By phlyingpenguin on January 14, 2010
We did the first batch I’ve done on the all grain setup on Tuesday. This is my Scottish 80/- Ale which (on paper) is accurate to BCJP standards. Since the recipe itself is very similar to the Kilt Remover recipe minus a whole lot of 2-row and DME, this batch is dubbed Skirt Remover. We’ve blindly come up with an OG of 1.052 which is 5 points off of the target so things should go well.
Batch 1 of Skirt Remover 80/-
| Selected Style and BJCP Guidelines |
9C-Scottish And Irish Ale-Scottish Export 80/-
| Minimum OG: |
1.040 SG |
Maximum OG: |
1.054 SG |
| Minimum FG: |
1.010 SG |
Maximum FG: |
1.016 SG |
| Minimum IBU: |
15 IBU |
Maximum IBU: |
30 IBU |
| Minimum Color: |
9.0 SRM |
Maximum Color: |
17.0 SRM |
| Target Wort Volume Before Boil: |
6.00 US gals |
Actual Wort Volume Before Boil: |
6.00 US gals |
| Target Wort Volume After Boil: |
5.50 US gals |
Actual Wort Volume After Boil: |
5.50 US gals |
| Target Volume Transferred: |
5.50 US gals |
Actual Volume Transferred: |
5.50 US gals |
| Target Volume At Pitching: |
5.50 US gals |
Actual Volume At Pitching: |
5.50 US gals |
| Target Volume Of Finished Beer: |
5.00 US gals |
Actual Volume Of Finished Beer: |
5.00 US gals |
| Target Pre-Boil Gravity: |
1.043 SG |
Actual Pre-Boil Gravity: |
-No Record- |
| Target OG: |
1.047 SG |
Actual OG: |
1.052 SG |
| Target FG: |
1.013 SG |
Actual FG: |
-No Record- |
| Target Apparent Attenuation:: |
70.9 % |
Actual Apparent Attenuation: |
100.0 % |
| Target ABV: |
4.5 % |
Actual ABV: |
6.9 % |
| Target ABW: |
3.5 % |
Actual ABW: |
5.5 % |
| Target IBU (using Tinseth): |
29.6 IBU |
Actual IBU: |
28.5 IBU |
| Target Color (using Morey): |
15.2 SRM |
Actual Color: |
15.2 SRM |
| Target Mash Efficiency: |
75.0 % |
Actual Mash Efficiency: |
0.0 % |
| Target Fermentation Temp: |
64 degF |
Actual Fermentation Temp: |
64 degF |
| Ingredient |
Amount |
% |
MCU |
When |
| UK Pale Ale Malt |
7lb 0oz |
73.7 % |
3.8 |
In Mash/Steeped |
| UK Medium Crystal |
1lb 0oz |
10.5 % |
10.9 |
In Mash/Steeped |
| UK Light Crystal |
1lb 0oz |
10.5 % |
7.7 |
In Mash/Steeped |
| UK Dark Crystal |
8.00 oz |
5.3 % |
7.0 |
In Mash/Steeped |
| Variety |
Alpha |
Amount |
IBU |
Form |
When |
| UK Golding |
5.5 % |
1.00 oz |
14.1 |
Loose Pellet Hops |
In Mash |
| UK Golding |
5.5 % |
1.00 oz |
15.5 |
Loose Pellet Hops |
30 Min From End |
Wyeast 1728-Scottish Ale
| Mash Type: |
Full Mash |
| Schedule Name: |
Single Step Infusion (66C/151F) |
| Step Type |
Temperature |
Duration |
| Rest at |
151 degF |
60 |
Posted in Beer Brewing | Tagged beer, brew night, recipe
By phlyingpenguin on January 3, 2010
I made (vinted?) a 5 gallon batch of Ripper Jack Ginger Ale (cider?) on New Year’s day. I’m still having trouble classifying this drink as either a cider, ginger ale, wine, or “other.” My take on the recipe basically scaled everything up (x5) except the sugar and the ginger. I miscalculated the sugar because Wolfram|Alpha assumed the wrong units when I was doing calculations, and there wasn’t enough ginger root at the store. So in the end, my version ended up being about 6.5 lbs. of sugar versus 8 lbs., and probably only 2/5 of the ginger that really should be in the batch. Useful notes for future fermentations of the stuff: food processor or magic bullet the ginger to save time chopping or grating.
As for the style, I changed yeast to Premier Cuvée (Red Star’s blue packet) as I believe it’s the yeast I used on my first run. I enjoy the dryness of my first run and it happens that Premier Cuvée is the only yeast I had on hand. With the sugar dialed back a bit, my starting sugars came out to 23% Brix, which should ferment out to a dry 13%. This is the first use of my refractometer, so I’m still looking for accurate calculations. It appears that 23% translates to a 1.097 starting gravity and using standard beer calculators, this indicates a 13% ABV.
