Category Archives: English

Best Bitter 3V Conical 1

Best Bitter 3V Conical 1

Leave a comment

Another NHC 2019 beer. See NHC details in my Schwarzbier discussion. I did change up this recipe a bit from last year. I went against my own advice and went to a blend of Whitbread Golding and East Kent Golding. Beer turned out well so we’ll see. I also adjusted for the larger volume of my conical.

Recipe Info
Recipe: best bitters 3v conical 1
Style: Best Bitter 11B BJCP 2015
Date: 02-05-2018

RecipeGuideline MinGuideline Max
OG1.0481.0401.048
FG1.0111.0081.012
Color7.58.016.0
ABV4.93.84.6
IBU46.025.040.0

Brewery Info
Efficiency: 73 %
Attenuation: 78 %

Mash Info
Weight: 15.775 Lbs
Thickness: 1.25 Qt per Lb
Deadspace: 2.0 G
Strikewater: 6.93 G
Volume: 8.19 G
Temp: 154.0 F

Boil Info
Kettle Gravity: 1.041
Predicted Mash Run-off: 5.51 G
Target Starting Boil Volume: 10.5 G
Boil Duration: 60 min
Evaporation Rate: 1.5 G per Hour
Final Boil Volume: 9.0 G

Fermentables

Weight% by WeightNameYieldSRM
14.200 Lb90.0 %Maris Otter (Crisp)82.03.0
0.900 Lb6.0 %Crystal, Medium (Simpsons)76.055.0
0.675 Lb4.0 %Torrified Wheat79.01.7

Hops

WeightNameAAUTimeUseIBUs
0.75 OzChallenger7.660 minsBoil13.0
1.5 OzWGV7.615 minsBoil13.0
1.5 OzEast Kent Goldings (EKG)4.615 minsBoil8.0
1.5 OzWGV7.620 minsAroma8.0
1.5 OzEast Kent Goldings (EKG)4.620 minsAroma5.0

Yeast

AmountName
1.000 unitEnglish Ale White Labs WLP002

Misc

AmountNameTimeUse
1.000 tabletWhirlfloc Tablet15 minsBoil
1.000 tspYeast Nutrient (Wyeast)10 minsBoil

Water
Predicted Mash Ph: 5.49

CaMgNaClSoBicarbonate
Water7321302430
Mash733213018130
Sparge643213016030
Final1075334726747
Target750002000

Water Profile Name: carrboro
Target Profile Name: hoppy

Mash Water
Total Water Treated: 28.391 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 7.500 G

Mash Water Adjustments
Gypsum: 8.0 g
Lactic Acid: 2.0 ml @ 88.000 %

Sparge Water
Leftover Mash Water Used: Yes
Total Water Treated: 6.500 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 6.500 G

Sparge Water Adjustments
Gypsum: 6.0 g

Notes

Mash 154f 60 mins
168f 10 mins

Ferment 68f for 2 weeks

1/29/19 1L 100g DME starter with 1 pouch of WLP002
1/31/19 normal 3V brew day. pitched @ 1:30pm entire starter at 68F
2/1/19 strong bubbling
2/2/19 steady bubbling
2/3/19 slow steady bubbling
2/4/19 ~5 sec
2/9/19 forced diacetyl test. both seemed negative to me. shook up fermter to get yeast back in suspension just in case 🙂
2/13/19 cold crashed to 35F
2/14/19 dropped cone. aeration stone was slowly leaking so wanted to get beer out
2/15/19 racked to keg. FG 1.015
tasted good. maybe a hair too bitter?
2/23/19 gelatin added. 30 psi 24 hours then 11psi at 35F.

best bitter 3V 3

Best Bitter 3V 3

Leave a comment

Beer #5 for NHC 2018.  And thats a wrap!  Sadly this is the only beer I entered that did not make it to the finals.  A really good beer but it did not do well in competition.  Not totally sure why.  Judge feedback was not very helpful.  I was in London not too long ago and this beer definitely fit right in with the boat load of bitters I had while there.  The one thing I had changed was to go from Willamette to EKG and I think i wold go back to Willamette.  I just prefer that flavor profile and the beer did better with that recipe.

Recipe Info
Recipe: best bitters 3v 3
Style: Best Bitter 11B BJCP 2015
Date: 02-05-2018

Recipe Guideline Min Guideline Max
OG 1.048 1.040 1.048
FG 1.011 1.008 1.012
Color 7.7 8.0 16.0
ABV 4.9 3.8 4.6
IBU 45.0 25.0 40.0

Brewery Info
Efficiency: 73 %
Attenuation: 78 %
Mash Info
Weight: 12.25 Lbs
Thickness: 1.25 Qt per Lb
Deadspace: 2.0 G
Strikewater: 5.83 G
Volume: 6.81 G
Temp: 154.0 F
Boil Info
Kettle Gravity: 1.040
Predicted Mash Run-off: 4.73 G
Target Starting Boil Volume: 8.5 G
Boil Duration: 60 min
Evaporation Rate: 1.5 G per Hour
Final Boil Volume: 7.0 G
Fermentables

