Matthew's Brew Log

Belgian Pale

2010-03-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

This is my first attemt at this style and I'm lookng forward to it. I'm brewing it up tomorrow mornng.

Belgian Pale

Batch size	6 gallons
Boil size	8.2 gallons
Boil time	90 minutes
Grain weight	10.75 pounds
Efficiency	80%

Original gravity	1.053
Final gravity	1.012
Alcohol (by volume)	5.4%
Bitterness (IBU)	22
Color (SRM)	6.6°L

Yeast
2 liquid packs
White Labs WLP500	Trappist Ale

Grains/Extracts/Sugars
10.75 pounds
2 Row Base 37ppg, 1.5°L	10 pounds 93.0%
CaraMunich 34ppg, 50°L	0.75 pounds 7.0%

Hops
2 ounces
Saaz hops 4%, Pellet	2 ounces

Infusion Mash
60 minutes, 10.0 gallons
Strike Target 152°F	3.5 gallons 168°F 60 minutes (+0)
Sparge Target 165°F	6.5 gallons 173°F

Boil
90 minutes, 8.2 gallons
Saaz hops 4%, Pellet	2 ounces 60 minutes (+30)
Wort chiller	15 minutes (+75)

Ferment
14 days @ 65-72°F

Lil' Big Hop American Pale Ale

2010-02-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

Spring is coming and that means the AHA Nationals are fast approaching. With about a month and change to go, it's a perfect time to brew a hoppy pale ale. It should be nice and fresh for the first round of judging. Oh, and it'll be delicious when the weather starts to warm up a bit.

Li'l Big Hop

Batch size	6 gallons
Boil size	8.2 gallons
Boil time	90 minutes
Grain weight	11.25 pounds
Efficiency	80%

Original gravity	1.055
Final gravity	1.013
Alcohol (by volume)	5.5%
Bitterness (IBU)	38
Color (SRM)	5.9°L

Yeast
2 liquid packs
White Labs WLP001	California Ale

Grains/Extracts/Sugars
11.25 pounds
2 Row Base 37ppg, 1.5°L	9.5 pounds 84.4%
Crystal 10L 35ppg, 10°L	0.5 pounds 4.4%
Crystal 40L 34ppg, 40°L	0.5 pounds 4.4%
Munich (Light) 34ppg, 10°L	0.5 pounds 4.4%
CaraPils 33ppg, 1.5°L	0.25 pounds 2.2%

Hops
4.6 ounces
Columbus hops 13%, Pellet	2.6 ounces
Amarillo hops 8%, Pellet	2 ounces

Infusion Mash
60 minutes, 10.0 gallons
Strike Target 153°F	3.7 gallons 169°F 60 minutes (+0)
Sparge Target 165°F	6.4 gallons 173°F

Boil
90 minutes, 8.2 gallons
Columbus hops 13%, Pellet	0.6 ounces 60 minutes (+30)
Amarillo hops 8%, Pellet	1 ounce 30 minutes (+60)
Wort chiller	15 minutes (+75)
Amarillo hops 8%, Pellet	1 ounce 0 minutes (+90)

Ferment
14 days @ 68-73°F
Columbus hops 13%, Pellet	2 ounces 6 days (+8)

Goodbye to TheEremite

2010-01-30T13:26:00.000-08:00

I'm dropping TheEremite.com domain. I picked up TheHolderfields.com a while ago and I figured it would suit this brew log just fine. So, hence forth this blog will be known as Matthew's Brew log or, Beer.TheHolderfields.com. I'll see if I can keep the feed the same. Hopefully you won't have to update your readers. TheEremite.com will remain for a while and redirect to here until the domain expires, but update your bookmarks now because TheEremite's days are numbered.

Southern English Brown

2010-01-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

I've never brewed or drank a Southern English Brown and Milds aren't a favorite style of mine, but I've been on a small beer kick lately and I thought I'd like to make a malty but low gravity beer that tastes more substantial than you'd expect from a sub 4% beer. Maybe this will make me a fan of milds.

Southern English Brown

Batch size	6 gallons
Boil size	8.2 gallons
Boil time	90 minutes
Grain weight	8.5 pounds
Efficiency	70%

Original gravity	1.037
Final gravity	1.009
Alcohol (by volume)	3.7%
Bitterness (IBU)	14
Color (SRM)	26.5°L

Yeast
2 liquid packs
White Labs WLP001	California Ale

Grains/Extracts/Sugars
8.5 pounds
Maris Otter 38ppg, 4°L	6.88 pounds 80.9%
Carafa II 30ppg, 500°L	0.55 pounds 6.5%
Crystal 120L 33ppg, 120°L	0.55 pounds 6.5%
Special Roast 33ppg, 50°L	0.26 pounds 3.1%
Crystal 60L 34ppg, 60°L	0.26 pounds 3.1%

Hops
0.88 ounces
Goldings (Kent) hops 5%, Pellet	0.88 ounces

Infusion Mash
60 minutes, 9.7 gallons
Strike Target 154°F	2.6 gallons 170°F 60 minutes (+0)
Sparge Target 165°F	7.1 gallons 172°F

Boil
90 minutes, 8.2 gallons
Goldings (Kent) hops 5%, Pellet	0.88 ounces 60 minutes (+30)
Wort chiller	15 minutes (+75)

Ferment
14 days @ 68-73°F
I plan to ferment this thing at 68 for a week and then crash it to 55 for a few days before kegging.

