Spring Wit

It has been a long time... too long. But, we've been busy with work house, family, oh and Sara gave birth to our son. So, there has been that. Things have settled down a little, enough for me to brew a beer. Spring is here and I think a Wit is in order.

The Numbers:
Batch size: 11 gallons
Boil size: 13.5 gallons
Boil time: 90 minutes
Grain weight: 16.75 pounds
Efficiency: 90%
Original gravity: 1.046
Final gravity: 1.010
Alcohol (by volume): 4.7%
Bitterness (IBU): 11
Color (SRM): 2.5° L  ___

Grain:

43.1% Belgian Pilsen (7 lbs)

43.1% White Wheat (7 lbs)

6.2% Rolled Oats (toasted) (1 lbs)

6.2% Rice Hulls (1 lbs)
1.5% Acidulated Malt (0.25 lbs)

Single Decoction Mash:

Protein rest at 125° F for 15 min.

Saccharification rest at 148° F for 45 min.
Sparge at 168° F.

Hops and Boil:

90 min. boil.

1.5 oz Saaz (5.8% aa) at 30 minutes.
0.5 oz Saaz (5.8% aa) at knockout.
1 oz Ground Coriander at knockout.

2 cups Grapefruit, Lemon and Clementine Zest

Yeast:

2 day starter of 2 liters + 2 vials of White Labs (WLP400) Belgian Wit Yeast.

Notes:

Ferment at 65° F for one week or until fermentation completes.  In the last two days of fermentation increase temperature to 70° F.  Crash cool to 38° F before kegging.

Berliner Weisse - Batch 0

It's summer time and we need something refreshing on a 100° F day. I've never made one before, so this is kind of an experiment, but I think a 3.5% ABV Berliner Weisse will hit the spot.  I'll be doing a sour mash.  So, I'll do a primary lactic fermentation for a few days before continuing with the boil.  Lactobacillus from the grain will ferment some of the sugars in the grist, souring the wort.  Then, the boil will kill the bacteria before the yeast gets pitched in to finish the fermentation... that's the idea anyway.  We'll see how it goes.

The Numbers:
Batch size: 11 gallons
Boil size: 11.9 gallons
Boil time: 20 minutes
Grain weight: 11.75 pounds
Efficiency: 90%
Original gravity: 1.034
Final gravity: 1.007
Alcohol (by volume): 3.5%
Bitterness (IBU): 9
Color (SRM): 2.1° L  ___

Grain:

51.1% Belgian Pilsen (6 lbs)

42.6% Wheat (5 lbs)

2.1% Munich (Light) (0.25 lbs)

4.3% Rice Hulls (0.5 lbs) 

Single Infusion Mash:

Saccharification rest at 148° F for 45 min.

Sparge at 168° F.

Hops and Boil:

90 min. boil.

2 oz Hallertauer (5% aa) at 15 minutes.

Yeast:

2 day starter of 1 liter + 1 vial of White Labs (WLP029) German Ale/Kolsch.

Notes:

Steep the grains, and then bring the grist temperature down to 100° F and add 1 hand full of fresh, dry grain and keep at 100° F for 48 hours.  After 2 days sparge grain and continue with the 20 minute boil, add hops, cool and add the yeast.  Ferment at 65° F for another week or until fermentation completes.  In the last two days of fermentation increase temperature to 70° F.  Crash cool to 38° F before kegging.

OPA (Oakland Pale Ale)

Here it is, the second beer for Dana and Erica's wedding. The idea was to make a full flavored hoppy California pale ale/IPA but keep the alcohol low, below 5%. It is the same grain bill as my Lil' Big Hop, but I couldn't find any simcoe hops, and I lowered the gravity a bit. I think it turned out nicely.

The Numbers:
Batch size: 13 gallons
Boil size: 15.3 gallons
Boil time: 90 minutes
Grain weight: 17.75 pounds
Efficiency: 90%
Original gravity: 1.047
Final gravity: 1.009
Alcohol (by volume): 4.9%
Bitterness (IBU): 34
Color (SRM): 4.8°L  ___

Grain:
84.5% American 2 Row (15 lbs)
4.2% Crystal 10L (.75 lbs)
4.2% Munich (Light) (0.75 lbs)
4.2% Crystal 40L (0.75 lbs)
2.8% CaraPils (0.5 lbs) 

Single Infusion Mash:

Saccharification rest at 152 F for 45 min.