Weight % by Weight Name Yield SRM
11.000 Lb 90.0 % Maris Otter (Crisp) 82.0 3.0
0.750 Lb 6.0 % Crystal, Medium (Simpsons) 76.0 55.0
0.500 Lb 4.0 % Torrified Wheat 79.0 1.7

Hops

Weight Name AAU Time Use IBUs
0.85 Oz Challenger 6.7 60 mins Boil 17.0
1.0 Oz Challenger 6.7 15 mins Boil 10.0
1.0 Oz East Kent Goldings (EKG) 5.0 15 mins Boil 7.0
1.0 Oz East Kent Goldings (EKG) 5.0 20 mins Aroma 5.0
1.0 Oz Challenger 6.7 20 mins Aroma 6.0

Yeast

Amount Name
1.000 unit English Ale White Labs WLP002

Misc

Amount Name Time Use
1.000 tablet Whirlfloc Tablet 15 mins Boil
0.500 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast) 10 mins Boil

Water
Predicted Mash Ph: 5.55

Ca Mg Na Cl So Bicarbonate
Water 7 3 21 30 24 30
Mash 79 3 21 30 196 30
Sparge 77 3 21 30 192 30
Final 125 5 34 48 312 48
Target 75 0 0 0 200 0

Water Profile Name: carrboro
Target Profile Name: hoppy
Mash Water
Total Water Treated: 6.000 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 6.000 G
Mash Water Adjustments
Gypsum: 7.0 g
Sparge Water
Leftover Mash Water Used: Yes
Total Water Treated: 5.250 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 5.250 G
Sparge Water Adjustments
Gypsum: 6.0 g
Notes
Mash 154f 60 mins
168f 10 mins
Ferment 68f for 2 weeks

2-19-18 made 0.5L 50g DME starter with WLP002
2-20-18 normal 3 vessel brewday.  no issues.  pitched @12:30pm
@10pm slow steady bubbling
2-21-18 kreusen forming.  strong bubbling.
2-23-18 ~4 sec
2-24-18 ~6 sec
2-27-18 no bubbling
3-1-18 very slow bubbling but it appears to be from cooling / heating of fermenter.  roused yeast to try and prevent diacetyl.
3-6-18 racked to keg
FG 1.015
nice beer.  certainly a bit more bitter than before.  a think good.  hop character is really good. no diacetyl.  fingers crossed.
3-7-18 added gelatin
3-11-18 put on high carb
3-12-18 moved down to 10psi @ 35F
3-15-18 put on draft
Best Bitter 3V 2, Uncategorized

Best Bitter 3V 2

Leave a comment

Another beer for the second half of the Southeastern Homebrewers Association competitions and again trying to improve my NHC beers.  I kept this recipe the same but I am messing with the process to make sure it finish out with a low enough gravity and also cleans up all the diacetyl which was an issue the last time I brewed this beer.  The fixes I’m going to try is dropping the mash temp from 154 to 152F and as fermentation starts to slow I’m going to swirl up the carboy to get the yeast back in suspension.  The issue with WLP002 is that it flocculates out like a rock (really big nasty cottage cheese) and so day 4 or 5 it has all sunk to the bottom and the beer finishes a bit sweet and since the yeast has all dropped out it doesn’t clean up the SMM/Diacetyl properly.  My other issue with this beer is I think it is a bit too caramelly so if this version is still too caramelly even with properly drying out and no diacetyl I’ll try cutting the crystal malt from 8 to 5% and maybe using midnight wheat to adjust the color if thats out of range.

Recipe Info

Recipe: best bitter 3v 2
Style: Best Bitter 11B BJCP 2015
Date: 07-23-2017

Recipe

Guideline Min

Guideline Max

OG

1.048

1.040

1.048

FG

1.010

1.008

1.012

Color

8.6

8.0

16.0

ABV

4.9

3.8

4.6

IBU

39.0

25.0

40.0

Brewery Info

Efficiency: 71 %
Attenuation: 78 %

Mash Info

Weight: 12.5 Lbs
Thickness: 1.25 Qt per Lb
Deadspace: 2.0 G
Strikewater: 5.91 G
Volume: 6.91 G
Temp: 152.0 F

Boil Info

Kettle Gravity: 1.039
Predicted Mash Run-off: 4.78 G
Target Starting Boil Volume: 8.5 G
Boil Duration: 60 min
Evaporation Rate: 1.5 G per Hour
Final Boil Volume: 7.0 G

Fermentables

Weight

% by Weight

Name

Yield

SRM

11.000 Lb

88.0 %

Maris Otter (Crisp)

82.0

3.0

1.000 Lb

8.0 %

Crystal, Medium (Simpsons)

76.0

55.0

0.500 Lb

4.0 %

Torrified Wheat

79.0

1.7

Hops

Weight

Name

AAU

Time

Use

IBUs

0.75 Oz

Northern Brewer (DE)