A barleywine to sit on

2009-11-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

Sara drank the last of the barleywine I made about a year and a half ago, so it's time to make some more. I'm using the same basic recipe but I cut replaced the crystal 120 with crystal 40 to minimize the heavy fruity sweetness and get a little more toffee/caramel in there. I will also be aging it on heavy toast American Oak cubes.

I think if I want this one to last more than 2 years then I'm going to have to hide it from Sara.

Here's the rundown:

Batch size	6 gallons
Boil size	14 gallons
Boil time	300 minutes
Grain weight	26 pounds
Efficiency	70%

Original gravity	1.115
Final gravity	1.027
Alcohol (by volume)	11.5%
Bitterness (IBU)	80
Est. Color	15.0°L

Yeast
Leftover from a previously brewed Pale Ale
White Labs WLP001	California Ale

Grains
26 pounds
2 Row Base 37ppg, 1.5°L	23.5 pounds
Dry Sugar - Corn 42ppg, °L	1.25 pounds
Crystal 80L 34ppg, 80°L	0.5 pounds
Special B 30ppg, °L	0.25 pounds
Crystal 40L 34ppg, 40°L	0.25 pounds
Chocolate 29ppg, 350°L	0.25 pounds

Infusion Mash
60 minutes 17.9 gallons
Strike Target 148°F	7.8 gallons 164°F 60 minutes (+0)
Sparge Target 165°F	10.1 gallons 180°F

Hops & Boil
300 minutes, 14 gallons
Columbus 14%, Pellet	1.14 ounces 60 minutes (+240)
Amarillo 8%, Pellet	2 ounces 30 minutes (+270)
Wort chiller	15 minutes (+285)
Centennial 10%, Pellet	0.5 ounces 0 minutes (+300)
Cascade 6%, Pellet	2 ounces 0 minutes (+300)

Fermentation
21 days @ 66°F
Heavy Toast American Oak	2 ounces 4 days (+30)

Notes:
I'll be brewing this one up on Saturday and I'll it on the yeast cake from the Pale Ale I brewed a month or so ago. No sense in buying 5 packs of yeast. Oh, and the corn sugar doesn't get added until primary fermentation starts to die down ~5-7 days in.

The Bistro Wood Barrel Aged Beer Festival

2009-11-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

We went to check out the Barrel festival at The Bistro in Hayward last night and I thought I'd jot down a few of the honorable mentions. There were 65 selections on tap and we tasted about 15. My favorite stout of the lot was the 2008 Imperial Eclipse Stout from Fifty Fifty. It came in at 9.5% and was aged for 1 year in Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon barrels. Great stuff. Sierra Nevada also had a Scotch wee heavy that was aged for 7 months in Glengoyne Scotch barrels, which was aptly named, "Scotch on Scotch." I really wish I could aquire a few bottles of this one. Unfortunately, I didn't try any barleywines that blew my cap off.

There were, however, a few delightful surprises that we found a little ways off the well beaten path of bourbon barleywines and whisky imperial stouts. I am really impressed with Bear Republic. They have a ton of one off brews that are usually fantastic. We tasted Clobberskull, an "English Estate October Beer" which was brewed with 10% raw wheat and 10% split peas and rang in at 10.5% ABV. Tasted great. Lagunitas had a few odd balls too. "Cruisin' with Ruben & the Bretts on Cherries" was an Imperial Stout, soured and aged in a Heaven's Hill Bourbon barrel for a year with cacao nibs and cherries tossed in. It was a really interesting beer. I'm not sure I want a whole pint of it, but I really liked the small glass I had.

That's about it... until the Double IPA festival in February. See you there!