Sparge at 168 F.

Hops and Boil:

90 min. boil

1 oz Columbus (13% aa) at 60 minutes.

1 oz Columbus (13% aa) at 30 minutes.
2 oz Centenial (10.3% aa) at knockout.

2 oz Amarillo dry hop for 7 days.
2 oz Centennial dry hop for 7 days.

Yeast:

2 day starter of 2 liters + 2 vials of White Labs (WLP001) California Ale Yeast.

Notes:

Ferment at 65° F and slowly bring it up to 68° F after 36 hours.  After 1 week and fermentation completes, cold crash to 38° F and add dry hops for an additional 7 days of conditioning before kegging.

Darica

My good friends Erica and Dana are gettin' hitched and they requested some homebrew for the affair. It should be a fun day.  I'm looking forward to this one.  Easy drinking, light, frefreshing and it should taste great around mid June.

The Numbers:
Batch size: 11 gallons
Boil size: 13.5 gallons
Boil time: 90 minutes
Grain weight: 15.25 pounds
Efficiency: 90%
Original gravity: 1.054
Final gravity: 1.010
Alcohol (by volume): 5.8%
Bitterness (IBU): 24
Color (SRM): 2.8°L  ___

Grain:
84.5% Belgian Pilsner (15 lbs)
1.4% CaraMunich (.25 lbs)
14.1% Cane Sugar (2.5 lb)

Single Infusion Mash:

Saccharification rest at 152 F for 45 min.

Sparge at 168 F.

Hops and Boil:

90 min. boil

4 oz Styrian Goldings (3.4% aa) at 60 minutes.

4 oz Saaz (4% aa) at knockout.

Yeast:

2 day starter of 2 liters + 2 vials of White Labs (WLP570) Belgian Golden Ale Yeast.

Notes:

Ferment at 68° F and slowly bring it up to 72° F after 36 hours. Add corn sugar at high krausen.

Perfecting the Porter

Sara brewed 2 robust porters last go around.  We liked the Cal ale version much better than the English version, though both were underattenuated.  So, with a few slight adjustments to increase fermentablility and a healthy pitch of WLP001, this beer should be a winner.  We split the base malt about 50:50 between Marris Otter and American 2-Row and reduced the chocolate malt just a touch.  We're also planning to mash at 150° F rather than 152° F.  All of those adjustments should help with the fermentablility of the wort and make the beer a little less sweet.  After we pitch the yeast we are going to ferment at 65° F for 3 days and then finish it off at 70° F, again to make sure those yeasties eat as much sugar as they can take.

Oh yeah, I also have a brand spankin' new conical fermenter, so we'll be giving that thing a test run too!  Check it out:

The Numbers:
Batch size: 11 gallons
Boil size: 13.5 gallons
Boil time: 90 minutes
Grain weight: 22.75 pounds
Efficiency: 80%
Original gravity: 1.060
Final gravity: 1.012
Alcohol (by volume): 6.3%
Bitterness (IBU): 26
Color (SRM): 29.6°L  ___

Grain:

44% Maris Otter (10 lbs)

39.6% American 2-Row (9 lbs)

8.8% Crystal 40 (2 lbs)

4.4% Chocolate (1 lbs)

3.3% Black Patent (.75 lbs)

Single Infusion Mash:

Saccharification rest at 150 F for 45 min.

Sparge at 168 F.

Hops and Boil:

90 min. boil

2 oz E.K. Goldings (6.7% aa) at 60 minutes.

2 oz Fuggles (5% aa) at 15 minutes.

2 oz E.K. Goldings (6.7% aa) at knockout.

Yeast:

2 day starter of 2.25 liters + 2 vials of White Labs (WLP001) California Ale Yeast.

Notes:

Ferment at 65° F and slowly bring it up to 70° F after 36 hours.