br />Whirlpool and chill thru plate chiller to 80 degrees<br />Collect 5.5 gallons<br />Oxygen 90 seconds<br />Put on heating pad immediately and dialed in to 90 degrees, it was fermenting within a couple hours.<br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande">6/16 ramped to 95</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande">6/20 decreased to 93</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande">6/21 decreased by 2 degrees per day, down to 85, and held there.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Lucida Grande">7/7 Racked to keg, 1.005. Force carbonate.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-87463725141142626402011-05-26T12:20:00.000-07:002011-09-01T14:48:20.718-07:00New Saison, and Working with Dupont YeastWell, I still love saisons. That's no big news. I still love the Dupont yeast profile the best out of any of the commercially available saison strains. It's also a serious bitch to work with! At least in my experience, it takes forever to ferment, as in 6+ weeks even at high temperatures, if you're lucky. On a commercial level, that would be very problematic. I have never used the Dupont yeast in a pro brewery setting, but one day I want to own a brewery that will have a year-round saison offering, and it needs to ferment much quicker than that. I think 3 weeks fermentation (4 weeks to a finished kegged product or 6 weeks for bottle conditioned) would be acceptable, but more than that is really pushing it. Some pro brewers report (relatively) fast results with the Dupont yeast, at least after a few generations to warm up. Others resort to other strategies, like pitching a secondary yeast for attenuation. For now, I still want to see how it performs after a few generations to "warm-up" before resorting to other methods like using a yeast blend, or pitching a secondary yeast.<div>
<br /></div><div>The following recipe is a first-generation pitch, and yes, the yeast is being it's normal bitchy self. I racked it over from primary after 3 weeks at 80+ degrees (it peaked at 90), and it was still only at 1.026. The flavor sample was great though, it really has that complex fruityness and a sort of earthy aftertaste that I have never really found in the other commercially available saison strains. The beer is currently sitting a secondary/keg with a blowoff, wrapped in a towel and a heating blanket which is keeping it at 85 degrees. It's still creeping along, and if it hasn't dropped substantially in another 2 weeks I'm going to give in and pitch a more attenuative yeast. <div>
<br /></div><div>I added twice the Wyeast nutrient that I usually do for this batch, and I also gave it an extra 30 seconds of oxygen. I was not able to increase the yeast pitch, because my big Erlinmeyer flask was tied up in another brew, but I did make a 1 quart, stirplate starter. On successive batches I will try pitching more yeast, and maybe even let it get up to 95 degrees, and see if that helps. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>House Saison - Beta version</div><div>Brewed on 4/29/11</div><div>Recipe is for 5.7 gallons, all grain, post-boil volume</div><div>O.G. 1.055 F.G. 1.006 ABV 6.5% IBU's 33</div><div>
<br /></div><div>9 lb. Weyermann Pilsner malt</div><div>8 oz. Munich 10L</div><div>8 oz. flaked rye</div><div>4 oz. Belgian Aromatic </div><div>2 oz. British C 75</div><div>
<br /></div><div>24 gr. Sterling pellets 7%AA 90 min</div><div>6 gr. Sterling pellets 7%AA 15 min</div><div>16 gr. Goldings pellets (U.S. I think) 4.9%AA 15 min</div><div>42 gr. Goldings pellets 4.9% 0 min</div><div>
<br /></div><div>4 gal H2O + 2 gr. gypsum + 1 gr. CaCl</div><div>Mash in to 147, fell to 142 over 40 min</div><div>Heated to 149, rest 50 min</div><div>total mash time 90 min, no mash-out</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Sparge with 5 gal H2O + 2 gr. gypsum (ran out of CaCl or it would have gotten a gram) at 170.</div><div>Collect 6.6 gallons at 1.048 = 81% efficiency</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Boil 90 minutes, hop additions as noted</div><div>1 tsp. Wyeast nutrient & 1/2 whirlfloc tab at 10 min</div><div>whirlpool 1 min</div><div>rest 15 min</div><div>transfer thru plate chiller over 10 min</div><div>oxygen 90 seconds</div><div>pitched 1 quart stirplate starter of Wyeast 3724 at 70 degrees</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Fermentation time/temp, adjusted by heating pad & thermostat combo:<div>Day 1: Pitch at 70, ramp to 75 that night</div><div>Day 2: 80 a.m, 85 evening</div><div>Day 3: 87 a.m, 90 evening </div><div>Day 4-7: 90</div><div>Day 8-23 turn down 1 degree per day til at 80, then hold</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Racked to keg on 5/22, 1.026. Sheesh! holding at 85 degrees.</div></div></div><div>6/15 Still at 1.024...added 1 quart of Ludd Lite at high krausen to try and re-kick off fermentation. That took it to down to 1.017...Christ.</div><div>7/24 Added some top-cropped WLP 530 yeast, which took it down to 1.012. Yaaargh...</div><div>8/10 Added 1 pint of B. brux infused Dubbel to further attenuation.</div><div>9/1 Finally, Finally down to 1.006! The Brett did well, should have added it earlier, but I was trying to get it down with the original yeast. Hasn't aged out long enough to take on characteristic B. Brux aroma profile, which is kind of nice. Chilling, carbing, and preparing to drink.</div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-29199024833136392472011-04-21T10:01:00.000-07:002011-07-01T09:42:10.323-07:00Hazelnut. Extra. Special. Bitter.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_XeUd_XfywViidXUGB6xe02OXll-eyiAzvfc0BKtcM_NBtS5Tg2EbI9GNVYj6nRxDRBhYraMQW-fxRauMwkA0m8OCnmKFns8z0KFzgGjrqtKfJWmkFPg6R1Se2VOgYdCOFe8taVFfCkT/s1600/hazelnut_brittle-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_XeUd_XfywViidXUGB6xe02OXll-eyiAzvfc0BKtcM_NBtS5Tg2EbI9GNVYj6nRxDRBhYraMQW-fxRauMwkA0m8OCnmKFns8z0KFzgGjrqtKfJWmkFPg6R1Se2VOgYdCOFe8taVFfCkT/s400/hazelnut_brittle-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598100105675704834" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Looking back at some of my recent blog posts, it appears the last time I brewed was late February, about a 2 month hiatus from homebrewing! That's a lot for me, but I've been busy. I was working 6 days a week for a while, brewing and cellaring for Alameda and Cascade, and believe me, when you do that, the last thing you want to do is spend your only day off huddling over a propane burner in a cold garage while it's raining outside.