tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46741075970425020562024-03-17T23:02:50.168-04:00Hot Water MagicLee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-20123453040330834492015-07-20T01:35:00.004-04:002015-08-02T04:42:03.566-04:00Hop Blending, or Why There Is No Perfect IPA RecipeI brew a lot of hoppy beers. Most my beers call for 8-14 oz of hops per 5 gallons of beer. Given that the flavor of these beers is dominated by hops, the particular blend of hops used is paramount. I think it's generally agreed upon that—while single-hop IPAs are interesting and can be quite tasty—almost all the best IPAs contain a blend of hop varieties. But what is the best strategy for selecting varieties to pair, and what proportions should one use?<br />
<br />
Looking at the hops used in some of the most acclaimed IPAs, some patterns do emerge. IPAs created more than 10 years ago generally use a blend of so-called 'C' hops: Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, and Columbus (Nugget gets an honorable mention here). IPAs from the past 10 years have many new varieties of hops to work with. In these IPAs, Simcoe and Amarillo are frequently paired: as in Alpine's Duet, Ballast Point's Sculpin, Ithaca's Flower Power, Russian River's Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, and Surly's Furious.<br />
<br />
With more hop varieties being released every year, hop blending has become increasingly complicated. Given this complexity, I decided to begin my experimentation with just a few hop varieties. But even then I ran into difficulty.<br />
<br />
To be specific, I had a recipe for a heavily-hopped amber that I was quite fond of. It contained Nugget and Cascade as flavoring hops, and Simcoe and Amarillo as dry hops. I brewed a lot of this beer, quickly ran through my hop reserves, and had to order another pound of Amarillo. When I brewed the same recipe with the new Amarillo, the beer was starkly different. The beautiful passionfruit aroma had taken on a harsh tinge of garlic. This aroma was evident in the smell of the raw Amarillo hops themselves.<br />
<br />
High quality hops are not a commodity. I have found a significant degree of variation in the aromatic characteristics of the hops I have received. Which meant that my quest for an ideal blend of hops was doomed from the start. This realization discouraged me for quite a while, but I have found hope in a new approach to hop blending.<br />
<br />
Instead of designing recipes based on the characteristics that particular hop varieties are <i>supposed </i>to have, I brew based on what the current batch of hops I'm using actually smell like. Is this batch of Columbus particularly aromatic? If so, I may use it as a dry hop. If not, I'll use it as a bittering hop. I pay particular attention to the level of sulfuric compounds. At moderate levels, these compounds can provide a pleasant fruity pungency (grapefruit, blackberry, passionfruit), but at higher levels they conjure garlic and cat piss. In general, newer hop varieties (especially Amarillo, Mosaic, Simcoe, Summit, and Citra) contain higher levels of sulfur, but there is a great deal of variation even within a single variety. One of my main objectives in blending is to achieve the right level of sulfuric aromatics.<br />
<br />
All this talk of aromatic compounds is, I'm sure, an oversimplification. My main point is that, given the level of variation in hop aroma within each hop variety, brewers should pay more attention to what their hops <i>actually </i>smell like, and less attention to what hops a particular recipe calls for.Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-65181792343699316032014-03-23T22:23:00.002-04:002014-05-05T11:27:55.729-04:00Brett Sour (3/9/14)My latest sour beer uses the same quick-souring technique as my last two sours, sometimes known as <i>sour-worting </i>(a variation on sour-mashing). I mash the beer normally, but rather than boiling the wort after mashing, I cool it to 112˚F, add 1/4 lb of crushed 2-row barley, and maintain that temperature for 3-7 days. During this time, the native lactobacillus present on the barley produce lactic acid. The temperature inhibits the growth of spoilage bacteria and yeasts. After souring, I boil the beer normally, with a modicum of hops. The boil kills virtually all bacteria, so from this point onwards, the beer is no longer spontaneously fermented. I pitch a pure-culture strain of yeast and ferment according to that yeast's needs.<br />
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<br /></div>
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The only tricky part about this whole shuffle is keeping the beer at 112˚F for most of a week. I've gone through a few very kludgy solutions to this problem, including placing a keg in a (somewhat) temperature-controlled water bath. My current system is a bit more manageable, consisting of a lamp, a temperature controller, and an unpowered refrigerator. The temperature controller tells the lamp when to turn on and off, and the refrigerator provides insulation. It's basically an incubator. I can maintain my desired temperature (in this case, 112˚F) to within 2˚F for as long as I want.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
For this particular sour, I decided to use Brettanomyces as the only alcoholic fermenter. Brettanomyces ("Brett") is an entirely different species from brewer's/baker's yeast. For most brewers and winemakers, it's a scourge to be eradicated, but it also produces characteristic and sought-after flavors in Belgian and American sour beers.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I used a strain of Brett (White Labs Brett Brux Trois) isolated from a bottle of Drie Fonteinen lambic. It has gained something of a following among some American brewers for use in 100% Brett beers. It is markedly less funky (barnyardy, smoky, spicy) than most strains of Brett. Instead, it produces tropical fruit aromas with just a hint of funk.<br />
<br />
The grains in this beer (2-row, English medium crystal, flaked barley) would, with a normal ale yeast, produce a fairly typical American pale ale. However, the combination of lactic bacteria and Brett overwhelms the flavor of the malts. The hops are even less distinguishable.<br />
<br />
Brewed 3/9/14.<br />
<br />
3/16/14: Boiled with 0.3 oz of Columbus. Added Brett Trois. Fermented at 72F.<br />
<br />
3/20/14: Medium-high acidity, fruity, slightly savory aroma. Low bitterness. Overall my best sour yet.<br />
<br />
Kegged 4/6/14: More Brett aroma. Balanced and fruity.</div>
Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-44272903949086761102013-12-28T11:30:00.000-05:002015-07-21T14:16:58.121-04:00Destructive Myths: The Dissolved Oxygen Hypothesis<b>Part I: The Argument</b><br />
<br />
There are a lot of myths and unfounded maxims surrounding the proper preparation of coffee and tea. Most are harmless, or, at worst, detrimental to beverage flavor. But one such myth has resulted in a massive waste of energy and water. I refer to this myth as the dissolved oxygen hypothesis.<br />
<br />
The dissolved oxygen hypothesis states that, when brewing tea, one should always use freshly drawn water, and never reboil water in the kettle. The justification given is that water that has previously been boiled has less dissolved oxygen (DO). The result is that many tea drinkers are wasting enormous amounts of energy by dumping leftover hot water from their kettles.<br />
<br />
The dissolved oxygen hypothesis rests on two premises: (1) that once-boiled water contains more dissolved oxygen than twice-boiled water; (2) that dissolved oxygen improves the flavor of tea. Both premises are demonstrably false.<br />
<br />
Boiling itself does not remove dissolved gases. It is the change in temperature or pressure that affects the amount of gas that a liquid can hold (i.e., the solubility of a gas in a liquid). Solubility decreases as temperature increases. Assuming normal atmospheric pressure and composition, water at 0˚C can hold a maximum of ~15ppm DO, while water at 50˚C can only hold ~5ppm. Once the water reaches 100˚C, solubility is zero. Therefore, if you've brought water even close to a boil, you've removed virtually all the DO. What this means is that neither once-boiled nor twice-boiled water contain significant levels of DO, refuting premise (1).<br />
<br />
Studies (Faust & Aly 1998, Pangborn & Bertolero 1972) have found that the level of DO in drinking water does not have a significant impact on its taste. It seems likely that the folk belief that DO improves water flavor results from the fact that running water (e.g., streams) is generally preferred to stagnant water (e.g., lakes), and is also higher in DO.<br />
<br />
In principle, DO could soften the tannins in tea, just as decanting a bottle of red wine does. However, decanted wine contains much more DO, on account of its lower temperature, and wine is usually allowed to breathe for at least 15 minutes, compared to the 1-5 minutes that tea steeps for. Furthermore, tea drinkers can control the level of tannins in their cup via manipulation of steeping time, water temperature, and water/tea ratio. In short, a well-brewed cup has no need of oxidation.<br />
<br />
Therefore, both premises that lead to the dissolved oxygen hypothesis are false. (1) Tea water does not contain a significant amount of DO, and even if it did, (2) there's no evidence that the level of DO has any impact on the flavor of the tea.<br />
<br />
All argumentation aside, I simply cannot tell the difference between tea brewed with once-boiled water and tea brewed with twice-boiled water. I've done the tasting blind, more than once. In part, this post is a challenge to any believers in the dissolved oxygen hypothesis: try a blind triangle test. If you succeed in distinguishing tea made from once- and twice-boiled water, let me know.<br />
<br />
All this is not to say that water is unimportant. Water is important. Alkalinity is important. Salt content is important. Minimal iron content is super important. Dissolved oxygen is not important.<br />
<br />
<b>Part II: Confounding Results</b><br />
<br />
Here's the twist: I can easily distinguish between fresh tap water and water that has been boiled for an extended period of time. In the process of investigating the dissolved oxygen hypothesis, I boiled a small quantity of filtered water for 5 minutes, then refrigerated it until it matched the temperature of my tap water. I then drew some fresh filtered water, and tasted the two, blind.<br />
<br />
There was a clear taste difference between the boiled and freshly drawn water. The freshly drawn water had a clean, crisp finish, while the boiled water had an off-putting twang to it. This was not a hard distinction to make.<br />
<br />
I repeated the test using a different pot to boil the water, to make sure there weren't any contaminants in the first pot. Same result: the boiled water tasted worse than fresh water.<br />
<br />
Given that DO does not have an impact on water flavor, what could explain the flavor impact of the 5 minute boil? Boiling can have a number of effects besides removing dissolved oxygen. It can also remove chlorine as well as concentrate dissolved minerals by reducing the water. But my water filter removes all detectable chlorine, and the short boiling time did not reduce the amount of water by an appreciable amount. Boiling can also remove calcium and bicarbonate ions (by precipitating temporary hardness), but my water is quite soft, and I have never noticed any scaling (which would indicate precipitation of temporary hardness.)<br />
<br />
The only plausible explanation I can think of is that boiling the water would also have removed any dissolved CO2. Dissolved CO2 will form a small amount of carbonic acid, which can significantly lower the pH of very soft water (like mine). The fresh water would then have a lower pH than boiled water. Since most consumable liquids are at least slightly acidic, this might explain why the fresh water seemed to have a clean, crisp finish compared to the boiled water. This explanation predicts that less of a difference would be evident if more alkaline water were used, because alkalinity buffers against changes in pH.<br />
<br />
Why then wouldn't removing dissolved CO2 from water also affect tea flavor? Well, the amount of dissolved CO2 in tap water is not enough to have a significant impact on the pH of any solution much stronger than pure (soft) water. A full explanation of this phenomenon would require an in-depth discussion of pH buffering, but this is why the pH of a brewer's mash depends much more on the alkalinity than the pH of the source water.<br />
<br />
Even if small amounts of dissolved CO2 did affect the flavor of tea, heating water close to boiling will remove virtually all dissolved CO2, just as it removes DO. For brewing tea, coffee, or any other hot beverage, dissolved gases are irrelevant.<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
http://www.quora.com/Tea/Why-do-tea-instructions-suggest-starting-with-cold-water-You-boil-it-so-does-it-really-make-a-difference<br />
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/air-solubility-water-d_639.html<br />
