Paint My Words

8 lbs honey (buckwheat as the flavor comes through – thick dark honey – considered the malt of honey)
5 lbs 2 row
1 lb pale chocolate
1 lb crystal malt
Saison Yeast with a bit o brett and some lacto from infection.

Fermentation 3 months at 80 degrees.

There is a slight lacto/brett character which is present that provides a pleasing tannic sour character. It is light but aids in the dryness of the braggot. Carbonation levels are high, but due to the lack of nucleation sights, the bubbles are fine and minimal head is present. Nose is amazing with vinous chardonnay fruity qualities. Mouthfeel is dry, slightly tannic from the dark grain but not overly tannic. The honey flavor dominates with a wonderful floral fruit character which mixes elegantly with the slight wild yeast phenols and esters.

Recipe changes for next batch would be to use the same honey in 33%, perhaps a pilsner malt 20% with 5% pale chocolate and 2-3 amber malt and 2-3 victory malt. The remaining sugars should be from Pear or Apples.

Water Treatment

24 Gallons of water total

Mash Temp 153

Strike Temp 171 for mash at 11 gallons

Sparge Water 180 degrees at 13 gallons

ca2 – 60

mg2 – 7

so4 – 141

na – 7

cl – 28

hco3 – 7

baking soda – 1gram

gypsum – 20 grams

calcium chloride – 4.5 grams

epsom salt – 7 grams

canning salt – 1 gram

Hop Additions

Chinook 1.5 oz at 75 minutes

Chinook 1.5 oz at 10 minutes

40 ibu total

Yeast

SA04

Grain Bill

Pale Malt 20lbs US 2 row

Munich Malt 1 lbs

Crystal Malt 40l 2 lbs

Crystal malt 160l 1/2 lb

Vienna Malt 1 lb

Raw White Wheat 3 lbs

Predicted OG 1.048.

Came out to 1.040. Spilled the first prime 4 gallons of wort runnoff (ughh) so the batch came out a bit more watered down than planned. This actually made the recipe better by creating a better malt balance with the hops.
90 minute boil

Predicted PreBoil OG 1.040

Fermentation

Ferment at 66 then raise to mid 70′s after one week

Flavor.
Came out light and very drinkable. Hop profile is diminutive and favors the flavor a bit more than the bittering element. Excellent smooth drinking light session beer. Not too aggressive on the hops which are one dimensional. Smaller version of a very clean blend between sierra pale ale and abita. It’s off dry, but closer to dry. Hops are slightly oily on palate with a very subtle pine flavor and even more subtle spicy herbal finish. Probably the best session pale ale for a beer lover on a hot summer day that you could ask for. Almost a lager like yeast character due to the 2 months at cellar temp and cool ferment temperatures. Just enough hops to clean off the palate, but not so much that they linger or dry the mouth out. Slight bready/caramel malt flavor to balance the hops.

Water Treatment

26 Gallons of water total

Mash Temp 151

Strike Temp 168 for mash at 11 gallons

Sparge Water 180 degrees at 15 gallons

ca2 – 60

mg2 – 7

so4 – 141

na – 7

cl – 28

hco3 – 7

baking soda – 1gram

gypsum – 20 grams

calcium chloride – 4.5 grams

epsom salt – 7 grams

canning salt – 1 gram

Hop Additions

Yakima Magnum Pellets 2.6 oz for 60 minutes

Yakima Magnum Pellets .75 oz at 10 minutes

chinook 2.25 oz at 10 minutes

cascade 3 oz hopback

Dry hopped at end of primary ferment with 1oz, sorachi, 1oz williamette, 1oz EKG pellets.

Yeast

WLP007 or SA04

Grain Bill

Pale Malt UK 31 lbs golden promise

Munich Malt 2 lbs

Crystal Malt 40l 2 lbs

Crystal malt 160l 1/2lb

Victory Malt 1 lb

Raw White Wheat 3 lbs

Predicted OG 1.065. It came out to 1.064 so spot on.

Predicted PreBoil OG 1.056

Fermentation

Ferment at 66 then raise to mid 70′s after one week

The whirlpool took one hour as waiting to buy the March 809 pump and had to use gravity to feed through the hoprocket. I had a 90 minute rolling boil. Wort is clear. I let the beer cool overnight before pitching as the groundwater temps were in the low 90′s, thus the wort didn’t cool to pitching temp quick enough.

Whirlfloc tab and yeast nutrients added in the last 10 minutes of the boil. Pitched two packets of SA04 and third generation of WLP007. Pitched at 67 degrees.

Hoppy West Coast Blaster – it’s a dirty version of an IPA. Exceptionally clean ferment. Lingering piney, resinous aftertaste, smooth, refined roughness. Golden to orange in color. Minimal alcohol warmth but it’s present. To be made again. Perfection in the form of a west coast evil twin style IPA. It’s meant to be more of a Red beer but turned out color wise more on the amber side which works with the flavor profile. Could work with a bit more toasty/bready malt or leave it depending on preference.

Taken from Jamil’s book of Classic Styles. Altered a bit for the ingredients at hand and personal preference for hops.

24 gallons of water adjusted for the following profile

ca 53

mg 2

sa04 105

na 7

cl 22

hco3 17

Alkalinity is 25.

Pale malt UK 25 lbs

Munich malt 2 lbs (blend of light and dark)

wheat malt 1 lb

biscuit malt 2 lbs

chocolate malt .25 lbs (color)

40l caramel (.25 lbs)

Mashed hot at 60.

large WLP007 yeast starter pitched

planned OG of 1057

1.5 oz magnum pellot for 60.

2 oz cascade at 10 minutes

1 oz chinook hopback

1oz cascade hopback

whirlpool for 15

boil for 90

anticipated FG of 1015

ferment at 65-70

ibu of 46

efficiency of 70

total batch of 12 gallons

evaporation of 12% for 90 minutes

0g of 1.060

hobback clogged need a pump.

cooled to 80 and in fridge a few hours to get to pitching temp.

A touch fruity (fermented too warm at 75). A bit of bready fruit comes through, it’s not clean but it’s not bad either. Classic british beer flavor. Soft pillowy mouthfeel. Caramel notes. Amber to light copper brown in color. Head retention is amazing. Clean finish with a slight lingering sweetness.

The F.G. on this was around 120 due to too high of a mash temp (160). I added enzymes post ferment to try and bring the F.G. down from 1.020 and dropped it to 1.016. This added a touch too much sweetness as i had to stop the referement at 1.016 leaving some unfermented sugars in the mix. It’s a good beer, not a great beer. Even with the ferment issues, I wouldn’t brew it again. A bit too dark in color. Flavors a bit too muddled. Still a good craft brew though. Better than many things available in the stores of Baton Rouge.

WLP007 Dry English Ale Yeast (Pitched with a 2 liter) starter. Clean, highly flocculent, and highly attenuative yeast.