4.9

60 mins

Boil

11.0

1.0 Oz

Challenger

6.7

15 mins

Boil

10.0

1.0 Oz

Willamette

5.1

15 mins

Boil

8.0

1.0 Oz

Challenger

6.7

20 mins

Aroma

6.0

1.0 Oz

Willamette

5.1

20 mins

Aroma

5.0

Yeast

Amount

Name

1.000 unit

English Ale White Labs WLP002

Misc

Amount

Name

Time

Use

1.000 tablet

Whirlfloc Tablet

15 mins

Boil

0.500 tsp

Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast)

10 mins

Boil

Water

Predicted Mash Ph: 5.48

Ca

Mg

Na

Cl

So

Bicarbonate

Water

7

3

21

30

24

30

Mash

99

3

21

30

245

30

Sparge

96

3

21

30

238

30

Final

161

5

34

49

397

49

Target

75

0

0

0

200

0

Mash Water

Total Water Treated: 6.000 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 6.000 G

Mash Water Adjustments

Gypsum: 9.0 g

Sparge Water

Leftover Mash Water Used: Yes
Total Water Treated: 5.500 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 5.500 G

Sparge Water Adjustments

Gypsum: 8.0 g

Notes

Mash 152f 60 mins
168f 10 mins

cool to 200F and put in whirlpool hops and let sit for 20 mins

Ferment 68f for 2 weeks

8/20/17 0.5L starter 50g DME WLP002
8/22/17 1/2″ kreusen and steady bubbling
8/25/17 kreusen dropped and slow steady bubbling already dropping clear so heavily swirled up the carboy to get yeast back up into suspension
8/27/17 ~4 sec between bubbles
8/29/17 no bubbling
9/6/17 racked beer to keg FG 1.014
tastes really good.  not getting diacetyl this time but still a bit high on caramel.  very good but i would like to tune that back.  promising.  moved to lagering fridge.
9/24/17 added gelatin since still a little haze.
9/26/17 moved to keezer and put in 30 psi over night.  then moved down to serving pressure.

Dry Irish Stout 3V 1

Dry Irish Stout 3V 1

Leave a comment

Taking a bit of a break from familiar styles my last two beers so decided to continue that trend and brew another new one for me, Dry Irish Stout.  Guinness is my favorite low calorie beer and I really enjoy it’s flavor profile.  I read through all my books on the subject and it seems most are in agreement on what the recipe should look like.  English Pale Malt with a healthy does of Flaked Barley and Roasted Barley so I took all the recipes together and came up with this guy.

Recipe Info

Recipe: dry irish stout 3v 1
Style: Irish Stout 15B BJCP 2015
Date: 05-03-2017

Recipe

Guideline Min

Guideline Max

OG

1.042

1.036

1.044

FG

1.008

1.007

1.011

Color

24.3

25.0

40.0

ABV

4.4

4.0

4.5

IBU

35.0

25.0

45.0

Brewery Info

Efficiency: 75 %
Attenuation: 80 %

Mash Info

Weight: 10.75 Lbs
Thickness: 1.25 Qt per Lb
Deadspace: 2.0 G
Strikewater: 5.36 G
Volume: 6.22 G
Temp: 150.0 F

Boil Info

Kettle Gravity: 1.035
Predicted Mash Run-off: 4.39 G
Target Starting Boil Volume: 8.5 G
Boil Duration: 60 min
Evaporation Rate: 1.5 G per Hour
Final Boil Volume: 7.0 G

Fermentables

Weight

% by Weight

Name

Yield

SRM

7.000 Lb

65.0 %

Maris Otter (Crisp)

82.0

3.0

2.500 Lb

23.0 %

Barley, Flaked (Briess)

77.0

1.7

1.250 Lb

12.0 %

Roasted Barley (Briess)

72.0

300.0

Hops

Weight

Name

AAU

Time

Use

IBUs

2.25 Oz

East Kent Goldings (EKG)

5.0

60 mins

Boil

35.0

Yeast

Amount

Name

1.000 unit

Irish Ale White Labs WLP004

Misc

Amount

Name

Time

Use

1.000 tablet

Whirlfloc Tablet

15 mins

Boil

1.000 tsp

Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast)

10 mins

Boil

Water

Predicted Mash Ph: 5.44

Ca

Mg

Na

Cl

So

Bicarbonate

Water

7

3

21

30

24

30

Mash

101

3

21

182

24

55

Sparge

93

3

21

183

24

30

Final

128

4

28

240

32

58

Target

75

0

0

0

0

0

Mash Water

Total Water Treated: 5.200 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 5.200 G

Mash Water Adjustments
Calcium Chloride: 6.2 g
Pickling Lime: 0.3 g

Sparge Water

Leftover Mash Water Used: Yes
Total Water Treated: 4.000 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 4.000 G

Sparge Water Adjustments

Calcium Chloride: 4.8 g

Notes

Mash 150f 60 mins
2 weeks 65
Diacetyl rest at 70f

5/8/17 250mL w/ 25g DME WLP004 starter
5/10/17 normal 3V brewday.  hit all numbers.  no issues although over cooled a bit to 62F and raised to 65F over 24 hours.
5/11/17 1/4″ kreusen and slow steady bubbling
5/12/17 strong steady bubbling.  kreusen dropping.
5/13/17 kreusen dropped.  ~3 sec.
5/15/17 no bubbling
5/24/17 racked to keg.  FG 1.012.  really nice beer!  clean.  no issues.  good clarity.  set @ 8psi @35F
6/3/17.  still not fully carbed.  should start with high overnight psi next time.  upped to 10psi to get carb right and then bottle.
I really like how this beer turned out.  side by side very similar to guinness even though not on nitro.

