Recipe:
Northern Brewer Honey Weizen (with some creative liberties taken)
Grains:
6 lb Wheat malt syrup (I think we used Bavarian wheat)
Other Ingredients:
1 lb raw filtered honey (local)
Hops:
1 oz German Tettnang pellets
Yeast:
Wyeast 1010 American Wheat Yeast
Priming Sugar:
5.5 oz corn sugar
Batch Size/Yield:
30ish Grolsch style bottles
Original Gravity:
NR (1.048 expected)
Final Gravity:
1.010
Alcohol Content:
4.99%
Primary Fermentation/Time:
6 gallon glass carboy/3-4 weeks (guess who forgot to rack to secondary again)
Conditioning Time:
12-14 days (we couldn't wait!)
Tasting Notes:
YOU GUYS. We did it. A beer without the "homebrew tang." We were suuuuuper careful adding the malt extract; I added about half the dry extract at the beginning of the boil and stirred like crazy, then let it boil for 30 minutes and added the other half. There was no extract residue at the bottom of the pot this time, and no scorching! We also used a better yeast, which I adored. Better water, better fermentation chamber, better priming sugar (actually calculated the amount and used almost twice as much as the recipe said), better bottles, better beer! This one is super drinkable with no off flavors. I know I'm gushing, but...this is the best one yet. Fresh, not too sweet but almost no bitterness, and pairs perfectly with a good pepperoni pizza. I can't wait to use what we've learned for our next batch!
Next Up:
Red Yum Amber Ale (and kegging!)
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
#4: American-style IPA
Recipe:
Dead Ringer IPA by Northern Brewer (which is totally not the copyrighted Bell's Two Hearted, no sir)
Grains:
1 lb Briess Caramel 40L (hey, I learned what that means this week!)
9 lb Briess Golden Light dry malt extract (because we couldn't find Gold liquid malt extract)
Hops:
5 oz (!!) Centennial (60 min, 20 min, 5 min, and dry hop additions)
Yeast:
Safale US-05
Priming Sugar:
4 oz corn sugar
Batch Size/Yield:
5 gallons/46 12-oz bottles
Original Gravity:
NR (expected was 1.064)
Final Gravity:
1.012
Alcohol Content:
6.83%
Primary Fermentation/Time:
5 gallon plastic fermenting bucket/6 weeks
Secondary Fermentation/Time:
None (we fully intended to, but never had time!)
Conditioning Time:
14 days
Tasting Notes:
Update #1: This beer hasn't even finished fermenting yet, and I can already tell Centennial hops are going to be one of my favorites. The smell alone is much nicer than other hops we've used, and once they were added to the wort, the scent became downright delicious. I keep poking my head in the fermenting closet just to get a whiff...I sincerely hope this beer tastes as good as it smells!
Update #2: I tasted this beer while we were bottling, and it was super sweet and malty. I would say we had stuck fermentation, but the final gravity was spot on. All my research is telling me to relax because the finished product will taste very different after carbonating and conditioning, so...fingers crossed!
Final notes: After conditioning, this beer did not wow us. The same semi-sour aftertaste was present as our other beers, despite the strong hop flavor! When we moved, we actually ended up pouring quite a bit out. We loved the Centennial hops, but it just wasn't enough to save this IPA. But fear not, we have a plan! I've done tons and tons of research, and I've come up with several possible causes of the off flavor.
1) Yeast. Online reviews are mixed for the Safale line, so next time we'll be trying something different.
2) Water. We've just been using tap water, so next time we'll be grabbing gallons of water from the store.
3) Plastic. We have upgraded to a glass fermenting carboy and will be completely ditching the plastic buckets.
4) Heat. Apparently there is such a thing as the "homebrew tang," which sounds exactly like the taster we're noticing. So, we add the ingredients later in the boil, at a lower heat, and stir a lot more.
All in all, we will be trying this recipe again, once we nail down our off flavors!
Next Up:
Honey Weizen repeat
Dead Ringer IPA by Northern Brewer (which is totally not the copyrighted Bell's Two Hearted, no sir)
Grains:
1 lb Briess Caramel 40L (hey, I learned what that means this week!)
9 lb Briess Golden Light dry malt extract (because we couldn't find Gold liquid malt extract)
Hops:
5 oz (!!) Centennial (60 min, 20 min, 5 min, and dry hop additions)
Yeast:
Safale US-05
Priming Sugar:
4 oz corn sugar
Batch Size/Yield:
5 gallons/46 12-oz bottles
Original Gravity:
NR (expected was 1.064)
Final Gravity:
1.012
Alcohol Content:
6.83%
Primary Fermentation/Time:
5 gallon plastic fermenting bucket/6 weeks
Secondary Fermentation/Time:
None (we fully intended to, but never had time!)
Conditioning Time:
14 days
Tasting Notes:
Update #1: This beer hasn't even finished fermenting yet, and I can already tell Centennial hops are going to be one of my favorites. The smell alone is much nicer than other hops we've used, and once they were added to the wort, the scent became downright delicious. I keep poking my head in the fermenting closet just to get a whiff...I sincerely hope this beer tastes as good as it smells!
