Birthday Brews: Palace Bitter & Rocky Raccoon's Honey Lager - Part 1

Today is my birthday, and I decided to brew two batches of beer. Below you will find ingredients and a description of the brewing process. 

Adding the amber malt extract to the Palace Bitter.

Palace Bitter
A variation of a Bitter from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: 1.101
F.G.: n/a

Ingredients:

•  4.5 pounds Munton's Amber Dry Malt Extract
• 12.0 oz Crystal Malt
• boiling hops
• 0.5 oz US Fuggles Hops (fresh)
• 0.75 oz UK Kent Goldings Hops (fresh)
• flavor hops
  • 0.5 oz US Fuggles Hops (fresh)
  • 0.75 oz UK Kent Goldings Hops (fresh)
• aroma hops
  • 0.5 oz UK Kent Goldings Hops (fresh)
• dry hopping
• 0.5 oz UK Kent Goldings Hops (fresh)
• 2.0 oz UK Kent Goldings Hops (fresh)
• Yeast: WYEAST 1098: British Ale
• 0.75 cup Corn Sugar
• for bottling

   

Note that the flavor hops are added in halves (i.e., add 0.25 Fuggles and  0.375 Kent Goldings, boil 15 minutes, then add the remaining hops and boil another 15 minutes). Additionally, the recipe called for a light dried malt extract. HopToIt was out of this, so I decided to substitute an amber dried malt extract.

Chris placing the crystal malt into a muslin bag.

Rocky Raccoon's Crystal Honey Lager

A variation of a Lager from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: 1.084
F.G.: n/a

Ingredients:

•  3.5 pounds Munton's Extra-Light Dry Malt Extract
• 2.75 pounds Colorado Light Alfalfa Honey
• 1.0 oz US Tettnanger Hops (fresh, boiling)
• 2.0 oz Heather Tips (dried, aroma)
• 2.0 oz Heather Tips (dried, dry hopping)
• Yeast: WYEAST 2007: American Pilsner
• 0.75 cup Corn Sugar
• for bottling

  

One will immediately notice that this recipe is very light and simple. The original recipe for this brew doesn't call for any heather tips and requires an additional ounce of hops in order to achieve a very delicate flavor profile. Since heather has bittering properties - it was actually used heavily for that very reason before hops became so prevalent - I reduced the amount of hops and have decided to test out 'dry flowering.' I debated whether or not to try this recipe as originally written before making alterations, but then HopToIt didn't have any additional hops for me to purchase and I made the choice to attempt the heather tips. Maybe this will work out, maybe it won't, but I'm eager to find out!

You've gotta love being able to comfortably heat two brew-pots on one stove!

Two-Stage Fermentation

Where to even begin? I've never brewed two batches simultaneously, and it was much more intense than when I brewed the Whoop Moffit and the Elbro Nerkte on the same day. Chris and I started the process of sanitizing, activating the yeast, etc., at around 6:30pm and didn't finish with cleanup until close to 10:30pm. I know this is a relatively short amount of time if, say, you're doing an all-grain brew, but we weren't and I typically average about 2 1/2 hours for any given brew. Honestly, I think the added time here came from working in a new kitchen (brewed in Denver this time) and working later in the day. It was suggested to me that it could have been the beers we were drinking (Moe's Backroom Pale Ale and Wheat), but one must always have a few beers when homebrewing. In any case, I think we both had a great time and it was my pleasure to introduce Chris to the brewing process. After all was said and done, he echoed what a few other people have expressed after going through the homebrew process: it took away a bit of the mystique of beer (just a little bit, mind you). I understand this viewpoint, but could never get behind it - homebrewing puts you in control of the arcane art of beer-crafting!

In any case, things got off to a relatively smooth start. We began steeping the crystal malt at the same time we began raising the temperature of the honey, extra-light malt, and Tettnanger hops to a boil. I should mention here that I forgot to add the honey until the boil started; it took Chris fiddling with the honey jar and asking when we were going to add it for me to remember. Beyond that, everything went like clockwork. Staggering the hop additions to the Palace Bitter was made easier because we presorted the hops and placed them in muslin bags in order to minimize the amount of filtering required later on. While it took care of that problem, It definitely reduced the amount of wort that made it into the carboy. I think this brewing experience has actually convinced me that muslin bags aren't for me and I will probably do my next brew without them to see how the process compares and determine how I want to continue into the future. 

This was the first time I was able to hook my wort chiller up to a hose rather than a faucet. It made a huge difference! It took probably five minutes or so for the wort to cool to an acceptable temperature while in the past it has taken up to 20 minutes - even in an ice bath. This is definitely the way to go in the future.

Additionally, I'm testing out a new cap'n'hose method that involves using a stopper and airlock, and just attaching a hose to the airlock (see it pictured below). I've had issues in the past with the cap'n'hose in terms of it popping off and have had to hold it in place with rubberbands to ensure that it stays secure. I'll be sure to report back in the next post about how the stopper and airlock method works.