Scottish Export 3V 1

Scottish Export 3V 1

Leave a comment

I have brewed a few different Scottish style beers in the past and was looking to brew a beer that would age well and scottish export seemed like a good idea.  The recipe is just jamil’s recipe modifed for my system.

Recipe Info

Recipe: scottish export 3v 1
Style: Scottish Export 14C BJCP 2015
Date: 03-09-2017

Recipe

Guideline Min

Guideline Max

OG

1.051

1.040

1.060

FG

1.010

1.010

1.016

Color

18.7

13.0

22.0

ABV

5.3

3.9

6.0

IBU

23.0

15.0

30.0

Brewery Info

Efficiency: 73 %
Attenuation: 80 %

Mash Info

Weight: 12.75 Lbs
Thickness: 1.25 Qt per Lb
Deadspace: 2.0 G
Strikewater: 5.98 G
Volume: 7.0 G
Temp: 158.0 F

Boil Info

Kettle Gravity: 1.041
Predicted Mash Run-off: 4.84 G
Target Starting Boil Volume: 8.5 G
Boil Duration: 60 min
Evaporation Rate: 1.63 G per Hour
Final Boil Volume: 6.88 G

Fermentables

Weight

% by Weight

Name

Yield

SRM

10.000 Lb

78.0 %

Pale Ale Malt (Bairds)

82.0

2.5

1.000 Lb

8.0 %

Caramel 40L (Briess)

75.0

40.0

0.500 Lb

4.0 %

Caramel 120L (Briess)

74.0

120.0

0.500 Lb

4.0 %

Munich Dark (BestMälz)

76.1

12.7

0.500 Lb

4.0 %

Honey Malt (Gambrinus)

83.0

25.0

0.250 Lb

2.0 %

Chocolate Malt (Bairds)

75.0

500.0

Hops

Weight

Name

AAU

Time

Use

IBUs

1.5 Oz

East Kent Goldings (EKG)

5.0

60 mins

Boil

23.0

Yeast

Amount

Name

1.000 unit

California Ale White Labs WLP001

Misc

Amount

Name

Time

Use

1.000 tablet

Whirlfloc Tablet

15 mins

Boil

0.500 tsp

Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast)

10 mins

Boil

Water

Predicted Mash Ph: 5.56

Ca

Mg

Na

Cl

So

Bicarbonate

Water

7

3

21

30

24

30

Mash

115

3

21

136

24

175

Sparge

7

3

21

30

24

30

Final

104

4

29

135

34

168

Target

75

0

0

0

0

0

Mash Water

Total Water Treated: 5.984 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 5.984 G

Mash Water Adjustments

Calcium Chloride: 5.0 g
Pickling Lime: 2.0 g

Sparge Water

Leftover Mash Water Used: Yes
Total Water Treated: 3.666 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 3.666 G

Sparge Water Adjustments

Notes

Mash 156f 60 min
168f 10 mins
Cool to 65f and ferment at this temp for 2 weeks
Carb to 2.2 vol

3/22/17 37g DME -> 400mL starter wlp001 could only make it one day in advance
3/23/17 normal 3V brewday.  efficiency was  a bit higher than normal but minor and didn’t adjust.  wort tasted good.
3/24/17 nice 1″ kreusen and slow steady bubbling.
3/25/17 ”
3/26/17 seems to have slowed a bit
3/27/17 ~4 sec
3/28/17 ~14 sec
3/29/17 ~7 sec
3/30/17 ”
4/7/17 racked to keg.  FG 1.015.  really nice.  no off flavors.  really nice malt character.  clean.  not super clear so will gelatin in a couple days.
4/15/17  added gelatin using new kelsey mcnair method.

English Porter 3V 1

English Porter 3V 1

Leave a comment

I have been trying to do well in the Southeastern Homebrewers Association Brewer of the Year competition which allows for 12 entries per competition and there are 11 competitions.  Thats a lot of beers to brew!!!  I can brew about once a week but with limited fermentation space, lagering space and serving space I have to brew some beers that turn around fairly quickly but that hold up well so I can enter in more than a couple competitions.  So, I decided to brew an English Porter and American (Robust) Porter to help free up some space on the cold side.  This recipe is an amalgamation of Jamil’s recipe and a couple NHC winning recipes taking into account the ingredients I had laying around and can get at my LHBS.