<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Before I get on to posting a recipe, I should get this out of the way: This month, I made the full transition to brewing full-time for Cascade Brewing. It's a bittersweet change for me, because I have really loved my time brewing for Alameda. Working with Carston, Eric, and the rest of the crew has been great, and it will always have a special place in my heart as my first job as a professional brewer. But as a 3/4 time employee, and with Cascade offering a full-time position, I had on opportunity that I just couldn't pass up. I am very excited to work with the Cascade crew, and learn in a production environment that regularly works with barrel-aged sour beers. I feel this will really make me into a strong and confident brewer who is ready to start their own brewery some day in the not-too-distant future. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>This recipe that I'm about to post comes about from a few influences: First, I think I will be concentrating more on making 10 gallon batches, less frequently, of beers that are more sessionable in nature. I'm not painting myself into a corner on that one, but I feel like this is more the kind of beer I want to have on tap. I'm not into bottling or creating a lot of extra work for myself, and I can still play with variations on batches after the primary fermentation is complete. Second: I found what I think will be a really cool product that may be available to homebrewers soon. It's a hazelnut product, and I actually want to keep the nature of the product a bit of a secret for now while I am playing with methods of infusing the beer, but rest assured, it's not a bottle of hazelnut extract. It's real nuts. Of course, the problem with nuts is mainly the fact that they have a high oil content, which destroys beer head and can have an effect on flavor and mouthfeel too. This product should provide a way around the oil content problem.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>So, half of this batch of a slightly maltier/less hoppy E.S.B. will get a hazelnut infusion post-fermentation, and I will reveal the product & process, whether it works well or not, when I post a recipe tasting in about a month. Since it's something that I think has potential on a pro level, it's important that I try a process that will work on a pro scale. It can't be something that, say, clogs up or detroys a heat exchanger with hazelnut bits, or requires 25 gallons of vodka to extract the flavor and aroma. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>This recipe is truly based off what I already had on hand, and I wouldn't necessarily formulate a recipe for an E.S.B. like this if I were to buy everything at a homebrew shop. It's a new yeast for me too, I don't think I have used the Wyeast 1968 (Fuller's) yeast since my early days of homebrewing, if ever. Anyway, enough blabbering, here's the recipe. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Base Beer: Extra Special Bitter</div><div>Brewed on 4/20/11</div><div>12.9 gallons pre-boil, 11.6 gallons post-boil</div><div>O.G. 1.051 F.G. 1.016 ABV 4.7% IBU's 30</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>7.5 lb. Hugh Baird Marris Otter malt</div><div>6 lb. Great Western 2-row organic pale malt</div><div>3 lb. Crisp Crystal 35</div><div>1 lb. Munich</div><div>.5 lb. Aromatic</div><div>.25 lb. Pale chocolate</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>35 gr. Perle pellets 8.5% AA 60 min</div><div>24 gr. Perle pellets 8.5% AA 15 min</div><div>18 gr. Northern Brewer pellets 7.8% AA 15 min</div><div>14 gr. Styrian Goldings pellets 3.4% AA 15 min</div><div>56 gr. Styrian Goldings pellets 3.4% AA 0 min</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Mash in 5 gallons H2O + 3 tsp "Burton salts", 151 degrees for 60 minutes</div><div>Add 2 gallons 200 degree water to bring up to 157</div><div>Recirc immediately and sparge with 7.5 gallons H2O + 1 tsp "Burton salts" at 170</div><div>Collect 12.9 gallons at 1.046 = 89% efficiency</div><div>Boil 65 minutes</div><div>Wyeast nutrient and Whirlfloc at 10 min</div><div>whirlpool, rest 10 min</div><div>chill to 70 with plate chiller over 15 minutes</div><div>oxygen 2 minutes</div><div>pitch 2.5 liter stirplate starter of Wyeast 1968</div><div>Ferment at 68</div><div>Clean half was racked straight to keg after primary. For details on the hazelnut process, go <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2011/06/hazelnut-esb-base-beer-tasting-and.html">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQwMkIKbdIAbiikiJZiPgcEqdgTK1ss7mGP3mj3QJBdEQqhW1taQVm6pkF4SQpUfEntYdpcrVIXIvttXwsBg4-pK7FJdhc_iChbv9t9hdXMSu-LIUumEckDaYu1Q9IhMUSLgws1_WKrcT/s400/100_3611.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598100102836523762" /></div><div>Also, I can't remember if I've talked about my new fermenter on the blog yet? Check it out. This was actually an old yeast brink that had been sitting unused at Alameda for quite a while. It's exactly what it looks like: A full-sized keg that has been converted with a corny lid, a gas-in post, liquid-out dip tube, and a manual pressure relief. I cut off the dip tube to leave a gallon of liquid underneath. We'll see how it goes for racking the beer to secondary/keg through the dip tube this time, and if I got the height right to not pull too much yeast through and not leave too much precious beer behind. In the photo, it's sitting in our cold back room with a heating pad strapped on the outside to keep it up to 68 degrees. It's wired in through a Ranco digital thermostat to keep it right at temp.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-11767101681416708062011-04-01T16:37:00.000-07:002011-04-01T17:09:42.156-07:00Tired of beer, time for a big change.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4qBEtKUI5tmDTfaiaFEMUR9yfLdAMdqwLQI8lMsggMU2moHBoDE4XEwGm4t089rF4AKCEry3YlImLLClx-SllXvpTybZclPyIJVWV0qvSeh04gDe50N3ywWbHGMnivrFsNnn5t5v3Kx_/s1600/yadkin-valley-winery.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4qBEtKUI5tmDTfaiaFEMUR9yfLdAMdqwLQI8lMsggMU2moHBoDE4XEwGm4t089rF4AKCEry3YlImLLClx-SllXvpTybZclPyIJVWV0qvSeh04gDe50N3ywWbHGMnivrFsNnn5t5v3Kx_/s400/yadkin-valley-winery.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590770784795393714" /></a><br /><div>This may come as a bit of a shock for some people, because I haven't really voiced these feelings here before, but I have been grappling with some very odd feelings over the last 6 months or so. I think with this last year of working a lot (sometimes too much) with brewing and going to all these beer events, yadda yadda, that beer is just getting a little...old. There, I said it. It's just like, how many IPA's or imperial stouts or even complex farmhouse ales or sours can you really drink before it all starts to taste the same?