Brew Day: 9-04-09 - Northwest Blonde Ale

Shooting for a crisp hoppy light colored ale, with a medium-body. Will probably dry hop with some Amarillo and Goldings.

First Wort Hopping for some extra hop flavor.





Recipe Overview
Wort Volume Before Boil: 7.25 US gals Wort Volume After Boil: 6.00 US gals
Volume Transferred: 6.00 US gals Water Added To Fermenter: 0.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 5.50 US gals Volume Of Finished Beer: 5.50 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.047 SG Expected OG: 1.057 SG
Expected FG: 1.016 SG Apparent Attenuation: 71.1 %
Expected ABV: 5.1 % Expected ABW: 4.0 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 60.0 IBU Expected Color (using Morey): 5.6 SRM
BU:GU ratio: 1.06 Approx Color:
Mash Efficiency: 82.0 %
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 69 degF

Grain bill:

US 2-Row Malt 7.62 lb 69.0 %
UK Pale Ale Malt 2.79 lb 25.3 %
German Sauer(Acid) Malt 0.25 lb 2.3 %
Belgian Caramel Munich Malt 60 0.19 lb 1.7 %
US Caramel 40L Malt 0.19 lb 1.7 % 1.3

Hops

US Amarillo 7.5 % 0.50 oz 13.2 Loose Pellet Hops First Wort Hopped
UK Golding 4.5 % 0.50 oz 7.9 Loose Pellet Hops First Wort Hopped
US Amarillo 7.5 % 1.00 oz 21.7 Loose Pellet Hops 60 Min From End
UK Golding 4.5 % 1.00 oz 13.0 Loose Pellet Hops 60 Min From End
US Amarillo 7.5 % 1.00 oz 0.0 Loose Pellet Hops At turn off
UK Golding 4.5 % 1.00 oz 0.0 Loose Pellet Hops At turn off


Yeast
Wyeast 1332-Northwest Ale -re-pitch starter from smoked ale.

Water Profile -Austin water with 7.5g of gypsum (and acid malt to lower ph)

Total Calcium (ppm): 126 Total Magnesium (ppm): 20
Total Sodium (ppm): 0 Total Sulfate (ppm): 244
Total Chloride(ppm): 29 Total Bicarbonate (ppm): 184

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (68C/154F)
Step Type Temperature Duration
Rest at 157 degF 60

Recipe Notes
7.5g gypsum in mash water
mash in 14 qts of 168 deg water, settled at 157

Getting a nice rolling boil.

Belgian Summer Saison with slight lactic.

Love the color on this beer. One pound of acid malt gives a nice lactic touch.

Recipe Overview
Wort Volume Before Boil: 7.00 US gals Wort Volume After Boil: 5.80 US gals
Volume Transferred: 5.50 US gals Water Added To Fermenter: 0.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 5.50 US gals Volume Of Finished Beer: 5.50 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.043 SG Expected OG: 1.052 SG
Expected FG: 1.011 SG Apparent Attenuation: 77.4 %
Expected ABV: 5.4 % Expected ABW: 4.2 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 30.0 IBU Expected Color (using Morey): 7.6 SRM
BU:GU ratio: 0.58 Approx Color:
Mash Efficiency: 77.0 %
Boil Duration: 70.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 72 degF


Ingredient Amount % MCU When
US 2-Row Malt 7.75 lb 72.1 %
German Sauer(Acid) Malt 1.00 lb 9.3 %
German Vienna Malt 1.00 lb 9.3 %
Belgian Cara 20 Malt 0.50 lb 4.7 %
UK Medium Crystal 0.50 lb 4.7 % 5.2

Hops
Variety Alpha Amount IBU Form When
Czech Saaz 3.1 % 0.67 oz 7.5 Loose Pellet Hops First Wort Hopped
German Perle 8.2 % 0.67 oz 19.1 Loose Pellet Hops 60 Min From End
US Sterling 6.0 % 0.33 oz 3.4 Loose Pellet Hops 15 Min From End

Other Ingredients
Ingredient Amount When
Irish Moss 0.11 oz In Boil

Yeast
White Labs WLP400-Belgian Wit Ale
Water Profile
Target Profile: Antwerp (BE)

Total Calcium (ppm): 41 Total Magnesium (ppm): 20
Total Sodium (ppm): 0 Total Sulfate (ppm): 23
Total Chloride(ppm): 29 Total Bicarbonate (ppm): 184

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (156F)
Step Type Temperature Duration

mash in with 13 quarts at 170 - settled at 156 deg.


Cooled to 100 with outside hose in 10 minutes, then 65 deg in another 5 minutes with re-
circulating ice -water - whirlpool method for quick cooling.


Yeast slurry starter from previous Wit primary - at 4pm on 8/15.
5.5 gal at 1.052.
Ferment temp 71.5
8/16 temp 70, added blow off tube, active yeast!