Recipe Info

Recipe: english porter 3v 1
Style: English Porter 13C BJCP 2015
Date: 02-05-2017

Recipe

Guideline Min

Guideline Max

OG

1.050

1.040

1.052

FG

1.010

1.008

1.014

Color

23.3

20.0

30.0

ABV

5.2

4.0

5.4

IBU

27.0

18.0

35.0

Brewery Info

Efficiency: 73 %
Attenuation: 80 %

Mash Info

Weight: 12.1 Lbs
Thickness: 1.25 Qt per Lb
Deadspace: 2.0 G
Strikewater: 5.78 G
Volume: 6.75 G
Temp: 152.0 F

Boil Info

Kettle Gravity: 1.040
Predicted Mash Run-off: 4.69 G
Target Starting Boil Volume: 8.25 G
Boil Duration: 60 min
Evaporation Rate: 1.63 G per Hour
Final Boil Volume: 6.63 G

Fermentables

Weight

% by Weight

Name

Yield

SRM

10.000 Lb

83.0 %

Maris Otter (Crisp)

82.0

3.0

1.000 Lb

8.0 %

Crystal, Medium (Simpsons)

76.0

55.0

0.600 Lb

5.0 %

Chocolate Malt (Simpsons)

67.0

430.0

0.500 Lb

4.0 %

Victory Malt (Briess)

75.0

28.0

Hops

Weight

Name

AAU

Time

Use

IBUs

1.5 Oz

Willamette

5.1

60 mins

Boil

24.0

0.5 Oz

Willamette

5.1

10 mins

Boil

3.0

Yeast

Amount

Name

1.000 unit

English Ale White Labs WLP002

Misc

Amount

Name

Time

Use

1.000 tablet

Whirlfloc Tablet

15 mins

Boil

0.500 tsp

Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast)

10 mins

Boil

Water

Predicted Mash Ph: 5.44

Ca

Mg

Na

Cl

So

Bicarbonate

Water

7

3

21

11

24

46

Mash

78

3

21

100

75

46

Sparge

7

3

21

11

24

46

Final

72

4

29

92

78

65

Target

75

0

0

0

0

0

Mash Water

Total Water Treated: 5.750 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 5.750 G

Mash Water Adjustments

Gypsum: 2.0 g
Calcium Chloride: 4.0 g

Sparge Water

Leftover Mash Water Used: Yes
Total Water Treated: 3.500 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 3.500 G

Sparge Water Adjustments

Notes

152f 60 mins
168f 10 mins
Ferment at 68f for 2 weeks
2.3 volumes

2/12/17 0.4L 40g DME starter w/ 1 pack of WLP002
2/14/17 normal 3V brew day.  hit all #s.
2/15/17 1/2″ kreusen slow steady bubbling
2/16/17 slowed a little bit but still steady bubbling
2/17/17 kreusen dropped but still slow steady bubbling
2/18/17 ~6 sec
2/19/17 dropped pretty clear ~45 sec
2/20/17 no activity
3/1/17 racked to keg.  FG 1.014.  tastes excellent.  very clear.  great malt character.  very promising.
Comments:  I feel this beer turned out really well.  I have entered it in 2 competitions so far and it placed 1st in one and didn’t place in the other.  All in all a really nice beer that I wouldn’t change.

Best Bitter 3V 1

Best Bitter 3V 1

Leave a comment

NHC run beer #5!  This recipe took 1st in the first round last year and has done very well in competition so I decided to just stick with it and give it another go.

Recipe Info
Recipe: best bitter 3v 1
Style: Best Bitter 11B BJCP 2015
Date: 12-25-2016

Recipe

Guideline Min

Guideline Max

OG

1.048

1.040

1.048

FG

1.010

1.008

1.012

Color

8.7

8.0

16.0

ABV

5.0

3.8

4.6

IBU

41.0

25.0

40.0

Brewery Info
Efficiency: 73 %
Attenuation: 80 %

Mash Info
Weight: 11.5 Lbs
Thickness: 1.25 Qt per Lb
Deadspace: 2.0 G
Strikewater: 5.59 G
Volume: 6.51 G
Temp: 154.0 F

Boil Info
Kettle Gravity: 1.038
Predicted Mash Run-off: 4.56 G
Target Starting Boil Volume: 8.25 G
Boil Duration: 60 min
Evaporation Rate: 1.63 G per Hour
Final Boil Volume: 6.63 G

Fermentables

Weight

% by Weight

Name

Yield

SRM

10.000 Lb

87.0 %

Maris Otter (Crisp)

82.0

3.0

1.000 Lb

9.0 %

Crystal, Medium (Simpsons)

76.0

55.0

0.500 Lb

4.0 %

Torrified Wheat

79.0

1.7

Hops

Weight

Name

AAU

Time

Use

IBUs

0.5 Oz

Northern Brewer (DE)

