Post by beervolcano on Feb 7, 2021 10:28:22 GMT -5
This is a beer that we brewed March 2020 and it turned out to be exceptional. Somehow the simple ingredients came together so perfectly, that they danced on the tongue. We definitely need to try to replicate this in the coming year. The color is a light amber with a foamy white head. The aroma is very malty with a toffee note. The taste is quite malty with a caramel undertone that ends with a hops tingle on the tongue and a slight licorice aftertaste. Honey is added during fermentation to kick it up a notch. This recipe ended up making about 5.5 gallons, maybe a little more, so there was some excess after kegging.
OG = 1.077 (calculated with honey)
OG = 1.070 (measured without honey)
FG = 1.020
ABV = 7.5%
Water:
Grains:
Hops:
Yeast:
A 2 L yeast starter was made using light DME at 45o F, took a few days. The night before pitching, it was allowed to settle so that the top liquid could be poured off.
Mashing started at 146o F pH 5.25 for 60 min (too long?). 1 gallon of thick mash was removed, brought to a slight boil on the stove, and returned to the mash tun. After stirring well the temp was 156o F where it sat for 30 more min (too much?). A gallon of thin mash was collected and brought to a slight boil before pouring back in to reach a temp of 168o F for mashout, about 10 min. Collected 6.75 gallons of clear wort. 1 oz of hops was added at first wort before bringing it to a boil. Boiled for 60 min with an addition of 1 tsp Irish Moss with 10 min remaining. Chilled with the immersion chiller. About 5.5 gallons, OG = 1.070 pH 5.35.
Chilled in the carboy to 45o F. Aerated with an aquarium pump and aeration stone. Pitched yeast. Allowed to rise to 48o F where it fermented for 3 weeks. It was still steadily but slowly fermenting at this point when 1 lb of Gunter's Wildflower honey was added straight from the bottle (after sanitizing the outside). The temp was allowed to rise to 52 F where it fermented for another 10 days. After that, it was allowed to rise to 65 F for the diacetyl rest, 1 week (too long?).
Racked (yeah, I know) to a different carboy leaving no headspace, excess beer was drunk. Lagered at 32 F for 4 weeks. FG = ~1.015
Kegged and served at 41o F and ~12 psi.
When I do it again, I probably won't bother with decoction mashing, but might do a step mash anyway.
OG = 1.077 (calculated with honey)
OG = 1.070 (measured without honey)
FG = 1.020
ABV = 7.5%
Water:
- 10 gal Reverse Osmosis water with 2 g CaCl2 added
Grains:
- 6.5 lbs Pilsner malt
- 5 lbs Vienna malt
- 2 lbs Munich malt
- 0.5 lb Melanoiden malt
Hops:
- 1 oz Sterling hops (7.9%)
Yeast:
- WLP 833 German Bock Lager
Mashing started at 146o F pH 5.25 for 60 min (too long?). 1 gallon of thick mash was removed, brought to a slight boil on the stove, and returned to the mash tun. After stirring well the temp was 156o F where it sat for 30 more min (too much?). A gallon of thin mash was collected and brought to a slight boil before pouring back in to reach a temp of 168o F for mashout, about 10 min. Collected 6.75 gallons of clear wort. 1 oz of hops was added at first wort before bringing it to a boil. Boiled for 60 min with an addition of 1 tsp Irish Moss with 10 min remaining. Chilled with the immersion chiller. About 5.5 gallons, OG = 1.070 pH 5.35.
Chilled in the carboy to 45o F. Aerated with an aquarium pump and aeration stone. Pitched yeast. Allowed to rise to 48o F where it fermented for 3 weeks. It was still steadily but slowly fermenting at this point when 1 lb of Gunter's Wildflower honey was added straight from the bottle (after sanitizing the outside). The temp was allowed to rise to 52 F where it fermented for another 10 days. After that, it was allowed to rise to 65 F for the diacetyl rest, 1 week (too long?).
Racked (yeah, I know) to a different carboy leaving no headspace, excess beer was drunk. Lagered at 32 F for 4 weeks. FG = ~1.015
Kegged and served at 41o F and ~12 psi.
When I do it again, I probably won't bother with decoction mashing, but might do a step mash anyway.