Brevis Bock: The Name

Brevis is one of those obscure terms that someone who thought they were being clever came up with.  It is actually found most often linked with other terms in medical jargon and generally means "short" or "small."  However, since the corrections department by which I am employed got ahold of it, Brevis became a classification of inmate based on his predilection towards violence.  A "Brevis" classified inmate is on the low end of that spectrum and will most likely not cause much trouble in the prison setting.   Brevis inmates are generally the first to be cleared for minimum security as they are deemed less of a threat to other inmates or the institution as a whole.

My plan is to name three beers after this classification system.  Brevis, then, will be the beer with the lowest alcohol content of the three - Brevis Bock.  More on the others as I brew them.

Ad-Seg IPA: The Name

I just realized that I haven't updated the reason for the name of my Ad-Seg IPA.  So, here it is.

First off, I love Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA.  It's in my top 5 beers, if not the top beer on my list.  So, this is my attempt at cloning it.  As such, it should come in around 9% ABV and have a nice hoppy flavor to it.  Since it's a little more hardcore than the previous beers I've tried, I decided to name it Ad-Seg.

Ad-Seg is short for Administrative Segregation.  This occurs when someone in the prison administration decides that an inmate needs to be locked in a holding cell to separate him from the rest of the prison population.  Administrative Segregation can occur for multiple reasons: the inmate may be in danger from other inmates; he may be a danger TO other inmates; he may be considered a flight risk; he may be under investigation; etc.  There are many reasons to Ad-Seg an inmate.  However, it is usually not a popular decision and most inmates do not like being in Ad-Seg. 

Brevis Bock: First Brew

So, I'm now trying my hand at a clone of Michelob Amber Bock for my cousin who loves the stuff.  This recipe isn't a perfect clone, but it's pretty close.  I've just started steeping the grains, so we'll see how it goes.


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 3.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.068 SG
Estimated Color: 9.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.6 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 66.67 %
2.00 lb Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM) Dry Extract 22.22 %
0.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.56 %
0.40 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4.44 %
0.10 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 1.11 %
1.00 oz Liberty [4.30 %] (60 min) Hops 8.5 IBU
1.00 oz Northern Brewer II [7.40 %] (30 min) Hops 11.3 IBU
1.00 oz Liberty [4.30 %] (10 min) Hops 3.1 IBU
1.00 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (5 min) Hops 1.8 IBU
0.26 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs German Bock Lager (White Labs #WLP833) Yeast-Lager


Mash Schedule: None
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
----------------------------
Steep grains as desired (40 minutes)

Ad-Seg IPA: First Brew Impressions

Well, last night was certainly and adventure.  It seems now that every time I brew, I learn something vital!

Last night I learned that 11 lbs. of malt in 1.5 gallons of water will boil over a 5-gallon brewpot in a few seconds.  And not just once, but continually.  Thanks to the folks at Homebrewtalk for the quick advice so I could save the brew.  I wasn't sure how to handle the fact that every time the wort heated up, it boiled over.  I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to finish the boil - or that it would take me hours to do.  But, using cold water from a spray-bottle was the advice I got, and it worked like a charm.

On the other hand, trying to hold a spray-bottle, a stirring spoon, and have a free hand for continual hop addition was a bit tricky.  Seemed to go OK, though.  However, two things for next time: (1) bigger brewpot and (2) fermcap tablets to keep foam down.  I'll be researching both of those options today.

On a lighter note, I checked the fermenter this morning and it is chugging away.  Though my OG was 1.075 (when Beersmith estimated it at 1.098), the starter kicked it off quickly and vigorously.  That confirms my newfound commitment to a yeast starter.  All in all, I'm very hopeful for this brew.  Maybe a tad low on the ABV, but that's a minor detail.

Ad-Seg IPA: First Brew

In a couple of hours, I'm going to start the first brew of a recipe that I hope tastes somewhat like Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA.  I'm not going for a full clone, but something close.  That said, here's the recipe:

Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 3.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.098 SG
Estimated Color: 9.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 41.1 IBU

Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
7.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 58.33 %
4.00 lb Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM) Dry Extract 33.33 %
1.00 lb Rice Extract Syrup (7.0 SRM) Extract 8.33 %
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.20 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
0.50 oz Simcoe [12.20 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
0.50 oz Warrior [15.80 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
0.75 oz Warrior [15.80 %] (90 min) Hops 13.0 IBU
0.75 oz Simcoe [12.20 %] (90 min) Hops 10.1 IBU
2.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.20 %] (90 min) Hops 18.0 IBU
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
4.00 oz Oak Chips (Secondary 7.0 days) Misc
1 Pkgs Whitbread Ale (Wyeast Labs #1099) [StarterYeast-Ale]

One thing that bugs me about Beersmith is that I haven't figured out how to calculate IBUs with dry-hopping.  The program just leaves it blank, but we all know that there's going to be a lot more than 41 IBUs in this brew after a week of dry-hopping. 