9.6

60 mins

Boil

15.0

1.0 Oz

Willamette

4.1

15 mins

Boil

6.0

1.0 Oz

Challenger

6.1

15 mins

Boil

10.0

1.0 Oz

Willamette

4.1

20 mins

Aroma

4.0

1.0 Oz

Challenger

6.1

20 mins

Aroma

6.0

Yeast

Amount

Name

1.000 unit

English Ale White Labs WLP002

Misc

Amount

Name

Time

Use

1.000 tablet

Whirlfloc Tablet

15 mins

Boil

0.500 tsp

Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast)

10 mins

Boil

Water

Predicted Mash Ph: 5.52

Ca

Mg

Na

Cl

So

Bicarbonate

Water

7

3

21

11

24

46

Mash

95

3

21

11

234

46

Sparge

7

3

21

11

24

46

Final

84

4

29

15

212

65

Target

75

0

0

0

200

0

Mash Water
Total Water Treated: 5.600 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 5.600 G

Mash Water Adjustments
Gypsum: 8.0 g

Sparge Water
Leftover Mash Water Used: Yes
Total Water Treated: 3.700 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 3.700 G
Sparge Water Adjustments

Notes

Mash 154f 60 min
168f 10 min

Ferment at 68f

1/11/17 400mL starter w/ 33g DME
1/13/17 normal brew day except pitched @ 62F (overshot cooling) and raised to 68F over 24 hours
1/14/17 1/2″ kreusen and steady fermenting/bubbling
1/15/17 1/2″ kreusen but seems to be slowing
1/16/17 kreusen dropped ~3 sec
1/17/17 ~6 sec
1/18/17 ~12 sec
1/19/17 no activity.  moved to room temp.
1/25/17 racked to keg.  FG 1.016 (test hydrometer and it was off by 0.02 🙂 ) pH 4.11
clean.  very good.  brilliant clarity.
2/5/17 added gelatin
2/7/17 racked to clean keg set to 25F overnight and turned down to 12psi @ 38 psi

British Golden Ale eBIAB 2

British Golden Ale eBIAB 2

Leave a comment

I just moved from a single vessel eBIAB recirculating system from colorado brewing system back to a 3 vessel system although my new 3 vessel system is electric running on a hosehead running elsinore and using a HERMS coil.  The main reason for leaving the single vessel setup was a kept having issues with scorched elements. it was never able to figure out 100% what the culprit was but it looks like long rest at below sacchrification temps seems to be the primary culprit.  I loved the single vessel for ease of use, extremely short brew day (4 hours for a lot of beers) and ease of cleanup.  and for 95% of beers it worked great.  But my goal is to make the absolute best beer I can so although I was making very good beer I felt it fell a little short of where I want to be.
So, this beer is my first beer (I have done a water brew) on this system.  Lots of things to workout with the HERMS setup so I’m sure there will be some misses but the goal is to get all the kinks worked out now so I’m good for my NHC run of beers.
This recipe is the same as the british golden I took 2nd in the first round of NHC but I have adjusted it for the new system and I’ve decided to try a new hop combination with mt hood and amarillo.  Gordon Strong had a great write up on this style in a recent BYO article and he talked a lot about hops and possible combinations which got me itching to try something new.  Last time it was willamette + cascade so i’m curious to see how a noble-ish hop like mt hood is like with a more modern american hop like amarillo.  high hopes!

Recipe Info

Recipe: british golden 3v 1
Style: British Golden Ale 12A BJCP 2015
Date: 09-23-2016

Recipe

Guideline Min

Guideline Max

OG

1.049

1.038

1.053

FG

1.010

1.006

1.012

Color

3.7

2.0

6.0

ABV

5.1

3.8

5.0

IBU

41.0

20.0

45.0

Brewery Info

Efficiency: 80 %
Attenuation: 80 %

Mash Info

Weight: 10.5 Lbs
Thickness: 1.5 Qt per Lb
Deadspace: 2.0 G
Strikewater: 5.94 G
Volume: 6.78 G
Temp: 150.0 F

Boil Info

Kettle Gravity: 1.041
Predicted Mash Run-off: 4.99 G
Target Starting Boil Volume: 7.75 G
Boil Duration: 60 min
Evaporation Rate: 1.25 G per Hour
Final Boil Volume: 6.5 G

Fermentables

Weight

% by Weight

Name

Yield

SRM

5.000 Lb

48.0 %

Maris Otter (Crisp)

82.0

3.0

5.000 Lb

48.0 %

2-row American Malt (Rahr)

81.3

1.8

0.500 Lb

5.0 %

Carapils (Briess)

74.0

1.3

Hops

Weight

Name

AAU

Time

Use

IBUs

0.5 Oz

Magnum

12.0

60 mins

Boil

19.0

1.0 Oz

mt hood

5.1

10 mins

Boil

6.0

1.0 Oz

amarillo

6.2

10 mins

Boil

7.0

1.0 Oz

amarillo

6.2

15 mins

Aroma

5.0

1.0 Oz

mt hood

5.1

15 mins

Aroma

4.0

Yeast

Amount

Name

1.000 unit

English Ale White Labs WLP002

Misc

Amount

Name

Time

Use

1.000 tablet

Whirlfloc Tablet

15 mins

Boil

0.500 tsp

Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast)