Water Profile build from 100% RODI water. (18 gallons of water)

gypsum 28 grams

calcium chloride 2 grams

non iodized salt 2 grams

roughly the below water profile below was used but i didn’t have the baking soda on hand.

http://terrencetheblack.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=14140&start=8

Recipe

10 lbs golden promise, 10 lbs American 2 row

2 lbs munich

2 lbs crystal (20l/40l blend)

1 lb carabils

Ibu of 35-43

Mashed at 150 to keep it dry

4.75 abv to 5.0 abv

I ran off too much sparge water and came out with an initial pre boil O.G. of 1.36 with an intended O.G. of 1.048. I intensified the boil and added 1.5-2 lbs of pure corn sugar to compensate. After a 90 minute buil my volume was low at 9-10 gallons but I hit the right initial O.G. after the boil and adjustment.

Cascade/centennial/pearl – blend of hops for each addition

1.048 O.G. – hard 90 minute boil

Pre boil og was 9 plato 1.036

2oz bitter (perle pellets)

2oz at 10 minutes (cascade flowers and chinook flowers 1 oz each)

2 cascade oz at flame out (hopback) and 1 oz chinook hopback

Whirlpool for 20

ibu of 43

predicted FG of 1.012.

FG came to 1.010.
There is significant hop haze in the beer. It appears clear when at room temp but the hop oils show when the beer is chilled. Incredible aroma from the hops. Citrus and pine with a deep hop flavor and aroma. The hop flavor is more prevalent then the aroma. Sierra Nevada mouthfeel. Dry, pleasing, effervesant. A touch of sugar alcohal warmth from the malt bill. Light bready flavor. Amber in color. A touch too dark (i thre 3 ounces of chocolate malt into the mash for color). Similar flavor profile to a smaller version of green flash. Amazing head retention with a white foam.

20 gallon brew to get 18 gallons to fermentation and about 15 into three kegs.
About 75% pale malt – 35 lbs
18% caramel – 2lb 20l, 3 lb 40l, 2lb 60l and 2lb 130l (caramunich and crystal 1 each) – 9lbs total
3% wheat (this – 1.5 lbs)
helps alot with mouth feel)
4-5% dark malts
(we use chocolate) – 2.5 lbs
48 lbs of grain total
4 oz cascade mash hop
3 oz first wort hop
5 oz aroma hop at whirlpool with a 10 minute whirlpool
8 tsp calcium chloride
2 tsb calcium carbonate
5 tsp gypsum
3 tsp yeast nutrient
O.G. of 1.064. The target O.G. was 1.066 so pretty darn close.

Yeast pitch temp was 85 degrees…hot weather outside…..and still dialing in cold pitching.

75 minute boil.
20 minute whirlpool.

ferment at 68. jump to 75 tops for diacyle rest. yeast range 63-75 – british ale yeast II – 12 gallons. F.G. at 5 days 1.016. Raised to 75 for two days – baby diaper smell from sulfer but good taste. First time using this yeast. Dropped to 60 for the time being. carbonated in keg with 1/3 cup of sugar..

One five gallon batch with chocolate essence.
A bit of roasty sourness. A bit of chocolate malt. balanced well with bitterness. could use a bit more dextrine as it’s a dark robust porter to match up to the roast flavor – Mash a touch hotter over 153 like 156 to pull out some more dextrin. Beer runs clear. Fermented well – perfect black and tan blend from the marmalade ale underneath. needs a touch more body. Would do really well like this if using the same recipe and lagering. clean. A bit of alcohol warmth but not too much. perhaps ferment a touch colder at 65 instead of 70. yeast sediment dropped out well. Perhaps less of the chocolate flavor if trying to lighten – or less roast. It’s not overpowering just not as sweet – full bodied as i would expect from the color. perhaps too much calcium carbonate is what’s making the slight sourness. The 5 gallon keg with the chocolate essence is the best. Mashing at a higher degree 157 or so would really help with the body on this beer.

saison 3711 yeast – 5 gallons – fermented inside around 85 degrees…3oz cascade dry hop after ferment. added 1/2 gallon of water. F.G. around 1.007 drier with spicy belgian phenols. This one i’ll let age a bit. not bad at 5 days but hotter in alcohol which dried out with time. Interesting yeast with the dark malt. almost like it would be an odd bomber type specialty beer for the unique flavor…we’ll see in time. Going to rack to warm secondary in a few days to clear out. added oak for one week….3 larger oak chips(teaspoon apiece). Finished dry, a touch sour, needs body, but more alcohol sweetness than the english yeast which is pleasant. Needs more body. The chocolate essence batch was the best.

13 Gallon brew day split into 8 and 5 gallon batches with separate yeast

33lbs 2 row malt american
3 lbs 20l
3 lbs 40l
1 lb 60l
O.G. 1.060
2oz of Cascade as Mash Hops (and boy do they come through in the flavor depth)
8 oz northern brewer hops. 4 oz at start of boil. 4 oz at whirlpool (15 minute whirlpool)
4 oz of cascade dry hop for the Orange Saison once most of the ferment was finished for 5 days.
5 teaspoons Burton water salts.
Mash target was 153

8 gallons fermented with dry S23 at 65 degrees F (rehydrated prior to pitching) Pitching temp was high (around 85 but dropped prior to ferment starting). Temp upped to 75 after 10 days to finish out. Flavor for the S23 is pure sweet marmalade, like jammy jelly,pure yeasty, sweet but not caramel…orange strong floral sweet…deep mouth-feel…lingering sticky sweetness…think cool September night when all things are happy…huge marmalade flavor..finish is bitter after a few minutes but not overpowering, thus beckoning another taste…..touch of vanilla. Would go well with cornbread and jelly. F.G. around 1.012. No hot alcohol or diacyle flavors.

Next steps would be to making the beer with a British yeast and to clear it out. Try and get some of the marmalade flavors but with a more flocculation positive yeast or better filtration. Serve with toast and jelly. Cut the caramel malt bill in half for the british version of this recipe for a strong ESB flavor.

5 gallons fermented with Belgian Saison 3711 from previous yeast cake at around 85 F.
Good with apple pie and cranberries.

The Belgian is smooth, well floral from the northern brewer hops. smooth to drink. Yeast flavor is fresh. Mouth-feel is full. No tannins or harsh flavors. More of a dirty IPA than pale ale or Saison. A bit o citrus on the nose. Really good alternate version of IPA. Golden in color and cloudy. Head lingers. Alcohol is not hot. Belgian is slightly orange, clearer/lighter..lacing of hops stays on the glass….dryer…fruitier in that one can taste the fruit from the yeast esters not the marmalade. More drinkable than the s23 version in that it’s a touch drier and the alcohol is well hidden. F.G. of 1.008. Full flavored silky mouthfeel with some belgian lacing. Probably a late night summer beer if a bit more clear. Brewing again, I would go lighter on the O.G. to the 1.045 range and add some wheat malt to the grist. A bit less phenols, a complex spice from the yeast, and a bit more sessionable at that O.G. Great yeast, but a bit too shown in this recipe. On second thought, a night later, add some oats say 7-10% grist but keep the rest of the recipe mostly the same, toss in 1/4lb of special B to darken color…adding a silkier mouthfeel and keeping the abv high at 6.5ish…..amazing complexity with the saison yeast and caramel and oats but low enough to keep the phenols down if fermented in 70′s. The darker oatmeal would accompany the caramel saison flavors well smoothing and rounding out the beer from good to superb.