Also, the starter has been stepped up over the past few days and should be good to go.  So, here's hoping!

Yeast Starter Begun

Due to the untimely demise of my Rolled Up Irish Red, I began a yeast starter yesterday morning.  I fed and watered it and kept it warm all day, then popped it in the fridge last night before bed.  When I got up this morning, I poured the beer off and left the yeast slurry in the bottom.  After letting it come to room temperature, I boiled another pot of wort, chilled it, and dumped it in the yeast bottle.  I may be pitching the yeast tomorrow or Tuesday - depends on how I feel.  But if the next batch fails, it won't be because of the yeast!

Off Paper Lager: Update 2

Racked OPL to the secondary and am step-down lagering from 52-35 degrees over 7 days.  Then leaving it at 35 for a month.  Color is spot-on to Dos Equis Lager, as is flavor.  Drew a sample when racking for hydrometer/taste readings and my Dos Equis-loving neighbors assure me that the taste is right on the money.  Slightly bitter, but that should mellow out in lagering and bottling.  I think I'll try this recipe again in a few months and if it turns out again, I'll post it on Homebrewtalk.com as a Dos Equis clone.

Rolled Up Irish Red: DOA

Well, I knew it would happen sometime.  I had to pour 5 gallons of beer out and start over.  Too bad it happened on the first beer I was truly looking forward to.  Oh, well.  I'm pretty sure between me not making a starter, the yeast sitting in a hot FedEx warehouse over Labor Day, and the high OG of RRIR, the yeast gave up the ghost.  Oh, well . . . I'm going to tweak the recipe and try again in a couple of months.  In the meantime, I'm going the starter route for every brew from now on.

Yeast Starter

I have now discovered the need for a good yeast starter on any brew with a high OG.  My Rolled Up Irish Red had an OG of 1.070 when I pitched one vial of White Labs #004 Irish Ale yeast.  After 24 hours, it isn't even twitching.  Now, I know it will probably start in the next 24 hours or so, but that's at least a day of fermenting lost which screws up my brew schedule.

So, from now on, I will be making a yeast starter the day before I brew.  I doubt I'll only do this for the big OG beers, but for all that I do.  That seems like it would just make life a lot simpler.

Rolled Up Irish Red: First Brew

So, I brewed the RRIR tonight.  I decided to try something I haven't done yet - use a carboy as the primary with a blowoff tube.  I'm also not going to rack the RRIR to a secondary fermenter, but leave it in the carboy for 14 days then go to bottle.  We'll see how that works.

Beyond those things, the brew went pretty well, except the funnel I have for the carboy is too small and I spilled some wort.  I know that happens to everyone, but it drives me nuts to lose good beer!  Well, I hope it's good beer.  Anyway, the only surprise during the boil was when I was lazily reading the hops packages and figured out the acidity of the hops I was using was a full percent lower than my recipe.  So, I kicked up the second hop addition from .5 oz to 1 oz. and prayed.  After running it through Beersmith, it looks like my prayers were answered - the IBU should be right on target for an Irish Red.

Now the fermenting - that should be a sight.  I can't wait for morning to see the results!

Off Paper Lager: Update

It is day 5 of the fermenting process and I did a gravity check and taste test.

Gravity = 1.020.  As the FG is estimated at 1.011, I'm hoping that it'll get there by Friday, which is when I'm scheduled to rack to the secondary and start another brew.  If it keeps going at this rate, it should be there without too much trouble.

Taste = like Dos Equis.  Since I'm trying to clone Dos Equis, this is a good thing.  Normally, for my personal tastes, this is a bad thing.  I swirled a couple of swigs around in my mouth to get a good read on it and I could taste a hint of fruitiness, but not too much.  It's a tad bitter, but that'll mellow out in the lagering process.

All in all, it seems as if my first brew with my own recipe is turning out rather well.  Gives me some hope for future brews.

Rolled Up Irish Red: The Name

Since I am naming my brews after prison jargon, this post will explain the meaning of Rolled Up.

In prison, every time an inmate is moved his property is packed up by a property officer and stored for him until the inmate is settled in his new location, be it another institution or another cell.  Inmates NEVER move their own property.  Rolled Up is the slang used for an inmate's property being packed up because the way it worked in some prisons in the past was that the property was laid on the bedroll and literally "rolled up" before being taken to a different location.

Nowadays, property is placed in boxes not literally rolled up, but inmates usually use the slang when they refer to another inmate who 1) is leaving the prison, or 2) has been placed in a holding cell.  When a prisoner says "Jones got rolled up yesterday," it either means that Jones was put in holding for a rule infraction or packed up to be sent to another institution.

Next Brew: Rolled Up Irish Red

Now that Off Paper Lager is in the fermenter, I am gathering resources for my next project, Rolled Up Irish Red.  If things go well, I will be brewing it next Saturday.