Update #2: I tasted this beer while we were bottling, and it was super sweet and malty. I would say we had stuck fermentation, but the final gravity was spot on. All my research is telling me to relax because the finished product will taste very different after carbonating and conditioning, so...fingers crossed!
Final notes: After conditioning, this beer did not wow us. The same semi-sour aftertaste was present as our other beers, despite the strong hop flavor! When we moved, we actually ended up pouring quite a bit out. We loved the Centennial hops, but it just wasn't enough to save this IPA. But fear not, we have a plan! I've done tons and tons of research, and I've come up with several possible causes of the off flavor.
1) Yeast. Online reviews are mixed for the Safale line, so next time we'll be trying something different.
2) Water. We've just been using tap water, so next time we'll be grabbing gallons of water from the store.
3) Plastic. We have upgraded to a glass fermenting carboy and will be completely ditching the plastic buckets.
4) Heat. Apparently there is such a thing as the "homebrew tang," which sounds exactly like the taster we're noticing. So, we add the ingredients later in the boil, at a lower heat, and stir a lot more.
All in all, we will be trying this recipe again, once we nail down our off flavors!
Next Up:
Honey Weizen repeat
Sunday, October 1, 2017
#3: Honey Weizen
Recipe:
Honey Weizen Extract Kit from Northern Brewer
Grains:
6 lb Briess Bavarian Wheat liquid malt extract
Additions:
1 lb raw honey (local!)
Hops:
1 oz German Tettnang
Yeast:
Safale WB-06 dry yeast (we may have substituted S-04; I did not take good notes this time)
Priming Sugar:
2/3 c corn sugar
Batch Size/Yield:
5 gallons/4.5 gallons (46 12-oz bottles)
Original Gravity:
1.044
Final Gravity:
1.008
Alcohol Content:
4.7%
Primary Fermentation/Time:
5 gallon fermenting bucket/14 days
Secondary Fermentation/Time:
6 gallon glass carboy/14 days
Conditioning Time:
12 days
Tasting Notes:
Honey Weizen Extract Kit from Northern Brewer
Grains:
6 lb Briess Bavarian Wheat liquid malt extract
Additions:
1 lb raw honey (local!)
Hops:
1 oz German Tettnang
Yeast:
Safale WB-06 dry yeast (we may have substituted S-04; I did not take good notes this time)
Priming Sugar:
2/3 c corn sugar
Batch Size/Yield:
5 gallons/4.5 gallons (46 12-oz bottles)
Original Gravity:
1.044
Final Gravity:
1.008
Alcohol Content:
4.7%
Primary Fermentation/Time:
5 gallon fermenting bucket/14 days
Secondary Fermentation/Time:
6 gallon glass carboy/14 days
Conditioning Time:
12 days
Tasting Notes:
This beer ended up quite dark for a wheat beer, and didn't have the light, crisp taste we were expecting. It is smooth and mild, but nothing about it really stands out. We will be making another batch in the future, using a different wheat extract and a different yeast. I've done some research, and S-04 has a tendency to produce off flavors (which may be why we've noticed that tart taste in every beer so far)! That being said, this batch is drinkable and pairs well with grilled hamburgers, so we called it a semi-success.
Next Up:
IPA
 |
| Does this look like a wheat beer?? |
IPA
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
#2: Amber Ale
Recipe:
Block Party Amber Ale Kit from Northern Brewer (adjusted for grain availability from local shop)
Grains:
6 lbs Gold malt syrup
0.5 lbs Crystal Malt
0.125 lbs Briess
0.125 lbs Light Roasted Barley
Hops:
1 oz Willamette (60 min)
Yeast:
Safale S-04 dry yeast
Priming Sugar:
5 oz corn sugar
Batch Size/Yield:
5 gal/4.5 gal (48 12-oz bottles) (we got better at controlling trub and other volume loss)
Original Gravity:
1.041
Final Gravity:
1.011
Alcohol Content:
3.9%
Primary Fermentation/Time:
5 gal plastic fermenting bucket/15 days
Conditioning Time:
14 days
Tasting Notes:
This is a very drinkable beer..we went through seven of them on the first night we tasted it! It still has a barely noticeable sour taste, which our oatmeal stout had too. Not sure if it's the yeast, or our sanitation, or other contaminant. Good amber color, maybe a little dark due to the grain substitutions we made. Perfectly balanced sweetness/maltiness/hoppiness. Not a huge "wow" flavor, but perfect for someone who wants a smooth, clean beer. We are absolutely going to share this with more people.
