Bottom Number Blonde: First Brew

Well, I tried my first all-grain batch using the BIAB method.  And I failed.  I was raising the temperature in the brewpot with all the grains in it and I flamed out at 158 degrees, the temperature for my mash.  Little did I suspect that the temperature would continue to rise.  So, after stirring and putting the lid on, I answered nature's call and grabbed a homebrew.  Imagine my surprise when I came back 8 minutes later to find the temperature at around 175 or so.  I added some cold water and got it down to 160, but the damage was done.  My efficiency ended up being 63% and I missed my OG by 7 points.  Oh, well.  Live and learn, I guess.

As far as the recipe goes, it's a variation of BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde recipe on homebrewtalk.com.  The only thing I did was add a little more Vienna and Caramel/Crystal malts.

Recipe: Bottom Number Blonde
Brewer: Dechert
Style: Blonde Ale
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 6.01 gal
Estimated OG: 1.047 SG
Estimated Color: 4.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.9 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 75.68 %
0.75 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 8.11 %
0.75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 8.11 %
0.75 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 8.11 %
0.25 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (55 min) Hops 8.7 IBU
0.25 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (35 min) Hops 7.3 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (20 min) Hops 2.9 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 1.0 IBU
0.26 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Notes:
------
BIAB

Four gallons of water in primary brew kettle. Heat. As water heats, put the bag in and add the grain. Stir until water temp rises to 158. Lid kettle and allow to mash for 60 min, stirring every 5 min for first 20 min, then every 10 min for last 40. Keep water at 158.

Bring other two gallons of water in secondary kettle to 178 degrees. At 60 min, add water into grain bag/primary kettle. Stir, lid, and let sit for 10 min. Lift bag and let drain and begin to heat for full boil. Boil and hop per recipe.

My OG actually came it at 1.040 rather than 1.047.  If the starches in the grain didn't convert right, my FG will probably be high, too.  I guess I can chalk it up to a learning experience and move on, then.  We'll know in 7 days or so.

Edit: After a quick, hard beginning to fermentation, it died out and the SG is 1.020.  Tastes like a loaf of bitter bread.  If the SG doesn't drop within the next few days, this batch is going to make a nice addition to the compost pile.

Edit 11/1/10:  Actually fermented down to 1.012 or so.  Tastes better, though only about 3.5%.  Racked to secondary with gelatin and will bottle on the weekend.  We'll see how it turns out, but it looks like it's going to actually work.  Who knew?

Contraband Chocolate Stout: First Brew

I decided that I wanted to brew something special for Christmas and I came up with a chocolate stout.  I like my stouts "stout," that is, with plenty of alcohol.  However, I decided that I couldn't make this brew at the 11+% ABV I wanted and actually have it ready for Christmas since large beers need more time to mellow and lose the alcohol burn.  So, I went with a milder, 7.5% brew in the hopes that it might be ready to give out as Christmas presents.  Here is the recipe:

Recipe: Contraband Chocolate Imperial Stout
Brewer: Dechert
Asst Brewer:
Style: Imperial Stout
TYPE: Partial Mash

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 6.01 gal
Estimated OG: 1.079 SG
Estimated Color: 34.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 54.1 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 34.78 %
3.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 26.09 %
2.00 lb Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 17.39 %
1.00 lb Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 8.70 %
0.75 lb Black Barley (Stout) (500.0 SRM) Grain 6.52 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 4.35 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.17 %
0.75 oz Chinook [11.00 %] (60 min) Hops 22.8 IBU
0.50 oz Warrior [15.80 %] (40 min) Hops 19.2 IBU
0.50 oz Williamette [4.50 %] (10 min) Hops 2.3 IBU
2.00 oz Belgian Chocolate (Secondary 0.0 min) Misc
2 Pkgs Scottish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1728) Yeast-Ale


Mash in at 161 degrees. Held between 148-155 degrees for 60 min.
Mash out at 172 degrees for 10 min.

Notes:
------
Make 2.3L starter with 2 packs of yeast.

Dissolve chocolate in boiling water. Cool and add to secondary.

It didn't quite hit my target OG, mostly because of a boilover and a couple of other technical issues.  However, if it attenuates well, I should be able to bring it in at 7.5%.  We'll see.  Of course, then the trick will be to have it conditioned by the 25th of December.  We'll see how that goes, as well.  Here's hoping!

Over-the-Fence Wiessbier: First Brew

So I just finished my first full-boil of my next brew, Over-the-Fence Weissbier.  It's the first brew that actually hit my target OG head on.  Which is kind've nice.  I wondered if that ever actually happened or if it was just a theory.

Anyway, here is the recipe for Over-the-Fence Weissbier:

Recipe: Over the Fence Weissbier
Brewer: Dechert
Asst Brewer:
Style: Weizen/Weissbier
TYPE: Extract

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.25 gal
Boil Size: 6.01 gal
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 6.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 14.6 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 80.00 %
1.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 16.00 %
0.25 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 4.00 %
1.00 oz Hersbrucker [2.40 %] (60 min) Hops 8.3 IBU
1.00 oz Hersbrucker [2.40 %] (10 min) Hops 3.0 IBU
0.10 oz Cinnamon Stick (Boil 45.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Primary 7.0 days) Misc
1 Pkgs Bavarian Wheat (Wyeast Labs #3638) Yeast-Wheat

I tried a partial-mash type thing with the Munich Malt.  I dropped it (in a grain bag) in a gallon of 160 degree water and let it sit for 45 minutes.  It stayed between 150 and 160 the whole time.  After 45 minutes, I sparged the grains in a separate pot in 168 degree water for about 5 minutes.  I then mixed the two, brought the volume up to 5.5 gallons of water, then added 1 lb. of DME for the boil.

At 45 minutes, I added the other 5 lb. of DME and finished the boil.  Everything went perfectly.  Here's hoping it's actually worth drinking . . .

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

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!

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. . .

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.