Messages

616

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: San Diego Session Ale

« on: May 25, 2011, 02:25:08 pm »

There is a recipe in the latest Zymurgy in honor of the NHC being there is June.  I am hoping to brew it up this weekend.  It looks to be fairly tasty.  Although, if you wanted to categorize it it may fit in the American amber of brown category depending on the color of the beer.

San Diego Dark Session Ale

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

23-A  Specialty Beer, Specialty Beer

Min OG:  1.010   Max OG:  1.200
Min IBU:     0   Max IBU:   100
Min Clr:     0   Max Clr:    90  Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal):         6.00    Wort Size (Gal):    6.00
Total Grain (kg):         4.31
Anticipated OG:          1.040    Plato:             10.09
Anticipated SRM:          18.9
Anticipated IBU:          28.5
Brewhouse Efficiency:       70 %
Wort Boil Time:             60    Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate:      15.00    Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size:    7.06    Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity:      1.034    SG          8.62  Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used:   Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops:         2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops:      10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

   %     Amount     Name                          Origin        Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 73.4     3.17 kg.  Pale Malt(2-row)              Great Britain  1.038      3
  8.3     0.36 kg.  Crystal 45L                   UK             1.030     45
  4.1     0.18 kg.  Biscuit Malt                  Great Britain  1.035     35
  4.1     0.18 kg.  Crystal 120L                  UK             1.030    120
  4.1     0.18 kg.  Crystal 75L                   Great Britian  1.034     75
  4.1     0.18 kg.  Melanoidin Malt                              1.033     35
  1.8     0.08 kg.  Chocolate Malt                Great Britain  1.034    475

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

   Amount     Name                              Form    Alpha  IBU  Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  6.00 g.     Simcoe                            Pellet  12.00  10.4  60 min.
  6.00 g.     Warrior                           Whole   17.00  13.4  60 min.
  6.00 g.     Simcoe                            Pellet  13.00   3.0  15 min.
  4.00 g.     Amarillo Gold                     Pellet  10.00   1.2  10 min.
  4.00 g.     Cascade                           Pellet   5.50   0.5  5 min.
 12.00 g.     Cascade                           Pellet   5.75   0.0  Dry Hop
  6.00 g.     Amarillo Gold                     Pellet  10.00   0.0  Dry Hop
  6.00 g.     Simcoe                            Pellet  13.00   0.0  Dry Hop


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP002 English Ale


Water Profile
-------------

Profile:           Stone
Profile known for:  hoppy beers!

Calcium(Ca):          87.0 ppm
Magnesium(Mg):        15.0 ppm
Sodium(Na):           18.0 ppm
Sulfate(SO4):        141.0 ppm
Chloride(Cl):         58.0 ppm
biCarbonate(HCO3):    95.0 ppm

pH: 8.00


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs:    9.51
Water Qts:   10.54 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal:    2.63 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.11 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 152  Time:  60
Mash-out Rest Temp :         168  Time:  15
Sparge Temp :                168  Time:  30


Total Mash Volume Gal: 3.40 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.



Notes
-----

Pitch 66F, free rise to 68-69F

617

Ingredients / Re: Pitching temperature

« on: May 24, 2011, 07:30:00 pm »

I always pitch a couple of degrees cold and then let it freerise to my ferment temp.  There is a lot of debate out there.  Jamil says pitch at ferment temps, and Chris White says it is ok to pitch warm and then cool to ferment temps.  I agree, I would have waited until it got down to 68-70F and then pitched.  As long as you controlled the ferment the rest of the way, you "should" be ok.

618

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Sour ale tips

« on: May 24, 2011, 12:04:27 pm »

Taste an Orval. If you like that the bugs in that beer will rapidly colonize
your beer and make it sour.

I equate primarily lacobacillus and to some degree pediococcus with sour.  Brett is more "funk".  The only bug in Orval is Brettanomyces Buxellensis to my knowledge.  Don't get me wrong I love Orval and it's flavor, but there are varying degrees of funk and sour.  The wyeast roselare is your best bet for all of the above.  BTW, the roselare yeast is NOT a lambic blend.  It is a flanders blend, primarily Flanders Red (i.e. Rodenbach).

619

All Grain Brewing / Re: Sour mash idea

« on: May 22, 2011, 06:59:18 am »

Skip the ziploc bag.  Just put the sour mash in the crockpot.  I may be mistaken, but you may need to do your saccrafication rest first to convert the sugars and then mash out above 170F?  Once that is converted, cover the mash with saran wrap.  That will be sufficient to keep out the oxygen.  Then set the crock pot to  the lowest setting to keep it around 100-100F.  This will be the best and safest way to maintain your temps.  Once that is soured to your liking (48-72hrs), place that back in your main mash and proceed as normal.

620

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Finishing a beer with Brett & Oak keg or secondary?

« on: May 20, 2011, 11:21:53 am »

well that shows what I know!

But I use my kegs as a secondary fermenter.  My brett beers may sit 6 months in the keg before I put them in the fridge for serving.  Once it goes in the fridge the yeast go dormant.  Since I taste the beer periodically I know when I have enough brett flavor and I'll cold crash it.  By putting it in primary I hope to knock a month or 2 off that time frame.

+1

621

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Finishing a beer with Brett & Oak keg or secondary?

« on: May 20, 2011, 07:56:02 am »

The benefit of the keg is that you can draw off samples and then oak to taste.  That would be hard to do in a bucket or carboy, plus there is the whole sanitation issue.  You can always leave the poppet open or attach a blow off tube to the in post of the keg if you are worried about over carbonation.  

622

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Finishing a beer with Brett & Oak keg or secondary?