Pale Ale

2009-09-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here's the rundown:

Batch size	6 gallons
Boil size	8.2 gallons
Boil time	90 minutes
Grain weight	12 pounds
Efficiency	75%

Original gravity	1.055
Final gravity	1.013
Alcohol (by volume)	5.5%
Bitterness (IBU)	85
Est. Color	5.9°L

Yeast
1 liquid pack, 1 day starter
White Labs WLP001	California Ale

Grains
12 pounds
2 Row Base 37ppg, 1.5°L	10.2 pounds
Crystal 15L 34ppg, 15°L	0.5 pounds
Crystal 40L 33ppg, 40°L	0.5 pounds
Munich Malt 34ppg, 10°L	0.5 pounds
Cara-Pils 33ppg, 1.5°L	0.4 pounds

Infusion Mash
60 minutes 10.1 gallons
Strike Target 155°F	3.9 gallons 168°F 60 minutes (+0)
Sparge Target 165°F	6.2 gallons 172°F

Hops & Boil
90 minutes, 7.1 gallons
Columbus hops 13%, Pellet	0.3 ounces 60 minutes (+30)
Simcoe hops 13%, Pellet	2 ounces 30 minutes (+60)
Add wort chiller + Wirlflock	15 minutes (+75)
Simcoe hops 13%, Pellet	2 ounces 0 minutes (+90)

Fermentation
21 days @ 66°F
Amarillo Hops 8%, Pellet	2 ounces 4 days (+17)

Notes:
This beer has become somewhat of a staple in my diet... and I'm out. It's time to brew it up again.

Fall Bloom (quist) Scottish Red Ale

2009-08-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Something beautiful happens when good friends and good beer show up at the same place at the same time. The only problem, as I see it, is that good beer has a much shorter half life than good friends. It's a good thing we can re-brew good beer to keep sharing with our good friends!

Now, about that good beer...

I love malty Scottish beers. It might be a little hot right now in August, but Fall is right around the corner and there's nothing better than a great Scottish red ale when the days start to cool down. This beer is based heavily on my previously brewed "Scotch-ish ale" (which was basically stolen from Jamil Zainasheff) but slightly downsized to be a little more drinkable... and now it fits nicely into "Scottish Export 80/-" category.

I finished off the last bottle of Scotch-ish several months ago and I've been wanting to re-brew it ever since. This is one of the few beers that I really should have on hand nearly year round... but, like I said before, good beer has a short half life. And, that's why I was happy to hear that our good friends, the Blomquists requested a Scottish Red ale. They'll be helping us brew it up on the 22nd.

Here's the rundown:

Batch size	6 gallons
Boil size	7.1 gallons
Boil time	90 minutes
Grain weight	12.6 pounds
Efficiency	75%

Original gravity	1.058
Final gravity	1.016
Alcohol (by volume)	5.5%
Est. Color	16.8°L

Yeast
2 liquid packs
White Labs WLP028	Endinburgh Scottish Ale

Grains
12.6 pounds
Maris Otter 38ppg, 4°L	10 pounds
Crystal 40L 34ppg, 40°L	1 pounds
Crystal 120L 33ppg, 120°L	0.5 pounds
Honey Malt 30ppg, 20°L	0.5 pounds
Munich (Light) 34ppg, 10°L	0.5 pounds
Carafa Special II 30ppg, 500°L	0.1 pounds

Mash
60 minutes
Strike Target 156°F	4.1 gallons 172°F 60 minutes (+0)
Sparge Target 165°F	5.9 gallons 172°F

Hops & Boil
90 minutes, 7.1 gallons
Goldings (Kent) hops 5%, Pellet	1.5 ounces 60 minutes (+30)
Add wort chiller + Wirlflock	15 minutes (+75)

Ferment
2 months+
14 days+ 63°F 3 days 68-70°F 14 days + 55°F

Notes:

Fresh out of the fermenter. Lookin good and tasting great!

The goal here is to make a malty beverage that is drinkable but substantial. That means heavy caramel and some fruit flavors but still keep it refreshing, not too filling and not too much alcohol. We're mashing on the high side (156°F) to keep the body up and we'll use a slightly less attenuative, but clean fermenting yeast (WLP 028). We'll ferment cool (63°F) but do a diacetyl rest that will also let the yeast attenuate as far as they'll go and then cool condition it at 55°F for a month or more. This beer can sit on the shelf or in the closet for a long time before peaking. The last one lasted a few years and never started to decline (despite poor storage conditions and summers of 100+°F :/ ) This beer should mature, or "bloom" (ha hah, heh... hm...) in the Fall and will taste great all through Winter.

Samuel Adams Long Shot Results Are In!

2009-07-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Looks like my Simcoe Pale took first place in category 10 American Ale for the western region of the 2009 Samuel Adams Longshot competition. I didn't win best of show and so I won't be a contender for the 6 pack, but it sure feels good to win the category. I guess that recipe is a keeper.

BTW, congrats to Andy for winning a gold for his stout at the AHA last month. Go LBHB!

