Bloody Hell to Pay

Bloody Hell to Pay

1.052 - 1.005
6.2% ABV
56 IBU

The Fermentables:

15 lbs Marris Otter
2 lbs Toasted Oats
2 lbs Carastan
.5 lb Speacial Roast
3 oz Chocolate Wheat

The Hops:

1 oz EKG (7.2% AA) - 60 min
.5 oz Willamette (4.7% AA) - 30 min
.5 oz EKG (7.2% AA) - 30 min

Yeast:

1275 from washed cultures (3qts starter each (decanted))

Water:

6.5 gallons strike water (made for a thick mash with oats)

Brewday notes and reflections:

First, one of the connectors for the thermometers is broken, so I had to switch the remaining one back and forth, which was a pain in the ass. This, coupled with the thick mash with oats, made maintaining a constant mash temperature more difficult than it should have been. We'll call it 155-156 for an hour.

Then the other wire fails. Close to an hour later and a few calls to the manufacturer, I decide to go old school. The problem is that the largest pot I have left is 6 gal, so I start by draining six gallons of wort into the pot, and about 4.5 more into a keg. At first I think making two different beers is the way, but after I had already begun boiling and hopping the first beer, I realize that I have to get it all into the large electric boil pot to drain through the pump and chiller to sanitize those. Thankfully the first boil got it to around 180.

I now have to make my second beer similar to the first in IBUs, though I have different amounts of hops:

Beer One:
.75oz EKG 7.2 - 60
.5oz Will 4.7 - 30
.5oz EKG 7.2 - 30
1oz Fugg 4.3 - 15
1oz EKG 7.2 - 15

Beer Two:
.75oz EKG 7.2 - 60
1oz Fugg 4.3 - 30
.5oz EKG - 7.2 - 15

Notes:
Ended up with about 8 gallons in all. One keg fermenter only half full.

Finished much lower than I wanted or expected. Initially beer tasted a little thin. This may be because of this being 2nd generation of this yeast. Had similar results with Floyd the Barber (1.051 - 1.006).

Added 1.5 oz med toast French oak chips ( which I fear may have been too much) to the keg that was about half full for one week. Hooked the plain one up first in hopes of some of that oak flavor mellowing a bit.

Kattenstoet / Figgy Pudding

Kattenstoet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kattenstoet

1.057 - 1.000

7.4% ABV

48 IBU

Figgy Pudding

1.066 - 1.001

8.5% ABV

48 IBU

Malts:

11 lbs American 2-row

8 lbs Flaked Wheat

2 lbs CaraVienne

Mash Schedule
30 min @ 122
60 min @ 152
5 min @ 168

Adjuncts:

3 lbs D-45 Candi Syrup

1 lb honey (Figgy Only 10 Minutes)

Fruit:

4 lbs 14.25 oz Figs (Pureed) (Figgy Only 10 minutes)

Hops:

All Mosaic (11.6% AA)

60 min - 1 oz

15 min - 1 oz

10 min - 1 oz

05 min - 1 oz

00 min - 1 oz

Yeast:

3711 French Saison (2nd gen)

3 qt starter (each) (decanted)

Brewday Notes and Reflections

First runnings 1.079.
Pre-boil gravity 1.042.
Final gravity first beer: 1.057.
Final gravity second beer: 1.066.

Fix for boiled/reduced in about 3 quarts of worked added the honey in for the last 10 minutes. Figs and work boiled for about 25 minutes altogether.

It should be noted that I am not adding the candy sugar until later in the boil.

Little bit of trouble at the beginning the electronic brewery controller does not seem to work like it's supposed to on the hot liquor tank side after I figured out how to wing it things went pretty smoothly.