Faust & Aly, 1998. Chemistry of Water Treatment, 2nd Edition. p. 114 (http://books.google.com/books?id=ivLiNH-NjOcC&pg=PA114)<br />
Pangborn & Bertolero, 1972. Influence of Temperature on Taste Intensity and Degree of Liking of Drinking Water. Journal of the American Water Works Association.Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com109tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-67075640438533148172013-11-21T16:51:00.001-05:002014-01-30T17:53:33.179-05:00Lichtenhainer (9/13/13)Certainly the most obscure style I've ever attempted, Lichtenhainer was an extinct German beer style that combined the tartness of a Berliner weisse with the savory Beech smoke of a rauchbier. Before modern kilning technology emerged, many beers exhibited smoky flavors from the wood used in the malt's drying process. Likewise, before careful sanitation became standard, most beers were mixed fermentations, with both lactic acid and alcoholic fermentations proceeding in parallel. Smoked sours, therefore, would once have been quite common, though they're now virtually nonexistent.<br />
<br />
Lichtenhainer was one of the last remaining examples of a smoked sour beer. The last continuously-produced Lichtenhainer was brewed in 1983. The style has since been brewed by at least one German brewery and one American brewery, though neither are easily available.<br />
<br />
For this beer, I used the same souring technique I used on <a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2013/08/mash-up-quick-sour.html">my last sour</a>: 5 days of spontaneous lactic fermentation at 112˚F. This time I did the lactic fermentation in a CO2 purged keg, in order to further inhibit aerobic spoilage bacteria. I then performed a 5 minute boil and fermented it with US05 American ale yeast.<br />
<br />
Like my previous sours, this beer reached typical levels of attenuation. It's neither as dry as a traditional lambic, nor is it as sweet as sweet lambics or most Flemish sours. The acidity is aggressively lemon-like. The beech smoke plays a supporting role, expressing itself as a rich, savory finish. Unusual, to be sure, but delicious and surprisingly drinkable.<br />
<br />
ABV: 5.5%<br />
IBUs: 10<br />
OG: 1.055<br />
FG: 1.012<br />
<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Malts Mashed</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Smoked</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">50%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="37" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">37.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>2 Row</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">50%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="207"><b><i>Hops/Additions</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>Time</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>AA%</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Spalt</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.75" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.75</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="60" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">60</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.04" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">4.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-32694913467281071472013-10-22T17:57:00.003-04:002013-11-05T20:59:41.548-05:00Simplicity Stout (5/15/13)Stouts are a great way to use strange ingredients. Since they're so strongly flavored, there's little risk of overpowering the flavor of the beer. As a result, they've become a kitchen sink beer for American (and Scandinavian) brewers. First came the coffee stouts, then the chocolate stouts and vanilla stouts. Then came spiced stouts, fruit stouts, mint stouts, even bacon stouts. Right now the highest-rated Russian Imperial Stout on BeerAdvocate is Three Floyd's Bourbon Barrel Aged Vanilla Bean Dark Lord.<br />
<br />
This time, I wanted to take the opposite approach. No weird ingredients, no aging on wood, just an intense, full-bodied beer with a prominent roasted grain flavor. I did use five different types of barley in this recipe, but each plays a vital role. The two row is a fairly neutral base malt; the chocolate malt and roast barley together produce intense and complex roast flavors; the English crystal adds sweetness to balance the bitter roasted grains; finally, the flaked barley adds body. Since aroma is often where regular stouts are lacking, I also added a decent amount of Nugget as an aroma hop, which adds pleasant floral notes.<br />
<br />
Had a stuck mash and didn't get very good efficiency. I did a long boil and added a bit of extract to make up for it.<br />
<br />
First tasting 10/21/13: Good aroma, balanced flavor profile, excellent mouthfeel. Just enough alcohol in the aroma to add complexity. Subdued but noticeable esters. This beer is great now, but I expect it to continue to improve for at least a year. I will have trouble making it last that long.<br />
<br />
ABV: 8.2%<br />
IBUs (Tinseth): 40<br />
OG: 1.082<br />
FG: 1.019<br />
<br />
Mash adjustments: 2.5 grams slaked lime, 5 grams calcium chloride<br />
Sparge adjustments: 1 drop 88% lactic acid<br />
Mash temp: 154<br />
Mash length: 60 minutes<br />
Efficiency: 60%<br />
<br />
Yeast: Wyeast 1098 British ale yeast (close relation to WLP007)<br />
Starter: 4 liters<br />
Pitching temp: 65F<br />
Max temp: 74F<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Malts Mashed</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>2 Row</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="15" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">15</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.759493670886076" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">79%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>English Medium Crystal</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0506329113924051" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">5%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="34" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">34.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Chocolate</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0506329113924051" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">5%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="28" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">28.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Roast Barley</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0506329113924051" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">5%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="25" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">25.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Barley (flaked)</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0506329113924051" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">5%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="32" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">32.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Other Fermentables</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="121"><br /></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>DME</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.75" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">2.25</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0379746835443038" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE"><br /></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="42" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">42.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="207"><b><i>Hops/Additions</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>Time</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>AA%</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Magnum</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="60" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">60</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.14" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">14.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Nugget</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">2</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">10.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<i>I performed a 90 minute boil to reduce volume.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>5/21/13: Gravity is 1.019.</i><br />
<i>6/4/13: Bottled to 2.3 volumes of CO2.</i>Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-76238802538376608192013-10-04T19:48:00.001-04:002014-05-19T19:22:57.421-04:00Iced Coffee, Part 2<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last year, I wrote </span><a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2012/08/iced-coffee-pt-1-hypotheses.html" style="font-family: inherit;">a post</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> detailing my attempts to brew good iced coffee at home. I intended to follow up on it once I'd done some more experiments. Then summer ended and I stopped drinking iced coffee. Pretty much the same thing happened this summer, but I've made some progress. Iced coffee, for me, will never compare to hot coffee, but I've grown to appreciate both cold brew and chilled iced coffee.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For cold brew, I like a ratio of 1 part coffee to 12 parts water (i.e. 83 grams per liter). If you cold brew in the refrigerator, á la Barismo, use a medium (cupping) grind. If you cold brew at room temperature, use a medium-coarse (press) grind. (Room temperature coffee will melt the serving ice quicker, and hence become diluted faster.) Both methods produce good results in 12 - 24 hours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
Filtering cold brew can be challenging, especially if you make a lot of it. The first step is to remove the large particles of coffee with a metal chinois, china cap, or tea strainer. But even extremely fine metal filters will not provide an acceptable level of clarity by themselves. For a polishing filter, there are three options: paper, cloth, or synthetic. Paper filters are easy to find, but clog up very quickly. Organic cotton filters are a better option if you can find them, but they're still fairly slow and require careful cleaning. My preferred filtration medium is food grade monofilament nylon, so long as it's rated 20 microns or smaller.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In Peter Giuliano's influential post on iced coffee from last year (</span><a href="http://petergiuliano.tumblr.com/post/22177089634/why-you-should-stop-cold-brewing-and-use-the-japanese" style="font-family: inherit;">Japanese Iced Coffee</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">), he argues against cold-brewed coffee, on the grounds that it is (allegedly) underextracted, oxidized, and lacking in aromatics. I'll discuss these objections individually, then look at what alternatives to cold brewing exist.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Giuliano claims that low brewing temperatures necessarily result in underextracted coffee. It's true that most cold brew is underextracted, if its extraction yield is calculated according to the traditional formula (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Extraction[%] = BrewedCoffee[g] * TDS[%] / CoffeeGrounds[g]). But this is only true because cold brew is usually made as a full immersion brew. As Vince Fedele has argued, calculating extraction yield for immersion brewing requires a different calculation (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Extraction[%] = TotalWater[g] * TDS[%] / CoffeeGrounds[g]). Making this adjustment puts cold brew back in the proper range of extraction, if performed properly.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Giuliano also claims that long brewing times result in oxidized (i.e., stale) coffee. In my experience, cold brew does certainly become oxidized, but not nearly as quickly as hot brewed coffee, because oxidation occurs more slowly at lower temperatures. Still, I prefer to drink cold brew within 12-24 hours of brewing. Even with refrigeration and nitrogen flushing, more than a couple of days is pushing it. Of course, many people enjoy the woody flavors that result from oxidized cold brew. (The entire success of coffee stouts is built on this fact.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Giuliano's preferred iced coffee brewing method, which he calls the "Japanese iced coffee method", involves brewing hot coffee via pour-over directly onto ice. I've tried this technique</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> dozens and dozens of times over the past couple of years. I've tried varying grind, dose, ice/water ratio, and water temperature. I've tried both V60s and Chemex, as well as immersion brews poured through a paper filter. Every single time, I get a unpleasant musty aroma.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that I'm using an espresso machine again, I've noticed a very similar aroma when making espresso over ice. I think, therefore, the most likely source of the unpleasant aroma is temperature shock. I've been reluctant to believe that temperature shock really exists, because no one I know of has given it an adequate scientific explanation. But I've found that by allowing the coffee to cool somewhat before adding ice, the unpleasant aroma can be minimized.