- 2.5 gal. Apple Juice
- 5 cans Frozen Apple Juice Concentrate
- Water to 5 gal
- 6 cups Brown Sugar
- 5 lbs. White Sugar
- 5-10 Inches Grated/Pureed Ginger Root, Fresh
- 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
- 1 tsp Irish Moss (Optional)
- 1 package Yeast started in 1/2 gal. 0.060 white sugar must, Premier Cuvée
Posted in Beer Brewing | Tagged must, recipe
By phlyingpenguin on December 21, 2009
We brewed Cory’s historic recipe of an IPA last night based on this 1837 recipe. Our recipe scaled back the hops to 8oz. of fuggles and upped the aromatics to 2oz. of kent goldings. We kept the marris otter malt the same and brewed according to the recipe’s directions. I believe a White Labs English Ale yeast was pitched.
This brew was the first use of a brand new mash tun that seemed to do the job quite well. We’re looking forward to using that mash tun for the Epic Series since it’s 10 gallons and can hold the grain we need. Here’s to kicking off a great new series of beer.
Posted in Beer Brewing | Tagged beer, brew night, IPA, recipe
By phlyingpenguin on November 25, 2009
Bottled the cherry mead (11/25/09) and ended up with five bottles. That is all.
Posted in Meadmaking
By phlyingpenguin on November 23, 2009
Friday (11/20/09), Ross and I made a batch of mead each. I did a blend of dark raspberry honey and then a majority of clover. This blend was about 8 oz. of the raspberry honey and 40 oz. of clover. It’s possible that the clover amount was 8 oz. less than I think. I can’t really remember how much I put in. Unsurprisingly, the mead itself came out somewhat darker than a usual mead and smelled wonderful. The mead was pitched with pasteur champagne. I did not take a gravity reading, but I’m sure it’ll be alcoholic.
Meanwhile, we had a big fiasco installing a tap into the sink. Apparently the plumbing had been leaking all week and had to clean some of that out. The tap itself went in very well in place of one of those silly filtered water spigots. Here’s a photo of the happy owner:
Anonymous Coward showing off his new tap.
[Full Gallery]
Posted in Meadmaking | Tagged brew night, mead, Meadmaking, must, recipe
By phlyingpenguin on November 17, 2009
For kicks, I’m planning to make a champagne mead with a target of some Belgian beer bottles that I’ve got sitting about. I think there are 6 bottles available and I’m planning to get the plastic champagne corks and some cages. This mead is very plain, just bargain clover honey and water. From instructions on prepping for a proper champagne mead, I’m taking the advice on Mead Made Complicated and targeting a 1.085 gravity for 11% ABV. According to the site, 10-11% is real nice for the bubbly because of CO2 absorption rate and restarting the yeast in pre-fermented alcoholic environments. I don’t buy the absorption rate bit because the beer process is the same with lower ABV, but I thought it would be fun to play along and try to really nail a gravity target. I hit a temperature adjusted 1.075 with my first try and moved that up a bit with sugar syrup. The starting gravity should be fairly on target when I pitch the Premier Cuvée yeast. Other than honey and sugar, only the usual suspects of citric acid and irish moss are present.
Updated: Sometimes I even amaze myself. As of pitching I’m able to get a more trustable reading. It’s exactly 1.085, how awesome is that!? I added the perfect amount of sugar syrup to the mix and guestimated just what was going on with the gravity/heat differences as I was going. Awesome.
Meadmaking
Posted in Meadmaking | Tagged brew night, champagne mead, must, recipe
By phlyingpenguin on November 17, 2009
Sorry for the pun. With several meads in the end phase of their non-drinkable process, I’m finding that I really should have written down a few things that I’ve done during the ages with dates attached. I’ve tried analog journals no no avail so maybe I can do a little bit better here.
Here’s what’s gone down as of yesterday. I have three meads that are fully done fermenting and have been bulk ageing for about a year. One plain honey mead, one pomegranate melomel, and one cherry melomel. About a week ago, I racked all of these and added Super Kleer to ensure everything is as crystal clear as possible. Now, having no specific notes on some of these things, I had to do some quick thinking. I’m unsure if I’ve killed the yeast in these meads and wanted to backsugar the cherry melomel. In the end, I bottled the pomegranate melomel and decided to add sugar and rack the cherry concoction. The third and final mead had some bits floating when I added Super Kleer so I’m racking that and allowing it to sit one more week in hopes that it will finally be completely clear.
Tonight, I’ll be going for making a simple but very accurate 12% ABV mead that I’ll carbonate in champagne bottles.
Sorry for the pun. With several meads in the end phase of their non-drinkable process, I’m finding that I really should have written down a few things that I’ve done during the ages with dates attached. I’ve tried analog journals no no avail so maybe I can do a little bit better here.
Here’s what’s gone down as of yesterday. I have three meads that are fully done fermenting and have been bulk ageing for about a year. One plain honey mead, one pomegranate melomel, and one cherry melomel. About a week ago, I racked all of these and added Super Kleer to ensure everything is as crystal clear as possible. Now, having no specific notes on some of these things, I had to do some quick thinking. I’m unsure if I’ve killed the yeast in these meads and wanted to backsugar the cherry melomel. In the end, I bottled the pomegranate melomel and decided to add sugar and rack the cherry concoction. The third and final mead had some bits floating when I added Super Kleer so I’m racking that and allowing it to sit one more week in hopes that it will finally be completely clear.
Tonight, I’ll be going for making a simple but very accurate 12% ABV mead that I’ll carbonate in champagne bottles.
Posted in Meadmaking | Tagged finings, mead, Meadmaking, melomel