HoppinAle — The Craft of Beer

Journal of Homebrewing and Craft Beer

Posts Tagged All-grain

Back in the Swing

Aug 2

Posted by Jeff in Homebrewing | 1 Comment

The brewing drought is over. The Centennial IPA is bottled and ready – see review in upcoming post. I also have the Red Eye Rye and the Commuter ESB bottled and should be ready soon, and Nut-O-Brown in the primary. I will review and post recipes for these when they are ready for consumption.

August will be a month of many brews, as I will be starting to brew the IBVP – Imperial Bourbon Vanilla Porter for the holidays. A grand total of 4 batches of this bad boy. I also want to get the Belgian Dubbel I have been itching to make done this month to try and take advantage of the warmer temps for fermenting. Time and weather will tell if I can get 5 brews started in one month, with only 3 fermenters.

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Busy Spring = Brew Delay

Jun 16

Posted by Jeff in General, Homebrewing | 2 Comments

Still here, just been too busy with spring things, kids, yard work, family gatherings – all leaves little time for brewing. Just around the corner I will be brewing again. In the meantime, I have been doing some recipe research and catching up on some Basic Brewing podcasts during my commute.

I do have my centennial IPA fermenting away and will be dry hopping next week. I ended up having to make this on a weekday evening due to rain-out on the one open weekend day I had planned to brew on. I am not too keen on brewing on a weekday evening – it takes the entire evening and with 3 kids – I can’t do it that often. So in the next couple of weeks I plan on getting a couple more brews going. Stay tuned.

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Clementine Hefeweizen

Apr 15

Posted by Jeff in Homebrewing | 2 Comments

This last Saturday I brewed up a clementine hefeweizen. It was very nice out and the kids were my helpers when they weren’t playing.

This is my first time brewing a wheat beer, and first time using citrus as well. All went well, except it was very difficult to zest the clementines because the are not as firm as an orange – did the best I could and zested an orange too. I am also trying to make use of the yeast properties by adjusting my fermentation temps to try and get a good balance of banana and clove – technique described to me by one of the B.O.S.S members. Anxious for this one – short ferment time and short condition time – a brew best when young.

Clementine Hefeweizen – Brew Day Pics 2010

Here are the details:
Batch size 6 gallons
Boil size 7.2 gallons
Boil time 60 minutes
Grain weight 9.03 pounds
Efficiency 75%
Original gravity 1.043
Final gravity 1.011 (est.)
Alcohol (by volume) 4.2%
Bitterness (IBU) 15
Color (SRM) 2.8°L
Yeast
Yeast
Wyeast
3068		 Weihenstephan
Weizen
Grains/Extracts/Sugars
9.03 pounds
2 Row Base
37ppg, 1.5°L		 5.55 pounds
61.5%
Wheat
38ppg, 2°L		 3.48 pounds
38.5%
Hops
1.64 ounces
Hallertauer hops
4.5%, Pellet		 1.09 ounces
Saaz hops
4.3%, Pellet		 0.55 ounce
Additions
48.05 ounces
Clementine
Flavor		 Zest of 3 and meat of 5
Irish moss
Fining		 1 teaspoon
Mash
60 minutes, 8.9 gallons
Strike
Target 152°F		 3.4 gallons
164°F
60 minutes (+0)
Sparge
Target 170°F		 5.5 gallons
175°F
Boil
60 minutes, 7.2 gallons
Hallertauer hops
4.5%, Pellet		 0.55 ounce
60 minutes (+0)
Saaz hops
4.3%, Pellet		 0.55 ounce
20 minutes (+0)
Irish moss
Fining		 1 teaspoon
15 minutes (+45)
Wort chiller 15 minutes (+45)
Hallertauer hops
4.5%, Pellet		 0.55 ounce
10 minutes (+0)
Ferment
14 days @ 64-75°F
Clementines
Flavor		 Zest of 3 meat of 5
14 days

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Beer for the Wife

Mar 29

Posted by Jeff in Homebrewing | 1 Comment

So the Mrs. requested I make something she would enjoy – a.k.a. – light and fruity. I decided to try making a Peach Blonde Ale. Brewday was this past Saturday.