Rolled Up Irish Red is my attempt at a beer that tastes somewhat like Jeremiah Red, a craft brew put out by the restaurant chain BJ's.  When I lived in Dallas, I used to drink Jeremiah Red quite a bit after work.  However, I haven't found a beer that emulates that flavor, so I'm trying for myself.  The recipe, as I have tweaked it in Beersmith, will be this:

Recipe Specifications

--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 3.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.075 SG
Estimated Color: 15.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: - %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.50 lb Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 76.85 %
1.00 lb Amber Liquid Extract (12.5 SRM) Extract 9.04 %
1.00 lb Rice Extract Syrup (7.0 SRM) Extract 9.04 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 2.26 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2.26 %
0.06 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 0.54 %
1.25 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 17.6 IBU
0.50 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (30 min) Hops 5.4 IBU
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (5 min) Hops 2.8 IBU
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Irish Ale (White Labs #WLP004) Yeast-Ale

I plan on fermenting it for a week at 68 degrees, then racking it to a secondary for a couple of weeks at 68 degrees before bottling for a month or so.  Here's hoping. . .

Things To Watch For When Brewing: Contamination

I haven't really been brewing too long. The Off Paper Lager was my fourth brew, albeit the first that I actually did without an ingredient kit.

Anyone who has gotten into brewing or has even read up on it knows that the biggest thing most people stress is cleanliness and sanitation. At every step one must be careful not to contaminate the wort, yeast, or anything that touches them. This is drilled by every book I've read and blog or forum I've searched through.

So, last night I'm brewing away and stirring the pot dutifully. About halfway through the boil, I notice a drop of liquid on my arm. Thinking I had only stirred a little too vigorously, I licked it off. Whoa - it wasn't wort! It was metallic tasting and nasty. I wondered what it was until I noticed something drip into the brewpot. I looked and discovered that all the evaporation from the boil was condensing on my vent-a-hood (which was on) and then dripping back into the pot. I think (hope) I caught it before too much fell in.

I wiped it down with a rag and kept the rag beside me to wipe down the vent-a-hood every few minutes. Funny how much time I put into sanitizing all my stuff only to have something totally unexpected happen to contaminate the wort. With all the boiling I did, I'm hoping there won't be any noticeable off flavors, but I guess I won't know for a few months. Now, I just need to find another place to do my boil. . .

Off Paper Lager: The Name

Since I am the chaplain at a prison, I have decided to name all my beers after something prison related. As I produce beers and name them, I will explain the names here.

Off Paper is a prison slang term for being completely free. This means that an inmate will not be tracked by the state in any way for the crime for which he/she was incarcerated. Off Paper occurs when a prisoner either discharges his/her sentence, completes parole, or completes probation. Being Off Paper is the final goal of most prisoners, as that is when they are truly free and can move about without having to check in with anyone or worry about breaking parole/probation rules.

Off Paper Lager: First Brew

I attempted my first brew with my own ingredient list rather than buy a full ingredient kit. My neighbors love Dos Equis Lager and I told them that I would try and brew a clone. I searched around for some recipes then landed on one and modified with Beersmith to this:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 2.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.043 SG
Estimated Color: 5.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 13.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: - %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
2.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 27.40 %
3.30 lb Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 45.21 %
1.00 lb Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 13.70 %
1.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 13.70 %
1.00 oz German Hallertau [3.00 %] (50 min) Hops 6.8 IBU
1.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (25 min) Hops 6.6 IBU
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs SafLager West European Lager (DCL Yeast #SYeast-Lager

I steeped the corn and malt for 1/2 hour at 160 degrees then mixed in the extracts and started the boil. After it was all over, I cooled it in an ice bath and added a couple of gallons of prepared cold water. I got the wort down to 100 pretty quickly, but then seemed to get stuck there. After 40 minutes cooling I started worrying about the yeast I was rehydrating, so I aerated the wort down to 80 and pitched the yeast. I put the whole fermenter in a Ranco controlled fridge at 59 degrees. Measured OG at 1.040, slightly less than predicted.

I decided to go with the SafLager-23 yeast because I read that it can cause some fruity esters. To me, Dos Equis Lager has a sweet, almost apple-cidery kind of taste, so I wanted to get a little of that going. I figure that pitching the yeast at a little higher initial temp should help to accomplish that, as well. We'll see.

Why This Blog

I received a Homebrew kit for my birthday in August and it came with a standard extract ingredient kit labeled "American Lager." Though I don't really like that style of beer, I decided to make it anyway since I needed to learn how to brew and figured I'd rather screw up a beer I didn't care about than one I might actually want to drink.

Surprisingly, it came out tasting quite good (for what it is). Anyone who has tried it likes it. Thus, I have brewed my first batch and can now call myself a brewer. I decided I would like to start tracking my brews and sharing them with anyone who cares. Not that anyone will, but if they do, maybe we can share recipes and the like. As I go, I plan on posting recipes, pics, and other tidbits I figure out along the way, including offering some insight into the names I choose for my beers.

So, enjoy this blog for what it is - a fun way for me to track my progress along with giving others the opportunity to weigh in.