</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been drinking a lot of nice local wines lately, and learning about different varieties, and it's been really refreshing just to taste and learn about something that's not beer for a while! I may get some flack for this, but I have always been one to speak my mind: wine just really is more complex than beer. I realized when we started the Flanders barrel project that I do want to work with barrels, it's just not beer that I want to put in them anymore. </div><div><br /></div><div>It feels weird. It feels like I am breaking up with a girlfriend of 9 years. Will I even know how to live my life without her? Of course, but it will take a while. It's time to see other people. I'll still see her around at parties from time to time and we will have our awkward conversations, and maybe even be friends some day, but I need some time apart before that can happen.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have been speaking with a local winemaker, a guy I met during my search for wine barrels, who says he might need some help in the fields this summer. It's a small mom & pop operation in Yamhill. Don't want to give away the name of the winery yet, but I'l fill you in with details when the time is right. </div><div><br /></div><div>I still wish all you guys the best in your beer brewing adventures. If you're interested in reading a winemaking blog, stay tuned for future posts! </div><div>Chin Chin!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-55428557814536287322011-03-30T13:28:00.000-07:002011-03-30T14:11:15.491-07:00Golden Lager Tasting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHKAs2EHqDYjbh-sDfqGtJ2uRFAu81BEAjfcB0P8yt_NOTesOy74phjWakVYQU0Exe1X5QxyxzM9SZHO4UCz-QxnlFqe278RHoXpU0aNW7XCUxWAodHaCSGwt4e7QZr4VaLAcbsIW3ZYC/s1600/100_3362.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHKAs2EHqDYjbh-sDfqGtJ2uRFAu81BEAjfcB0P8yt_NOTesOy74phjWakVYQU0Exe1X5QxyxzM9SZHO4UCz-QxnlFqe278RHoXpU0aNW7XCUxWAodHaCSGwt4e7QZr4VaLAcbsIW3ZYC/s400/100_3362.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589982038948693298" /></a>Here's a tasting of the "<a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2010/11/lager-season-opens-golden-dortmunder.html">Golden Lager</a>" I did brewed quite a few months back.<div>5.2% ABV, 28 IBU's<br /><div><br />Aroma: "Beery" Lager aroma, moderate spicy/herbal hop character, slight malt sweetness, pretty big toasted bread/ graham cracker aroma from Munich malt & melanoidins. Very clean lager fermentation with almost no noticeable esters. Clean alcohol, no diacetyl.</div><div><br /><div>Appearance: Very clear, though obviously not filtered, deep golden color, not a huge head but a well-retained white head that leaves a lacing. Fairly spritzy carbonation, just right for a traditional lager.</div><div><br /></div><div>Flavor: Big malt flavor up front with a moderate caramel flavor, big toasted bready character, and moderate residual sweetness. Bitterness is moderate with a higher than average hop flavor than most German lagers of its type. Finishes malty but a touch of natural acidity helps dry the aftertaste. Bready malts come through again after the swallow. Fermentation character is very clean, no off flavors and you almost don't notice the alcohol at all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mouthfeel: Medium-full body with noticeable dextrins give it a creamy texture. Lively bubbles. slight acidity provides more of a thirst-quenching impression</div><div>Overall: This beer really fits the bill for a Dortmunder or lighter-colored version of an Oktoberfest. This was a beer that, when younger, definitely had a bit too much finish hop profile going on, that sort of got in the way of the malt complexities. It still does have more than average hop aroma/flavor for a German style lager, but it's much better integrated. The additional lagering time has really helped round this beer out substantially (I use the word "lagering" a bit loosely since it really just sat in a keg at about 38 degrees for a few more months). My main complaint is that the Munich malt comes off as a bit too heavy, or maybe it's coming more from the carahell, but I get a little too much bready flavor in the finish that almost makes it seem earthy or vegetal, if that makes any sense. I would play around with the proportion of specialty malts a bit, perhaps lowering the percentage of both Munich malt and carahell, and adding back a little caramunich for color and residual sweetness. I would also reduce the finishing hops by a half-ounce. I like the yeast, but it also might be fun to play around with a "malty" lager yeast, as opposed to this "clean, dry" version that is admittedly a great workhorse lager strain. If I wanted to perfect this beer though, I would probably start by adjusting the malt and hop bill, and then play with the yeast later once I got that dialed in. Overall it's a very good drinking beer, quaff-able, with the overly bready character being slightly annoying and keeping me from going back for a second pint, but the lager brewing technique is very spot-on and that's what's most important. </div></div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-81391421701535701462011-03-23T14:40:00.000-07:002011-03-30T14:12:21.486-07:00Wontonamo Bay (batch 2) IPA tasting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTQdTzlRTVOlLoxeHuox_D1s22X-vW3pDh8NIsU7sZUbK2o7Pj3qwdOit6I9cbCBltfwXDin2UNRsrB2orqiPjdOC3Zuurvwt7bJIcGOxt8VJBj_VoGJBLvJWVuyoJ3G9M97byTFiry2Y/s1600/100_3352.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTQdTzlRTVOlLoxeHuox_D1s22X-vW3pDh8NIsU7sZUbK2o7Pj3qwdOit6I9cbCBltfwXDin2UNRsrB2orqiPjdOC3Zuurvwt7bJIcGOxt8VJBj_VoGJBLvJWVuyoJ3G9M97byTFiry2Y/s400/100_3352.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589983844619396546" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div>Ah, a day off. I don't get enough of these right now, and I'm enjoying it! I haven't left the house or even put on real pants for that matter. I am wearing Clarissa's pajama bottoms because mine are in the wash. But you don't want to know about that...how about a homebrew tasting?</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6503041414576508480&postID=6539013690725437673">Wontonamo Bay IPA - Batch 2</a></div><div><br /></div>Aroma: Piney, spicy, slightly oily hops, some general citrus/fruit aromatics with a little grapefruit. Fairly dank, with a light caramel malty note, very clean/background malt aroma, no diacetyl, clean fermentation profile with clean alcohol.<div><br /><div>Appearance: Very clear, deep copper with moderate carbonation. Wispy white head, but OK retention, would probably persist longer if carbonation were higher. The finings seem to have helped the clarity quite a bit compared to my previous hop-hazed beers (which I really don't mind at all).</div><div><br /></div><div>Flavor: Full-on hop blast in the first sip, a lot of flavor hops going on here. I get a little onion from the summit, an overall spicy, herbacious and piney flavor, a little grapefruit. Malt is very clean, just a touch of caramel malts let the hops really come forward. Bitterness has calmed a bit since it was first brewed, but it is still has a clean, bitter, slightly woody finish with just a touch of residual sweetness. A little flavor contribution from the Carapils. I swear there is a distinct flavor to beers with Carapils, even though most people would tell you it just adds body. A bit of alcohol at the end, but hey, this is an alcoholic beverage. It's not hot or bitey.