Stimulus Package Stout

2009-05-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

In honor of all the federal cheese that has recently been poured over GMC and GMAC in the recent months, I thought I'd brew up a giant Imperial Stout. Since they just got another check for 7.5 billion to save 'em from their self inflicted doom, I thought I'd make this beer as big and dark as possible. Rather than save me from death, this thing just may induce it. We're shooting for an OG of 1.113! Shazam.

here's the rundown:

Batch size	6 gallons
Boil size	12 gallons
Boil time	300 minutes
Grain weight	24 pounds
Efficiency	75%

Est. OG	1.113
Est. FG	1.027
Est. ABV	11.3%
Est. IBU	88
Est. SRM	36.4
Est. Color

Yeast
5 liquid packs
White Labs	California Ale WLP001

Grains
24 pounds
2 Row Base 37ppg, 1.5°L	15 pounds
Munich (Light) 34ppg, 10°L	5 pounds
Cane Sugar 45ppg, °L	2 pounds
Chocolate 29ppg, 350°L	1 pounds
Special B 30ppg, 150°L	0.5 pounds
Barley (Roasted) 28ppg, 500°L	0.25 pounds
Crystal 40L 34ppg, 40°L	0.25 pounds

Notes:

Mash
60 minutes
Strike Target 148°F	7.8 gallons 160°F 60 minutes
Sparge	8.8 gallons 165°F

Hops & Boil
300 minutes
Magnum hops 14%, Pellet	2 ounces 60 minutes (+240)
Columbus hops 13%, Pellet	2 ounces 30 minutes (+270)
Columbus hops 13%, Pellet	1 ounces 0 minutes (+300)

Ferment
14 days+

In order to dry out the beer as much as possible, I add the corn sugar at the peak of fermentation. For some reason, the yeast like to poop out early if there's too much sucrose in the wort at the beginning of fermentation. But, if they start chewing on the maltose from the beginning, then they'll eat everything to full attenuation.

Also, I'm pitching this thing on the yeast cake generated from my pale ale. That way there's no need to buy 5 vials of yeast.

By the way, I just started using BrewPal on my iphone to compose recipes. So far, I love it. It beats the pants off of any other mac application out there and it's much easier to use than promash. Plus, it sends me these nifty html formatted printouts of my recipes so I can post them on the blog.

UPDATE July 25, 2009:
I added a healthy portion of Peet's Garuda Espresso to taste. I'm going to let it settle for a few weeks before tasting it again. I have a feeling that the coffee aroma and flavor will fade a little over time. We'll see, but it tastes great now.

Simcoe Pale (Part Deux)

2009-05-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

I loved the last pale I brewed. The only minor complaint I had was that the finishing gravity was a little high (1.016). So I decided to brew this one again, mash a little colder and throw in some corn sugar to dry it out a little more. We'll see how it turns out.
Grain:
85% Pale American Malt (9.35 lb)
4% Crystal 10 (0.44 lb)
4% Crystal 40 (0.44 lb)
4% Munich Malt (0.44 lb)
3% Carapils (0.33 lb)

1/2 lb corn sugar added at the peak of fermentation.

Single Infusion Mash:
Saccharification rest at 153 degrees for 45 minutes.
Sparge at 165 degrees.

Boil:
90 min. boil

Hops:
0.3 oz Columbus added at 60 minutes.
0.5 oz Simcoe added at 30 minutes.
0.5 oz Simcoe added at knockout.
1 oz Simcoe dry added after primary fermentation.
1 oz Amarillo dry added after primary fermentation.

Yeast:
2 liters, 1 day starter of 1 vial of White Labs (WLP001) Cal Ale Yeast.

Predicted Original Specific Gravity:
1.054
I actually only hit 1.048 this time :/ The corn sugar should sort that out :)

Notes:
Ferment at 65 Degrees for one week or until primary fermentation dies down, bump the temperature slowly up to 68 for another two days and let it finish off. Then add the dry hops and crash the temp down to 45 for another week to let things settle before kegging.

Thoughts on "Beer Wars"

2009-04-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

So, I went to the movie last night. To be honest, I didn't really have high hopes. I was looking forward to it, mostly for the interviews, but I intentionally didn't read any of the blog-o-globe chat about the movie beforehand. I knew that sites like Beer Advocate and the Burgundian Babble Belt must be laden with head swelling opinions on the film's premise. Rather than adopt an opinion before seeing the film, I tried to keep an open mind.

Aside from seeming low-budget and a little hokey (I also cannot stand Ben Stein), I had a hard time getting swept away with the message, particularly because the writer/director/producer, Anat Baron, admittedly does not drink beer. How exactly does one advocate for craft beer if they don't even like craft beer? In fairness, she has worked in the malt beverage industry (I have a hard time calling Mike's hard lemonade "beer") and the film was presented largely from an industry perspective. But, apart from that I was left feeling a bit conflicted about the content of the film. The majority of the film was dedicated to excoriating Anheuser Busch for all the evils they commit and for the swill they produce. The end of the film did shed some light onto the insidious nature of Washington beer politics and how the "three tier system" is really just a tool to protect the big 3 (Anheuser Busch, Miller and Coors) and their distribution businesses. They also made some really compelling arguments about the over legislation and antiquated regulation of the industry, and showed that today the laws really only exist to limit the chances of success for smaller brew ops.

