O.C. II

The first O.C. (Orange Cru) was all fucked up, but when I found a four-year-old bottle of it it tasted like Grand Marnier. This four-year-old bottle was the ass (what I bottle after the bottling tube gets all clogged with yeast and hops). I figured I could do a nice little extract brew while I mash and cook an all grain recipe. This version is not at all meant to resemble a bright white Belgian Grand Cru. I am going for something thicker and spicer -- like Grand Marnier.


O.C. II :

Extract and Other Sweets:
Approximately 2.75 lbs -- Extra Light DME (It has to be used -- getting old.)
3 lbs -- Wheat DME
22oz -- wildflower honey from Lakemont, GA
1.5 -- Ground Coriander
.5 oz -- Dried Grated Orange Peel (grind it at least three days previous. dry in a paper bag -- about three oranges' worth)

Hops:
1 0z Target start
.5 oz Willamete end (which I forgot until after I pitched the yeast -- put it in then (?))

Belgian Wit Yeast

There really is not much to say here since I am not mashing, and I do not have to worry about temperatures, etc. I could mention that I fucked up and added the boiling hops that were meant for Good Head Red V.

O.G. = 1.050
F.G. = 1.015
ABV = 4.59%
Potential Alcohol = 6.8%
Final Alcohol = 2%
ABV = 4.8%

. . . I am going to make sure I have my head on straight next time I attempt to brew two beers at once. I switched the hops, forgot the aroma hops for this beer, and also forgot the 12oz of malto dextrin I bought to make this beer thicker.

Tunes I think I could chill to in the bath with a glass of O.C. and a fat Jay:

Big Poppa -- The Notorious B.I.G.
Florida Hurricane -- Saint Louis Jimmy
So Cruel -- U2
Dirty Mothe -- Roosevelt Sykes

Or you can get all of the above in a .zip file:

O.C. II Playlist .zip

Notes:

2.3.08 -- Bubbling away. From what I understand, Belgian Wit yeast has no problems in this area. My last batch of O.C. was way carbonated, and this may be the reason. I think I am going to have to move the Good Head Red to another place in the house because it may be too cold where I have these carboys. O.C. doesn't seem to mind though.

2.8.08 -- Still bubbling slowly. I am in no hurry with this one. It may speed up if I put it in the warmer room, but it seems to be doing fine where it is. It has a stack of krausen like a foamy urinal cake still after five days.

2.15.2008 -- Racked into secondary, which may be unnecessary at this point, but the last batch of beer I made with Belgian Wit yeast was way over carbonated. That is why I am taking this extra step. I will bottle this when I feel like bottling beer. I do not think there will be much harm in letting this one chill out longer as long as it is cold by the back door.

2.17.08 -- Now I understand why the last version of this beer was so over carbonated -- Belgian Wit Yeast is a wild animal! The beer I racked into the secondary is bubbling again. There would have been a major mess if I had not heard it hissing and squirting through the airlock. Seventeen days later, and it is still going. Patience with this one . . .

2.24.08 -- Bottled today. I just hope I do not have the carbonation issues I had with this kind of beer last time. I think I am in the clear since I waited longer for all the sugar to ferment out; I do not think this was the case last time.

3.9.08 -- I am so pleasantly surprised at the outcome of this beer. It is obvious to me that I bottled my last batch of O.C. waaaaaay too early, and that is why they turned out to be beer bombs. This one is so complex with the orange, coriander, honey, wheat, and yeast all showing up for their part in the show. The color is beautiful and the head is great. I can't wait to see what this will be like in a couple more months.

7.25.08 -- I wish I would have saved all of these this long. This beer improves so much with age. The flavors are so much smoother and unified at this point.