Next Up:
Honey Weizen
Block Party Amber Ale Kit from Northern Brewer (adjusted for grain availability from local shop)
Grains:
6 lbs Gold malt syrup
0.5 lbs Crystal Malt
0.125 lbs Briess
0.125 lbs Light Roasted Barley
Hops:
1 oz Willamette (60 min)
Yeast:
Safale S-04 dry yeast
Priming Sugar:
5 oz corn sugar
Batch Size/Yield:
5 gal/4.5 gal (48 12-oz bottles) (we got better at controlling trub and other volume loss)
Original Gravity:
1.041
Final Gravity:
1.011
Alcohol Content:
3.9%
Primary Fermentation/Time:
5 gal plastic fermenting bucket/15 days
Conditioning Time:
14 days
Tasting Notes:
This is a very drinkable beer..we went through seven of them on the first night we tasted it! It still has a barely noticeable sour taste, which our oatmeal stout had too. Not sure if it's the yeast, or our sanitation, or other contaminant. Good amber color, maybe a little dark due to the grain substitutions we made. Perfectly balanced sweetness/maltiness/hoppiness. Not a huge "wow" flavor, but perfect for someone who wants a smooth, clean beer. We are absolutely going to share this with more people.
 |
| I think we might start brewing in 22-oz bottles to fill up a pint glass! |
Next Up:
Honey Weizen
#1: Oatmeal Stout
Recipe:
Oatmeal Stout Extract Beer Kit from Midwest Supplies
Grains:
6 lbs Dark LME
8 oz Rolled Oats
4 oz Chocolate Malt
4 oz Roasted Barley
Hops:
1 oz Fuggles (60 min)
Yeast:
Safale S-04 dry yeast
Priming Sugar:
5 oz corn sugar
Batch Size/Yield:
5 gal/3.5 gal (38 12-oz bottles)
Original Gravity:
NR (forgot to measure it - it was our first batch, after all!)
Final Gravity:
1.011
Alcohol Content:
Unknown (est. 3.9%)
Primary Fermentation/Time:
5 gal plastic fermenting bucket/21 days (we weren't sure it had fermented, and we got busy, so it went an extra week past the recipe)
Conditioning Time:
14 days
Tasting Notes:
A little on the light-tasting side for a stout, it still had a great dark color and a balanced malty/bitterness. Not too sweet, good sense of oatmeal. I'm not sure I would brew this exact recipe again, but I do like oatmeal stouts. My goal is to find a heavier, richer version. Our friends could drink it, so it was a successful first attempt!
Oatmeal Stout Extract Beer Kit from Midwest Supplies
Grains:
6 lbs Dark LME
8 oz Rolled Oats
4 oz Chocolate Malt
4 oz Roasted Barley
Hops:
1 oz Fuggles (60 min)
Yeast:
Safale S-04 dry yeast
Priming Sugar:
5 oz corn sugar
Batch Size/Yield:
5 gal/3.5 gal (38 12-oz bottles)
Original Gravity:
NR (forgot to measure it - it was our first batch, after all!)
Final Gravity:
1.011
Alcohol Content:
Unknown (est. 3.9%)
Primary Fermentation/Time:
5 gal plastic fermenting bucket/21 days (we weren't sure it had fermented, and we got busy, so it went an extra week past the recipe)
Conditioning Time:
14 days
Tasting Notes:
A little on the light-tasting side for a stout, it still had a great dark color and a balanced malty/bitterness. Not too sweet, good sense of oatmeal. I'm not sure I would brew this exact recipe again, but I do like oatmeal stouts. My goal is to find a heavier, richer version. Our friends could drink it, so it was a successful first attempt!
 |
| Look at that great stout color! |
Intro: Our hombrewing adventure!
In the quintessential homebrew guide How to Brew, author John Palmer recommends keeping brewing notes for each beer. What ingredients we used, how long we fermented, specific gravity measurements, and tasting notes are all important parts of the brewing process. As Adam Savage (and probably someone else) said, "the only difference between science and screwing around is writing it down." So, instead of tracking down a notebook and trying to decipher my (or my husband's) handwriting, I'm going to keep a homebrew notes blog! (As if I don't have enough blogs already...)
I like to read other people's accounts of brewing as well. Some are so far beyond our skill level right now it just seems like a foreign language (Yeast flocculation? RO water?), but I can usually glean some good tips. And some good stories - like the guy whose cat jumped into his full fermenting bucket, and he still finished bottling the beer.
We are hoping to get good enough at this to open our own brewery someday. I won't tell you the name we have in mind, but we're down to choosing between a nerdy pun and an optometry pun. So keep an eye out! Until then, we'll keep brewing 5 gallons at a time and I'll keep writing about it. Thanks for reading!
I like to read other people's accounts of brewing as well. Some are so far beyond our skill level right now it just seems like a foreign language (Yeast flocculation? RO water?), but I can usually glean some good tips. And some good stories - like the guy whose cat jumped into his full fermenting bucket, and he still finished bottling the beer.
We are hoping to get good enough at this to open our own brewery someday. I won't tell you the name we have in mind, but we're down to choosing between a nerdy pun and an optometry pun. So keep an eye out! Until then, we'll keep brewing 5 gallons at a time and I'll keep writing about it. Thanks for reading!
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