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Upon re-reading Giuliano's post, I was struck by this passage on volatility:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">Cooling the coffee quickly, though, reduces volatility dramatically. This effectively locks the ephemeral volatiles (like floral and fruit notes) into solution until the coffee is warmed again. This happens on the coffee’s way down your throat (sorry to get graphic here), which sends a punch of beautiful volatile aromatics through your retronasal cavity to your olfactory receptors. And that explains the olfactory-flavor punch of brewed-hot-quickly-cooled Japanese-style iced coffee."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #202020; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">Is it possible that the aromas that I perceived as unpleasant and musty are the same that Giuliano describes as 'floral and fruit notes'? My, how tastes vary! What it comes down to, I think, is this: Cooling coffee very rapidly results in a distinctive aromatic profile not found in cold brewed or slow chilled coffee. The degree to which this aromatic profile is desirable depends on both the coffee and consumer.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since I have not yet found a coffee that I enjoy brewed directly over ice, I prefer to slow down the chilling process somewhat. My basic method is this: brew coffee at a 1:10 ratio (100 g/l). After brewing, cover and allow the coffee to cool slowly, until it's below 150˚F (66˚C). Then add ice and stir until the coffee is under 50˚F (10˚C). Strain the coffee over fresh ice and serve. The whole cooling process should take 5 - 10 minutes. For large batches, an ice bath may be necessary to hit this time frame.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are two standard objections to this technique. The first objection is that the increased coffee/water ratio will decrease extraction yield, making the resulting coffee underextracted. The premise of the argument is true, however, this effect can be compensated for by using a slightly finer grind, as in bypass brewing, and/or by adding water at a slower rate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The second, more serious, objection is that allowing the coffee to cool slowly allows an unacceptable amount of oxidation to occur. Oxidation is largely responsible for the staling of brewed coffee, and oxidation occurs much more rapidly at high temperatures. Therefore, the slow cooling to 150˚F involved in the above method means that more oxidation occurs than if the coffee were chilled immediately.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My response: When I brew hot coffee, I don't drink it when it's over 150˚F, because at that temperature it's impossible to taste all its subtleties. (Also, I don't like to burn my tongue.) I (gasp!) let it sit for a few minutes before tasting. If the above objection were valid, it would imply that all the hot coffee I'm drinking is stale. But the fact is, even at high temperatures it takes a little while for oxidation to reach a noticeable level—at least 20 minutes. Therefore, there's no reason to believe that allowing coffee to cool somewhat before adding ice will make it noticeably oxidized, provided the coffee is served soon after chilling.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Other iced coffee resources (not all of which I agree with):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">http://coffeegeek.com/opinions/coffeeatthemoment/09-10-2011</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">http://beansandwater.tumblr.com/post/22588752858/iced-coffee</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">http://blog.barismo.com/2011/08/iced-coffee.html</span>Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-1832500788882194162013-08-09T22:25:00.000-04:002013-08-18T21:44:30.132-04:00Mash-up Quick SourOver the course of my <a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2012/12/wedding-beer-2-berliner-weisse.html">first</a> <a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2013/03/berliner-weisse-mark-ii-3213.html">three</a> <a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2013/04/on-failure-32613.html">attempts</a> to brew a Berliner weisse, I've learned a few things about brewing quick (i.e., less than 6 months to complete) sour beers—having had to dump two of my first three batches. They weren't poisonous, but they also weren't worth drinking. Sour beer is the one style of beer in which even the most skilled brewers still routinely have to dump batches.<br />
<br />
Lesson #1: If you want to make sour beer fast, induce a lactic acid fermentation before alcoholic fermentation. Alcohol seriously inhibits lactic acid bacteria, as do hop acids.<br />
<br />
Lesson #2: If you're souring prior to fermentation (and don't have a completely sterile environment), keep the temperature above 110˚F (43˚C), in order to inhibit spoilage bacteria that produce nasty compounds like butyric acid (think vomit, parmesan cheese). Lactobacillus is thermophilic and can handle the heat. Above 115˚F, however, lactic acid bacteria are much slower to produce sourness. Above 140˚F, most bacteria are dead or inactive.<br />
<br />
Rather than continuing my attempt to brew a perfect Berliner weisse, I've decided to switch my efforts to attempting the most delicious quick sour I could brew, borrowing techniques from both Belgian and German brewing traditions. My current approach is as follows:<br />
<br />
Mash and lauter normally, but instead of boiling the wort, allow to cool to 112˚F (44˚C), then add a handful of crushed 2-row and cover with plastic wrap. Maintain this temperature until the desired level of sourness is reached, sampling daily (2-7 days is a reasonable window). The beer will taste a little bit more sour after most of the sugars have been fermented into alcohol, but it's a minor difference. If the beer starts to smell "off", raise the temperature to 122˚F for 30 minutes. After souring, boil the beer with hops, then cool to 70˚F and pitch your favorite ale yeast. Add fruit if desired after the yeast fermentation is complete.<br />
<br />
The main challenge with this technique is keeping the beer at 112˚F. My current set-up consists of an electric heating element and a digital temperature controller, but I've also heard good things about the fermenter heat wraps that homebrew stores sell. If you have little money and much time, intermittent low heat from a stovetop might work. But that would also be a huge waste of energy.<br />
<br />
Even though this technique involves spontaneous fermentation, it produces a very clean sour beer. The fact that the beer is boiled after souring also means that almost no bacteria are present in the finished beer, so contaminating your non-sour beers is not a concern. If you want a funkier sour, adding brettanomyces to secondary is always an option, but cross-contamination then becomes a concern again. If you want a sweeter sour, my preferred method is to add a fruit syrup to the glass when serving, as is traditional for Berliner weisse.<br />
<br />
<b>Vitals:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">OG: 1.056 (pre-souring, pre-boil)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">FG: 1.008</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">ABV: 5%?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">IBUs (Tinseth): 15</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Water adjustments: 5 grams of calcium chloride</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Mash temp: 151F</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Mash length: 60 minutes</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Efficiency: 75%</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Yeast: WLP545</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Pitching temp: 70F</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Max temp: 71F</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Malts Mashed</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>2 row</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="8" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">8</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.744186046511628" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">74%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Barley (flaked)</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.75" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">0.75</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0697674418604651" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">7%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="32" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">32.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>English Medium Crystal</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">2</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.186046511627907" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">19%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="34" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">34.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="207"><b><i>Hops/Additions</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>Time</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>AA%</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Cascade</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.75" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.75</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="60" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">60</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.06" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">6.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-40060522698753286342013-07-24T21:40:00.003-04:002013-08-10T19:58:45.893-04:00Beer GlasswareI don't like branded glassware. I find it incredibly tacky and commercial. I have purchased many branded glasses because I like their shape, but I generally remove the brandings with acid. It bugs me to no end that many beer bars devote an enormous amount of labor and shelf space to serving beers in branded glasses.<br />
<br />
But it's not just branded glassware. Nearly as irritating to me are those who insist that every beer must be served in a style-specific glass. The only reason pilsners are served in pilsner glasses, while pale ales are served in pint glasses—and not vice-versa—is tradition. Sure, there's an interesting history behind most beer glasses, but with regards to the beer drinking experience, there are only a few aspects of glassware that matter.<br />
<br />
<b>Handle: </b>The main benefit of a handled glass is that the beer warms up slower, because the drinker is not holding the glass directly. Therefore, handled glassware is appropriate for large servings of a beer that does not taste good warm. Glass mugs also tend to be thick and sturdy, which is good if you're serving drunk people.<br />
<br />
<b>Glass shape: </b>Bowl-shaped glasses (e.g., snifters, tulips, wine glasses) concentrate the beer's aroma. In general, I think beer should be served in bowl-shaped glasses, unless there's a good reason not to.<br />
<br />
<b>Glass size: </b>Highly carbonated beers should be served with a good deal of headspace in the glass, so that the inevitable foam can be served, and not dumped down the drain.<br />
<br />
<b>Lip flare: </b>Glasses with flared lips (e.g., tulips) make drinking highly carbonated beers easier by allowing the drinker to drink beer from under the foam.<br />
<br />
From a functional perspective, therefore, the only types of beer glasses you need are tulips and mugs. I will, however, admit that imperial stouts look funny in a tulip, and prefer to serve them in snifters.<br />
<br />
Any glassblowers who want to make me a tulip-stein: hit me up.Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-73759442077593070472013-06-21T22:24:00.000-04:002013-08-10T19:59:40.695-04:00How Old is Too Old?Beer never becomes unsafe to drink, so retailers are under no legal obligation to sell fresh beer. Most people don't think much about beer freshness, so retailers who sell stale beer aren't punished by consumers. However, the age of a beer is vital to its flavor. I don't doubt that some people like the flavors that age and oxidation impart to beer, but I think that most people, like me, dislike these flavors.<br />
<br />
Large American lager breweries have spent a great deal of money developing extremely low-oxygen brewhouses and packaging lines to allow their pale, weak beer to last six months in refrigerated storage. Retailers generally understand this shelf life and are able to move these beers on schedule. Craft beers are the problem. Craft brewers produce a huge variety of different beer styles, each of which ages differently. American IPAs are the poster child for beer freshness, since the vast majority of American IPAs are sold extremely stale. Furthermore, craft breweries are often unable to afford refrigerator space in stores, which only worsens the problem.<br />