However, the vast majority of the film was dedicated to highlighting how terrible fizzy yellow beer tastes and how much better 'craft beers' are. I might agree that there is no comparison between Stone IPA and Bud light, but to be honest, I don't really care how small or large Stone's operation is. I do like supporting breweries where I know the brewmasters and owners and I really like the community of the craft beer movement, and I feel proud to support it. But, that doesn't make Budweiser any less of a beverage. I drink Stone IPA because it's a great beer, not because Greg Koch is cooler that August Busch. The truth is, AB makes a fine product at a fair price. Some people may not like it (though, I'd ask them to try and brew an American light lager as clean as Budweiser). I may even like 100 other beers far more than I like Bud, but that doesn't make AB evil. That just means that, in my opinion, Russian River, Pizza Port, Dogfish Head, Cantillon, and Hair of the Dog all make far superior products.

The other gripe I have with AB bashing is that nobody likes to point out all of the good that the company does for the industry. Places like the brewing program at UC Davis would not exist if it were not for Budweiser. AB has continued to keep brewing a science. While I will admit that in doing so, they've stripped the art completely out of their process, but in the same breath I have to give them credit for continuing to encourage and fund research into brewing practices and techniques.

In a nutshell, I don't really understand this whole "Beer War." If we're fighting against some archaic, mercantilistic legislation and business practices, then let me be the first to pick up arms. But, if we're fighting to promote snobby beer, then I think I'll sit this one out. I don't love a beer because someone tells me its great. I love great beer because it speaks to me the same way that a great meal or a great painting or a great film might. In my opinion, great beer doesn't need to proclaim its greatness. Great beer needs no explanations, and it surely should not need to be compared to Bud light for me to recognize its brilliance.

EDIT: I just have to add that I absolutely love Charlie Papazian. He was the best part of the movie IMO.

Beer Wars the documentary - April 16

2009-04-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

Is anybody else interested in attending a showing of a beer documentary? It's showing nationwide one day only, next week, Thursday, April 16. I'll be at Century 16 downtown Pleasant Hill theater at 8:00 pm. Wanna meet up for a beer before the movie? Shoot me a comment or an email!

Beer Wars website

The Bachelor (Belgian Single)

2009-03-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

What a great day. We had a bunch of folks over starting at 9 am through around 6 pm. People stopped by, helped with the brewing, drank some beer, ate some food, played with my dog and we ended up with 10 gallons of, what I think will be, some excellent summer belgian style beer. We hit all our numbers dead on and I think everyone either had a good time, learned a lot or both. We'll have to do something similar again... maybe we'll have a keg tapping party next time!

For an 11 Gallon Batch:

Grain:
89% Belgian Pils (16 lbs)
5.5% CaraVienne (1 lb)
5.5% Rolled Oats (1 lb)

Single Infusion Mash:
Saccharification rest at 66 degrees C (150 F) for an hour.
Sparge at 75 C (166 F).

Boil:
90 min. boil

Hops:
1.5 oz E.K. Goldings added at 60 minutes.
1.5 oz E.K. Goldings added at 30 minutes.
1 oz E.E. Goldings added at 15 minutes.

Yeast:
2 vials of White Labs (WLP530) Abbey Ale Yeast pitched into 5.5 gallons.
2 vials of White Labs (WLP550) Belgian Ale Yeast pitched into the other 5.5 gallons.

Predicted Original Specific Gravity:
1.048 (at 77% efficiency)

Notes:
Ferment at 20 C (68 F) for one week or until primary fermentation dies down, bump the temperature up to 22 C (72 F) for another few days and let it finish off. Then keg it up.

They both taste pretty good. The WLP530 is definitely more spicy and similar to Russian River Redemption while the WLP550 is much more fruity, but certainly not over the top. Oh, and the lacing isn't bad either. Check out the pic.

Garuda (Espresso) Porter

2009-02-25T15:51:00.000-08:00

I'm having a brew party coming up pretty soon, so I thought the wife and I should brew up something fresh for everyone to taste when they arrive at our place to mash in with us bright and early on a Saturday morning. What could be better than a coffee porter to wake everyone up?

I've had a few email requests to post the weights of grain I'm using in these recipes. I usually get right around 75% efficiency in my mash tun, so if your system hits right around there too, then go ahead and try the same numbers. If you get a higher or lower efficiency, then you'll need to adjust the amount of grain you're adding. If you only want to brew 5 gallons, then half everything and you'll hit 5.5 gallons. So, from now on I'll try to remember the weights and the %s in each post.

For an 11 Gallon Batch:

Grain:
76% British Pale Malt (19.8 lbs)
9% Munich (2.3 lbs)
9% Crystal 40 (2.3lbs)
3% Carafa II (.78 lb)
3% Chocolate Malt (.78 lb)

Single Infusion Mash:
Saccharification rest at 68 degrees C (155 F) for an hour.
Sparge at 75 C (166 F).