This is based off an apricot blonde ale recipe I found. I am substituting peaches for the apricots, and I am leaving out the fruit extract addition called for at bottling. I would rather the fruit flavor be too subtle than too much. I can always increase it for the next time it is made. The peaches will be added on Tuesday.

Since this is such a light ale, I opted to use bottled water for this to avoid any off-flavors my high bicarbonate water could impart. The only other potential issue is that my temperatures during the mash dropped more than I anticipated – 4 degrees. I think the smaller grain amount left more head-space in the mash tun and as a result – heat loss. I will have to get some foam to fill that space up prior to the hefeweizen being brewed this upcoming Saturday.

Here are the details:
Batch size 5 gallons
Boil size 6.1 gallons
Boil time 60 minutes
Grain weight 8 pounds
Efficiency 75%
Original gravity 1.051
Final gravity 1.010 (est.)
Alcohol (by volume) 5.4%
Bitterness (IBU) 11
Color (SRM) 3.9°L
Yeast
Dry Yeast
Fermentis
S-04		 English Ale
Grains/Extracts/Sugars
8 pounds
2 Row Base
37ppg, 1.5°L		 7 pounds
85.7%
Crystal 10L
35ppg, 10°L		 1 pounds
12.5%
Hops
1 ounce
Cascade hops
3.2%, Pellet		 1 ounce
Additions
48.05 ounces
Peaches
Flavor		 48 ounces
Irish moss
Fining		 1 teaspoon
Mash
60 minutes, 7.6 gallons
Strike
Target 154°F		 3 gallons
166°F
60 minutes (+0)
Sparge
Target 170°F		 4.6 gallons
175°F
Boil
60 minutes, 6.1 gallons
Cascade hops
3.2%, Pellet		 1 ounce
60 minutes (+0)
Irish moss
Fining		 1 teaspoon
15 minutes (+45)
Wort chiller 15 minutes (+45)
Ferment
14 days @ 60-72°F
Peaches
Flavor		 48 ounces
11 days (+3)

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Double Brew Weekend – Day 2

Mar 11

Posted by Jeff in Homebrewing | No Comments

With 3 kids if there is a gap in the schedule and you can brew, then brew. It had been a few months since the last time I brewed, so why not take advantage of the time and get 2 out of the way in one weekend. Also, I was fortunate to have a brew helper.

Day 2: Ed Wort’s Bee Cave Brewery Haus Pale Ale

This recipe came from one of the brewers on the Homebrew Talk forums. I did add a 1/4 oz. of carapils since it was sent by mistake, and won’t have any taste effect, but should help improve head retention a little. I adjusted the grain mill a little to be a little courser crush. Also for this batch, I used bottled water instead of my tap water. I am leery of the high bicarbonate levels in Chicago’s municipal water in this pale of a beer, and I don’t know enough about water chemistry and brewing yet to feel confident in trying to dilute and make adjustments.

For the most part, everything went fine. It was a little bit colder than the previous day, and I did have a 3 degree drop in the temperature of my mash, but I don’t expect it to have a significant effect.

Here are the details:
Batch size 5.5 gallons
Boil size 6.7 gallons
Boil time 60 minutes
Grain weight 10.75 pounds
Efficiency 75%
Original gravity 1.057
Final gravity 1.012 (est.)
Alcohol (by volume) 5.9%
Bitterness (IBU) 28
Color (SRM) 4.3°L
Yeast
23 dry grams (2 packs)
Dry
Fermentis		 Safale US-05
Grains/Extracts/Sugars
10.75 pounds
2 Row Base
37ppg, 1.5°L		 8 pounds
74.4%
Vienna
35ppg, 4°L		 2 pounds
18.6%
Crystal 10L
35ppg, 10°L		 0.5 pounds
4.7%
CaraPils
33ppg, 1.5°L		 0.25 pounds
2.3%
Hops
2 ounces
Cascade hops
6%, Pellet		 2 ounces
Additions
0.25 ounces
Irish moss
Fining		 0.25 ounces
Mash
60 minutes, 8.6 gallons
Strike
Target 152°F		 4.0 gallons
165°F
60 minutes (+0)
Sparge
Target 170°F		 4.5 gallons
178°F
Boil
60 minutes, 6.7 gallons
Cascade hops
6%, Pellet		 1 ounce
60 minutes (+0)
Cascade hops
6%, Pellet		 0.5 ounces
30 minutes (+30)
Cascade hops
6%, Pellet		 0.25 ounces
15 minutes (+45)
Irish moss
Fining		 0.25 ounces
15 minutes (+45)
Wort chiller 15 minutes (+45)
Cascade hops
6%, Pellet		 0.25 ounces
5 minutes (+55)
Ferment
22 days @ 60-72°F

