Mordecai Brown 2012 / Mordecai Bruin

Mordecai Brown:
1.051 -- 1.010 -- 5.4% ABV
55 IBU

Mordecai Bruin:
1.056 -- 1.006 -- 6.5% ABV
55 IBU

Malts:
12 lbs Golden Promise
5 lbs Abbey Malt
2 lbs Brown Malt
1 lb 60L Crystal
1 lb Carafoam
.5 lb 40L Crystal
.5 lb 80L Crystal
.5 lb 120L Crystal

Hops:
1 oz Magnum (13.1%AA) -- 60 min (clock 30)
1 oz Centennial (8.8% AA) -- 30 min (clock 10)
1 oz Simcoe (14.4%) -- 20 min (clock 5)
1 oz Centennial ( 8.8%) -- 15 min (clock 5) (Whirfloc)
1 oz Zythos (11%) -- 10 min (clock 10)
1 oz Simcoe (14.4%) -- 10 min

Yeast:
Mordecai Brown -- California Lager Slurry
Mordecai Brun -- Wyeast Bierre de Garde (2qt starter)

Mash:
Single Infusion (154 degrees)
22.5 lbs grain

10 gallons strike water
2.8 gallons absorbed
6.8 gallons sparge water needed

Brewday Notes:
Everything went very smoothly -- nothing to report
25 min into mash -- 9%Brix 1.043 -- Ph around 6

45 min into mash -- 13%brix 1.050 -- ph around 6

60 minutes into mash -- 17%brix 1.065 ph just below 6

75 minutes into mash 19%brix 1.074

Pre boil -- 1.043
O.G 1.051 -- Brown
O.G. 1.056 -- Bruin after 1lb sugar

6.8.12 -- Pitched yeast into both beers

Brown Notes:
6.12.12 -- I have not been as vigilant as I should changing out the ice in the cool box. I have had the temperature spike to 68 and then got it back down to 62, and then again to 66, but back down again. Temperature sensor is taped to the side of the bucket, so perhaps the temperature inside the fermenter is not as different as the ambient temp as I may think. We'll see. I'm okay with this beer being more ale-like, and it will be nice if that is the only effect the temp swings have. I will probably cold condition it to get rid of any green apple flavors I may have produced.
6.13.12 -- I was a little nervous about the possibility of hot fusels so I pulled at test today (around 1.030), and I do not think I can detect any.But then again, there is a small tingle in the back of my throat in the aftertaste that could be just that. At any rate, if it is there, it is small. The caramel aroma and flavor that I wanted seem to be there, and should get better as the fermentation continues to dry the beer out. The hop aroma is nice -- I can detect the Simcoe easily and perhaps the Centennial, but really cannot taste the complexity yet since the beer is still very sweet.
6.19.12 -- Gravity 1.017. Still has 1-2 points to go before I am considering it done.
6.25.12 -- Final gravity 1.010. I allowed the beer to warm up and finish while I was away at NHC in Seattle. Kegged and put in the chest freezer for conditioning / clarifying / storage.

Bruin Notes:
6.12.12. -- Fermenting well. Ambient temps around 65 for the first few days, then I allowed it to creap up closer to 75.
6.14.12 -- 1.023 on day seven. Nice hoppy aroma on this one too. Hops and caramel flavors last through the finish. May be a bit buttery at this point. I put another jug of ice in the box this morning, but that may be the last one.
6.25.12 -- temp has been between 80-85 for the last week or so. Gravity reading soon.
6.27.12 -- Gravity 1.006, kegged and put in chest freezer to condition