Boil:
90 min. boil

Hops:
2 oz E.K. Goldings added at 60 minutes.
2 oz Cascades added at knockout.

Yeast:
2.5 liter, 2 day starter of 2 vials of White Labs (WLP001) Cal Ale Yeast.

Predicted Original Specific Gravity:
1.065

Notes:
Ferment at 18 C (65 F) for one week or until primary fermentation dies down, bump the temperature up to 21 C (70 F) for another few days and let it finish off. Then keg it up and add 1 oz/gal of Peets Garuda Espresso (my favorite espresso in the world).

UGH. That was the most disastrous brew session I've had in a long time. For some reason I ended up with about 40% efficiency. I think there must have been a portion of the mash that got itself stuck during sparge and it ended up channeling. I don't know, but I stopped the sparge at around 9 gallons and ended up with 7 in the end and hit about 1.061 OG. I adjusted the hop schedule accordingly, but at the last 15 minutes of the boil I ran out of propane. So... it might be a little low on IBUs. With all that said, it smells great and will probably turn out to be a fine, drinkable beer. But, what a mess of a brew day. I hope the next session goes a little more smooth.

EDIT: I screwed up the numbers... new weights, total grain should equal 26 lbs for 11 gal (not the previously posted 32! :)

Celebrator Best of the West Beer Fest

2009-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

The bad news is that this is the first time in 3 or 4 years that we will not be attending the Toronado Barleywine Festival. The good news is that we will be attending 2 other beer events this week:
Tuesday the 10th is the Russian River night at Toronado, hosted by Vinnie Cilurzo.

Friday/Saturday the 13/14th is the Barleywine fest (which we won't attend).. :(

Then, on Sunday the 15th Celebrator magazine is hosting the 2nd annual "Best of the West Beerfest" at the Oakland Convention Center (Marriott Hotel). I didn't go last year but heard it was a hoot. Should be fun.

Join us if you can!

Simcoe Pale

2009-02-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

Sara and I bought a new house! so the brewing has gone on the back burner again for a while. But, I'm back at it and thought I'd brew another pale ale. Due to the hop shortage this year, I had to adjust my recipe. I happened to have a little amarillo left over so I'll use some of that for the dry hopping, but I had to substitute simcoe for a lot of the other hopping schedule. So, it'll taste quite a bit different. It should have more of a piney aroma and flavor and less of the grapefruit that amarillo contributes. Amarillo is by far my favorite aroma hop, but this should turn out just fine.

Grain:
85% Pale American Malt
3% Carapils
4% Crystal 15
4% Crystal 35
4% Munich Malt

Single Infusion Mash:
Saccharification rest at 155 degrees for 45 minutes.
Sparge at 165 degrees.

Boil:
90 min. boil

Hops:
0.6 oz Columbus added at 60 minutes.
0.5 oz Simcoe added at 30 minutes.
0.5 oz Simcoe added at knockout.
1 oz Simcoe dry added after primary fermentation.
0.5 oz Amarillo dry added after primary fermentation.

Yeast:
1 liter, 1 day starter of 2 vials of White Labs (WLP001) Cal Ale Yeast.

Predicted Original Specific Gravity:
1.054

Notes:
Ferment at 65 Degrees for one week or until primary fermentation dies down, bump the temperature up to 70 for another two days and let it finish off. Then add the dry hops and drop the temp down to below 60 for another week to let things settle before kegging.

2009 National Homebrewer's Confrence in Oakland

2008-12-31T15:36:00.001-08:00

I just bought our tickets! Head over to beertown.org and register. It's not too often that the biggest homebrew event of the year is right in your back yard. See you there.

Kumquat Saison

2008-06-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

It's summer time and I've been craving something flavorful, but not sweet. I love a good, dry saison. And, if you haven't had a Fantôme Saison, then go out and find one. It's one of the best beers I've ever enjoyed. It's dry, crisp, and it has a great tangy citrus, lemon quality to it that I've never had in another beer. With that as my inspiration, I set out to brew another saison. While I was mulling this over, I happened to be house sitting for a friend of mine who has a kumquat tree on her front porch. So, picked them all off her tree, put them through a food processor and dumped it into the beer. Mmmm, tangy!

Julian and I brewed this beer before. It never dried out as much as we wanted, but the basic flavors were good. So, I used it as a starting point. Here it is again:

Grain:
76% Belgian pils
11.5% Wheat malt
4% Caravienne
8.5% dextrose.

Single Infusion Mash:
148 degrees for 1 hour
Sparge at 165 degrees.

Boil:
90 min. boil

Hops:
E.K. Goldings hops totaling about 30 IBUs.

Yeast:
A 3 day starter of White Labs WLP565 saison yeast.

