I’ve had some rough times in the brewery lately but I’m back on form with this wonderful brew. It has been entered in the National Homebrew Comp and I’ve sent a few cans out to friends. The plums I used were not as sweet and fragrant as I would have hoped but they spent 5 days in the secondary. 7.5 ABV 55 IBU.
Update 6-24-21. The judging sheets are back from the NHC. The beer was entered in the 28A Fruit Beer category. Both judges said they couldn’t get any plum notes or taste but overall it was ‘enjoyable’ and clean with ‘No overt flaws’. I say its a win and a direction to go the next time I brew this.
This is a Red that I named Helen Reddy around mid September. I learned that she just passed. Her anthem and her voice always stuck with me since my parents constantly had the 8 track running in the early 70’s. Those were good times. This beer was so well received that I plan to brew it again very soon to get it dialed in.
I said goodbye to Beersmith which I found to be confusing and overwhelming. The new home for all my planning, brewing, and tracking is Brewfather. This recipe was entered post brew and before the yeast was pitched. Batch 54 was fully started in Brewfather and the equipment profile was more accurate. First tasted on Aug 19 and has notes of caramel.
I wanted to try the simplification of a Single Malt and Single Hop ale. This is by far the lightest color of anything I’ve brewed so far at just 5.3 SRM. I used just over 10 pounds of Maris Otter and a single ounce of Mosaic pellets at 50 minutes to go. I was surprised to see how slow the White Labs Pacific Ale Yeast strain worked but the patience paid off. Jen really liked how light it was and deemed it a success.
This was brewed on June 6, 2020 and the keg was blown on July 7. Another batch was already in the fermenter with slight variations. I really enjoyed this beer although it would probably be a better Fall beer. Pilsner Malt with a touch of crystal 30 for color and Honey Malt. No boil hops until the 40 minute mark and 8 grams of fresh lemon zest went in with the last hop addtion with 5 minutes to go. White Labs 550 was the yeast choice. While shopping grain for the next version I found out that the Pilsner malt was a United States version because I didn’t clarify and Windsor used it by default.
Joe Montana was a 49er and this is batch 49. Brewed May 21, 2020.
A simple US 2 row based ale fermented with White Labs California Ale Yeast. OG 1.055 FG 1.010. Enjoyed by many in a driveway gathering. Its already gone.
It has been a while since I’ve brewed this personal favorite. It has turned out to be enjoyable and not too heavy.
Brewed April 16, 2020
6.1 Percent ABV
7 lbs Maris Otter
1 crystal 60
1/2 crystal 10
1/2 carafoam
1/2 flaked oats
.12 Roasted Barley
Same Grain bill as batch 44Brew date March 13
11.75 lbs 2 row pale
1.4 lbs Munich 9
13 oz crystal 20
9 oz crystal 40
1 oz Columbus 15.8 at 60
1 oz Columbus 15.8 at 5
Dry Hop after 4 days with 1 oz of Citra 13.3 and some peaches frozen and then thawed from Link’s tree. A double handful is how I would describe the amount.
April 1, 2020 - Had to take out take out the regular dip tube from the keg and put in a floating one. I need to remember to use a bag for my dry hop additions!
I can’t remember why this name is the way it is. Probably from the recipe I found online. It was all consumed for the Super Bowl Party.
3.25 Munich
2.5 Rye
4 oz roasted barley
1 oz challenger 8.4 @ 60min
1 oz fuggles 5.5 @ 15
WLP 013 London Ale Yeast
Brewdate January 3, 2020
Mash 148F at 5.17PH
Pre boil 1.020 7 gals
OG 1.064 5.5 gals into fermenter
January 6, 2020. Float says 1.012 while tilt says 1.005.
I’m going with float number and gelatin / chill to 50
Another Flora Brewing inspiration. Food Processed cranberries in the last 5 minutes of the boil. Grain and hops recipe from Windsor Homebrew
Jen like this one and I will be brewing again next fall with a little less Lemon zest.
Brewdate 11/27/19
9 lbs 2 row
8 oz car pils
8 oz crystal 15
8 oz honey malt
1 oz liberty 4.3 @ 60
1 oz cascade 5.5 @ 15
3 lbs food processed cranberries @ 5
.4 oz lemon zest @ 5
December 2, 2019. First taste last night. Not bad. I’m going to leave this beer alone for a few weeks and see if it clears up.
November 21, 2019. After watching Flora Brewing on youtube and instagram I realized that Jen’s dad has these fruits growing in his yard. I’m making an ipa with the fruit using the grain bill from Peachtree ipa. Brew date was November 18 and the fruit went in today because the gravity is already down to 1.012
Oct 1 - Life has been crazy because we’ve been in a major remodel since Aug 9th. Around that time I tried the beer again and it wasn’t good. I believe the off flavor to be astringency and Jen also said it was not good. I never turned off the kegerator and just left it in the keg at serving pressure for a long time. Sometime near the beginning of September I ran out of commercial beer and decided to try this again. Both Jen and I like it and I’m almost out.
Aug 1 . Its a little early but I pulled a sample. Still needs more carobonation. Tastes good.
July 30 I moved the beer to the keg at 18psi to force carbonate. FG was at 1.010.
July 26, 2019
Currently in the fermenter. Simple Pale Ale with Citra and some leftover bitter orange peel that I used to make the tea for the Christmas Ale the last couple of years.
SG is down to 1.017 from 1.056. Expecting 1.012 and then I’ll dry hop for a couple days.
Wanted to work on a proper pale ale. Tried a just pale malt beer. Brewed 12./4/18 on the day they G H W Bush was lying in state at the capital. Batch 41 / Pres 41.
9 lbs Pale Malt (thomas faucet perle)
1oz Cascade at 60 6.3%
.5 oz Cascade at 30 6.3%
1 Cascade 15 6.3%
.5 Cascade 0 6.3%
Wyeast 1332
Batch was only 4 gallons in the keg since the amount of grain was lower than my normal batch. I thought this beer tasted terrible after carbonation. A couple days later it was better. Jen had creamed corn on the nose. I remembered this descriptor from my off flavors course and it’s DMS. I think I’ve been sparging with water that is too hot (200) as this is a cause of DMS and I’ve probably been masking it with all my dark grain brewing. The next batch I will be using 175 water for sparge.
A few weeks later and the beer is drinking better and Jen can’t detect the DMS anymore. Not sure if that can happen but this was the first beer of mine she did not want to drink.