Beers side by side.

8-9 Gallons
3 lbs red winter wheat
18 lbs 2 row
1lb 20l
1lb 40l
1.lb 60l
6 EKG first mash hop
4 oz Vanguard at start of boil
4 oz vanguard at whirlpool

Ferment with French Saison 3711 and Belgian tart wit yeast slurries. Kept yeast in the low 80′s and high 70′s. Mainly 78 during first few days. Let ride up to high 80′s to finish out and dry up after most of ferment was done.

O.G. of 1.046
F.G. of 1.008

Amazing at one month exactly 30 days out. White pepper finish. Strong flavorful yeast (beer flavor with a bit o tart and a bit of orangy sweetness upfront from the yeast). Full mouth-feel but dry, cloudy color at first but bright at 6 weeks. Pinky size of head which remains to last sip. Slight Alcohol warmth accentuated by the dry finish.

Don’t change this recipe – simply AMAZING fresh. This yeast strain and hop combination are very satisfying.

9-7-11 – after 6 weeks – the hops are not as soft. Perhaps balance out if ageing longer with more malt sweetness (caramel malts) or less bittering hops (1/3 reduction). Amazing fresh, a bit harsh hop character for the light style (not meant to be an IPA) after some ageing. Perhaps to balance out the hops add more darker crystal such as 120 or lower the abv for a better more complete fuller yeasty mouthfeel.

Amarillo IPA
10 Gallons
150 degree mash temperature
8 ounce Cascade Hops at 60 minutes
8 ounce Centennial Hops at flameout
8 ounce Amirillo dry Hop after 10 days fermentation
O.G. of 1.060
Fermentation with dry California Ale yeast – started high for the first day at 85 degrees and reduced to 65-75 after fridge started working. Let temperatures rise into the high 80′s once 80% of ferment is done.

25 lbs pale 2 row malt
3 lbs 10l/20l roasted malt
F.G. of 1.010
ABV around 5.5 to 6.0

Flavor is clear, intensely herbal (grapefruit from the Amarillo and orange). I love this hop as a dry hop – full flavor. Mix of an IPA pale ale in the west coast sense. Medium body. Palate cleansing. Small white lacing on glass. Not much of a head. I like the hop flavor coming on the front not in bitterness but in flavor. Good late summer or early spring beer. A bit full flavored for 100 degree days outside.

Basil ESB – 3.5 GallonsO.G. 1.044
8 lbs of 2 row malt
1 lb of 20l
1 oz basil at flameout
2 oz ekg 1 at 60 minutes and 1 at 15 minutes to ibu around 31.
Long hard boil to get the O.G. to the right gravity thus lots of caramalization.
F.G. after 5 days 1.012

Flavor was a bit caramilized at first. Reminicsent of a cherry/old aged ale. Tawny red color. Basil flavor is present but not dominant. Crisp slightly acidic flavor. Good hop balance, more in bitterness than hop flavor. Saaz like, noble hop flavor is present. Good lasting head perhaps from the darker malts present. If brewed again, change the yeast to a more flavorfull saison yeast to match the basil and lighten up the malt profile.

Recipe – 8 gallon batch

5 lbs malted wheat

5 lbs rolled wheat

10 lbs 2 row

2 oz EKG hops for bitter

2 oz EKG dry hop

Hefeweizen dry yeast strain

O.G. 1.056 around 14 balling.

1 hour boil, mash temp was 30 minutes right around 130 a bit too high for protein rest, then one hour at 157.  I added beano during the mash to account for any denatured enzymes from the slightly high mash temp then expected. The mash temp jumped up to 165 for a 15 minute when I first added additional water..

The batch fermented out very quickly – less than 3 days to 1.016.  I thought there was a problem, but it appears like airlock wasn’t tight or there was a leak in the rubber valve.  Taste really clean at 3 days – no off flavors and color looks perfect pale straw cloudy gold

5 gallons remained alone. Dry hopped with the EKG. Remained in secondary fermentor for over a month.

3 gallons mixed with a gallon of baltic porter.  Kegged after one month. brownish red color.

The beer yeast has a definite cervesa flavor crisp beer flavor. Beer is mostly clear after one month.

. The mixed batch was uninteresting and not true to style. The darker malts from the blend did not mingle well.

The five gallons of unmixed wheat beer at 2 months are clear, reminiscent of a drier blue moon, with a bit of spice, low hop levels, and dryness. The head is white and remains at 1/2 inch throughout the glass. This recipe is a great summer session beer. There is a bit of alcohol warmth which is probably from the higher ferment temp or higher final gravity 1.010. No detectable off flavors and true to style guidelines.

Marzen/American Brown Recipe

Brew day was 12-20-10 with a 15 gallon batch.  Kegged and Carbed by 2-10-11, thus well filtered and clear by serving date.
Recipe

• 26 lbs Munich Malt

• 1lb 2 row

• 1lb rolled oats

• 1/2 sugar

• 1/2 lb black malt

• 4 oz magnum bitter hop for 70 minute boil

• 8 oz saaz at flameout lasting 30 minutes contact time while the wort cooled through the counter flow chiller.

• California lager yeast and California ale yeast blend.  The California lager/Ale yeast died due to cold ferment temps (40 degrees).  Fermentation stopped around 1.030 so I re-pitched a liquid German Bock Yeast.  The yeast was initially pitched at 65 degrees, but due to the alcohol environment, I upped the temperature to low 80′s in order to stimulate the newly added yeast when I noticed that the second fermentation wasn’t starting after two days. Mash out occurred on the low side due to colder outside temperatures thus I only hit 145 or so.  The beer is dry with minimal body so this is noticeable.  Not bad because it makes drink-ability high.  O.G. was13 plato.  F.G. was 1.016.
• Flavor is of roasted caramel, toffee, liquid bread. There is a slight malt sweetness. A good crisp hop bitterness in the finish.  Earthy, spicy and floral hop aroma.  Yellow/Gold rich hop/malt blend middle ground with a bit of acidic bite probably from the dark malts and lower mash temperature.The hop level is balanced more on the hop side, not on the malt side.  It’s not a bock, more like an American Brown Mild with a good rich hop flavor.  If I made this again, perhaps add a bit more body, maybe a hint of chocolate malt or roasted barley or a blend of caramel malt with some kettle hops for better balance with the malt.
• 

20 Gallon Recipe – I came out with about 17-18.

50 lbs 2 row

1 lb 20l

1lb dextrin malt

8 oz magnum hop bittering and First wort – one ounce at start of boil, and one once at t30 minutes.

8 0z pearl flavor – one half addition at 15 minutes and one half at flameout each of one ounce

EKG – aroma dry hopping after fermentation.