Notes:

9.1.14 -- Pitched yeast into both beers after they were well chilled.
10.13.14 -- Bottled Figgy Pudding with 9oz dextrose -- about 4.25 Volumes

The Illustrious Merkin Gherkin

One-Hundredth Post on The Merkinpatch

The Illustrious Merkin Gherkin

1.045 - 1.001

15.5 IBU

5.76%ABV

Merkin Splendor

1.045 - 1.001

15.5 IBU

5.76%ABV

Malt
19lbs Belgian Pilsner

Hops

1.5 oz Willamette %AA-- 60 min

Yeast

The Illustrious Merkin Gherkin: Wyeast 3711 (second gen (washed))

Merkin Splendor: Culture of Wyeast 1275 (second gen (washed)), sludge from primary fermentation of Temptation Toad, dregs of two bottles of Orval

Water

19lbs grain = 6.333 gallons strike water

Adjuncts and Additives
(I can't believe I did not write this down, but I think it was near 2)lbs Diva Cucumbers from Dogwood Farm added second week of primary fermentation
35 mL 88%Lactic Acid (5 ml / G)

Mash Schedule
30 min @ 122
60 min @ 152
5 min @ 168

Brewday Notes and Reflections

Mashed in at 8:35 AM.
First runnings 1.078.
Pre-boil gravity 1.035.
Final gravity 1.045.
Finished cleaning at 3:30 PM.

Notes

7.9.14 - pitched yeast both beers. Activity in Merkin Splendor very quick (maybe because I can see it (glass)). Ambient around 70 degrees (both).
7.14.14 - Merkin Gherkin has been naturally climbing in temperature -- hanging in at around 80.
7.23.14 - Gravity 1.001. Cucumber flavor is a bit more vegetal than I thought it would be. Adding lactic acid and kegging.

Merkin Splendor Notes
8.2014 - Gravity reads 1.001. Racked to secondary with 1oz Medium toast Hungarian oak chips. This is a departure from my normal procedure (though more traditional)where I add oak at the end of the souring process.

Prime with 9.44oz dextrose for 4.25 volumes CO2

Floyd the Barber / Aero Zeppelin

Floyd the Barber IPA

1.051 - 1.006
50 IBU
5.9% ABV

Aero Zeppelin Saison

1.051 - 1.003 
50 IBU
6.3% ABV

The Malts:

14 lbs Marris Otter
4 lbs Flaked Wheat
1 lb 60L Crystal
1 lb 30L Crystal

The Hops:

1.5 oz Mosaic (11.6% AA) - 60 min
1 oz Mosaic - 15 min
1 oz Mosaic - 10 min
1 oz Mosaic - 5 min
1 oz Mosaic - 0 min

2 oz Mosaic (each fermenter) dry hop - 7 days

Yeasties:

Thames Valley Slurry from New Brewery Pale Ale -- Floyd the Barber
French Saison -- Aero Zeppelin

Water:

20 lbs of grain = 6.66 gallons strike water (1gallon per 3 pounds)


Brewday notes and reflections:
mashing at 153°. It took a little while to get up to temp because I believe there is a clog somewhere under the false bottom. Things may go slowly today.

Clogging was a false alarm. 
Issue was air leaking into the connections of the HLT heat exchanger. Get in the habit of tightening this each time.
Original gravity 1.0051.

Notes: 

Floyd: 5.11.14 -- 1.014; beautiful mosaic aroma. Need to dry hop soon to have 7-10 days before leaving town.
5.12.14 -- Dry hopped with 2oz Mosaic
5.19.14 -- Seven days of dry hopping: Nice fruity hop aroma, but I would like a little more intensity, especially since this beer finished a little lower than I expected. I think I am going to let it sit for a couple more days. Super tasty with tons of fruity hop flavor, and a nice bitter finish. Also backed up quite well with grain.