<br />
As my small contribution to fixing the beer freshness problem, here's my impression of the aging potential of various craft beer styles (assuming refrigerated or cellared storage):<br />
<br />
American IPA - The most fragile of beer styles. Nearly all of the fresh hop aroma that the brewer has worked so hard to get in the beer will be gone in 1-2 months. The flavors that replace it include molasses, cardboard, and cat piss—none of which I like in beer. Do not age more than six weeks in the bottle/keg.<br />
<br />
American/English pale ales - The fresh hop aromas in most American pale ales will fade just as quickly as in IPAs, but pale ales are generally less offensive to drink aged. Nevertheless, don't age them more than three months.<br />
<br />
American/English dark ales - Roasted malts are powerful antioxidants. High alcohol stouts are the only beers I brew that actually benefit from extensive aging. Stouts get softer and more complex for at least the first year, and will be delicious for years after, since the roasted malts stave off oxidation. Lower alcohol dark beers don't need as much aging, but will still hold up to a year or two of storage without much trouble.<br />
<br />
Belgian pale ales - Tripels, golden strong ales, and saisons have a better shelf life than American pale beers, since they're less reliant on hop aroma, and I think Belgian yeasts have some antioxidant capacity. (Need to confirm.) I'll happily drink a tripel at six months, maybe even a year. I don't recommend longer aging, though some do it anyway. For Belgian pale ales with Brettanomyces, see sour/wild beers.<br />
<br />
Belgian dark ales - Dubbels, dark strong ales, and quadruples already have a lot of dark sugar/dark fruit flavors, so oxidative flavors are less obvious. They're not one of my favored styles, so I don't feel qualified to say how long they can be aged, but many people do age them extensively.<br />
<br />
German wheat beers - Hefeweizens are known for their banana aroma. The ester associated with this aroma, <i>isoamyl acetate, </i>fades fairly quickly in beer. Less than three months is best with weizens.<br />
<br />
Sour/wild beers - Most sour/wild beers take at least a year of fermentation before they're released, so freshness is clearly not paramount here. (Lambics are brewed with aged hops!) But if the beer is pasteurized (as most Flemish sours are), it's best drunk fairly fresh. If unpasteurized, sour/wild beers continue to evolve in the bottle, often becoming more sour and complex. However, aging a live sour/wild beer can also throw off the balance of flavors, and in the case of fruit beers, diminish fresh fruit aromas.<br />
<br />
A note on barleywines: One style of beer embraces the flavors of oxidation, just as sherry does in the wine world. That beer is the barleywine. Barleywines don't have roasted malts or wild yeast to protect against oxidation. Nevertheless, they're often aged for many years. Aging does soften the alcohol bite, but it also brings the typical nutty, brown sugar flavors of oxidation. Many people enjoy this in a barleywine. I do not. I don't brew barleywines.<br />
<br />
Can't find the date on a beer? For a guide to best by dates and bottling codes, visit <a href="http://freshbeeronly.com/">http://freshbeeronly.com</a>Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-66001696727082541842013-06-15T12:07:00.000-04:002013-06-20T14:55:39.858-04:00Fermented Cabbage<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPVtNsSjogh1l_yv5FEB0tcSjNWIRscuDIJheN8GW2E6LfpuSTRaQvYL6VMqDHrvVD8brDWUvU0nop6TH9hUS8jpsyAWp59hUnm1ACSsAbq5Pgrq0Yf4nujCCtNOpNMOXeD51nRNCBzI/s1600/IMG_0402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPVtNsSjogh1l_yv5FEB0tcSjNWIRscuDIJheN8GW2E6LfpuSTRaQvYL6VMqDHrvVD8brDWUvU0nop6TH9hUS8jpsyAWp59hUnm1ACSsAbq5Pgrq0Yf4nujCCtNOpNMOXeD51nRNCBzI/s400/IMG_0402.jpg" width="300" /></a>About six weeks ago, I started fermenting what I thought was a small batch of sauerkraut. The recipe was simple: cabbage and salt. I chopped the cabbage and massaged it with salt to release the water. I put it in a mason jar and weighed down the cabbage with marbles*, so that all the cabbage was submerged. The kraut has been fermenting in the mid 60s since.<br />
<br />
I used a fairly high level of salt (and, stupidly, forgot to take notes), so the fermentation proceeded fairly slowly. After two weeks of fermentation, the kraut was only slightly sour. So I forgot about it for awhile. Four weeks later, I tasted it again. Delicious. Still not super sour, but incredibly complex. Interestingly, this batch turned out tasting distinctly Asian, with flavors of sesame, soy sauce, and anise, even though no such ingredients were added.<br />
<br />
It turns out that adding more than 2-3% salt to a vegetable ferment favors different strains of lactic acid bacteria, characteristic of high-salt Asian ferments like tsukemono (Japanese pickles), soy sauce, and kimchi.<br />
<br />
I like the result a lot, but it requires different pairings than normal sauerkraut. This experiment makes me want to try high-salt fermentations of more traditional Asian vegetables like daikon and bok choy.<br />
<br />
*I do not recommend the marble technique. Although effective in weighing down the cabbage, they're a huge pain to remove whenever you want to sample the ferment. Zip-locs filled with salt water are much more convenient.Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-84740058550746268112013-06-05T01:54:00.001-04:002013-06-20T14:52:56.485-04:00Wedding BeersFor my brother's wedding last week, I brewed six batches of beer. They turned out pretty good. My cousin Spencer made wedding-themed labels for each beer. They also turned out pretty good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1pUG-559L0qDxZ3h97YL6qEPa025YiXaDXxNcPU0Omcb9fCbGefz7XuM5Xc4uc8rmbJ5UQ24wSmgT9qGauFMwGDAPP75wKOEoinXeYFi5IWqZwoKZnmcqfJfPbMXOoSNnOzIsco8Xfg/s1600/AleWeNeedIsLove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1pUG-559L0qDxZ3h97YL6qEPa025YiXaDXxNcPU0Omcb9fCbGefz7XuM5Xc4uc8rmbJ5UQ24wSmgT9qGauFMwGDAPP75wKOEoinXeYFi5IWqZwoKZnmcqfJfPbMXOoSNnOzIsco8Xfg/s400/AleWeNeedIsLove.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2013/06/hoppy-amber-ii-41913.html">Ale We Need is Love</a> – An American amber ale. Lots of hop aromatics, but low levels of bitterness.
Flavor notes: pineapple and jasmine aromatics, caramel sweetness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12pt;">IBUs: Some</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiywZDegSnBBCMtx0HjQGxpGalAaozdWUp0eh6CKgJDUhj2qQp2Yj6PEy44J-J3Ze-H5cZ8Oll7MW6feebNUGf5TELZsVPHqA8a50HwQjEwpfir1Chujm28zV4H8kKCdPWntgbj8f0a0/s1600/HoppilyEverAfter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiywZDegSnBBCMtx0HjQGxpGalAaozdWUp0eh6CKgJDUhj2qQp2Yj6PEy44J-J3Ze-H5cZ8Oll7MW6feebNUGf5TELZsVPHqA8a50HwQjEwpfir1Chujm28zV4H8kKCdPWntgbj8f0a0/s400/HoppilyEverAfter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2013/04/ipa-42713.html">Hoppily Ever After</a> – An American IPA. Fresh hop aromas jump out of the glass. Very bitter. Flavor notes: grapefruit bitterness, passionfruit and pine aromatics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 16px;">IBUs: Many</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSfxvVvk2rR5ajc-OshcUjylpksQy2FGbZqIzD2U54Zr7Jv_bTxtDGh3h8gdNgvfbty8n7gBqHx968ztXKmaVa39BWGfe76Uzo9QlYxFi4oHTv9hI00B6Gjn5iR75ndM_Cj-ap_AqEmA/s1600/RachAle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSfxvVvk2rR5ajc-OshcUjylpksQy2FGbZqIzD2U54Zr7Jv_bTxtDGh3h8gdNgvfbty8n7gBqHx968ztXKmaVa39BWGfe76Uzo9QlYxFi4oHTv9hI00B6Gjn5iR75ndM_Cj-ap_AqEmA/s400/RachAle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2013/05/that-belgian-again-41613.html">RachAle</a> – A strong Belgian-style ale. Pale to amber in color, highly carbonated. Flavor notes: black pepper, fresh bread, clove, apple.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">IBUs: 26</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjmEfSw8PUjCnBCAeMSsYQBvHibUywqS2PHYDLxxA8cmrvoksouJCCofMxtD8F2Z_qzecDtXBf0NOfdocPdLoKsYIcUHPjW-EC2e1RvhMKb4Fw6Y1_H8TXogHE3J2O82sdLghExFtPj8/s1600/LoveyWeisse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjmEfSw8PUjCnBCAeMSsYQBvHibUywqS2PHYDLxxA8cmrvoksouJCCofMxtD8F2Z_qzecDtXBf0NOfdocPdLoKsYIcUHPjW-EC2e1RvhMKb4Fw6Y1_H8TXogHE3J2O82sdLghExFtPj8/s400/LoveyWeisse.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2013/03/berliner-weisse-mark-ii-3213.html">Lovey Weisse</a> – Modeled after the sour wheat beers of Berlin, but with two pounds per gallon of whole blackberries added during fermentation. Very light and drinkable, with a pronounced tartness. Available with or without homemade blackberry syrup.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">IBUs: 12 </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZqVaGLRiwggCjtV-zIi6DWe1_Ivu8mbw9Z8d6wJnB0nwFB0auFMKPfGF48xt6yUozkc61OoXzVFE6Pg6GMMekyNp7zkHHuC8zzqy-n8snhNTpakok6XbeB-WSjjOsmy5K7R5Ksy_QoQ/s1600/306968_10151382181111612_1058968124_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZqVaGLRiwggCjtV-zIi6DWe1_Ivu8mbw9Z8d6wJnB0nwFB0auFMKPfGF48xt6yUozkc61OoXzVFE6Pg6GMMekyNp7zkHHuC8zzqy-n8snhNTpakok6XbeB-WSjjOsmy5K7R5Ksy_QoQ/s640/306968_10151382181111612_1058968124_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-20083285816002144792013-05-28T13:28:00.000-04:002013-06-20T14:53:23.726-04:00Homebrewing Book ReviewsOne of the great things about being a homebrewer today is the breadth and depth of literature that is easily available. The homebrewing books I've read have been nearly all been well-written, well-researched and focused on issues relevant to homebrewers.<br />
<br />
<b>Introductory texts:</b><br />
<br />
<i>How to Brew, </i>by John Palmer. For most homebrewers, the only book you'll ever need. It's written so clearly that it's accessible to nearly anyone, but includes in-depth discussion of all the major brewing issues and techniques.<br />
<br />
<b>Brewing science:</b><br />
<br />
<i>Principles of Brewing Science, 2nd edition </i>by George Fix. A slim text, but packed with important information. Dense, but accessible to anyone with a scientific bent (no biochemistry background required).<br />
<br />
<i>New Brewing Lager Beer </i>by Greg Noonan. Not just for lager brewers, this book reads like an expansion of <i>Principles of Brewing Science</i>, but benefits from the author's experience as a professional brewer. A must-read for anyone thinking of going pro.<br />
<br />
<i>Yeast </i>by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff. Very good discussion of yeast handling and fermentation practices. Some of the information is very much geared towards professional brewers with tens of thousands of dollars to spend, though.<br />
<br />
<i>For the Love of Hops </i>by Stan Heironymous. Far and away the most readable of the science-y texts. More relevant information about hop chemistry, hop growing, and hopping techniques than you can find anywhere else.<br />
<br />
<b>Beer styles and recipe formulation:</b><br />
<br />
<i>Brew Like a Monk </i>by Stan Heironymous. Very readable. This book is a great guide to brewing Trappist-style beer. (Also covers similar breweries like Duvel, Karmeliet, etc.)<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Farmhouse Ales </i>by Phil Markowski. An excellent guide to brewing saisons and bieres de garde.<br />
<br />
<i>Wild Brews </i>by Jeff Sparrow. The only text available on sour and wild beers. Poorly written and short on information.<br />
<br />
<i>Radical Brewing </i>by Randy Mosher. Probably the most fun brewing book I've read. A must-read for anyone who likes to experiment with new ingredients.<br />
<br />
<i>Designing Great Beers </i>by Ray Daniels. Contains good information, but is quite dated, poorly organized, and not much fun to read. Still, if you want to brew traditional English- and German-style beers, it's worth reading.Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-35088809100684418062013-05-28T11:00:00.003-04:002013-06-25T18:35:23.741-04:00Bitterness, Acidity, and AstringencyThese three flavors play a crucial role in many of the beverages we consume, and are often confused. All three are essentially defense mechanisms that plants have developed to fend off predators and parasites. Now, ironically, many plants are used precisely because they have high levels of such flavors—a testament to human perversion. But these flavors are not unequivocally desirable or undesirable. In certain contexts they're highly valued, while in other contexts they're considered flaws. In some cases certain types of acidity or bitterness are desirable, while other types are undesirable.<br />
<br />
Bitterness is one of the four traditional basic tastes. Since many toxins are bitter, aversion to bitterness confers evolutionary advantage. Beer is one of the few beverages in which bitterness is valued. (Many cocktails also rely on bitterness.) Hops contain compounds known as <i>alpha</i><i> acids </i>that, when isomerized by boiling, are highly bitter. In low concentrations, this bitterness balances the cloying sweetness of unhopped beer. (Beer is generally sweeter than wine, because barley imparts more unfermentable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dextrin">dextrins</a> than grapes do.) In higher concentrations, this bitterness becomes a powerful, lingering sensation that many Americans have become enamored of. Very bitter beers like American IPAs are off-putting to the uninitiated, but for hopheads, there's no substitute. Other natural sources of bitterness include cinchona bark (quinine), orange peel, artichoke, cascarilla, and many more.<br />