Total calculated IBU is 133 plus BU:GU 2.29

SA04

predicted O.G. 1.058 = came out to 1.062-1.064 or so, around 18 gallons not 20

strike water 28.2 quartz ie: 14 gallons at 177 degrees

sparge 22 gallons at 165-170 degrees

mash at 153 or as close as possible – about perfect i hit 153-155 so may be a bit higher in dextrins

taken off lees on 2-23-11 and added saaz

Initial flavor at one month 3-7-11.

Hop showcase on a malt backbone.  Well balanced, more on the full bodied side than the light and dry side which works well with the bitterness. Not too sweat just meaty.  Resinous.

Citrus fruit, pineapple, grapefruit, bitter on the back middle, turning into crusty orange bread, banana bread, tropical passion earthy spicy hop up front flavor. Drinkibility is high. This will put you to sleep as it is a lupinin bomb.  Perhaps convert some of the bitter hops to flavor hops to reduce overall  Really good IPA at 1 month.

F.G. of 1.018 or so.

Hops overshadow the grain at 4-15-11

Hoppiness more upfront of tongue, dry but not crisp, more mucky foggy hoppiness like west coast dryhop but not enough complexity. I want it to be drier, either higher F.G. or less hop to accentuate the grain more for balance. ok to drink but not terribly complex or satisfying. opaguefoap upon pouring and a glaze of hop on glass swirls after the sip. cloudy orange juice light golden color. good 1 inch head of white

Black Jack Clone Porter (Baltic) Recipe

15 gallons

25 lbs munich, 2 lbs 40L, 2lbs 80l, 2 lbs 60L, 1 lb wheat (body), 3/4lb chocolate, 1lb black malt debittered

4oz EKG – an ounce as a first wort hop and the rest as Flavor hops
4oz Magnum – bitter hop at beginning of boil
4oz dry hop aroma EKG – Thrown in at the end of boil
mash at 148 was the goal but I was closer to 145.
O.G. of 1.064

This beer was divided into two  6 gallon batches with the remaining few gallons diverted to top off other fermenting beers.  I dropped the entire cooled batch on a very large anchor steam style yeast bed which wasn’t washed – yeah I know – lazy.  This wouldn’t have been a problem regarding a quick fermentation due to the massive amount of yeast, except that the temps in my basement dropped to 40 below for two weeks straight.  The yeast stalled out at an F.G. of 1.040.  Plenty of milkshake sweetness left in there.  So, I chalked it up to being gone over the holidays and recesitated the batches by pitching two different kinds of lager yeast and fermenting those warm in the high 60′s and low 70′s.  At those temps there wasn’t much diacyle (butter flavor) left over but I did run the risk of a high ester count, warm alcohol flavors, and vinegar flavors from the extended ferment.  Three weeks has passed since brew day and I still had plenty of sugar in the batch to be eaten up by the yeast.  I pitched a lot of yeast, two packets of lager yeast per 6 gallon batch because the yeast were going to have to fight against an already Alcohol tempered environment.  One keg was pitched with Saflager 34//70 and the other was pitched with the saflager S23 strain.  Both completed their final gravity reading in the 1.018 range.  I would imagine they could have gotten lower, but I rushed them from primary to kegging seeing as I had run out of any other kegs.  I allowed them to “lager” after gelatin fining for two weeks before carbonating with C02.

The remainder of the beer that wasn’t kegged was back mixed with a marzen brew recipe that I have coming along which I’ll review in a later post.

saflager s23

The head  is minimal, in that it lingers with lacing on the glass but does not fluff up as much as say a weizen beer would.  Pools of co2 coagulate on the surface as they would on many lager type beers, but with a tad more retention perhaps due the wheat and remaining un-fermentables.  The nose is of noble hops – juicy, flavorful but delicate – less hop bomp and more hop elegance.  You can taste the EKG hops which balance nicely the dark chocolate and dark de bittered malt.  Bitterness is present but not overpowering, just enough to cut through the sweetness.  This is a medium to medium heavy beer along the lines of a robust porter in build with a bit more cleanness – only a touch though from the drying lager yeast.  Flavor after two months, with two weeks of cellaring is chocolate, brown dark malt, winter bread, a touch of green apple spice probably from the longer fermentation, a warming alcohal finish, and a lingering but dry finish.  The finish is nice and at around 6-6.2% abv this beer has good drinkibility.  It’s a great wintertime lineup brew – Late December and early January time frame.

saflager 34/70

This one is a tad darker in color and a tad richer in flavor.  I blended back in some 1.080 caramel malt brews with this one to top off the keg which could account for that difference.  In ferment the beer was more acidic tasting but has since mellowed substantially.  Dark malts can have that flavor profile, but I feared infection at first – fortunately not so.  This yeast is creamier, softer and less green in flavor.  It also has a bit more of that traditional lager character profile.  I like both yeast, so if I wanted a beer more on the baltic porter end in this style I would use this yeast, and if I wanted one more on the robust porter style i would use the Safale S23.

Not much on this post other than photos of Marzen brews from late 2010 that I never got around to posting.  These cleared out, but from memory took some time for the yeast to flocculate fully.

Marzen Recipe (10 gallons) – 10/31-10

27 lbs munich light malt

4 oz Yakima Valley Magnum

4 oz EKG – with 2 at flame out

1 oz fuggle first wort hop

low 150 mash temps

O.G. of 1.65 – 10/31/10 – 1 batch California lager yeast and 1 batch California ale yeast. – lager yeast version moved to keg at 1.020 very clean on 11/28.  Ale yeast version still clarifying after one month.  I added some of the saison 1/2 gallon or so to the California yeast version to fill out the keg. California yeast still clarifying 11/29/10.  Lager version kegged, cleared and done fermenting by 12/1/10.  Lager yeast version is spectacular with notes of velvety smooth malt and subtle hop backbone – it is like a bock beer but with a bit less malt flare.  The ale yeast version is a bit young by 12/15/10 and will do well by a bit of cold laggering.  The Lager yeast version should be a stable recipe for me during the October time-frame.  It is earthy, hearty, not too alcoholic with a smooth, mellow yet flavor-full taste and mouth-feel.  The ale yeast version taste as a belgian (orval but a bit less subdued) due to the brett blending from the saison.

1 gallon -  12 lbs of Dark Mountain Honey

3 lbs of wild tart Muscat grapes picked fresh and fermented on the skin until nothing remained but skin and pulp

Saison/Wit Beer Yeast

O.G. 1.090

F.G. below 1.0000

The color is similar to a rose champagne or sparkling wine with hints of red gleaming through the bottle.  I would imagine that with time, and I’ll let this one or at least a few bottles of it age for a couple of years that the color will tarnish and move more towards the muted chardonnay color spectrum.  The fermentation was on the cooler side for this yeast strain hovering around the 75-80F mark.  ½ oz of Juniper berries were added near the end of secondary fermentation and left in the carboy for a period of two weeks.  The nose was of intense fruit (juicy fruit esters) and conifer berries during fermentation.  The flavor after two weeks of bottling is pronounced and young, not overpowering or harsh but it is forward tasting in that it would pair well with spicy pork chops.  It’s more similar to a spiced mineral heavy German white than it is a chardonnay however in time I think that the tenacity of the juniper berries and esters may fade into a wonderful mellowness.