10 mins

Boil

Water

Predicted Mash Ph: 5.44

Ca

Mg

Na

Cl

So

Bicarbonate

Water

7

3

21

11

24

46

Mash

90

3

21

11

222

46

Sparge

7

3

21

11

24

46

Final

85

4

28

15

213

62

Target

75

0

0

0

200

0

Mash Water

Total Water Treated: 5.938 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 5.938 G

Mash Water Adjustments

Gypsum: 8.0 g
Lactic Acid: 3.0 ml @ 88.000 %

Sparge Water

Leftover Mash Water Used: No
Total Water Treated: 2.756 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 2.756 G

Sparge Water Adjustments

Notes

Mash 150F for 60 min
168F for 10 mins

Ferment 68F for 2 weeks

11/1/16 made 0.5L starter of WLP002 w/ 50g of DME
11/2/16 first brew day on new HERMS setup.  all things considered it went pertty well.  pitch @ 66F and ramped to 68F over 24 hours
11/3/16 1″ kreusen and solid bubbling
11/4/16 kreusen dropping and blubbling slowly
11/5/16 kreusen dropped and starting to clear
11/16/16 rack to serving keg
FG 1.012 pH 4.59  (seems to be reading high, didn’t calibrate pH meter)
first off, cystal freakin’ clear.    wow.  night and day from old single vessel eBIAB w/ same beer.  what a wonderful beer!  malt is beautiful and hop flavor & aroma really shine.  no off flavors.  very promising.
11/18/17 really nice beer.  crystal clear going into keg but a little hazy now with chill haze.  we’ll see how long it takes to clear on its own.
11/22/17 clarity is already good but not competition good.
12/2/17 competition clear.  crystal.  so two weeks in keg it is gelatin level of clear.

Bitter eBIAB v3

Bitter eBIAB v3

Leave a comment

Beer 8 of 12 for the Skirmish in the Triad?  Maybe?  Who knows.  Anywho, I have brewed this Best Bitter a few times now and I really love it and it has done really well in competition including a 1st in the first round of NHC.  I love the way that Willamette and Challenger work together.  A subtly earthiness from the Willamette and a nice orange marmalade from the Challenger.  Nothing over the top like EKG or Fuggles can be but it is noticed by judges and just seems to work.  And the malt bill is pretty standard and just works.
 

Recipe Info

Recipe: bitter ebiab 1
Style: Best Bitter 11B BJCP 2015
Date: 09-01-2016

Recipe

Guideline Min

Guideline Max

OG

1.047

1.040

1.048

FG

1.009

1.008

1.012

Color

8.8

8.0

16.0

ABV

4.9

3.8

4.6

IBU

42.0

25.0

40.0

Brewery Info

Efficiency: 70 %
Attenuation: 80 %

Mash Info

Weight: 11.5 Lbs
Thickness: 2.19 Qt per Lb
Deadspace: 2.5 G
Strikewater: 8.8 G
Volume: 9.72 G
Temp: 154.0 F

Boil Info

Kettle Gravity: 1.039
Predicted Mash Run-off: 7.76 G
Target Starting Boil Volume: 7.75 G
Boil Duration: 60 min
Evaporation Rate: 1.25 G per Hour
Final Boil Volume: 6.5 G

Fermentables

Weight

% by Weight

Name

Yield

SRM

10.000 Lb

87.0 %

Maris Otter (Crisp)

82.0

3.0

1.000 Lb

9.0 %

Crystal, Medium (Simpsons)

76.0

55.0

0.500 Lb

4.0 %

Torrified Wheat

79.0

1.7

Hops

Weight

Name

AAU

Time

Use

IBUs

0.5 Oz

Northern Brewer (german)

10.6

60 mins

Boil

17.0

1.0 Oz

Willamette

5.1

15 mins

Boil

8.0

1.0 Oz

Challenger

6.7

15 mins

Boil

5.0

1.0 Oz

Willamette

5.1

20 mins

Aroma

5.0

1.0 Oz

Challenger

6.7

20 mins

Aroma

7.0

Yeast

Amount

Name

1.000 unit

English Ale White Labs WLP002

Misc

Amount

Name

Time

Use

1.000 tablet

Whirlfloc Tablet

15 mins

Boil

0.500 tsp

Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast)

10 mins

Boil

Water

Predicted Mash Ph: 5.55

Ca

Mg

Na

Cl

So

Bicarbonate

Water

7

3

21

11

24

46

Mash

63

3

21

11

158

46

Sparge

0

0

0

0

0

0

Final

85

4

28

15

214

63

Target

75

0

0

0

200

0

Mash Water

Total Water Treated: 8.796 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 8.796 G

Mash Water Adjustments

Gypsum: 8.0 g

Sparge Water

Leftover Mash Water Used: Yes
Total Water Treated: 0.000 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 0.000 G