<br />
Acidity is a prized attribute in wine, coffee, and certain styles of beer. One of the reasons acidity is so desirable is that, when combined with certain aromatic compounds, it evokes flavors of fruit, nature's only dessert. Acidity also provides a crisp, refreshing quality, and balances out sweetness that would otherwise be cloying—which is why soda is usually dosed with citric or phosphoric acid. However, perceived acidity does not always track pH. People often talk about coffee as being highly acidic, but it only has a pH of ~5, on average. For comparison, that's about the same pH as black tea. A typical beer has a pH around 4, even though beer is not usually thought of as an acidic substance. Wine and sour beer sit in the 3 - 4 range, and anything below 3 isn't something you'll want to consume straight. The main acids found in beverages are <i>citric </i>(lemon)<i>, malic </i>(apple)<i>, lactic </i>(yogurt)<i>, tartaric </i>(grape)<i>, acetic </i>(vinegar)<i>, </i>and <i>phosphoric </i>(cola)<i>, </i>each of which has its own flavor.<br />
<br />
Astringency is not traditionally classified as a taste, but as a tactile sensation. The source of astringency is a group of compounds known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannin">tannins</a><i>, </i>which are a type of <i>polyphenol. </i>When tannins come into contact with proteins, they bind them together. When this reaction occurs in your mouth, it results in a dry, parching sensation. In tea and wine astringency can provide a sense of body to an otherwise thin liquid. Adding milk to tea reduces its astringency, because the tannins in the tea will bind to the milk proteins, meaning there are fewer unbound tannins that can bind proteins in your mouth.Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-51153259743040968332013-05-24T01:56:00.000-04:002013-06-20T15:00:41.082-04:00IPA (4/27/13)Christened Hoppily Ever After, this IPA is probably the best I've made yet.<br />
<br />
The last IPAs I brewed turned out too dry, so for this batch I added more specialty malts and raised my mash temperature. I also increased my hop-stand addition significantly, a decision I made based on the success of my hop-stand amber ale experiments.<br />
<br />
My current theory on hopping is that some hops are inherently better suited to dry hopping than hop stand additions, while others are the reverse. Simcoe and Nugget, for example, produce beers with high levels of linalool, a desirable aromatic compound. Linalool, which has a floral aroma, is not itself present in hops, but is produced through enzymatic reactions. Many of these reactions are accelerated by the presence of yeast, so adding linalool-producing hops before fermentation should be advantageous.<br />
<br />
Other hops, like Cascade and Amarillo, have very high levels of myrcene. Myrcene, which has a pungent resinous and pine-like aroma, is extracted most effectively after fermentation through dry hopping.<br />
<br />
In order to take advantage of both these effects, I've loaded up on the linalool-producing hops in the hop-stand, and saved the myrcene-heavy hops for the dry hop.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Vitals:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
OG: 1.066<br />
FG: 1.012<br />
ABV: 7.1%<br />
IBUs (Tinseth): 185<br />
<br />
Water adjustments: 7 grams of gypsum<br />
Mash temp: 154F<br />
Mash length: 60 minutes<br />
Efficiency: 65%<br />
<br />
Yeast: US05<br />
Pitching temp: 67F<br />
Max temp: 72F<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Malts Mashed</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>2 row</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="12" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">12</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.842105263157895" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">84%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Belgian Munich</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0701754385964912" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">7%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Muntons Crystal 60</i></b></td><td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.25" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">0.25</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0175438596491228" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">2%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="34" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">34.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Barley (flaked)</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0701754385964912" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">7%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="32" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">32.00</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="207"><b><i>Hops/Additions</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>Time</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>AA%</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Magnum</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">2</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="60" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">60</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.13" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">13.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Chinook</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="60" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">60</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.13" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">13.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Nugget</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="30" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">30</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.13" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">13.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Simcoe</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="30" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">30</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.13" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">13.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Nugget</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">2</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">Hop stand</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.13" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">13.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Simcoe</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">2</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">Hop stand</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.13" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">13.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<div>
<i>5/5/13: Dry hopped with 1 oz Chinook, 1 oz Cascade, 0.5 oz Simcoe, 0.5 oz Citra (leaf).</i><br />
<i>5/11/13: Bottled to 2.6 volumes of CO2.</i></div>
Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-91205203108243097962013-05-22T23:02:00.000-04:002013-06-20T14:54:03.296-04:00Hoppy Amber II (4/19/13)Christened Ale We Need is Love, this American Amber is a descendent of my hop-stand experiment. It has no hops in the boil, but lots of hops at 175 degrees. It turned out fantastic.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Vitals:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
ABV: 6.5%<br />
OG: 1.060<br />
FG: 1.009<br />
IBUs: 25?<br />
<br />
Water adjustments: 3 grams calcium chloride, 2.5 grams calcium sulfate<br />
Mash in: 152F<br />
Mash length: 60 minutes<br />
Efficiency: 67%<br />
<br />
Yeast: US-05<br />
Pitching temp: 66F<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Malts Mashed</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>2 row</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="8" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">8</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.64" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">64%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Munich</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">2</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.16" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">16%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Munich</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.08" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">8%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Crystal 80</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">0.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.04" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">4%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="34" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">34.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Barley (Flaked)</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.08" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">8%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="32" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">32.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="207"><b><i>Hops/Additions</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>Time</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>AA%</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Nugget</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">2.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">3</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.13" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">13.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Simcoe</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">2.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">3</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.13" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">13.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<i>4/25/13: Dry hopped with 1 oz Cascade, 1 oz Chinook.</i><br />
<i>5/6/13: Bottled #11 to 2.8 volumes of CO2. FG: 1.009</i>Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-59892477112370123152013-05-12T20:58:00.000-04:002013-06-20T14:54:27.833-04:00That Belgian Again (4/16/13)Christened RachAle, this beer is a tweak on the last Belgian ale I brewed. This time I used a lighter (Belgian) Munich, dropped the biscuit malt, lowered the IBUs and added flavor hops (Nugget).<br />
<br />
OG: 1.062<br />
FG: 1.009<br />
ABV: 6.9%<br />
IBUs (Tinseth): 26<br />
<br />
Mash-in: 150<br />
Mash time: 60 minutes<br />
Efficiency: 70%<br />
<br />
Yeast: WLP570 (Belgian golden ale)<br />
Starter: 1 liter<br />
Pitching temp: 66<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Malts Mashed</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Belgian Munich</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.136363636363636" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">14%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>2 Row</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="7.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">7.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.681818181818182" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">68%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Barley (flaked)</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">0.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0454545454545455" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">5%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="32" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">32.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Other Fermentables</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Cane sugar</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.136363636363636" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">14%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="46" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">46.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="207"><b><i>Hops/Additions</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>Time</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>AA%</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Magnum</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.4" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.4</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="60" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">75</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.12" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">12.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Nugget</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.13" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">13.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<div>
<i>#10 bottled 4/28/13 to 3.3 volumes of CO2.</i></div>
Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-592920418349910202013-05-10T16:00:00.000-04:002013-06-20T14:55:15.043-04:00Robust Porter (4/7/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT_MaQGcf501si18SPjNqrfNzNswwpiUd0FiE_dYhNJMTtRPXH5RUPJkNd9VlXSL7_R3TZq6apL5eVC3nWIsO8Gtpx020o1dJYlasKnW2j7wgOT8OHv2Uf3g2lF1rfPbD_fJvpLTn-Lw/s1600/IMG_0384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT_MaQGcf501si18SPjNqrfNzNswwpiUd0FiE_dYhNJMTtRPXH5RUPJkNd9VlXSL7_R3TZq6apL5eVC3nWIsO8Gtpx020o1dJYlasKnW2j7wgOT8OHv2Uf3g2lF1rfPbD_fJvpLTn-Lw/s400/IMG_0384.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<h3>
Tasting notes:
</h3>
<b>Aroma:</b> Chocolate, toffee, fruity esters and (pleasant) spicy alcohol notes.<br />
<br />
<b>Taste: </b>Caramel sweetness balanced by a mild roastiness.<br />
<br />
<b>Mouthfeel: </b>Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Light enough to drink easily, but thick enough to support itself.<br />
<br />
<b>Overall: </b>Near perfect for a porter in this alcohol range. Balanced and quaffable, but with a lot of depth.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Vitals:</b></h3>
<b><br /></b>OG: 1.051<br />
FG: 1.012<br />
ABV: 5.2%<br />
IBUs (Tinseth): 33<br />
<br />
Water adjustments: 5 grams calcium chloride, 2 grams calcium hydroxide, 1 ml 88% lactic acid<br />
Mash in: 154F<br />
Mash length: 60 minutes<br />
Efficiency: 57%<br />
<br />
Yeast: WLP007 (Dry English Ale)<br />
400ml of thick slurry from smoked brown ale (harvested one day earlier)<br />
Pitching temp: 66F<br />
Max temp: 70F<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Malts Mashed</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Crystal 90</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">0.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0357142857142857" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">4%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="34" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">34.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Briess Chocolate</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">0.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0357142857142857" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">4%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="28" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">28.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Simpsons Chocolate</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">0.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0357142857142857" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">4%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="28" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">28.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Barley (flaked)</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0714285714285714" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">7%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="32" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">32.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>2 row</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="11.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">11.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.821428571428571" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">82%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="207"><b><i>Hops/Additions</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>Time</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>AA%</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Magnum</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.75" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.75</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="60" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">60</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.12" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">12.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Nugget</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.133" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">13.3%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<div>
<i>Bottled 4/19 to 2 volumes of CO2.</i></div>
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</body>Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-75109444330183808882013-05-07T18:32:00.001-04:002013-06-20T14:56:01.258-04:00Malt VinegarIf I'm brewing a high gravity beer with liquid yeast, one yeast vial does not provide enough cells for a proper fermentation. Rather than buying more vials, I propagate the yeast by adding it to a 1-4 liter starter of unhopped wort. If the starter is on the larger side, I typically decant the liquid and add only the yeast slurry at the bottom of the starter. This means up to 3 or 4 liters of unhopped beer down the drain.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0mp5li4OwobFnSH5u9e5PSIVcUNkUvO-ccn1XGGCeMbR7uy4ySq7LQ0zYIDngYxfFU48X1FbgVB-qK_787WiD3QuQvk82mef2kXiXXVeqhOH5xLn7ro0oHXfY9B72_ix6KHt1IM1Q_0/s1600/aslkfd.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0mp5li4OwobFnSH5u9e5PSIVcUNkUvO-ccn1XGGCeMbR7uy4ySq7LQ0zYIDngYxfFU48X1FbgVB-qK_787WiD3QuQvk82mef2kXiXXVeqhOH5xLn7ro0oHXfY9B72_ix6KHt1IM1Q_0/s400/aslkfd.png" width="390" /></a><br />
While this decanted liquid is pretty bland on its own, it is exactly what malt vinegar is made from. Therefore, I've decided to start making my own vinegar. For the first batch, I added Bragg's raw apple cider vinegar to kickstart acidification, at a ratio of 1 part cider vinegar to 3 parts unhopped beer. For future batches, I will add samples from previous batches instead, so the cider content will be negligible after a few generations.<br />
<br />
After decanting the liquid off the yeast and adding the cider vinegar, I let fermentation continue for two weeks in a gallon jug covered with tinfoil, occasionally swirling the jug to aerate. Then I transferred the finished malt vinegar to a swingtop bottle for longer term storage. This particular starter was fermented with a Belgian yeast (WLP570), so I'll be interested to see if any of the yeast flavors remain in the vinegar.<br />
<br />
In the future I may experiment with adding oak chips or fruit to my malt vinegars. (Raspberry malt vinegar = delicious raspberry vinaigrette?) I could also add caramel or liquid malt extract to make darker, sweeter vinegar.Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-35491457291611253482013-04-30T19:38:00.000-04:002013-05-04T00:32:05.093-04:00Smoked Brown Ale With Rye (3/24/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
I like smoked beers quite a lot, but I've never brewed one before. My favorite commercial examples are Stone's Smoked Porter, Hill Farmstead's Holger Danske, and the classic Schlenkerla line of rauchbiers. The last two of these are both brewed with beech-smoked malt, which tends to be less intense than peat-, apple-, or alder-smoked malts.<br />
<br />
For this beer, I wanted to emphasize the food-friendly nature of smoked beers. It is, therefore, moderate in alcohol and bitterness, and full-bodied with a bit of residual sweetness. The half pound of chocolate malt brings a bit of roast flavor (complementing roasted meats and vegetables) without overpowering the beer or the accompanying food. I also added some rye malt to the recipe, which plays well with the smoke and complements a wide variety of savory dishes.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Tasting Notes</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5l8rh88hgZTk_C9j-YJ-F8ZA9llpeCHWgphY90E0yO2zwbFVDPvvhBWBh-CkpB8h4P2A7N84F65vV0eRerNcpwLo7C4mEyLgcEOvf6LL6IxFbK5QA0e7eU5Zxv-c5Pk76lI2GaM7jPIw/s1600/IMG_0345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5l8rh88hgZTk_C9j-YJ-F8ZA9llpeCHWgphY90E0yO2zwbFVDPvvhBWBh-CkpB8h4P2A7N84F65vV0eRerNcpwLo7C4mEyLgcEOvf6LL6IxFbK5QA0e7eU5Zxv-c5Pk76lI2GaM7jPIw/s400/IMG_0345.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<b>Aroma:</b> Soft, savory-sweet beech smoke. Peppery rye. Hint of roast.<br />
<br />
<b>Taste:</b> Chocolatey/nutty, with a strong toffee sweetness from the crystal malt. Sweeter than I expected, but still good. Smoke flavor continues throughout, and the rye comes out in the finish.<br />
<br />
<b>Mouthfeel:</b> Full-bodied, moderate carbonation.<br />
<br />
<b>Overall impression:</b> I very much like the smoke/rye combination. Next time I think I'll cut back on the crystal malt a bit and substitute a de-bittered black malt for half the chocolate.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Vitals</b></h3>
<br />
ABV: 5.8%<br />
IBUs (Tinseth): 28<br />
OG: 1.063<br />
FG: 1.019<br />
<br />
Mash adjustments: 5.5 grams Calcium Chloride<br />
Sparge adjustments: 1 drop 88% lactic acid<br />
Mash in: 156F<br />
Mash length: 60 minutes<br />
Efficiency: 74% (83% conversion efficiency)<br />
<br />
Yeast: WLP007 (Dry English Ale)<br />
Starter: 1.25 liters<br />
Pitching temp: 66F<br />
Max temp: 68F<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Malts Mashed</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>2 row</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">2</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.153846153846154" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">15%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Smoked (Beech)</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="6" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">6</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.461538461538462" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">46%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="37" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">37.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Medium Crystal</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0769230769230769" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">8%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="34" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">34.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Chocolate</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">0.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0384615384615385" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">4%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="28" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">28.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Malted Rye</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">2.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.192307692307692" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">19%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="29" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">29.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Barley (flaked)</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0769230769230769" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">8%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="32" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">32.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="207"><b><i>Hops/Additions</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>Time</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>AA%</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Magnum</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.75" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.75</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="60" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">60</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.12" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">12.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<i>This was my first brew with my new grain mill. The rye malt did not mill very well. I think next time I'll double-crush it.</i><br />
<br />
<div>
<i>4/16/13: #7 bottled to 2.2 vol. CO2 Quite smokey, complex flavors, but a bit sweet. The English crystal is very good (toffee/caramel flavors) but a little too intense. Next time I'll drop the crystal to half a pound.</i></div>
Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-89802599306537227392013-04-24T23:11:00.000-04:002013-05-08T22:07:21.005-04:00On Failure (3/26/13)When you write about your own projects, there's always a temptation to emphasize your successes and avoid talking about the mishaps. However, I think that we experimentalists have an obligation to document failures as well as successes.<br />
<br />
One of the most spectacular failures of my brewing career occurred with this last attempt at a Berliner Weisse. I performed the same souring technique that I used in <a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2013/03/berliner-weisse-mark-ii-3213.html">my previous, highly successful, batch of Berliner Weisse</a>: Mash and boil normally, then leave the beer at 95F—after adding lactobacillus but before adding yeast—for a few days. I knew something was wrong within 24 hours of souring. Instead of the cabbagey aroma of dimethyl sulfide that I expected, the beer smelled like parmesan cheese. After three days, I tasted very little acidity, so I let it go for another 24 hours. At this point it had some acidity, but it was a back-of-the-throat, acetic acidity, not the clean lactic acid I was hoping for.<br />