Going into this post I thought I'd have a lot more to say since we were constantly adding ingredients or preparing them during the brewing process, but I think I've mentioned everything that is pertinent to the process at this point. I'll be sure to post updates as the process continues. In the mean time, be sure to grab yourself a homebrew!

Note the two different kinds of blow-off tubes. 

Palilalia India Pale Ale - Parts 1-3

As noted in my previous post, my time has been spread among a number of projects recently and I've failed to keep up with posting as much as I should. It is for that reason this post is an amalgam of what would normally be three posts on this blog: brewing, transferring to a secondary fermenter, and bottling. My apologies for failing to keep up with the blog and for what is sure to be a longer than normal post. 

Enjoying a White Rascal soon after graduation

I've mentioned a couple of times now that I graduated from my graduate program in May of this year. It is increasingly looking like I will end up moving away from Colorado and the beer Mecca that I've been so lucky to grow up in (yes, I'm a Colorado Native). Thus, I think it is quite fitting that what may be one of my last beers brewed in Colorado is an IPA. For those who don't follow the craft brewing scene or are unfamiliar with the booming one in Colorado, nearly every brewery here has a signature IPA (a notable exception is the Dillon Dam Brewery). One of my favorite things about these strongly hopped pale ales is their variability in style. While some variations are rather dry and make a point of highlighting the malt flavors and bittering hops that go into their creation, others add less common ingredients such as citrus, pine, and vanilla to their IPAs to give them a unique character all of their own. Ultimately, there's something for everybody here and I'm happy that I can share my take on one of Charlie's IPAs.


So, without further ado, here is everything I've done with the Palilalia IPA thus far:


A variation of an India Pale Ale from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: Unknown - whoops!
F.G.: Unknown - whoops!

Ingredients:

• 5.5 pounds Munton's Amber Dry Malt
• 1.0 pound Medium Crystal Malt
• 0.5 pound  Roasted Malt Barley
• 2.0 oz Northern Brewer Hops (boiling, fresh)
• 1.0 oz Cascade Hops (finishing, fresh)
• 0.25 oz Sweet Orange Peel
• 2 tsp Gypsum
• 3 oz Hungarian Oak Cubes
• Yeast: WYEAST 1056 American Ale
• 0.75 cup Corn Sugar
• for bottling

Two-Stage Fermentation

I brewed the Palalia IPA with the help of my friend Elyse on July 15 partially because she offered me a kitchen in which to work and partially because she'd never brewed beer before. I did very little in the way of preparation and brewing so that she could get the best and worst of the brewing experience and, I must say, she handled everything like an old pro - I'm always impressed at the reactions people have when brewing for the first time, which seem to range from complete and utter boredom/disgust to ardent enthusiasm. 

Adding dry malt

The brewing process went smoothly with no hiccups in terms of sterilization, forgotten/mismeasured ingredients, or general calamity (although, we did forget to take the OG before adding the yeast). As with most of my previous brews, I wasn't able to get the exact ingredients called for in the recipe and had to substitute a few. Perhaps the only notable substitution is the roasted malt barley that I had to use rather than toasting my own (am expecting more of a roasty flavor than a nutty one). Unfortunately, my local homebrew store was out of every other ideal type of barley at that time. In contrast to most of my previous brews, I made additions to this recipe. Originally, Papazian's instructions called for slightly fewer hops and no orange peel. I added both simply because I had them lying around. In retrospect, I wish I'd had some bitter orange peel to accentuate that character in the brew, but alas I did not and am hopeful that this batch will exude a unique bit of citrus. The Hungarian oak cubes were added on a whim as well. I've had a fair number of beers with a pleasant hint of oak left over from fermenting in oaken barrels and I wanted to see if I could add that character to what I'm hopeful will be a deliciously unique IPA. 

The carboy was stored in my friends' basement, which kept it at a nearly constant 75 degrees Fahrenheit for the entirety of the time the brew underwent fermentation. The typically violent first stages of fermentation were expelled by means of a fermentation cap and hose during the initial 36 hours or so, after which we transferred the fermenting wort and oak cubes into a secondary fermenter. When doing this we sterilized the oak cubes by placing them in a vegetable steamer for 15+ minutes. 

It wasn't until this past weekend that I racked the beer into bottles. My buddy SteveDave and I each had a batch to bottle and decided to help each other out - while drinking a few beers, of course (Chainbreaker White IPA and Eclipse Black IPA were among them). To do this, we had to transfer his carboy across town to our mutual buddy's house where we planned to go through the bottling process. Once there it was only a matter of time before my IPA and his apricot-laden summer ale (at least I think it was an ale) were safely and securely in their bottles. 

The IPA yielded a total of 44 12-oz bottles, equating to about 4.125 gallons total. I'm rather impressed by this amount as I was more conservative than normal in terms of leaving plenty of beer at the bottom of carboys when racking between them (to prevent dead yeast cells from affecting the flavor of the final product) and because the initial bout of fermentation spewed out nearly a half gallon of liquid by my estimate. 