Four months post production and the mead has settled into a clear, bright, balanced drink.  No legs are present in the glass.  The flavor is similar to an un-oaked chardonnay Riesling blend.  The flavor of the honey shines through.  There is a touch of alcohol hotness similar to a zinfandale, most likely originating from the muscat tannins.  I would make this again, or a variation of it that is.  The key being the depth of aging.

Grain Bill – 10 Gallons

10 lbs of standard 2 row
10 lbs of Marris Otter floor malted
1 lb of biscuit
2 lbs of 60l
1 lb of 80l

Mash temp of 150, then 160 and MO at 168 – wort was sweet and dark not thin

columbous hops 1 oz mash hopping
1 oz columbous at 2 hour boil
3 oz of EKG at 30 min
2 oz of EKG at 20 min
3 oz of EKG at Boil out

O.G. of 1.080

F.G. of 1.010

One 5 gallon batch was fermented with California ale yeast.  This batch was rich, tangy with fruit aroma, some banana phenols at first which mellowed with age.  Full bodied and rich which one would expect for an ESB.  The EKG hops were strong at first fading to subdued by the end of the keg. Chewy fuit like hop aroma.  Golden Roibees tea like color.  More on the English malty side than the dryIPA side.

One 5 gallon batch was fermented with Wit yeast and .5 oz of juniper berries and 1 gallon of pyment. This batch turned out to be a tosser.  The fermentation was long and slow. Soap development occurred with the dead yeast due to 6 weeks in primary.  I won’t brew this again, but learning is all part of the process.

Grain Bill for 10 Gallons

10 lbs of munich malt

10 lbs pale ale 2 row malt

1 lb of biscuit

1 lb of 60l

1 lb of 80l

2 oz of Columbus hops added at beginning of boil per five gallon batch

2 oz of fuggle hops at 20 minutes per five gallon batch

1 oz of EKG at 5 minutes per five gallon batch

2 oz dry hop EKG for the Lager Yeast batch

Stepped Mash at 130F, 155F to 168F Mash out – Long Boil around 2hrs

O.G. of 1.050

IBU around 68

F.G. of 1.010 – 1.012

5 gallons fermented with California Lager Yeast

This batch took easily twice as long as the batch brewed with Ale yeast.  Fermentation was cool around 40-55 degrees being conducted for the first month in a fridge and later when the outside temps dropped moved to a cooler basement where the temps hung around 65.  I brought the strain out for 2-3 days, to allow the baby diaper smells to disappate by pushing the fermentation temps up to 75 and letting the yeast clean up any of the fermentation byproducts.  Simply put, this beer is amazing, perhaps the best i’ve ever made and the recipe should not be touched.

Lacing stays on the glass but is minimal.  Flavors of black current, toffee, chocolate and caramel.  Flavors of purple and clay.  The aroma is low but pleasent.  There is a slight sweet finish but it is perfectly balanced.  The sweetness is from the unconvertable higher kilned malt, not from maltodextrin residue, so it’s more a perception than an actual taste.  This is a rich, crisp, beer which would cut through a gravy laden cut of meat, but also pair well with a bag of flavorful potato chips.  This is a hoppy beer, but not bitter hoppy, more rich floral laden hoppy.  The hops accent the rich malt character rather than detract from it.  The color is dark, with a deep red hue when held to a glass.

5 gallons fermented with California Ale Yeast

Simply Incredible.  This is the first brew recipe I have created that I would leave unchanged in its original formulation.  Temps of ale yeast averaged between 78 degrees down to 68 degrees nearing the end of fermentation.  The taste is dry with a flavor distinctly reminiscent of sierra nevada flavor profile which is odd as there are no Cascade hops present.  The flavor rich, nutty, and malty.  The color is a touch lighter than a black forest but equally as clear when held up to a light. There are no raspberry flavors from tannins present, with more of a dark malt backbone present perhaps owing to the higher grist ration of Munich malt and slightly higher mash temps than previous versions.  The Ale used a high pitching rate being thrown on a previous five gallon’s yeast cake, thus attenuation occured quickly with a final gravity under 1.01 around 1.08.  The finish is reminiscent of dry cracked bread, with a fully balanced hop bitterness.  Sharp flavor, which perfectly matches the color of the beer.  The hop balance is perfectly in tune with the malt backbone.  It’s an ale with a kick but with the smoothness of a full bodied lager even though an ale yeast was used.  The finish lingers of citrus hops.

Grain Bill for 5 gallon Batch

10lbs 2 row

1 lb 60l

1lb 80l

1lb Belgian biscuit malt

1 oz Columbus at 60 minutes

1 oz at flash out of fuggle

1 oz of EKG dry hop

Commentary

1.060 was the final gravity however I was targeting 1.070 or so but ran out of gas during the long boil.  I  had a good long rolling boil for around 2.5 hours.  The  mash temp stayed right at 140 for 1 hour and than 150 for thirty minutes.  Mashed out at 162.  Fermented with California Ale yeast, and dropped down to 1.020 after three days.  The ferment stayed at upper end of yeast range to 75 degrees.  I moved the wort to warmer part of house at 1.020 to try and drop gravity down to 1.015.  F.G. After two weeks the gravity reached 1.010.  F.G. after a month was 1.008

Taste wise, this beer is flawless. There are no detectable off flavors.  The head is a finger or two high and remains until the last sip and the glass holds trails of lacing from the foam.  The color is a bit darker than I anticipated partly due to the lighter flavor of this beer.   Hop profile is surprisingly low given that the planned Ibu was around 60ibu.  IBU profile is similar to an English ESB with a slight hop bitterness and minimal aroma.  Slight notes of caramel and malt.  Not as malty a profile as I would like, but not bad.  The alcohol content is around 5.5 abv so this is a very drinkable beer.  If anything I would augment the recipe with some Vienna or Munich malt in the future or mash slightly above the 150 range for a bit more unfermentables in the solution.  The biscuit malt comes through in the flavor profile.  The tannins taste of smooth aged raspberry mellowing of oak and toast over time.  After one month of aging, all yeast have fallen out of suspension and the brew is very clear.  There is no hop haze present.  After two months of aging the beer has reached its peak with notes of wood, dry earthy hop bitterness, and caramel cracked bread toast.

I spent the weekend writing and working on these pints of beer prints.  Vibrant Warhol like colors erupt from the pages. I’m happy with the results.  Oil, mixed with block printing ink and charcoal. Each print is 9 by 12 inches or so.