<br />
The next surprise came when I measured the gravity after souring: 1.005. The beer had already fermented! The lactobacillus should have produced enough acid to deter any other fermentative organisms, but apparently did not. Nevertheless, I boiled the beer for 60 minutes and added a packet of yeast. The beer still smelled strongly of cheese after boiling and fermenting. Not even close to drinkable. I dumped the entire batch and threw out the bucket I fermented it in. This marks the first time I've dumped a batch before bottling.<br />
<br />
My theory is that the lactobacillus culture I bought was not viable and hence did not produce enough acidity to protect the wort from the trace amounts of wild yeast and bacteria that managed to infiltrate the covering of plastic wrap and tape that I placed over the kettle during souring. In the future I will make a starter with the lactobacillus to hasten souring and ensure that the bacteria is alive before adding it to a full batch of beer.<br />
<br />
<b>Update:</b> Thanks to Greg Noonan's excellent, though technical, book, <i>New Brewing Lager Beer, </i>I now believe that my main problem in this batch was a Gram-negative bacteria known as <i>Clostridium butyricum, </i>which produces butyric acid—a major component of the aroma of Parmesan cheese. In order to protect against these bacteria in the future, I will sour my beers at a higher temperature—say 115 - 120F—because clostridium bacteria are inactive above 112F, while <i>lactobacillus delbruckii </i>is active up to 131F.<br />
<br />
<b>Vitals:</b><br />
<br />
Gravity before souring: 1.032<br />
Gravity after souring: 1.005<br />
<br />
Mash adjustments: 5.5 grams Calcium Chloride<br />
Sparge adjustments: 1 drop 88% lactic acid<br />
Mash in: 153F<br />
Mash length: 60<br />
Efficiency: 63%<br />
<br />
Yeast: US05<br />
Bacteria: <i>Lactobacillus delbruckii </i>(White Labs)<br />
Pitching temp: 65F<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Malts Mashed</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>2 row</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="6.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">6.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.896551724137931" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">90%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Barley (flaked)</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.75" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">0.75</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.103448275862069" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">10%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="32" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">32.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="207"><b><i>Hops/Additions</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>Time</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>AA%</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Magnum</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.25" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">0.25</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="60" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">60</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.14" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">14.0%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<div>
<i>3/29/13: More cheesy than cabbagey aroma during souring this time. Souring has progressed more slowly, although identical inoculation rates and souring temperatures were used. The lack of pilsner malt would explain the lower levels of DMS this time.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>3/30/13: 96 hours in. No krausen has formed this time, however, the beer seems to have fermented. Boiled and pitched US05.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Even after a 60 minute boil and a few weeks of fermentation with yeast, the beer retained a strong parmesan cheese aroma which is quite unpleasant.</i></div>
Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-11850051994652109492013-04-23T02:35:00.000-04:002013-05-02T22:24:08.294-04:00Cafe au Lait at HomeWhile I love espresso machines with all my heart, I doubt I will ever have one in my home. Money, of course, is one obstacle. A good commercial machine like a La Marzocco Linea runs about $5k used. While there are a multitude of models of home espresso machines, most all of them have quirks of one sort or another. Even if they can reach nine bars of pressure, most home machines have issues with temperature stability—issues that commercial machines largely avoid due to their greater mass. And that's not even mentioning the grinder, which in many respects is more important than the espresso machine itself.<br />
<br />
Cost aside, making espresso inherently involves a certain amount of waste. It takes at least a couple of shots to dial in the grind on a coffee, and dialing-in has to be performed daily (if not more often) as well as whenever switching coffees. In a commercial context, a few wasted shots a day is not a big deal, but for a home enthusiast who's only drinking a couple of shots a day, dialing-in could mean that 50% of the shots pulled are test shots.<br />
<br />
For these reasons, I mostly drink brewed coffee at home. I've used the Hario V60 cone more than any other device, although I also have a Kalita Wave and an Aeropress. However, a lot of people really like steamed milk, and it's nice to be able to offer guests that option. So I recently acquired a Bellman stovetop steamer, with the intention of using it exclusively for hot chocolates and chai lattes. But, curiosity getting the better of me, I've started using it for coffee drinks as well. Since I don't have an espresso machine, I can't make lattes or cappuccinos, but I can make cafe au laits with very strong coffee from an Aeropress. There are, however, limits to this technique.<br />
<br />
The biggest difference between an Aeropress and an espresso machine (there are, of course, many differences) is that the Aeropress is an immersion brewing device, while espresso is a percolation brewing method. What that means is, the Aeropress incorporates a steep time during which most of the extraction occurs, while an espresso machine is continually pumping in fresh water for the entire extraction.<br />
<br />
As Vince Fedele recently confirmed (see the fourth-to-last paragraph of <a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2012/12/coffee-extraction.html">this post</a> for more details), immersion methods of brewing coffee require a greater amount of coffee to reach the same level of extraction. This effect is exaggerated at very high doses. Therefore, in order to make coffee by Aeropress at a similar strength and level of extraction as espresso, you have to use a lot more coffee.<br />
<br />
<b>Option One: Whole Hog</b><br />
<br />
So what happens if we try to mimic a good shot of espresso with an Aeropress? For this trial, we'll choose to model a moderate ristretto shot. We'll aim for a liquid yield of 40 grams and an extraction of 19%. Let's figure out how much coffee and water I should use.<br />
<br />
For immersion brewing, the equation to calculate extraction is:<br />
<br />
Extraction[%<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">] = Water[g</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">] * Strength[%</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">] / Coffee[g</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">]</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Since the Aeropress retains 1.5 grams of liquid per gram of coffee, we can calculate yield as:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Yield[g</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">] = Water[g</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">]</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> - (1.5 * Coffee[g</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">]</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Espresso can range in strength from 5% to 15%, depending on how the shot is pulled. Let's shoot for 10%, which is about average for many specialty coffee shops. (That's about what a 20g dose for a 40g yield comes out to at 19% extraction.) If you work through the equations, what quickly becomes apparent is that achieving coffee at 10% strength by immersion is hugely wasteful. Sure, you can keep adding more coffee, but your yield will keep decreasing, and if you add more water to increase yield you also have to add more coffee to maintain 10% strength.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">What that means is, at 10% strength, for every 100g of water you add, you'll only get 20g of liquid, because the amount of coffee you have to add (53 grams, in this case) retains so much. And with infusion methods, all of that retained liquid is extracted coffee. So if you wanted to produce 40 grams of liquid at 10% strength in an Aeropress, you would have to use 106 grams of coffee! (If anyone wants to check my math, shoot me an email.) And I don't think that you can fit that much coffee and water in an Aeropress. So, if we're defining espresso as coffee at a similar strength and volume as what is typical for specialty coffee, then it is impossible to make espresso in an Aeropress.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Option Two: Half Hog</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">So let's lower our sights a little. How about if we aim for 5% strength? Now we're only losing 39% of our liquid in the grounds. So we only have to add 65 grams of water and 17 grams of coffee to get our 40 grams of liquid. But we'll also need to increase our liquid yield in order to (partially) compensate for our loss of strength. So let's scale the recipe up to produce 60 grams of liquid, using 25.5 grams of coffee.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Now that we have our brew ratio sorted out, we can move on to the actual brewing process. In order to get a proper extraction, a very fine grind should be used. I generally stick with 200F water for everything, so that's what I used for this method. I brew the Aeropress inverted, aiming for a total brew time of 2 minutes, including pouring and pressing. Pressing should be done slowly to avoid channeling.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">To be clear, this is not true espresso. It is very strong brewed coffee. It lacks the sweetness and body of a good shot of espresso, but is superior to anything I've had out of a superautomatic machine.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Milk Steaming</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The Bellman steamer is not an ideal steaming device, mainly because it has a single-hole tip and limited steam pressure. It's also more difficult to clean than commercial steamers because the tip isn't removable. However, with some practice I've been able to make latte art quality microfoam fairly consistently. Some general tips for using this steamer:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">-Preboil the water in an electric kettle. It's much faster than waiting for the water to heat up on the stove.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">-Only fill the steamer halfway.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">-Wait for the safety release valve on the steamer to start whistling before you try to steam anything.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">-Keep the steamer on medium-high heat while steaming.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">-Use a 12 oz pitcher.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">-The Bellman takes much longer to heat up milk than a commercial steam wand, though foaming may occur rapidly. For this reason, it's easy to overaerate your milk. If you do overaerate, scoop off excess foam.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">This method makes a nice small (4-5 oz) milk drink.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Thanks to NetPhilosopher on coffeegeek.com, on whose work I based this post.</i></span></span></div>
Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-1786431438256226882013-04-06T17:18:00.001-04:002013-04-30T12:49:33.432-04:00Acid Experiments, Part 1: Iced Tea<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO06OCI6K8mW4b7sXTUR1C_9qAynLdC47yzRIlqqtU_E0y_GkLCbnfryujTngU5_i_8m0Mq3TZr7FCmgb7c0ie5hSNoW16RjujxgJ0MjrF_5X0G7joy-9WUBpufkVktaK0hYrXGcMOVYM/s1600/IMG_0313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO06OCI6K8mW4b7sXTUR1C_9qAynLdC47yzRIlqqtU_E0y_GkLCbnfryujTngU5_i_8m0Mq3TZr7FCmgb7c0ie5hSNoW16RjujxgJ0MjrF_5X0G7joy-9WUBpufkVktaK0hYrXGcMOVYM/s400/IMG_0313.JPG" width="400" /></a>As I've mentioned in <a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2012/08/iced-tea.html">a previous post</a>, I like the acidity that lemon brings to iced tea, but I don't want my iced tea to taste like lemon—I want it to taste like tea. Therefore, I decided to run some trials adding different amounts of various pure acids, to try to achieve a neutral acidity that would complement the tea flavor.<br />
<br />