Predicted Original Specific Gravity:
1.064

Notes:
Ferment at 80-90 degrees!

UPDATE 6/29 - After fermentation completed I pitched in a packet of Wyeast Rosilaire blend and about 2 cups of processed kumquats, skin and all. That should dry it out and tart it up a bit.

UPDATE 7/20 - Tastes fantastic. It has a wonderful kumquat nose. The rind comes through more in the beer than it does even just eating a kumquat, but it's very nice. It smells slightly of orange, but much more interesting. I love the kumquat. The sour bugs don't really come through, but it's a little earthy and bretty. And, wow is it dry. It finished out at 1.011 you can't ask for much more than that.

Caramello Barleywine

2008-03-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

I was so overwhelmed by the bourbon aged Angel's Share from Lost Abbey, that I had to brew something in that spirit. It's a very malty barleywine that's heavy on the roasted malt and has a huge vanilla and caramel nose. After brewing this, I think the only thing I'd change is the oak I used. I used medium toast American oak chips on the advice from the folks at Beer, Beer, and More Beer. I think I'll use only heavy toast from now on. To my understanding, that's what gives that vanilla aroma associated with bourbons and that's why those barrels are used. At any rate, this beer tastes great. Caramel heaven. The carbonation is still a little low, as you can see in the pic, and it was tough to show the ruby highlights. I did my best with my cell phone, but it's really a beautiful beer... I'll try to update it later.

Grain:
90% English Pale Malt
5% Corn Sugar
2% Crystal 75
2% Special B
1% Chocolate

Step Infusion Mash:
140 degrees for 15 minutes.
150 degrees for 45 minutes.
Sparge at 165 degrees.

Boil:
5.5 hour boil

Hops:
Magnum hops totaling 100-ish IBUs added at 60 minutes.
1.5 oz Centennial added at knockout.

Yeast:
I pitched this onto the 2 week-old cake of WLP-001 from a pale I made previously.

Predicted Original Specific Gravity:
1.120
I hit 1.123

Notes:
Ferment at 67 degrees for 2-3 weeks and bump it up to 70 when fermentation starts to slow down. When it's pretty much finished out, pitch in some medium toast American oak chips. I let the oak sit for 3 days before kegging. Mine finished out at 1.037, which is higher than I had hoped, but I didn't use O2. I'll have to invest in some oxygen for the next beer I do this large to try to get it down to 1.025 hopefully.

NorCal Pale Ale

2008-03-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

I'm back from a short hiatus after moving from So California up to the East Bay Area. The brewery is back in business and this time my dad helped out. We brewed up 5 gal of a hoppy pale ale.

Grain:
85% Pale American Malt
3% Carapils
4% Crystal 15
4% Crystal 35
4% Munich Malt

Single Infusion Mash:
Saccharification rest at 155 degrees for 45 minutes.
Sparge at 165 degrees.

Boil:
90 min. boil

Hops:
0.6 oz Columbus added at 60 minutes.
0.5 oz Centennial added at 30 minutes.
0.5 oz Amarillo added at knockout.
2 oz Amarillo dry added after primary fermentation.

Yeast:
2 vials of White Labs (WLP001) Cal Ale Yeast.

Predicted Original Specific Gravity:
1.054

Notes:
Thanks for the recipe Julez.

HUGE Amarillo nose. It smells and tastes a bit like an IPA. I think I'll dial back the hops a bit for next go around, but it tastes great.

Barleywine is for Lovers 2008

2008-02-25T15:04:00.008-08:00

Each year, the Toronado in San Francisco hosts a battle of barleywines. 55 beers were served this year. According to the judges, Lagunitas took home a gold, Stone with a silver and Firestone had the bronze. I'm not going to go into as much detail as I did 2 years ago. I'll just hit a few highlights.

There were a lot of good beers there this year. There was only one bad in the whole lot from "Devil Mountain." The brewery is defunct and the keg was too. It was soured, fungal and somewhat fecal according to some. It was a total dumper. The rest were good on their own, but most seemed a little lack luster compared to just a few.

My personal favorite beer of the day was the Lost Abbey Angel Share 2006. Wow, what an oakey caramel, chocolate delight. I doubt I'll have another chance to taste that one again, though I do have 2 bottles of the 07 in storage thanks to Julian. The only possible complaint in this beer may be that it could be slightly off style according to BJCP. Oh well... it's damn near perfect the way it is. Next to that, I really enjoyed the Schooner's Barleywine. Also very oakey, vanilla and caramel and a little winey. Also possibly off style, but again, who cares?

I also enjoyed one from Lagunitas. It was very hoppy for a barleywine, but fantastic. And, back to the oakey, the Firestone Walker was top notch. Very clean and somewhat less complex than the Lost Abbey or Schooner's, but it certainly stood out.

There were a few others I really liked, but who wants to read about beer? Grab a glass if you can, or just check out the pictures if you're at work or something.