Should be bottling around March 20th.

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Double Brew Weekend – Day 1

Mar 10

Posted by Jeff in Homebrewing | No Comments

I finally received my Barley Crusher, and decided to do a double brew weekend to celebrate the new toy…I mean equipment.

Day 1: Irish Red Ale

This was an all-grain kit I ordered from Midwest Supplies. A fellow brewer, Bob, stopped by to help and see how I do the all-grain process.

The crusher worked great – but took a longer than I thought to hand crank the grain bill through the mill. Need to make sure my cordless drill is charged up next time. I think the grain may have been crushed a little too fine, and I did adjust it for the next time. Will have to wait and see. I also used my tap water for the first time. Chicago municipal water is high in bicarbonates – which should be good for Amber and Red ales. I did set out 10 gallons overnight with half of a campden tablet to remove the chlorine.

Here are the details:
Batch size 5.5 gallons
Boil size 6.7 gallons
Boil time 60 minutes
Grain weight 10.5 pounds
Efficiency 75%
Original gravity 1.059
Final gravity 1.013 (est.)
Alcohol (by volume) 6.0%
Bitterness (IBU) 19
Color (SRM) 17.8°L
Yeast
2 liter starter
Wyeast
1056		 American Ale
Grains/Extracts/Sugars
10.5 pounds
2 Row Base
37ppg, 1.5°L		 9 pounds
85.7%
Crystal 40L
34ppg, 40°L		 0.75 pounds
7.1%
CaraPils
33ppg, 1.5°L		 0.25 pounds
2.4%
Barley (Roasted)
28ppg, 500°L		 0.25 pounds
2.4%
Special B
30ppg, 140°L		 0.25 pounds
2.4%
Hops
2 ounces
Fuggles hops
5%, Pellet		 1 ounce
Cascade hops
6%, Pellet		 1 ounce
Additions
0.25 ounces
Irish moss
Fining		 0.25 ounces
Mash
57 minutes, 8.5 gallons
Strike
Target 152°F		 3.9 gallons
165°F
57 minutes (+0)
Sparge
Target 170°F		 4.6 gallons
177°F
Boil
60 minutes, 6.7 gallons
Cascade hops
6%, Pellet		 1 ounce
60 minutes (+0)
Irish moss
Fining		 0.25 ounces
15 minutes (+45)
Wort chiller 15 minutes (+45)
Fuggles hops
5%, Pellet		 1 ounce
2 minutes (+58)
Ferment
22 days @ 60-72°F

Should be bottling around March 20th. Stay tuned. Next post – Day 2.

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The Step Up to All-Grain Brewing

Mar 8

Posted by Jeff in Homebrewing | No Comments

Imperial Bourbon Vanilla Porter

My first all-grain—Imperial Bourbon Vanilla Porter

After making 6 extract brews, I decided to jump up to all-grain brewing, and I went big. That first recipe was an imperial bourbon vanilla porter (Thanks Denny Conn – recipe can be found here).

I ordered the grains crushed, since I didn’t have a grain mill. My homemade mash-tun did pretty good. It kept my temperature for the entire hour. Not bad for a cooler on clearance for $20.00 and some parts from HD or Lowes.

The beer came out very good – but did come up short on efficiency – about 65% and the recipe was for 75%. I will be brewing this again this fall so it is ready for the holiday season – only this time I will make 10 gallons. I shared at the family events and it disappeared too quickly.

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