When visiting my brother in San Francisco I had the pleasure to take part in a multitude of human follies/vices. We perused the art museum, spent a lovely Saturday on “the lawn” outside of Berkeley near Haight-Ashbury street, and meandered through the shops of china town.  One of the highlights of the trip for me, was having the chance to visit Russian River Brewing. Russian River for those unfamiliar is perhaps the predominant and foremost American brewery in regards to “wild brews( lambic style)” and IPAs.  I had the good fortune to sample all of their beers on tap through a sampler platter.  I fell deeply for Pliney the Elder DIPA. It’s the equivalent of drinking liquid pine resin – distilled to its essence without the harsh cleansing properties that an overly hopped unbalanced beer can possess. I hence went home, and swiftly bought an entire pound of hops (hop salad) per the recipe below.  I brewed the beer per the Vinnie’s recipe and placed in cold storage for three weeks after a month long ferment. The color is spot on with Pliney as well as the head. The hop flavor, while complex is not up to par with the true Pliney, perhaps owing to the fact that I used pellets as opposed to flowers during the dry hop schedule. It’s a satisfying brew with two beers being more than enough due to the satiating nature of the beer. It’s good, but I can do better. I think the key with the recipe below is using fresh whole hop flowers and drinking quickly after ferment so as not to loose hop oils to oxidative and uv reactions.

All Grain Recipe – Pliny the Elder Clone

T.G 1.074/ F.G 1.012 (6 Gal)

Grain Bill

12 lbs. – 2 Row Pale Malt (American)
1 lb. – Corn Sugar
1/3 lb. – Crystal Malt (45L)
1 lb. – CaraPils Malt

Hop Schedule

1.5 oz – Chinook (First Wort or Mash Hop)
2.75 oz – Warrior (90 Min.)
.5 oz – Chinook (90 Min.)
1 oz – Simcoe (45 Min.)
1 oz – Columbus (30 Min.)
2.25 oz – Centennial (Flameout)
1 oz – Simcoe (Flameout)
3.25 oz – Columbus (Dry Hop)
1.75 oz – Centennial (Dry Hop)
1.75 oz – Simcoe (Dry Hop)

Yeast

White Labs California Ale Yeast (WLP001) – 1800 ml starter

Mash/Sparge/Boil

Mash at 150° to 152° for 60 min.
Sparge as usual
Boil for 90 minutes (remember to compensate your water if you normally do 60 min boils)
Cool and ferment at 66° to 68°

I brew beer because there is something very special in the act of creation itself. There is an intangible quality so great in making a composition that you and you alone can experience.  Everyone of course can partake in the taste of beer, however only the brewer can taste the beer throughout its full lifespan; from grain to cup.  This Saison, this farmhouse ale is special. It’s similar to a Flanders Red, with a bit more wit beer acidity mixed in and a tad less color.  It is however very true to the farmhouse wild, unruly and funky nature.  It was brewed hot at 90 degrees according to the Saison yeast style guidelines.

Belgian Wheat – 7 gallon mash reduced to about 5.5 during racking

• 13 lbs 2 Row Pale Ale Malt
• 6 lbs torrid wheat
• Turbid mash schedule – boiling during the mash out to raise temps gradually
• Hop Schedule
  • @ 60 min 1oz Cascade
  • @ 30 min .5 oz cascade
  • @ flame out .5 oz cascade
  • 2 oz Pearl dry hop
• Belgian Strong Ale Yeast and SA04 Primary
• Yeast – Champagne Yeast in secondary for highest attenuation possible
• Lacic – malolactic – tartaric acid blend – 60z
• O.G. 1.088 – Reduced to around 1.070 by adding water post primary ferment.

Notes: The fermenting wort was moved to 90 degrees during primary for two weeks after the initial two week period held at 75.  I wanted to bring out some bubble gum phenols and esters. I did. It was than reduced to 70 degrees where additional champagne yeast was added.  The initial fermentation ceased at 1.040 so added some water and champagne yeast to raise the alcohol percentage and lower the final gravity. I noticed a slight pellicle on top after the first month of fermentation.  I’m guessing that this came from some of the critters in the brett, pedio and lacto in the Belgian strong ale strain mix, or it could have been from contamination.  Regardless, if anything, the spoilage assisted in building out the complex flavor rather than being a detrimental factor in the ferment.  Three months later and the young Belgian specialty ale, as it doesn’t really fit into any predefined category due to the alcohol content and flavor profiles. This ain’t a lambic, it ain’t a saison and it certainly isn’t a gueze.  It is a worthwhile and complex brew.

The flavor profile is beyond complex. The simplest comparison that I can use to describe it would be a mixture between a full bodied white burgundy and champagne.
The nose is of strong pineapple, apricots, banana, and other indescribably lush tropical fruits. The flavor goes a bit deeper than fruity acids and pungent esters with  subtle notes of funky barnyard, leather, perhaps horse collar.  The color is light, with an effervescent mouth feel. I pushed the C02 high with around 2bar. The head does not linger, however plenty of lacing remains on the side of the glass. Two cups of this brew is quenching with a higher abv (8%) and such satiating flavors.

This one is a winner. It would pair exceptionally well with spicy foods, meats of all kinds, flavorful soups and any other dish with strong spicy characteristics.  If I brewed it again, I would up the dark crystal malt profile a tad bit to add yet another layer of complexity.

Grain Bill – 10 Gallons

• 33 lbs. – 2 Row Pale Malt (American)
• 1 lb. – CaraPils Malt
• 1lb flaked oats
• 1lb crystal malt

Hop Schedule

• 2 oz magnum at 90 minutes
• 2 oz Simcoe at 90 minutes
• 8 oz hallertau at flame out
• 8 oz hallertau dry hop

Yeast

White Labs California Ale Yeast (WLP001) – 1800 ml starter

Mash/Sparge/Boil

Mash at 150° to 152° for 60 min.
Sparge as usual

Details

• O.G. 1.085
• F.G. 1.010

I brewed this beer and fermented it out over a month. Temperatures where a little on the warmer side – 75-80 degrees, maintaining closer to 72 during the height of early fermentation. I let the temps rise after a few days.  Racked to secondary for two weeks and filtered off of the trub.  The nose is composed of a dense bouquet of orange, dry malt, and fragrant hops.  The flavor is a balanced blend of dry malt sweetness, alcohol and floral dense hops. The flavor profile is a mix between the Green Flash DIPA and the Green Flash West Coast IPA. The alcohol content is warming and covered well by the hops. If I were to brew this again, I would alter the schedule to produce a beer with a bit less fermentable sugar. The 9.5% alcohol or so will catch up with you. The flavor however is very satiating. Two of these beers is completely satisfying.  The head retention and lacing are simply amazing. The beer pours with a three finger dense white head, which remains until the last sip – perhaps due to the hops and the flaked oatmeal grist.  The recipe  idea while similar to Russian River’s noble experiment is not executed in exactly the same manner. Russian River’s brew is more delicate, this noble experiment with the addition of some higher alpha acid American hops tends more towards the traditional west coast IPA style.

Did I mention that with this amount of lupenin from the hops, you’ll be lucky to stay up past nine thirty?