By the way, Julian Shrago brought a couple homebrews to share at the fest (see the last pic). He had a bourbon barleywine and an oaked Imperial Stout. Both of which easily stood up to the best of the beers at the fest. Watch out for that guy. He'll be opening a brewery sometime in the next few years. He's calling it "Bellwether." Good stuff.

Thesis

2007-12-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

My dissertation is done, I've defended my work and UCI just deemed me a Dr. So, it's time to brew up a big and bold beer. I've been thinking of something along these lines for a while. I took my Russian Imperial Stout recipe, and cut back on the roasted malts, added a little oatmeal, and then I'm going to sour it. You can think of it as an imperial Oud Brun, or a sour Belgian Stout. I call it "thesis."

Grain:
71% Pale English Malt
7.5% Special B
5% Crystal 120
5% Rolled Oats
5% Corn Sugar
4% Cara Munich
1.5% Chocolate Malt
1% Roasted Barley

Step Infusion Mash:
Protein rest at 120 degrees for 20 minutes.
Saccharification rest at 147 degrees for 45 minutes.
Sparge at 165 degrees.

Boil:
180 min. boil

Hops:
Hallertauer hops totaling 36 IBUs added at 60 minutes.

Yeast:
A 2 day starter of White Labs (WLP001) Cal Ale Yeast. I propped up 2 vials in 3 liters on a stir plate for 2 days before cooling in the fridge overnight, decanting and pitching into the remaining wort. I'll let this finish out before adding some Brett. and Lacto in the secondary.

Predicted Original Specific Gravity:
1.095

Notes:
Ferment for 2-3 weeks before transfering onto the Brett cake left over from my Lambic I brewed last month. And then I'll let it sit for another few weeks before kegging it up and letting it sit for a year or two.

EDIT 12.30.2007: I transfered the beer onto a cake of brett left over from my lambic. I also added a little of the dregs from the lacto I added to the lambic. I hope this thing sours up a little over time. It was tasting a little hot and fuselly. Time may fix that. I'll keg it up in a little while and then let it sit for a few years.

Lambicus Deliciousis

2007-11-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

Another brew concocted by Julian and brewed on his system. We brewed up 15 gallons and split it 3 ways between him, Andy and I. We'll see how she turns out in a year or two.

Grain:
57% Pilsner malt
33% Wheat malt
5% Acidulated malt
5% Rolled oats

Single Infusion Mash:
148 degrees for 1 hour
Sparge at 165 degrees.

Boil:
90 min. boil

Hops:
Saaz hops totaling 15 IBUs... I think.

Yeast:
A 10 day starter of White Labs (WLP650) Brettanomyces bruxellensis yeast. I propped up 1 vial in 1 liter on a stir plate for 3 days, then bumped up to 3 liters for another week before decanting and pitching into the wort.

Predicted Original Specific Gravity:
1.047

Notes:
Fermented outside on the patio, it has been about 65 degrees lately. I'm going to pitch in some lactobacillus and some fruit at some point down the road. Maybe some cherries unless something at the farmers market catches my eye.

EDIT 12.30.2007: I was on I5 Friday and I stopped at a small market in the middle of central California. There were tons of packages of dried fruit for sale and I bought 2 pounds of dried plums that I pitched into the beer when I got home. I also added a package of WYeast Lacobacillus. MMM plubmic.

Scottish-ish ale

2007-09-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a lot about Scottish and Scotch ales lately. To be honest I still don't understand the difference between the two. I do know that Scotch ale is supposed to be the strong version of a Scottish ale, and a Scottish ale is supposed to be a malty meal of a beer, but somewhat lower in octane. Maybe it's the scientist in me, but I'm a little confused at the point that a Scottish ale becomes a Scotch ale. When I look at the BJCP guidelines there's a surprising gap in original gravities between the "Scottish Export 80 Shilling Ale" topping at 1.054 and the heafty "Scotch Strong Ale" which ranges from 1.070-1.130. So, I'm left wondering what a beer would be if I stuck to the Scottish ale grain bill but brewed a beer somewhat stronger than the guidelines. I guess it might be Scottish-ish... or is it Scotch-ish? I dunno.

Grain:
80% Marris Otter English Pale 2-Row
4% Munich Malt
4% Honey Malt
7% Crystal 35
4% Crystal 120
1% Chocolate Malt

Single Infusion Mash:
156 degrees for 1 hour
Sparge at 170 degrees.

Boil:
120 min. boil

Hops:
E.K. Goldings hops totaling 25 IBUs. added at 60 min. (somewhere around 1 oz. for 5 gal.)

Yeast:
A 3 day starter of White Labs WLP028 Edinburgh Scottish Ale Yeast.

Original Specific Gravity:
1.062

Notes:
Ferment at 63 degrees and then condition at 40 degrees for 2 weeks.