Aero:
5.12.14: 1.026 - not as low as i thought it might be. Esters, Phenols, and hop aroma are all quite nice already. This beer may not get dry-hopped, depending on schedule.
5.18.14 - Gravity 1.003
5.20.14 -- kegged

New Brewery Pale Ale

Drunkenness is Loyalty, Sobriety is Treason

New Brewery Pale Ale

1.050 - 1.010

42 IBU

5.25% ABV

This is the first beer brewed on my new electric HERMS system. The idea is to make something simple that may need adjustment at the end. I will not calculate hop additions until I know the gravity of the wort, but will aim for something close to 1:1 BU:GU. This is loosely based on Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale, with obvious changes (flaked wheat, etc.).

The Malts:

16# Marris Otter

2# Flaked Wheat

.5# Crystal 60L

.33# Chocolate Wheat

The Hops

Will calculate after mashing.

Goal is for around .80 BU:GU

1 oz Magnum (11.5% AA) -- 60 Minutes

1 oz East KEnt Goldings (7.2% AA) -- 30 Minutes

1 oz Eat Kent Goldings (7.2% AA) - 15 minutes

.84 BU:GU

Water

Strike water should be 6.25 gallons (manufacturer recommends 1 gallon per 3 lbs of grain)

Sparge until there are 14 gallons in boil kettle

Notes and Reflections:

Mashing at around 158 I had the temperature set to 156 differential seems to be about 2° so I turned it down to 155

Gravity during mash out near 1.084.

Increase to mash out is quite slow probably due to the similarities in temperature between the match out and the hot liquor tank. Raised the temperature in the hot liquor tank from 170° to 175°.

Pre-boil gravity 1.040.
 Final gravity 1.050.

I need to remember drinking a lot of beer while brewing (especially the first time using a new system is a terrible idea. The secret beer game was a fun one, but i was kinda distracted at the end of the brew which made it a little less enjoyable than it normally would have been. There were plenty of distractions at the time, and I may not have dealt with them well. I had to weigh my remaining hops this morning to be sure I did not forget the 15 minute addition.

4.4.14 -- Checked gravity today (around 1.013), but the biggest note is the harsh bitter aftertaste that I hope will fade. Though fermentation is complete, I still consider this beer to be young, so perhaps. I also wonder if there is a chance I made an error in calculating IBUs.

4.14.14 -- Kegged the first bucket (gravity 1.010). The harsh bitter aftertaste has disappeared, though there is still plenty bitter in the finish. This will be good cool and carbonated.

12.21.14 -- Drank the last of this the other day. I want to improve on this recipe and give it another go. Instead of the 1275, I think I will stick with S-04 or trying something different (maybe 1968). I will lover the IBUS to closer to 35, perhaps lower if I decrease the O.G.

Estimated Prophet

Fire Wheel Burning in the air

Estimated Prophet

West Coast Pale Ale

1.051 - 1.006

5.8% ABV

44 IBU

Malt:
I'll call down thunder and speak the same
17# American 2-row
2# 60L Crystal
2# Flaked Wheat

Hops:
My word fills the sky with flame
1oz Cluster (6.8% AA) - 60 minutes
1oz Columbus (16.4% AA) 15 minutes
1oz Cascade (8.9% AA) - 10 minutes
1oz Columbus (16.4% AA) - 5 minutes
1oz Cascade (7.5% AA) - 5 minutes
1oz Columbus (16.4% AA) - 0 minutes
1oz Cascade (7.5% AA) - 0 minutes

Yeast:
Might and glory gonna be my name
US-05 Slurry from Keller XP

Water:
Men gonna light my way
8 gallons strike water
2.6 absorbed
at least 8.6 gallons sparge water
Total water needed - at least 16.6 gallons

Notes:

Mash begins 7:45 AM
Mash temperature 154°
Had to add some boiling water at the beginning of the mash to bring it up to temperature. Closer to 9 gallons went into the mashed instead of eight.
First runnings 1.065. About 6 1/2 gallons.
Final gravity 1.051.
All done cleaning up 1:45 PM

3.8.14- racked one bucket into the cask and primed at 3.4 volumes of CO2. Flavor was very good, though strong for a cask beer. Mash temp at little lower than I wanted, and S-05 is a bit more attenuative (even more so than I thought).