American Watermelon Ale

• 10 lbs 2 Row Pale Ale Malt
• .5 lb Aromatic Malt
• Hop Schedule
  • @ 60 min 1oz Cascade
  • @ 30 min .5 oz cascade
  • @ flame out .5 oz cascade
• Yeast – Belgian Strong Ale Yeast
• ½ diced watermelon added to secondary

O.G. 1.050, F.G. 1.008

Notes: Fermentation smelled strongly of spicy Belgian phenols and happened very quickly. The beer has high attenuation with little to no haze left in the glass. The yeast formed tight sedimentation on the bottom of the carboy.  This is a summer session beer. The hop schedule is light and floral with citrus undertones. The malt profile is present but low. Ale flavors are present but not pronounced. The finish is all watermelon. The watermelon flavor is present but not overpowering. This is a good palate cleansing brew, like taking a bite out of a honey dew melon.  I would brew it again, perhaps using even more watermelon and definitely adjusting the hopping schedule to add a bit more complexity.

Tasting compared to 21^st Amendment’s Watermelon wheat this recipe is a bit cleaner, lacking the cloudy tartness. After trying both, I’m more partial to mine, due to the higher hop ratio and crisper flavor.

American Ale – SA04 Yeast

• 10 lbs 2 Row Pale Ale Malt
• .5 lb Aromatic Malt
• Hop Schedule
  • @ 60 min 1oz Cascade
  • @ 30 min .5 oz cascade
  • @ flame out .5 oz cascade
• Yeast –SA04 Dry Ale Yeast
• O.G. 1.044, F.G. 1.008
• Notes: I brewed this beer with the intention of producing a light and crisp summer ale. It has a low hoping schedule, a light to medium body and color, and a low cost grain bill. It’s been aging on the lees for a month and was kegged over the weekend. With such a low O.G., one can imagine that this is a session brew.  The light flavor make the quafability high. I have been enjoying it with lemon added as the mouth feel coupled with the dog days of summer make this beer drink like a corona.  For my tastes it lacks of noticeable hop character specifically bittering hop character.  Aroma hops are present and pleasing. The head is lacking, due to the relatively well flocculating yeast and low protein present in the grain.  I’m happy with this beer, if I brewed it again, I would adjust the recipe to add a bit more head by perhaps using a lb or so of oatmeal and I would add a higher alpha acid hop at the beginning of the boil. Again, this is probably just the Brit in me wanting to ruin a perfectly good summer session beer with more flavor.

Grain Bill:

IPA DogFishHead 90 Minute Clone with Oak Chips

• .5 lbs carapils Malt
• 1 lb amber malt 40L
• 10.0 lbs Pilsner Malt Liquid Extract
• .75 lbs Honey
• Hop Schedule: Give equal amounts of each hop every 3 minutes of boil

1 oz Summit Hops

.5 oz Simcoea

.5 oz Warrior Hops

5 oz Amarillo Hops

1 oz U.K. Progress

1 oz Cascade

Dry hop with .5 ounces of Cascade

1.5 Coriander

• 1 oz 350 degree toasted French oak chips soaked in bourbon
• .5 oz Bitter Orange Peel and .5 Oz Sweet Orange Peel added secondary
• Yeast: Dry Ale Yeast SA04
• O.G. 1.070
• F.G. 1.015

Notes: This beer aged for three months. It took a month in primary and at least another month in secondary.  I added champagne yeast a week into secondary to dry the beer out a bit more. At first the coriander was overwhelming on the palate. The experience was akin to eating a spicy Indian dish. With time, the flavors have mingled, the beer has clarified. There is a nice hop dryness with a hot peppery finish. I’ve found that I like this brew much more with a bit of lime added, which tends to smooth out the harsher flavors. I wouldn’t brew this again, using the malt extract and the coriander. The recipe has great potential, however still needs some tweaking. In the future I would use a yeast with a bit more ester creation, and I would avoid the orange peel and coriander entirely. I would also choose to use an all grain recipe composed solely of a pilsner malt.

Grain Bill:

Belgian Golden (Malty ESB) Wheat Ale – Saison Yeast

• 7 lbs Marris Otter Malt
• .5 lb Dextrin Malt
• 2 lbs honey
• 1 lbs Corn Sugar
• 1.5 lbs crushed un-malted wheat
• 1 lbs Belgian Biscuit Malt
• Hop Schedule
  • @ 60 min 1oz Summit
  • @ 30 min 2 oz cascade
  • @ flame out 2 oz cascade
• .5 oz coriander at flame out
• Yeast – Belgian Saison Yeast (Ferment at 70-95) – One week
• Yeast – Champagne – at 50 degrees in secondary.
• O.G. 1.050
• F.G. 1.010

Tasting Notes: The nose on the fermentation was reminiscent of cut grass, sourdough bread, and bubblegum.  This subsided over time. The brew was aged three months, with the first month being at a higher temperature to ferment out as much as possible using the Saison yeast.  The flavors have since changed substantially, becoming well balanced and complex.  The brew is thick golden in color and true to its Belgian farmhouse roots, slightly cloudy, however lacking acidity.  A nose of honey is present although minimal. The mouth feel is heavy, but not syrupy. Medium carbonation helps to lighten the perception of viscosity.  The hops are present more in aroma than in bittering profile. The flavor is complex and moderate in that the flavors are not overpowering. Herbal, spice, grapefruit, banana, clove, pinneable can all be perceived.  This is a good cooler weather – fall time or springtime brew. It’s a bit too heavy for the dog days of summer. It would pair well with a complex cheese or cold appetizer plate. If I were to make it again, I’d probably shy away from the dextrin malt and/or the English Marris Otter Malt in favor of a lighter lower protein grain.  This beer, while good, would be better with a touch higher attenuation and alcohol warmth to accommodate all of the spectacular spice and ester flavors.

Grain Bill:

Belgian Golden (Malty ESB) Wheat Ale

• 7 lbs Marris Otter Malt
• .5 lb carapils Malt
• 2 lbs honey
• 1 lbs Corn Sugar
• 1.5 lbs crushed un-malted wheat
• 1 lbs Belgian Biscuit Malt
• Hop Schedule
  • @ 60 min 1oz Summit
  • @ 30 min 2 oz cascade 8.7% alpha
  • @ flame out 2 oz cascade 8.7% alpha
  • @ Primary add 1oz Amarillo
• .5 oz coriander at flame out
• Belgian Strong Ale Yeast (Ferment 65-80) – Primary Fermentation
• Yeast – Champagne Yeast added after one week and laagered at 50 degrees
• O.G. 1.050
• F.G. 1.010

Tasting Notes:

This may be the most complex beer that I have made to date. It has notes of bread, orange, spice, banana, clove, pepper, and pineapple. Most of these can be associated to the Belgian Yeast interacting with the grain to produce phenol esters.  The un malted wheat greatly contributes to the silky mouth feel of this beverage. The alcohol while present on the finish, is mellow and well balanced against the other flavor profiles. The initial fermentation smelled of wood and nutmeg. Upon carbonation, the nose primarily smells of orange and pineapple which is surprising given that no orange peels where used in this Belgian recipe.  The hop schedule is modest in alpha acids and well balanced. The Amarillo hops can be smelled perhaps more than they are tasted. This beer will serve best with cold entrees on a warm summer day. Think blue moon’s older and wiser sister.  The same body structure is there, but this beauty has more panache, more flavor and a better kiss.