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mouthfeel: Slight slickness or creamyness from some residual sugars, great bubblyness, crisp finish with a little hop astringency.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall: I think this beer has really gotten better with a little time, and it's definitely the best IPA I have ever made. But that is compared to a lot of IPA's that just seemed to be too balanced or problematic in other ways. I'm not really sure if I would change anything. I need to drink more of it to find out! It's pairing nicely with my rustic lunch of homemade bread, sharp cheddar and stilton. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>In all likelihood, with my current work schedule, I won't be doing any homebrewing for the next month or so. That will be my biggest break since moving out to Oregon. So, until I get some new brews going, I'm going to try to update the blog about once a week with a beer tasting of something that I've already brewed. I hope to get back to homebrewing at least once a month by May, and really just concentrate on brewing 10 gallon batches of lower alcohol, drinkable beers, or doing sours or strong beers that I can brew and forget about for a while. </div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-40855196281838988892011-03-16T15:16:00.000-07:002011-03-16T16:20:27.350-07:00Temperanillo Barrel Flanders Red<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hFlHEoI9z8YVIQPaXHPkRoO4lTBFTYCdSwG6Pk-8jRG4pl-Aol__y6VVHtNAy-85Qw3MJWeZ8iK5t6YsN08C0CZUpptXdl0wqaY782dwZx0LX9GmLB0hf6wf6kvK7KYm1XkBt02Afa9s/s400/100_3325_2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584808418833534946" /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">PAUL KEY</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've been wanting to get a group of homebrewers together for a barrel project together for years now, and of course the crucial missing piece of the puzzle was having someone who owned a house with a basement to host the barrel. This all changed when my friend Walker Pruett, who brews for <a href="http://www.drinkbeerhere.com/">Old Market Pub</a>, bought a house in SE Portland with a big, dry, spacious basement. As soon as I saw it I had to ask if he was interested, and he was very excited to take on the project. I see barrel aging sours as one step above the carboy-aged sours that I have been playing with in the past. There's just something about the wood character, and the microporous environment that really seems to make a difference between a very good sour beer and a great one. My carboy sour beers have been pretty good, but seem to lack the acidity of the best commercial sours. I guess the next step beyond aging homebrew in a barrel is aging homebrew in <i>multiple</i> barrels, so you have blending options, and there may be some potential for that in the future, but for now this will be a great start.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>The group consists of myself, Walker, <a href="http://brewingjourney.blogspot.com/">Sean Burke</a> (who is currently at Siebel taking their 6 month American/German learning program), <a href="http://thisbeerisapipebomb.blogspot.com/">Paul Key</a>, Rik Hall, and Ben Parsons. I pitched the idea of a wine barrel-aged Flanders red for 2 reasons: The first was having tried an incredible pinot barrel-aged Flanders red from <a href="http://www.themadfermentationist.com/">Mike Tonsmiere</a>, and the second being that we already had 15 gallons of Flanders brewed that would be a source for souring bugs.<div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg068NQHab2eqROgKVbaoVhNdLq0ojPezYVbbvv0z_UyiKj4hqDS3ulct3NqqJ0h0rx5NqmjhQ_PXhIyiQ7iZvoYJjQGdqgGYC2k_0bc_7ZMtLGdnmMdajUrX_pwPOHn2rANsgbvP2UZAmY/s400/IMG_5576.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584806719500072178" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>THE BARREL: LAST USED FOR 2009 EVESHAM WOOD TEMPERANILLO, MADE WITH GRAPES FROM ILLAHAE VINYARD, ALSO IN OREGON</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I sourced the wine barrel from <a href="http://www.eveshamwood.com/index.html">Eveshem Wood Vinyard</a>, on a recommendation from Paul that they made excellent Pinot Noirs. However there was a bit of a miscommunication, and we ended up with a used Temperanillo barrel from them instead of a Pinot barrel. I think this will be great though; I wasn't too set on the wine varietal, I just wanted to use a barrel that had aged Oregon-grown grapes. The barrel smelled great when we got it and had already been emptied and treated with sulfur a few weeks beforehand, so all we did was give it a couple of cold-water rinses before filling. The barrel was in excellent condition with not even a tiny leak that needed patching.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezrdYO4XPz-zOW3hwdfXgKRh23RzfIFLGzN1zp-j2pBUPBurL4TiVK1MjqUCHIjd8UwiUm7jf4O1EEkA3KhT5YvtTvjJBfMyT4iBV96c5zxCgczLPlgKURGCGtVdWbB4S-EE3TZI0aqHY/s400/100_3341.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584809048261271346" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">WALKER PRUETT, TESTING OUR STAINLESS STEEL NAIL FOR SAMPLING</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We gathered for filling the barrel at Walker's house on March 4th, the day before my 32nd birthday, and it was a great birthday gift to start a barrel project with such a fun group of talented brewers. We had brewed a total of 60 gallons, which almost topped off the barrel, and we are hoping to brew a "top-off" batch soon to fill the remaining head-space and provide filler for the "angel's share" which will evaporate off through the wood (or be diminished by taste tests!) in the coming months or years. Currently there is about a 4-inch head-space in the barrel which I would like to eliminate sooner than later, to keep any acetic acid producing bacteria from turning this into the world's biggest batch of homebrewed malt vinegar. That would take a lot of pommes frites to soak up!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhds-O-sg16om1bYD0rFUzI_vQkMG1gYk8GPQ0_0V9MJh7nSGFN3kzMcA5wFyHmjt1Y2QGHCfxbgD4HAAavVPhh08kOmRXgQ4lVdCTZMVIf9DtTINPowZ-cMmdSsddDE97bbDw52QV2CT21/s400/100_3335.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584809058720564274" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">RIK HALL</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZP7_NQyKc7qX40uO39SAsnCFkXgyQGde6OO2puhyphenhypheniHk5vGW-qhPOm4rsmNMWuZlpdHKtTJGj2O9imjGyk1mN_J-lFyhkSBhb0unHKZ-r0U7pAum-HDIbGErZ6rHXatjMOKkjYmKx20mKU/s400/100_3339.