For the first test, I tried malic acid (powder), lactic acid (88% solution), and acid phosphate (a solution containing phosphoric acid partially neutralized by phosphate salts). Malic acid is found naturally in fruit like grapes and (especially) apples. Lactic acid is mainly found in substances that have undergone lactic fermentation, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, sour beer, and some wines and ciders. Acid phosphate was once used at many soda fountains, and has recently made a minor resurgence in the world of craft sodas and cocktails. In the future I will also try citric acid (found in citrus fruits) and straight phosphoric acid (often added to modern sodas).<br />
<br />
Since the malic and lactic acids I used are very concentrated, I had to be precise with my measurements. After undershooting and then overshooting my desired level of acidity, I settled on a ratio of 1.3 grams of malic acid or 4.2 ml of lactic acid per liter of tea. I did not much like the taste of the acid phosphate with the tea, so I didn't try very hard to dial it in.<br />
<br />
I found that, at similar levels of perceived acidity, lactic acid enhanced the tannic astringency of the tea, while malic acid did not. I therefore preferred the tea with malic acid. I also found that tea acidified with malic acid makes a very nice lightly sweetened tea with (the equivalent of) 3 teaspoons of sugar per liter of tea. And I don't usually like sweet tea!<br />
<br />
If anyone wants to give this a try, I'd love to get another opinion. The malic acid was $12 for a pound, and I very much doubt I will ever use all of it.<br />
<br />
<i>Note: I do not recommend adding acids to iced coffee. It's weird.</i>Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-82014823941721619782013-03-26T14:12:00.000-04:002013-04-25T22:38:42.966-04:00Belgian Strong Amber (12/19/12)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwS5AHV_8i_NZAE5bwbk9fp3D6atImkUpQknTS1aZc4GJJ8MoFwyOMkq_iva4e7LE84QjvgMSN8XkPkwlabq5YcMlA4w-DNDchufgUUrfFM5XRx4gOTmzo69xiWVDKRSMM7VSBV_Vfo-U/s1600/amber+bear.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwS5AHV_8i_NZAE5bwbk9fp3D6atImkUpQknTS1aZc4GJJ8MoFwyOMkq_iva4e7LE84QjvgMSN8XkPkwlabq5YcMlA4w-DNDchufgUUrfFM5XRx4gOTmzo69xiWVDKRSMM7VSBV_Vfo-U/s400/amber+bear.png" width="291" /></a><b>Aroma</b>: Black pepper, clove, apple.<br />
<br />
<b>Taste</b>: More clove, with notes of toasted bread and nuts in the finish.<br />
<br />
<b>Mouthfeel</b>: Light in body, with lively carbonation. Very drinkable.<br />
<br />
<b>Overall impression</b>: The Munich and Biscuit malts add a nice sweet maltiness to balance the classic Belgian yeast aromatics. I'm going to re-brew this beer soon. Next time I'll dial back the maltiness just a bit, lower the bitterness by ~5 IBUs to increase its crowd appeal, and add some aroma hops for complexity.<br />
<br />
This beer is a variation of the <span id="goog_579309957"></span><span id="goog_579309958"></span><a href="http://angrymonocle.blogspot.com/2011/03/golden-strong-brewday-3511.html">Golden Bear</a>, which I've brewed a couple of times before, both times being universally well-received. That beer was in the style of a Belgian golden strong ale: a pale, dry beer dominated by fruity (think apple, pear) and spicy (think black pepper) yeast flavors. I'm a big fan of the WLP570 yeast, which is from Duvel Moortgat. This time, I decided to give the beer a bit more color and malt flavor by adding some Munich and Biscuit malt.<br />
<br />
<b>Vitals:</b><br />
<br />
OG: 1.071<br />
FG: 1.006<br />
ABV (Est): 8.5%<br />
IBUs (Tinseth): 33<br />
<br />
Yeast: WLP570 (Belgian golden ale)<br />
Starter: 3 liters<br />
Pitching temp: 66F<br />
Max temp: 70F<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Malts Mashed</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Biscuit</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="0.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">0.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.0416666666666667" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">4%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Munich</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1.5" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">1.5</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.125" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">13%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>2 Row</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="8" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">8</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.666666666666667" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">67%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="36" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">36.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="207"><b><i>Other Fermentables</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="121"><b><i>%</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" width="86"><b><i>Max Pts.</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Cane Sugar</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">2</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0%" sdval="0.166666666666667" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">17%</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.00" sdval="46" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE">46.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="5" frame="VOID" rules="NONE">
<colgroup><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="86"></col><col width="121"></col><col width="86"></col></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="207"><b><i>Hops/Additions</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>Amount</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="121"><b><i>Time</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" bgcolor="#808080" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;" valign="MIDDLE" width="86"><b><i>AA%</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" height="23" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;"><b><i>Saaz</i></b></td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">3</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;" sdval="60" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">60</td>
<td align="CENTER" sdnum="1033;0;0.0%" sdval="0.03" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: 1px solid #000000;">3.0%</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
<i>12/21/12: Added 2 lbs of sugar.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>12/27/12: Gravity is 1.008.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>1/1/12: Bottled at 1.006 to 2.9 volumes of CO2.</i></div>
Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-33316375113975909722013-03-26T11:53:00.005-04:002013-04-06T23:18:56.560-04:00How I Store HopsIf you like to brew beers with a lot of hop aroma, hop storage is crucial. Keeping them in the freezer is good enough to slow down alpha acid loss to a crawl. (Alpha acids are the main bittering compounds in hops.) However, if you don't take measures to limit oxidation, your hops are going to lose a lot of their fresh aromatic compounds, and—God forbid—may pick up cheesy or catty aromas.<br />
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If you buy your hops by the ounce in sealed, nitrogen-flushed packages—as I did until recently—you're all set, as long as you don't try to store opened packages. But if you brew a lot of beer, buying hops by the ounce is a lot more expensive than buying by the pound. And if you buy by the pound, you need a way to store leftover hops.<br />
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There are two basic approaches to avoiding oxidation: removing the air, or replacing it with something else. To remove air, one would typically use a home vacuum sealer like a Foodsaver. Homebrewers, ever the penny-pinchers, have also used automotive brake bleeder pumps for the same purpose. However, neither of these methods can pull a very strong vacuum. For that, you'd need a chamber vacuum machine, which tend to cost thousands of dollars.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Dhu20jqwS0h9QcjLPS1ImQilW52OlU9keSTR_dd__hrVXLnWd8AJNbI6mLNOxNa7Cqo0aIh3Q7yhPuAYVdknCdK-OJecmTK5WJy7lyc8lcpYFpZ4tTAuok7xHCNupB3dhTiMS2s81w4/s1600/IMG_0287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Dhu20jqwS0h9QcjLPS1ImQilW52OlU9keSTR_dd__hrVXLnWd8AJNbI6mLNOxNa7Cqo0aIh3Q7yhPuAYVdknCdK-OJecmTK5WJy7lyc8lcpYFpZ4tTAuok7xHCNupB3dhTiMS2s81w4/s400/IMG_0287.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
Instead, you can flush the hop container with an inert gas, like nitrogen, argon, or carbon dioxide. If you keg your beer, you already have plenty of CO2 sitting around. I don't keg, so I got myself a bottle of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bloxygen-Finish-Preserver/dp/B0002088O8">Bloxygen</a>, which is pure argon. It's designed to preserve half-empty cans of wood finish, but has also become popular amongst wine drinkers for preserving opened bottles. It's $13 and should be good for about 150 uses.<br />
<br />
After I open a new bag of hops, I put the leftovers into half-pint mason jars, open the lid just enough to slip the Bloxygen tube inside, and give it a one-second burst of argon. The argon, being heavier than air, will push the air out of the jar and protect the hops from oxidation. Then I seal the jar, throw it in the freezer, and call it a day. If you already have a vacuum sealer, you can also double up on protection and vac seal the jar after flushing.<br />
<br />
Just be warned: once you start buying hops by the pound, you're going to need a lot of freezer space!Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674107597042502056.post-76914791432482851302013-03-20T20:07:00.002-04:002013-04-06T23:19:08.637-04:00Not All Malts Are Created EqualWhen you're a homebrewer without a grain mill, recipe formulation generally involves looking through lists of malts, whether on a spreadsheet or at the homebrew store, deciding how much of each malt you want in your beer, and then buying whatever your store has in stock. The fact that homebrew recipes and software refer to malts only by type—say, Munich, 2-row, or Crystal 60—can lead a homebrewer to believe that her work is done once she's decided the types and quantities of each malt she wants in her beer.<br />
<br />
But <a href="http://hotwatermagic.blogspot.com/2013/01/whats-in-beer.html">brewing-grade malts</a>—particularly the specialty malts that craft brewers prize—are not commodities. One maltster's Munich is not the same as every other maltster's. So if a brewer wants to make the best possible beer, she needs to select the best of all ingredients.<br />
<br />
Since I bought a grain mill recently, I'm buying grains in bulk now. Before I commit to buying 10 pounds of any given specialty grain, I want to make sure that it's the best I can buy. So I bought a few pounds of specialty grains I use frequently—namely Munich, crystal, and chocolate malt—from a few different maltsters. I compared Dingemans (Belgian) Munich and Global (German) Munich, Simpsons (English) medium and dark crystal, Briess (American) crystal 80, Briess organic chocolate malt, and Simpsons chocolate malt. Here's what I found.<br />
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Simpsons crystal malt is far superior to Briess. I picked Briess's Crystal 80 to compare because in previous tastings it has been my favorite of Briess's crystal malts, but Simpsons medium crystal blows it away. The medium crystal has a rich toffee-like sweetness, and lacks the coarse grainy flavor of the Briess. (Briess apparently uses 6-row barley for most of their specialty malts.) The Simpsons dark crystal was also good, but more raisiny than I like. That's just a problem I have with dark crystal malts in general—I'm sure the dark crystal would make a brilliant dubbel or old ale if that's your bag.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, there wasn't a clear winner between the Belgian and German Munich malts. The Belgian Munich had a really nice light, honey-like maltiness, while the German Munich was richer, breadier, and more savory (in a good way). I think the Belgian Munich would work really well as an accent to an IPA or pale Belgian ale, while the German Munich would be great in a more malt-focused beer.<br />
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Since I don't much like chewing on dark-roasted grains, I made a tea out of the chocolate malts to compare them. Simpsons chocolate malt was significantly darker than the Briess, but the flavors of the two were very close. If pressed, I'd give the edge to Briess, which had a slightly rounder, sweeter flavor, but I'd be happy using either one in a dark ale. I also like the fact that the Briess is lighter, since it (presumably) means that I can make a brown ale that has a good amount of roast flavor without being black.<br />
<br />
I think that choosing my malts more carefully is going to make a big difference in the quality of my beer. We'll see how it works out in my next batch, a smoked brown ale with rye.Lee Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00698409525485698378noreply@blogger.com2