« on: May 20, 2011, 07:46:24 am »

Just put all of it in the keg, that way you only have to transfer over once.  You may have to change all of your O-rings the next time you want to use the keg to avoid cross contamination with the Brett.  You can periodically release the pressure if needed.  If it is slightly undercarbonated you can always adjust with force carbonation.  Brett Brux ( the Orval strain) will do fine, but if you can get your hands on a vial of WLP645 Brett Clausenii that would be more historically accurate and a little more subtle.  

http://morebeer.com/view_product/6086//White_Labs_Yeast_-_Brettanomyces_Claussenii

Good luck, I have been doing a lot of Brett beers likely and enjoy the added complexity it gives to the beer!

623

Beer Recipes / Re: How to classify a Black IPA for AHA competition?

« on: May 17, 2011, 08:35:13 am »

I'm gonna brew a pale stout!

Too late Denny, Stone already beat you to it! Ha! I love those guys when April Fool's Day rolls around!

http://www.stonebrew.com/luciferin/

624

Ingredients / Re: Simcoe substitutes

« on: May 17, 2011, 07:51:20 am »

Certainly nothing wrong with columbus, one of my favorite hops. But there is not real sub for simcoe.

+2

Maybe Galaxy if you can get it from Austrailia, but be prepared to pay on arm and a leg for it.  I did find some Simcoe from the craftbrewer.au website years ago during the first hop shortage, but as above, very expensive!

625

Beer Recipes / Re: How to classify a Black IPA for AHA competition?

« on: May 17, 2011, 07:49:30 am »

I think I'm going to invent a new style.  It is called Purple IPA.  It tastes just like a real IPA except that it is purple from the addition of red and blue food coloring.  It will be all the rage amongst fans of purple beers!

    

Thank You!  You disproved your own argument and proved mine by saying that they taste more like an IPA and not a stout or porter!  There should be a hint of roast in a black IPA, Cascadian Dark, American Black/Dark Ale, whatever you want to call it.  Generally from Carafa or debittered black malts.  I hate the sinamar addition because it is only a color addition and not really a flavor addition. 

Per the Brewers Association guidelines:

American-Style Black Ale
American-style Black Ale is perceived to have medium high to high hop bitterness, flavor and aroma with medium-high alcohol
content, balanced with a medium body. Fruity, floral and herbal character from hops of all origins may contribute character. The
style is further characterized by a moderate degree of caramel malt character and dark roasted malt flavor and aroma. High
astringency and high degree of burnt roast malt character should be absent. (i.e. stout or porter)
Original Gravity (ºPlato) 1.056-1.075 (14-18.2 ºPlato) ● Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato) 1.012-1.018 (3-4.5 ºPlato) ●
Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 5-6% (6 -7.5%) ● Bitterness (IBU) 50-70 ● Color SRM (EBC) 35+ (70+ EBC)

Was there this much of an uproar when people began brewing american brown ales? Why don't we just call hoppy Belgian beers tripels?  It is ok to have subtle differences in beers define a style.  Look at plant or animal species classifications, some species are only seperated by one gene that is different, but we don't try to lump them into the same category of species do we? No because they have subtle differences that make them unique.

The quote above was best;
Brew with style, not to style.

626

Beer Recipes / Re: How to classify a Black IPA for AHA competition?

« on: May 16, 2011, 07:55:11 pm »

It's usually either an American Stout or a Robust Porter.  Don't believe me?  Read the guidelines.  It should fit just fine into one or the other.

That may or may not be the case, but there is a DISTINCT difference between a stout, porter, and black IPA.  Don't believe me, taste them side by side.  Its not that the beers are hoppy or bitter, it is how you use the hops.  I have a RIS, robust porter, american stout, and black IPA on tap.  Flavor and aroma wise, they are all distinctly different!  Don't give me that BS that based on the style guidelines that a black IPA fits into an amerincan stout or porter, etc.  Stouts and porters are roast and malt forward, whereas a black IPA or whatever you want to call it is hop forward with some subtle roastiness. Don't believe me, read the Brewers Association guidelines.  We could go round and round about where a black IPA fits, there are also lots of other categories of beers that can fit into category A or B, but have there own category C.  I don't understand why everyone has such animosity towards black IPA being a style?  Seriously?  Is it that big of a deal?  Some people treat it as thought the decision is life or death or would create world peace! RDWHAHB people!!!!

627

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Sam Adams Noble Pils

« on: May 10, 2011, 12:34:05 pm »

Finally found a six pack of Noble Pils.  Very disappointed!  Absolute junk.  Then I noticed the best if consumed before May notch.  Bummer.  I was really looking forward to drinking this beer.  It tasted like Bud Dry. 

That seems a little harsh?  I have had great SA beers and bad SA beers.  However, I attribute most of the bad SA beers to improper handling, i.e., sitting on a warm shelf in the sunlight.  When Noble Pils is fresh and handled properly, it is hands down one of the better commericial pilsners on the market.  I would give it a second chance if you can find a fresh example.

628

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: WLP001 vs Wyeast

« on: May 10, 2011, 09:18:01 am »

To my knowledge the WLP810 (San Fran Lager) and the equivalent, WY2112 (California Lager), should be the strain from Anchor brewing used in the Anchor Steam, although Fritz hates to call it a lager yeast! Wyeast American Ale II is reportedly the ale strain Anchor uses to make Liberty ale.

629

The Pub / Re: Should I be allowed to drive drunk and or while drinking?

« on: May 09, 2011, 09:35:49 am »

This sounds like something destined to be up for the Darwin awards..........

630

Beer Recipes / Re: Imperial Red / Drake's Expedition - Advice needed

« on: May 05, 2011, 08:53:39 am »

I have never had a Drake's so I can't comment, but Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous is one of my all time favorites!

I would go with the chocolate malt IMHO, or you can blend the pale and regular chocolate malt 50/50.