Saturday, July 20, 2013

Smokin Oats Porter Brew Day

On this scorching July Saturday I brewed a Smoked Porter. A Smoked Porter seems like an odd choice of style to brew mid summer and I agree, it is. Reason? I have two people in the house who absolutely love this beer. One of them, my father in-law, is staying with us while he recovers from surgery. If possible I would like to try and keep him drunk. At least I think I do... we will see. On top of this, he said he would pay for a batch of porter. He didn't tell me the size ;) My wife is also a huge fan of the style.

Of the porter styles I have brewed, I most enjoy a coconut version and a smoked version. He opted for smoked. Fine by me.. let's brew a batch! a 20 gallon batch!

I changed up the recipe a bit. My LHBS is finally carrying naked oats. Its been several months since I have used these as I have have had to mail order them in the past. I absolutely love naked oats. The flavor they bring, at least in the proper amount is not really noticeable. But the body, oh the body. Don't beleive me? Ask Todd Haug, Brew master at Surly about them, and how much he uses them!

On top of the naked oats, which make up 3% of the grain bill, I added quick oats at a rate of 4% of the bill. This will be my first time adding any oats to this recipe. The recipe is solid and in my opinion the beer will benefit from the oat addition. We will see in a few weeks if I am right.

Also this week my wife wanted to get involved in the brewing. She helped out as well as learned some cool brewing terms and techniques!
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Smokin Oats
Robust Porter
Type: All GrainDate: 7/28/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 20.00 galBrewer:
Boil Size: 23.90 galAsst Brewer: Gabrielle
Boil Time: 60 minEquipment: Stainless Pots (26 gallons) - All Grain
End of Boil Volume 20.50 galBrewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency 78.8 %
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage

Ingredients
Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
20 lbsPale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)Grain141.2 %
12 lbsMunich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)Grain224.7 %
9 lbsSmoked Malt (9.0 SRM)Grain318.6 %
2 lbsOats, Flaked (quick oats) (1.0 SRM)Grain44.1 %
1 lbs 8.0 ozChocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)Grain53.1 %
1 lbs 8.0 ozChocolate Malt (375.0 SRM)Grain63.1 %
1 lbs 8.0 ozGolden Naked Oats (10.0 SRM)Grain73.1 %
1 lbsBlack (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM)Grain82.1 %
2.00 ozColumbus (Tomahawk) [17.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 minHop928.8 IBUs
5.50 ozSybilla [6.50 %] - Boil 10.0 minHop1010.0 IBUs
Re-PitchSafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) Yeast11-
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.065 SGMeasured Original Gravity: 1.065 SG
Est Final Gravity: ?Measured Final Gravity: TBA
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.4 %Actual Alcohol by Vol: TBA
Bitterness: 38.8 IBUs
Est Color: 32.1 SRM
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge - 154 degreesTotal Grain Weight: 48 lbs 8.0 oz


Tuesday, July 2, 2013

100% Brett Trois IPA

I have always wanted to brew an all Brett fermented beer, but just never had gotten around to it. I guess one reason was I have always associated these beers with a fairly long turn around time. So I always seemed to put it off in favor of something else.

That recently changed. I was checking out a post from a fellow home brewer, Meta Brewing, on an all Brett fermented IPA. After reading the post and reading everything else I could find on the concept, I dove right in by moving this to the top of the brew schedule.

The beer itself is really two experiments in one for me. It is my first attempt at all-brett fermentation. And second it is my first beer to forgo any hops in the boil. Don't get me wrong, there are a ton of hops in this brew, but all come at flame out and later.

Thanks to Luke (Meta Brewing) for the inspiration and tips. I used his grain bill, and ideas around hop schedule to come up with the following.

TROIS IPA (((¿0 IBU?)))
American IPA
Type: All GrainDate: 6/19/2013
Batch Size (fermenter): 11.50 galBrewer: Michael & Tim
Boil Size: 13.25 galAsst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 minEquipment: Stainless Pots (26 gallons) -BCS 460
End of Boil Volume 11.00 galBrewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 10.00 galEst Mash Efficiency 76.1 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two StageTaste Rating(out of 50): 
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
23 lbs 2.9 ozPale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)Grain180.0 %
2 lbs 14.4 ozMunich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM)Grain210.0 %
1 lbs 7.2 ozCara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)Grain35.0 %
1 lbs 7.2 ozPale Wheat Malt (German) (2.3 SRM)Grain45.0 %
2.00 ozMosaic [12.20 %] - Flameout (Steep15.0 min)Hop50.0 IBUs
7.00 ozMosaic [12.20 %] - Aroma Steep 15 min (add 15 mins after flame out) Hop60.0 IBUs
2000ml starterBRETTANOMYCES BRUXELLENSIS TROIS (White Labs #WLP644)Yeast7-
7.00 ozMosaic [12.20 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 DaysHop80.0 IBUs
5.50 ozNelson Sauvin [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 DaysHop90.0 IBUs


Updates:

6/23  - Brew day went pretty smooth. OG was a little higher than expected, since we only got 11 gallons into the fermenter. We were expecting 1.064 and hit 1.068

Pitched the Trois from a 2000 ml starter that had been going 4 and a half days. I basically went about doing the same process I do for an ale starter except I did it for several more days than normal. It did not take long for the fermentation to take off.