Racked to keg for secondary, at 1.027 on 8/21 - 6pm ( after 6 days in primary) - clean, malty fruity
aroma/flavor. Released keg pressure every day or so.

Moved to cold conditioning 8/28 (day 13), attached CO2 at 20lbs for 44 degrees.

9/4 - almost fully carbonated, sample, mildly hazy orange color, nice white head, some fruity peach and passionfruit notes, medium-bodied, clean bitterness, some residual sweetness.

Brew Day 8-30-09 Cherrywood Smoked Brown Ale

Cherrywood Smoked Brown Ale


Recipe Overview
Wort Volume Before Boil: 7.25 US gals Wort Volume After Boil: 6.00 US gals
Volume Transferred: 6.00 US gals Water Added To Fermenter: 0.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 6.00 US gals Volume Of Finished Beer: 6.00 US gals
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.044
Staring Gravity: 1.053 SG
Expected FG: 1.016 SG
Apparent Attenuation: 69.0 %
Expected ABV: 4.9 % Expected ABW: 3.8 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 24.7 IBU
Expected Color (using Morey): 27.8 SRM
BU:GU ratio: 0.47 Approx Color:
Mash Efficiency: 80.0 %
Boil Duration: 80.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 69.5 degF
Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % MCU When
Cherrywood (home) Smoked Malt 5.81 lb 53.4 %
Marris Otter Pale Malt 2.00 lb 18.4 %
US Caramel 60L Malt 1.05 lb 9.7 %
German Munich Malt 0.94 lb 8.6 %
UK Brown Malt 0.44 lb 4.0 %
German Carafa III 0.38 lb 3.5 %
UK Chocolate Malt 0.25 lb 2.3 %
Hops
Variety Alpha Amount IBU Form When
German Northern Brewer 7.4 % 0.75 oz 19.6 Loose Pellet Hops 80 Min From End
German Northern Brewer 7.4 % 0.25 oz 5.1 Loose Pellet Hops 35 Min From End
Other Ingredients
Ingredient Amount When
Yeast
Wyeast 1332-Northwest Ale
Water Profile: Austin Tap (treated with Campden tabs to remove Chloramine)
Mash pH: 5.2
pH Adjusted with: n/a dark malts compensate for high bi-carbonate levels
Total Calcium (ppm): 41 Total Magnesium (ppm): 20
Total Sodium (ppm): 0 Total Sulfate (ppm): 23
Total Chloride(ppm): 29 Total Bicarbonate (ppm): 184
Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (66C/151F)
Step Type Temperature Duration
Rest at 151 degF 60

Recipe Notes
Aiming for a moderately sweet, light bodied ale, with a substantial level of smokiness (should
dominate the flavor), and complex malt profile. Just enough hops and dark malt to provide a
balance of bitterness. De-bittered malt to add color without excess bitterness.


5.81 lbs US 2 row smoked for 30 minutes with cherrywood.
Smoked 8 days prior to mash.

Mash in with 15 quarts of 165 deg, settled at 151 (little low)

Cooled to 100 deg in 7 minutes - tap water 85
Cooled to 66 deg in 8 more minutes - recirculated ice water.

Pitched yeast starter at 3:30 on 8/30. Strong fermentation 8/31 am - blow off tube, 69.4 degrees.

All Grain Brewing Outdoors in 100 Degree Heat

Jumped back into home brewing this month, after a 14 year hiatus, and a former location in Vermont, where keeping beer warm enough was the challenge. In Texas (Austin), it's all about getting and keeping the beer cool.

Here's my set-up, which I have used for 3 all-grain batches brewed outdoors, where temps have been between 100-104 degrees- (am able to cool 6 gallons of wort from boiling to 66 degrees in 15 minutes).

10 gallon rubbermiad cooler, turned into lauter-tun, uses stainless steel braid to filter out wort : ( cooler and parts at Home Depot $45)

35 quart stainless steel brew pot, with triple clad aluminum bottom, SS drain fitting, and high temp thermometer (Ebay $175)

Barley Crusher grain mill ($115 direct from manufacturer)

Cajun Cooker 175,000 BTU (Ebay $69)


50 foot 1/2 in copper immersion chiller (Ebay $65)

350 gph Water Ace transfer pump (to recirculate ice water through immersion chiller) (Loews $65)



Here's how it all goes down.

1) Crush grains, add to mash tun, which is pre-filled with heated water, for single infusion mash (temp varies by style)
(getting 78-80% efficiency with this set up)
2) Sparge for 30-45 minutes
3) Boil 7 1/4 gallons of wort down to 6 gallons
4) Drop in immersion chiller 15 min before finish
5) Run tap water (85 deg) through chiller for 7 minutes - gets wort to 105 degrees
6) Pump recirculated ice water (15 lbs of ice in 6 gallons of water) through chiller - gets wort down to 66 degrees in 8 minutes (total of 15 minutes from boiling to ale pitching temperature).

With this set-up, I am chilling beer faster than using 50 degree tap water in Vermont.

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