Grain Bill

Belgian Golden Wheat Ale

• 3lbs (lightly kilned) wheat malt
• 8 lbs marries otter malt
• 2lbs 40l caramel aromatic malt
• 2 handfuls oatmeal
• Yeast: Belgian Strong Ale Yeast – Good to 12% Attenuation
• Hop Schedule
  • @ 60 min U.K. Progress 1.5oz  (Had left over so used as bittering)
  • @ 30 min 1oz Tettenang
  • @ flame out 1oz Pearl
• 1 oz coriander at flame out
• 1 oz sweet orange peel at flame out
• 1 gram seeds of paradise at flame out
• O.G. 1.044
• F.G. 1.008
• ABV 5%

Tasting Notes: This beer is a traditional spin-off of a Belgian classic wheat beer. It’s a tad maltier in style when compared to an American Wheat beer due to the Marris otter malt.  It is not quite funky enough or cloudy enough to be considered a true Belgian wheat beer. The Belgian Strong Ale Yeast did a good job of clarifying the beer as well as getting it to reach full attenuation. Primary fermentation was quick at 7 days, with a racking and secondary fermentation occurring over a three week period. The color is a deep raspberry reddish brown. The nose is bready with a character close to a good unfiltered Mexican cervesa.  The coriander and orange flavors are unnoticeable if at all present.  The Paradise seed adds a slight spicy elegance, which is present in the finish.  The hop profile is well balanced, favoring aroma over bitterness. Hop bitterness is well balanced against the sweet malt profile with a preference for the malt over the bitter.  The aromatic malt and wheat malt profiles blend well with the Marris otter grain.  Mouth feel is similar to a blue moon, with less sweetness on the palate and a tad more alcoholic bite on the finish.

As far as home brew goes, this beer may be my favorite creation to date. It is very high on the drink-ability and flavor scale.

Two weeks before the Christmas holidays of 2009 I set out to create non traditional mead.  While the concoction I brewed is not technically considered mead (it’s actually an agave pulgue) its flavor profile and composition are so similar that I like to consider it within the same category. The difference of course being that I used unrefined blue agave nectar as my base sugar as opposed to a traditional honey base.  Once this base completely fermented using standard bread yeast, I added 2 lbs of honey, 10 lbs of wild dark plums in sugar base and an additional dose of fresh yeast. Secondary fermentation continued for two months with a resulting alcohol ABV of around 9%.  The addition of the plums really changed the flavor profile of this drink. The agave nectar on its own produced a slightly bready but very smooth and subtle beverage. This beverage was much less harsh at 1 month than meads tend to be.  The plums significantly acidified the drink so in order to balance out the tart profile I added .75lbs of un-fermentable sugars. The resulting beverage at 4 months is pale to pinkish in color, sweet but not cloying, and sips like a tart Belgian lambic without the funk. It is defiantly a sipper, not a session brew. The vanilla stick is unnoticeable if present.  The lighter alcohol compared to mead will make this a pleasant evening drink during the warmer summer months should it last that long in the keg.  It serves best cold.

If I was going to brew this recipe again, I would avoid the plums altogether and add a dose or two more of honey, in order to raise the abv. I would let this ferment to dryness and serve as a champagne.  I’m coming to learn that my personal preference is on the dryer side.

Grain Bill

Plum Wine Agave Base

• 9lb dark agave syrup
• 2 lb dark honey
• 5 cans of plums in heavy syrup and 1 large package of prunes (Around 1-2 lbs dextrose sugar syrup)
• .5 gallons pale ale base (1lb grain)
• Standard bread yeast – primary fermentation
• Champaign yeast – secondary
• .75 lb lactose sugar
• ½ stick of vanilla bean for aroma

The Art of Fermented Beverage. I brewed this one at the start of February 2010. The recipe is my own although it plays on traditional themes.

Belgian Double Hopped Shaggy Blond Ale

Batch Size: 5 Gallons

Grain Bill:

• 8 lbs 2 Row Pale American Malt
• .5 lbs Carapils – Dextrin Malt
• .5 lbs 70l Caramel Malt
• .25 lbs Rolled Oats
• 1 lb Dark Mountain Honey

Hop Schedule:

• 1 oz Summit hops @ 75 Min (Start of Boil)
• .5 oz Summit hops @ 60 min
• .5 oz Summit hops @ 30 min
• 1 oz UK Progress @ 30 min
• 1 oz UK Progress @ 5 min

Additives

• .5 oz sweet orange peel @ 10 min flame out
• 1 oz coriander @ 10 min flame out
• Super Moss @ 10 min to flame out

Specs:

• O.G. 1.056 – 16 Plato
• Single Grain mash at 150-154 degrees for 1 hour for sugar conversion. Raised temperature to 158 for sparge out.
• SA04 Dry Ale Yeast – alcohol tolerant to 10%. Good Flocculation and Sedimentation. Medium Attenuation.
• Fermented at 65 degrees on primary for 5 days and secondary at 50 degrees for two weeks.
• F.G. 1.010

Tasting Notes

This brew will please the palettes of many beer connoisseurs. It is brewed with traditional Belgian spices (sweet orange peel and coriander), using American dry ale yeast and malts, with a bit of honey for higher alcohol and lighter mouth feel.  A small percentage of rolled oats have been added to the recipe to aid in head formation. A generous amount of hops have been applied to bitter the beer in order to balance the malt and to add a floral aroma to the nose.  Dextrin malt has been added to increase the body to handle the added hops, and a small amount of caramel malt has been added to darken the color a tad in order to reflect the heftier body and alcoholic weight of this ale.  The alcohol content weighs in at an estimated 6.5%. While present, it is not overpowering and the beverage drinks easily. Fruity aroma’s from the UK Progress Hops, Coriander and Honey dominate the nose. The finish is dominated by the bittering affect of the summit hops.  The beer is dry, with a spicy yet refreshing depth. It has a consistency and mouth feel similar to a ginger ale, yet with much greater depth and complexity. The immediate finish is dominated by orange and citrus flavors.

This brew is a hybrid between a traditional American IPA and a Light Belgian Double Blonde Ale. The pairing suits both styles well. The brew has the body of a Belgian beer with all of the associated complexities, yet manages to have the dry finish of a highly attenuated IPA. The combination is a surprisingly good balance between hoppy, malty and Belgian flavor profiles.

Served under low carbonation the brew drinks similar to an English ESB perhaps due to the UK Progress Aroma Hops and Dry Ale Yeast which produces slight fruity esters. Under low carbonation the head remains small and lacy on the glass. Under high carbonation, the brew drinks closer to a Belgian double with a full 1 inch thick head of white foam originating from the underlying oats and dextrin malts.

If produced again, I would only potentially change the hop profile. A bittering hop and floral aromatic fruity hop should be used. The addition of a cascade hop or centennial hop during a dry hopping phase could potentially add additional citrus notes on the nose which may add additional complexity.  The citrus flavor in the brew today becomes present on the finish.

This beer would be best served as a late summer or early springtime beer. There is not enough color or malt backbone to serve as a fall or winter beer. It would pair well with most foods, especially spicy foods and aged sharp cheeses.