6/28 - Gravity at 1.020 interesting flavor

7/2 - Things have really slowed down. Gravity is only down to 1.019. I would expect something lower than this. I guess I need some patience. Sample tasted amazing. No noticeable sweetness and just an in your face blast of mango and pineapple flavors. Can't wait to get the dry hops in!

7/4 - Added 7 oz of Mosaic hops to the fermenter. The smell that came out of the fermenter when I opened it was absolute tropical fruit heaven! Just floored me how fruity the smell was.

7/11 - Added 5.5 oz of Nelson

7/18 - Transfered to kegs. FG is 1.015

7/22 - Tasted a little yesterday. Still under carbed at this point. No bitterness at all. Tastes very fruity. I will do a full review in a week or so.

8/4 - I entered this beer into the Specialty Ale category (23) in Utah's 5th Annual Beehive Brew off. It took first place with a score of 41 in a field of 24 entrants.  In the special ingredients field I specified 100% Brett fermentation with Brux Trois. No boil additions and all hops at flameout or later. I also mentioned no fruit was in the beer. Even though I had an IPA in mind when I brewed this I did not call out a base beer. I felt it would probably be harmed in the judging if I did.

Judges were split on the hop schedule. One judge thought it needed more hops in the background to balance the beer. The other said it was spot on and an earlier hop addition would harm the beer.

After drinking this beer I tend to side with the argument for some boil addition hops. If for no other reason because I know what it tastes like without them. It would also push this beer into an amazing Brett beer that I could truly call an IPA.

Monday, July 1, 2013

80 Acre Hoppy Wheat Clone

About a week ago I came across Boulevard Brewing's 80 Acre Wheat beer. I immediately fell in love with it. I am not a big fan of wheat beers, but this one just tasted great to me. With a heat wave in full effect, the desire to brew something similar was high. I checked out some different threads as well as Boulevards website to come up with a clone recipe. It helps that Boulevard is pretty open about the beers ingredients.

It is a pretty simple recipe. There is only one small bittering addition. I used CTZ, but it really doesn't matter what is used as long as you get something like 12-16 IBUs (Boulevard lists this as a 20 IBU beer). All of the rest of the hops, and there are a ton, come at flame out or later.

The calculations below come from Beersmith. In my opinion that program doesn't handle flame-out hop additions well. I guarantee that you are going to pick up some IBUs from a large flame-out addition like the one below.

At flame out we added close to 14 oz of Cascade hops and let things stand for 15 minutes. When we started chilling the temp was 190.

The finishing touch to this beer will be a half pound more of Cascade and a half pound of Nelson Sauvin as dry hops. It will give this beer the aroma of a fine IPA, but will come off more or less like a slightly hoppy and quite citrusy wheat beer.

80 Acre Clone (Hoppy Wheat)
American Wheat or Rye Beer
Type: All GrainDate: 6/30/2013
Batch Size (fermenter): 20.00 galBrewer: Michael & Tim
Boil Size: 23.59 galAsst Brewer:
Boil Time: 70 minEquipment: Stainless Pots (26 gallons) -BCS 460 
End of Boil Volume 21.00 galBrewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 20 galEst Mash Efficiency 75.6 %
Fermentation: Ale, Single StageTaste Rating(out of 50):
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
24 lbs 10.4 ozPale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)Grain162.2 %
8 lbsWheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM)Grain220.2 %
7 lbsWheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM)Grain317.7 %
1.25 ozColumbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 minHop416.3 IBUs
13.80 ozCascade [5.50 %] - Aroma Steep 15.0 minHop50.0 IBUs
4.0 pkgSafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) [23.66 ml]Yeast6-
8.00 ozCascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 DaysHop70.0 IBUs
8.00 ozNelson Sauvin [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
Mash Profile

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
SaccharificationAdd 13.39 gal of water at 163.9 F153.0 F60 min
Sparge Step: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 15.96gal) of 168.0 F water

UPDATE
7/10 -This beer has been in the fermenter for 10 days at a constant temp of 67. I did not check the gravity, but I am sure that fermentation is complete. I added a whole pound of hops to the fermenter today. 8 oz of Cascade and 8 Nelson Sauvin. I plan on letting it go 4-5 days before kegging.

7/14 - Kegged this one today. Tasted and looked a lot like grapefruit juice. I will give it a week of keg conditionaing before tasting again.

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