I set out to make a big beer since my RIS and barleywine supplies from last year's batches are getting low. This time I came up with more of a DIPA, although I htink with age it'll drink like a barleywine.
The grist for this 2gal batch is:
4lb Maris Otter
1lb wheat malt
1/2lb Victory
1/2lb Biscuit
1/2lb rye malt
1/2lb Crystal 60L
1/8lb Caramunich II
3/4lb sugar
Mashed at 150F-148F for 90min, batch sparged.
The hops schedule is:
2oz Magnum 90min
1oz mix of Willamette, Centennial, Summit and Cascade added at 15,5 and FO.
Did a 30min stand after flameout.
Yeast was a US05 yeast cake from a previous 3gal batch.
Everything went well enough, I hit 1.100 OG on the nose and got my 2gal. It went in the fermentor a week ago, I used a swamp cooler and ice bottles to keep the ferm temp in the low 60's. After six days the krausen had dropped so I brought it upstairs to warm it so it would attenuate to the maximum extent. Out of curiosity I checked FG today, it was surprisingly low at 1.015. I'm glad it isn't underattenuated, I was worried about using so much Victory and Biscuit (I didn't know they weren't considered base malts).
I tasted the SG sample and its hoppy to ay the least, very bitter with a citrusy flavor. It has the characteristic mouthfeel of a rye beer, thick and slippery. The alcohol is noticeable at this point, guess I have to expect that. I tried to detect diacetyl and/or fruity esters and didn't find any although in this hop bomb it's tough to find anything else. It'll be very interesting to see what carbonation and chilling do to the flavor of this beer.
I'm going to let this sit another week and bottle late next week. I'm half-tempted to keg just to get it "to market" faster, but this is no keg beer so bottling seems the only reasonable course of action.
Anyway, just wanted to crow about my first 100 beer, and my best attenuation of a big beer to date. Fred Bonjour's website was a big part of the success of this aspect of the brew. Cheers!
Topic: My First 1.100 Beer (Read 2342 times)