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584809044678518290" /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A LITTLE FUNK-PELLICLE ALREADY?</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HJrPz0a__n6nj6AhIYezr5g6kxcU2NThJv5MiiSaHv6yGMdJAoJhxVb9dMvLM-Rf4QcgLM0jpJBboz0ipYKC5viqMZPKuxUglTxmP2MT3XpdpM89nfVeAMXMNlsC77Hr8hel4x7Qe7DA/s400/100_3338.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584808411484554098" /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>OUR "BARREL RACK", EVIDENCE THAT WE ARE NOT GREAT CARPENTERS, WAS MADE OUT OF AN OLD PALLET.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU40bAmcdqIOt1F3QvzguhSW64Zo2UJByDRu_Gz60-3KLEjVvmJVkrBMYgpNWp5_fc39kD2Hrzek1yQQK9KTgq7DupFIz_9mY-8BYPzNkl6B3TDNNZWm99cLNGw9tYE9H6A1TOURiO-kxx/s400/100_3331.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584808409300523426" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>JOLLY PUMPKIN AND CHEEZ-ITS. YEAH, WE'RE THAT CLASSY.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfOFtVyUVWE0p5fHTHlMIVlhMnPhsSP9Cl5T1vn2GGyx1Na1MyUHRgLP_Y0UbAi642UeiXpsOYpzWxwt2pJ1AXkuZH2quqo8Ei1LtZAGB6yEbCcYJw-QYFUtmt88X1Lg4fdmkeh48znWV/s400/100_3332.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584808402042975394" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">BEN PARSONS</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lPoAus498HREcLrmTYctr2O4M49mXfyfndEMiCR801B_vZnOnL-0DtzSoDZXa1vH1Cr4G77bd-DQaLVDBGQx6Sp1pejKYL0FReI_23Y3xE6r7U_GQGmrbj0TlHeWX5zQD5UA4fGiw-fM/s400/100_3337.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584806727168694466" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ADDING SOME COMMERCIAL FUNK</span></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here is what has gone into the barrel so far:</div><div>- 5 gallons of month-old "Jamil Zainacheff" Flanders Red, brewed by Sean Burke and fermented with the Roselaire strain from primary</div><div>- <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2010/02/collabos-with-yard-gnome.html">10 gallons of a year-old Flanders red</a> that Paul and I brewed using <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/East-Coast-Yeast/168646113149281">Al B (now East Coast Yeast)'s "Rodenbug" blend</a>. This was tasting very good at one year, but my batch had definitely soured more than Paul's, I think because my batch was aged at room temp while his was aged at basement temp.</div><div>- 45 gallons of new Flanders wort based on the Wild Ales recipe, average O.G. /F.G. of 1.064/ 1.022, 12-15 IBU's, fermented with clean ale yeasts</div><div>- Dregs from 2 750 ml bottles of Jolly Pumpkin ales, 1 375 ml bottle of Russian River Supplication, 1 375 ml bottle of Russian River Sanctification (more dregs to follow, almost definitely including Cantillon / Drie Fonteinen).</div><div><br /></div><div>The plan is to get together every 3 months or so to taste what's going on in the barrel. When we rack out, we will probably just let people collect their portion in carboys or kegs to do as they please, either adding fruit, or blending it with other batches, or serving it straight-up. We have also talked about turning this into a single-barrel "solera" project, racking out only half the beer when it's ready and adding something new. Who knows, maybe we will add one more barrel to Walker's basement too. In any case, I hope the beer turns out great (I think it will at least turn out very good), and it will be a great learning experience no matter what. I can't wait to see how it develops in the coming year!</div><div><br /></div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-81587095034983664782011-02-16T09:14:00.000-08:002011-02-16T09:39:44.840-08:00Rest In Peace - Chick Chick Chick: 2009-2011<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTmZgmNWiJsVeJ3cwdVSNppW31i2q9voQbHhTc7XlkFhofnwyM17SUVXYLVAl5fYc8s5aVw6mmaC3D3kPVvH_x_oKGlYQ6J-rnRkyYID-Yt-vQMJ9CeFT-AzD4XMHofg9a5ljocK0F72x/s400/100_3198.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574337315203191282" /><div style="text-align: left;">Our little kitty passed away on Valentine's day, and we are really very sad. She was hit by a car and it looks like she went instantly, so at least she didn't suffer too much. We had to bury the poor little thing in the yard, and we only had her for one year. I wish we had had a way to keep her out of that busy street, but I don't think cats should be held hostage indoors. She was such a friendly, playful outdoor cat, hanging out in the neighbors' yards and even sneaking in their houses sometimes. She would hang out with me in the garage while I was brewing and beg to be petted or played with, which was annoying because I didn't want to get a bunch of cat hair in the sanitizer. My point is that we knew the busy road was a risk, but I believe cats should be allowed outdoors. It's just part of their nature to play outside and have adventures. So I guess we need to figure out some kind of invisible fence for the next cat if we decide to have one here, or we could just wait until we live somewhere farther off from a busy street. Damn, life sucks sometimes. I will miss her so much, she was really a great cat and she gave us a lot of joy. The house feels lonely today without her around.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzI4GIFjmTk1YS377hR2YQCZK8cqWyQca8W1x1ityvkbzWFukg9LpZWldEo7VmdBGbv29fL0UipLjcwWax_P6V0Y2Oeu3eq9q7lErFKM2e5i8ViOhOLXT5svyKTobuL3vWlxzw1YhDKaE1/s400/downsized_0928101659.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574342851303555458" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I haven't posted any brewing stuff here lately because I've been really busy, in a good way. I have brewed 2 beers: a Belgian Dubbel that I'm planning on splitting some off of and doing some experimentation with (adding quince), and I also brewed a 10 gallon batch of Flanders red that is destined for a wine barrel. I have been wanting to do a barrel-aged sour ale for a while now, and my friend Walker offered up his basement to host the project. We have 6 brewers who are in on the project, the beers are brewed, and now we need to pick up a barrel. So I'll post these recipes later when the dubbel is on tap and when the barrel is full.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other than that, the reason I really haven't posted is I've been working 6 days a week. I'm still brewing at Alameda 4 days, and I also picked up a couple days at Cascade Brewing, which so far has been a lot of keg washing and filling, but it should be a lot of fun as we get to the more interesting things like working with barrels and all the other fun beers that they do. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, with this much work I think I'll be slowing down on homebrewing a bit, maybe brewing once a month or something like that. I'll try to keep this blog updated, but if I really end up working my butt off, it might become fairly sporadic. Time will tell... I have decided I really want to keep this blog mainly about homebrewing and leave the pro brewing stuff at work mostly. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, happy brewing to you all. I'll try to catch up on a few tastings soon. I have the rauchbier that is tasting really nice and I need to go back and do a tasting of the gold lager, and the recently kegged IPA. Catch ya soon.</div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-65390136907254376732010-12-26T17:01:00.000-08:002011-01-18T15:15:07.767-08:00Christmas Staycation IPA<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5V9m0RqcN2E9TjyvWOWjJ-_JzCQv2UVgWSavH4eH4HWlUZBLocGHLy0ZefUps4y_9Jyeh6iTmUujUTZ55B7HH1r3TQ2SlfMIeEmuRky6liq6BZG4v74KO3gqqj-1mqZ1JPfMDYyuqr1u/s1600/staycation.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5V9m0RqcN2E9TjyvWOWjJ-_JzCQv2UVgWSavH4eH4HWlUZBLocGHLy0ZefUps4y_9Jyeh6iTmUujUTZ55B7HH1r3TQ2SlfMIeEmuRky6liq6BZG4v74KO3gqqj-1mqZ1JPfMDYyuqr1u/s400/staycation.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555169193274902882" /></a><br />What do you do when you have the week off from work and not enough dough to fly home for the holidays? Brew! That's not all I've been up to, I've also been finding time to socialize, get out on some nice hikes, and clean up around the house. But on Christmas morning, it was all about throwing on some good tunes and brewing. After coffee of course.<div><br /></div><div>This recipe is really the batch two of the "<a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2010/07/wonton-amo-bay-ipa.html">Wonton-amo Bay IPA</a>" that I did in July. The first batch was one of the only beers I have ever made that had <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2010/11/tasting-objectively-harder-than-it.html">a diacetyl</a> problem, and sadly I didn't recognize it in time to fix it. So this time around, I aim to make damn sure it's fully fermented before I crash it, but other than that it's fairly identical. Exact same malt bill, although it's lower O.G. due to slightly less efficiency an intentionally bigger final volume (I was aiming for 1.062ish so I was only a bit below target). Slightly higher mash temp. Very similar hop schedule, but some minor adjustments were made based on what I had in the freezer. I'm adding some Chinook and Citra to the dry hops in addition to what was added last time. Should be an all-out hop bomb, but also very clean, dry and drinkable. I've got high hopes that this one will redeem me from my last flawed attempt at IPA greatness.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wonton-amo Bay IPA - Batch 2<div>Brewed on 12/25/10<br /><div>Recipe is for 7 gallons pre-boil, 5.9 gallons post-boil, all grain</div><div>O.G. 1.060 F.G. 1.014 ABV 6.1% IBU's 87</div><div><br /></div><div>10.5 lb. 2-row pale malt (Great Western Organic)</div><div>1 lb. wheat malt</div><div>.5 lb. Crystal 60</div><div>.5 lb. Carapils</div><div><br /></div><div>19 gr. Warrior pellet 15.8%AA 60 min</div><div>20 gr. Summit whole 18%AA 30 min</div><div>36 gr. Amarillo whole 8.7%AA 10 min</div><div>14 gr. Citra whole 11%AA 10 min</div><div>6 gr. Chinook whole 14.2% 10 min</div><div>28 gr. Simcoe pellet 12.2% 0 min</div><div>28 gr. Centennial whole 7.8% 0 min</div><div>14 gr. Simcoe pellets dry hopped in the primary </div><div>14 gr. <b>each</b>: Centennial, Chinook, Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo, whole hops, dry hopped in the keg in a "sock".</div><div><br /></div><div>Mash: 4.5 gallons water plus 3 tsp. Burton Salts</div><div>Mash in to 153 for 60 minutes, fell to 150.</div><div>Sparge with 5 gallons at 170</div><div>Collect 7 gallons at 1.050 = 79% efficiency</div><div>Boil 60 minutes, with hop additions as noted.</div><div>Added 1 tsp. Burton salts to kettle.</div><div>Wyeast nutrient and whirlfloc at 10 minutes.</div><div>Whirlpool, rest 10 minutes while setting up plate chiller.</div><div>Chill/transfer thru plate chiller over 10 minutes</div><div>Collect 5.5 gallons at 68 degrees. </div><div>Oxygen 60 seconds</div><div>Pitched 2 packages Wyeast 1056 Cali Ale Yeast</div><div>Ferment at 69</div><div>1/6/10 Primary dry hops added</div><div>1/18/10 Kegged, 1.014. Tastes and smells so freakin' good, not sure if it needs any extra hops but they were already in the keg. 2nd dry hop.</div><div><br /></div><div></div></div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-23629553640589775622010-12-23T12:15:00.000-08:002011-01-06T19:56:39.995-08:00American Session Stout - for lack of a better name<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.wyeastlab.com/pc4q2008.cfm">Wyeast West Yorkshire ale yeast</a>. It's a new seasonal strain that I think was put out this year or last year for the first time. <a href="http://www.mrmalty.com/">Jamil Zainacheff</a> has said he really likes the way it works and the flavors produced by it. And I got a pack for free a few months ago from Owen at Wyeast (thanks again). It's still available through the end of December if you are interested in brewing with it. Here's some data from their website:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span><span>Wyeast 1469 PC West Yorkshire Ale<br />This strain produces ales with a full chewy malt flavor and character, but finishes dry, producing famously balanced beers. Expect moderate nutty and stone-fruit esters. Best used for the production of cask-conditioned bitters, ESB and mild ales. Reliably flocculent, producing bright beer without filtration.Attenuation 67-71%<br />Alc. Tolerance 9%<br />Flocculation highTemperature Range 64-72°F (18-22°C)</span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I used it for the first time in the <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2010/12/huge-baltic-porter-small-beer-with-sean.html">Dark Mild</a> I brewed with the second runnings from our Baltic Porter. It's a solid little beer. I would like to have some more malty sweetness, but that is more recipe based than anything. It's good to drink. The esters are clean, the yeast flocced out hard and cleaned up the beer nicely, both in flavor and clarity.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCSptDh00bW_bEcyv-U5m87eulEkQ-qrCl4pXDGDnKWResdfii3WV4HORFMVrXbKVgy8fPN4sJplJz1emCORcvLho32noWWacSJIHqg6UnbwvLkzATPV5vIMEGBEFC20ooN_N70ACSpj9/s400/100_3222.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553983502545913490" /></div><div>The yeast is said to have been sourced from <a href="http://www.timothytaylor.co.uk/OurProducts_BottledLandlord.aspx">Timothy Taylor</a> brewery in West Yorkshire. I haven't tried their beers, but apparently they make some fantastic full-flavored bitters and dark milds. Not one of the beers listed on their website comes in at over 4.3% ABV, so to see beer geeks go gaga over their beers is saying something special. And according to <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2150">their reviews on Beeradvocate</a>, they are making some phenomenal beers. Not that all this can be attributed to the yeast, in fact I'd argue that's mostly to the brewers' credit. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Judging from the flavor of the dark mild, I would say the West Yorkshire strain is similar to the <a href="http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=140">Wyeast London Ale III</a> in performance and flavor, which supposedly comes from Bodddington's. I have used that in a <a href="http://seanywonton.blogspot.com/2009/12/hankering-for-pint-o-mild-ale.html">previous mild</a>, and it's a strain that one of the local breweries uses to make some fantastic hoppy beers. So its uses shouldn't be limited to English style ales, although that is probably what it is best at.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Thinking along the lines of session beer, and something full-flavored enough to stand up to the cold rainy weather we have been dealing with here, I decided to come up with another recipe using the West Yorkshire yeast. I wanted to keep it cheap by using only ingredients I already had. A session stout perhaps, based on the historical stout grists that you can read about on <a href="http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/">Ron Pattinson's "Shut Up About Barclay Perkins" blog</a>. That sounded good. Maybe some woody, piney hops though. But not over-the-top hoppy. I tried to exercise constraint here with all the ingredients, to find a balance of flavors that would be complex yet drinkable. The brown malt should add some toasted bread dryness, as this malt tastes exactly like almost burnt artisan bread crusts. Some roast / coffee / espresso flavors, but not as much as Guinness or a really roasty stout. I left out the crystal, which is a leap of faith, but I want it to be a stout, not a porter.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I am really excited about this beer, but I don't really have an idea of what the final balance of flavors will be. It could be more hoppy or more stouty, or more portery. It's tempting to give it some sarcastic name like "Cascadian dark pale ale" or what have you. But it's not supposed to be Cascadian. It's supposed to be a session historical stout with an American hop twist. I'm fairly certain it will be darn tasty, but only time will tell how if the flavor comes close to my original intention.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Dilation Stout*</div><div>Brewed on 12/20/10</div><div>Recipe is for 7 gallons pre-boil, 5.7 gallons post-boil, all grain</div><div>O.G. 1.050 F.G. ABV IBU's 41</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>6.5 lb. Great Western Organic Pale</div><div>1 lb. Munton's Marris Otter</div><div>1 lb. Flaked Barley</div><div>14 oz. British roasted barley 600L</div><div>8 oz. Belgian aromatic malt 25 L</div><div>8 oz. British brown malt 70L</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>21 gr. Chinook whole 14.1% AA 60 min</div><div>14 gr. Chinook whole 14.1% AA 0 min</div><div>30 gr. Cascade whole 7 % AA 0 min </div><div><br /></div><div>Mash, 153 for 50 minutes, fell to 149</div><div>Sparge with 5 gallons at 170</div><div>the only water adjustment was chlorine removal with campden</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Collect 7 gallons at 1.041 = 79% efficiency</div><div>Boil 90 minutes</div><div>Whirlfloc & yeast nutrient at 10 min</div><div>Whirlpool/rest 10 minutes after flame off</div><div>Chill thru plate chiller over 10 minutes to 60</div><div>Oxygen 1 minute</div><div>Pitch West Yorkshire 2nd generation</div><div>Ferment at 68-69 degrees</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">1/6/11 Racked to keg, tastes phenomenal but couldn't believe it was still at 1.024!!! WTF, that yeast dropped out super early. I'm going to take another taste, gravity, and decide whether to krausen with more yeast. I need some zwickels on my carboys to take regular gravity samples!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>* I brewed this beer right after coming back from the optometrist for my yearly perscription check. The doctor dilated my pupils, to the point where I could hardly see! Check out the picture below. For the most part I had to work without my glasses and squint to see anything. Also if I went to far away from a piece of equipment I had to walk around squinting to find it again. The garden hose, which is white, looked like a glowing electric ghost-line against the ground. Despite visuals worse than any I have ever experienced with drug "experimentation" in my youth, I felt no fun side effects. Gradually the eye dilation drops wore off over 6 hours or so and I could see again. The fur hat I'm wearing in the photo was because it was a really cold day for brewing.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tjXX9POrSgfvBICXp7Yl4iUIhUlVSyQaib2xCBX3aVIOugjytkpP0O4L4Kjsl_guDs0moG7FMWAg4ySf18Z5oKSidyEV7kKk2UG5KUnfCb5-_xNZFQ-vzJpyK87m8VJ0rTvXmB1zHJI5/s400/100_3229.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553983495164305106" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On Deck: Christmas Stay-cation IPA</div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6503041414576508480.post-50208700260461274352010-12-20T14:35:00.000-08:002011-01-10T13:46:07.000-08:00HUGE Baltic Porter & small beer - with Sean Burke<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7t8UBXgTYhyphenhyphenfrKOjUoSv4bUV8Ih3VfDWmfwe-mvp3rpguITykWRPxMfpxIwIVH-gJla7dF5dGU8r7icdnSiBVXaHa3RPdKR45bi41lNQgW9TW07t-g1c0NCNkLTmAYVAWAEezAPRVrCth/s1600/100_3187.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7t8UBXgTYhyphenhyphenfrKOjUoSv4bUV8Ih3VfDWmfwe-mvp3rpguITykWRPxMfpxIwIVH-gJla7dF5dGU8r7icdnSiBVXaHa3RPdKR45bi41lNQgW9TW07t-g1c0NCNkLTmAYVAWAEezAPRVrCth/s400/100_3187.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552903093440056066" /></a>I had been kicking around some "collaboration brewing" ideas with my friend Sean Burke, and we both knew that we didn't want to do something normal. It was our first time brewing together, and we wanted to do something with some gusto. We were both enthused by the idea of a Baltic Porter, and we toyed with the idea of doing some home-smoked malt in it, before ditching that idea because neither of us has a smoker. We finally settled on trying for a huge Baltic Porter and a small beer from the second runnings. We might mess with half the batch by adding oak and/or spirits. <div><br /></div><div>Neither of us knew just quite how huge the Baltic Porter would really be, and we were pretty shocked to see it is one of the highest O.G. beers that either of us have ever brewed, and a lager at that.<br /><div style="text-align: left;">The brewday really maxed out my "brewhouse's" capabilities, and because of this we ran into a few classic homebrew-y snags. I found myself apologizing quite a few times for the unforeseen problems, not to mention wishing that we had Sean's march pump on hand for the end of the boil.