Sparge Water Adjustments

Notes

0.5L starter 40g DME

mash 154F 60 min
168F 10 min

ferment 2 weeks at 68F

9/10/16 0.5 L starter w/ 40g DME WLP002
9/12/16 regular brewday.  went smoothly and wort tasted good.   @10pm a little bit of bubbling
9/13/16 steady bubbling and kreusen forming
9/14/16 already kreusen is dropping it looks done.  wow.
9/19/16 moved to bubbler and moved to closet @ 72F
9/26/16 racked to keg for gelatin
FG 1.016 pH 4.5
very promising.  clean.  excellent clarity.  nice malt and hop character.  really good!  put in lagering fridge at 35F to gelatin
9/27/16 added gelatin

this beer turned out really well again.  and it did well at the skirmish in the triad with a second place.

b_dp1m b_dp2m

British Strong eBIAB 1

British Strong eBIAB 1

Leave a comment

Beer 4 of 12 in run to the Skirmish in the Triad.  And hey…why not do another new style!  I’ve done an English Barley Wine years ago but nothing like this style.  I have had the Fullers 1845 and it was covered in “Can You Brew It” so I decided to give that recipe a whirl.

Recipe Info
Recipe: british strong ebiab 1
Style: British Strong Ale 17A BJCP 2015
Date: 07-31-2016

Recipe

Guideline Min

Guideline Max

OG

1.063

1.055

1.080

FG

1.013

1.015

1.022

Color

15.8

8.0

22.0

ABV

6.6

5.5

8.0

IBU

57.0

30.0

60.0

Brewery Info
Efficiency: 70 %
Attenuation: 80 %

Mash Info
Weight: 15.5 Lbs
Thickness: 1.71 Qt per Lb
Deadspace: 2.5 G
Strikewater: 9.13 G
Volume: 10.37 G
Temp: 148.0 F

Boil Info
Kettle Gravity: 1.053
Predicted Mash Run-off: 7.73 G
Target Starting Boil Volume: 7.75 G
Boil Duration: 60 min
Evaporation Rate: 1.25 G per Hour
Final Boil Volume: 6.5 G

Fermentables

Weight

% by Weight

Name

Yield

SRM

12.500 Lb

81.0 %

Maris Otter (Crisp)

82.0

3.0

1.500 Lb

10.0 %

Crystal, Dark (Simpsons)

76.0

80.0

1.500 Lb

10.0 %

Amber (Crisp)

80.0

27.5

Hops

Weight

Name

AAU

Time

Use

IBUs

1.0 Oz

Magnum

12.0

60 mins

Boil

34.0

2.0 Oz

East Kent Goldings (EKG)

5.0

15 mins

Boil

14.0

2.0 Oz

East Kent Goldings (EKG)

5.0

20 mins

Aroma

9.0

Yeast

Amount

Name

1.000 unit

English Ale White Labs WLP002

Misc

Amount

Name

Time

Use

1.000 tablet

Whirlfloc Tablet

15 mins

Boil

0.500 tsp

Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast)

10 mins

Boil

Water

Predicted Mash Ph: 5.42

Ca

Mg

Na

Cl

So

Bicarbonate

Water

7

3

21

11

24

46

Mash

68

3

21

11

169

46

Sparge

0

0

0

0

0

0

Final

95

4

29

15

238

65

Target

75

0

0

0

0

0

Mash Water
Total Water Treated: 9.126 G
Percent RO / Distlled: 0 %
Water Used: 9.126 G

Mash Water Adjustments

Gypsum: 9.0 g

Ferment:

pitch @ 63F
raise to 68F over 12 hours
hold for 48 hours then lower to 64 F over 24 hours

8/12/16 1.4L starter w/ 140g DME of 002
8/14/16 normal brewday.  hit all my numbers.  no fruit flys this time 🙂  beer tasted good going into fermenter but maybe a bit husky?    pitched at 3pm.  @9pm small kreusen and bubbling
8/15/16 big kreusen and strong bubbling
8/16/16 kreusen already dropped and bubbling greatly slowed.  wow!
8/17/16 ~6 sec
8/18/16 no bubbling
8/19/16 ditto
8/22/16 ditto
9/5/16 racked to keg for gelatin FG 1.015 pH 4.5
nice clean malt forward aroma
fairly clear.  nice deep brown color.  nice rich complex malt notes.  caramel.  toffee.  toast.  a hint of booze but not harsh and a little tobacco.  very promising.  EKG comes through in aroma & flavor but not overwhelming.  very promising.
9/9/16 bottled.  targetting 2.4 volums.  78g of table sugar in 3.25 gallons of beer.  28 bottles.

i have mixed feelings on this beer.  i just doesn’t come together the way i would want but i’m not sure why.  that doesn’t help does it 🙂  not a bad beer but not great.

judges seem to agree.  this set think it is hot and too bitter.  maybe this one just needs some age?  here are results from skirmish in the triad.

bs_dp1m bs_dp2m