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX60r1SGaohY_3Xl2VH29UyAYCFTeygbWObHDN504iuAjTKq4f6Jbh7f-alebLsdVy1vmb59RLI_zOBWTo3wk-l9DQBewI3YvmXE-iHE9TLZjiiv1VCELPCvPc023TfxG7RGWNykns13r_/s400/100_3191.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552902751292101874" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For starters, we mashed in a keggle with an EZ-masher, but not only did we slightly scorch the grain bed when trying to raise the temp a bit, but we also knocked loose the EZ-masher screen in the process somehow, and the result was a completely stuck mash. Luckily we had an extra cooler mash-tun on hand, or we would have been totally, completely screwed! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNUaUZrUnKgjiRIkrS6cNcPvevKkKJCwt71PEW3kqVEWKeGkwKkaVEJtavuYB541JzXSwOueG2ri6vsKHl8FyTGMhBEgOQx3508-Oiv0-RJPuHJeasOnv7Rz506BowOgd7XeeYW68uHpf/s400/100_3190.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552902745366500866" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After transfering the entire mash to the cooler, things went pretty smooth until the end of the boil, when we found ourselves losing the siphon, losing flow through the heat exchanger! That was fixable by getting the pot higher and having someone stand up there stirring the kettle to free up any hops from the kettle screen, so it could run freely to the fermenter. This was somewhat exacerbated, I'm sure, by the incredibly viscous 1.117 O.G. wort.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEXViDoWO9-GYsp-8DKqjPcKP_boTWrfjrYXYp6kKHWZupRkSsafLdQq5M8Hf0U06C0S0i1dtbdPhJEjHfMdYFtWqlrcBtUfSa4JoZ9m6zUIDSNZlFKVM0r2_sUhhsoMBfLCcimn-XDdk/s400/100_3200.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552902735440625154" /><div style="text-align: left;">Despite all the setbacks, we had a fun time and didn't get too stressed out about the little snafu's. We also managed to get a pretty decent small beer out of the process which came in at 1.030 O.G. I fermented mine as a "dark mild", pitching the Wyeast West Yorkshire ale yeast. It is already drinking pretty well after only 8 days and comes in at a sessionable 2.5%. It's a decent beer, but it could use some more caramel sweetness, without which it comes off as slightly roasty and harsh. Still, it's hard not to like a sessionable, easy to drink ale that was fast and basically free to make.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMld2lIjcNzTA08R7hXPXh7vqi6ovT3WBfWrFO4d_un2Rs8QylBsfj477FgEv3ZY-ACzA1DJ51JK0Sgd4bhnzsMCzTjl-jr9j8135RDHU6XG1MYocLV4O_EQPg-wM00kUoro9AwYqwQN6J/s400/100_3207.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552902886078500962" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sean pitched his portion with a lager yeast which he plans to use as a giant starter wort for another lager. It will be interesting to try the small beers side by side.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIz_Ayz9wzrsglh6XHfDap8UzPYgr4bK3IdjyoD76SiyHyzNmATqMG3mxngOMVAEaa8BeDDMnPfv5GppgXX_Z6rIPn9ylyhQCD6NwCGNkLJKlVYAYb2YjYZhAc_U85jvoo7kVlyrbuDgt6/s400/100_3205.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552902730982718562" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The huge Baltic Porter got a full (5 gallon batch) yeast cake pitch of 3rd generation Bohemian Lager yeast, from the just-transferred rauchbier that is tasting really nice. I did not post that recipe here, so here it is: Jamil's rauchbier from Brewing Classic Styles, brewed with 70% Rauchmalt. That's the recipe. I obviously haven't tried it fully lagered yet, but all I can say is, try brewing it. It's great. We drank a full pint of green lager that had been held aside for a flavor/gravity sample, and it already tasted super fine. 70% is not too much smoke, and seems quite gentle so far.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUIMfpJpTd3PIJDhqi96bPCWTtni4vu-jhjOuqZyyUnPOW-VIbT0IGWGT_LhrTfhVTR2bITZ68naLy1NWQNHRVE2CdSMzX4DCD97z4lyR_kn7ZX1BO3bAxx7-k_F6ThT1rnMhCDPjsSgt/s400/100_3198.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552902743233970498" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our cat "Chk Chk Chk" also hung out for the brewday, but she was pretty lazy. She mostly sat around and whined, occasionally entertaining herself by jumping onto the kegerator, which I try to keep as a sanitary work surface, and leaving muddy paw prints all over it. Damned good-for-nothing cats.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A couple things about the recipe:</div><div>1) The pre-boil/post boil gravities on the baltic porter don't work out. So I'm not sure what went wrong there but the O.G. was 1.117. Possible a combination of inaccurate pre-boil reading and post-boil volume measurement?</div><div>2) As you will see with the grainbill and hop timings, we weren't really concerned with stylistic accuracy here, just making what sounded great.</div><div><br /></div><div>Main Mash:</div><div>27 lb. Weyermann Pils</div><div>10 lb. Briess Munich 10 L</div><div>1 lb. C-60</div><div>2 lb. C-77</div><div>1 lb. C-120</div><div>1 lb. pale chocolate</div><div>1 lb. chocolate</div><div>1 lb. Carafa special II</div><div><br /></div><div>Mash: 11 gallons at 152ish, for almost 2 hours by the time we actually got it transferred to the cooler.</div><div>Sparge: 21 gallons at 170</div><div>Continuous fly-sparge, switching over to second kettle once first kettle was full.</div><div><br /></div><div>Beer 1: Baltic Porter </div><div>13.5 gallons pre-boil 1.090 (???Doesn't add up)</div><div>Boil 90 min:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>25 gr. Magnum pellet 11.5% AA 90 min</div><div>44 gr. Warrior pellet 15.8% AA 90 min</div><div>yeast nutrient & whirlfloc 10 min</div><div>56 gr. Sterling whole 7% AA 0 min</div></div></div><div>11.5 gallons post-boil </div><div>oxygen for 2.5 minutes</div><div>pitch full yeast cake of Wyeast 2124 at 54 degrees</div><div>1.117 O.G., 68 IBUs</div><div>Fermented at 50 for 8 days, then raised to 56 when bubbles slowed down.</div><div>1/2/11 Racked to secondary fermenter, tastes very promising but still at 1.050. Looks like the primary yeast shit the bed right at 9% ABV. Looking into pitching more yeast, hoping to get it down to 1.035.</div><div><br /></div><div>Beer 2: "small beer / dark mild"</div><div>10.5 gallons pre-boil at 1.022</div><div>Boil 90 min</div><div>8 oz. Belgian amber candi sugar rocks 90 min</div><div>28 gr. Northern Brewer whole 7.8% 35 min</div><div>O.G. 1.030</div><div>15 IBU</div><div>Fermented my half with Wyeast West Yorkshire at 68-70</div><div>F.G. 1.011, ABV 2.5%</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Seanywontonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06142253930096998849noreply@blogger.com1