I plan to allow the IPA 3-4 weeks to bottle condition before cracking any open. It's been difficult recently to find the time, motivation, and inspiration to update the blog, but I'm confident that I'll want to get the tasting review up as soon as I open it - this batch should be very unique!

Long Time, No Brew (Whoop Moffit Vienna Lager - Tasting)

It's been quite some time since my last post on here. Between completing my Master's, taking an awesome road trip to Vermont, hiking a portion of the Long Trail, wandering around Michigan, and preparing for my Colorado Trail hike, I haven't had much time to keep track of the blog or do any brewing. Happily, this is about to change. So, without further ado, here is a brief review of the Whoop Moffit Vienna Lager!


A significant variation on a German Lager from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: Unknown - whoops!
F.G.: 1.18

Ramius Transporting the Brew

Since I wasn't in blog-writing-mode when this beer was being tasted, I didn't (read: forgot) take any photos of the beer and only have the description of the beer in my brewing notebook. That said, I have fond memories of the brew and got some encouraging feedback about it whenever I passed it around. Those who enjoy winter beers were most pleased - they likened it to more of a porter than a lager.

The beer was medium bodied, with a rich brown coloration similar to molasses. The aroma reflected the large amount of Carafa malt that went into it - recall that I put in 0.75 pounds rather than a single cup. Additionally, the Tettnanger hops provided a mild, floral, and somewhat spicy fragrance. The flavor profile was characterized by a toasted maltiness bordering on a roasted flavor. The hops provided a light, flowery taste with a hint of spice.

This was a pleasant brew, but I'm not sure that I'll make it again any time soon. The issues with it are simple: keeping it cool and at a constant temperature. That said, who knows? Especially since it was so popular with varied groups of people.

Whoop Moffit Vienna Lager - Part 2

A significant variation on a German Lager from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: Unknown - whoops!
F.G.: Unknown

Transferred the lager from its primary fermentation bucket to its secondary fermentation carboy today. Was a breeze of a process, with no hardships, mishaps, or notable occurrences. I wanted to transfer it a few days ago, but ran out of time. Fermentation activity subsided about three days ago, so I'm pretty sure that the brew won't be affected by any nasty yeast flavorings.

Also, as you'll note in the photograph to the side, I have decided to use my fridge to maintain a constant lagering temperature. I know that it isn't imperative that it remains at ~50 degrees Fahrenheit, but I easily made room in the fridge and hope that it improves the overall flavor of the brew. I will include my impression of both giving up 1/2 of my fridge to a carboy and its effects on the brew when I give a tasting review.

Elbro Nerkte Brown Ale - Part 2

A take on a Brown Ale from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: 1.04
F.G.: 1.01
ABV: ~3%

About 2 dozen done, 2 dozen to go!

It has been only seven days since Ramius and I started this brew, and we've just bottled it. I cannot get over just how fast this beer fermented - definitely have a feeling that this will be a go-to brew in the future depending on how it turns out.

I've noted several times in the past how it takes a long time to bottle by one's self, and that held true today. Luckily, it has been quite gloomy out and I didn't allow myself very many distractions during the sanitizing and bottling processes. I managed to bottle everything within about a half-hour period, which is a new record bottling time. Perhaps things went by so quickly because I finally put all the bottles at arms reach rather than all across the apartment (I know this should have been done earlier, but what are you gonna do?).

The final bottle count was four dozen. I changed the amount of beer that I siphoned out of the carboy in an attempt to minimize the amount of extraneous yeast in the final product.

Be sure to check back in about 7-10 days for a description of the final product of this and the Belgian White!

Running out of storage space!

Whoop Moffit Vienna Lager - Part 1

A significant variation on a German Lager from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: Unknown - whoops!
F.G.: Unknown

Ingredients:

• 6.6 pounds Briess Amber Malt Extract Syrup
• 0.75 pounds Carafa Weyermann malt
• 2.0 oz Hallertauer Hops (boiling)
• 1.0 oz Tettnanger Hop Pellets (finishing)
• Yeast: White Labs Southern German Lager Yeast
• 0.75 cup Corn Sugar
• for bottling

**note that this recipe is for 4.5 gallons**

Two-Stage Fermentation

Hallertauer hops just before the long boil.

This is the brew that I originally intended to follow the We're in the Garden Belgian White, rather than the Brown Ale that I posted earlier today. As explained in the Brown's post, it was an offer I couldn't refuse, so I decided to make this one as well since I had the time and will to do so. 

Unlike most of my other brews, this one's brewing didn't go quite to plan. I recently lost or misplaced the notebook I'd been keeping notes and recipes in, so rather than starting a new one I've just been printing out recipes in the hope that I'll find the notebook at some point. Anyhow, since I didn't have the actual ingredients printed out, just the procedure, I failed to put in the ideal amount of Carafa malt (1 cup) and the proper breakdown of hops (2 oz Hallertauer boiling, 0.5 oz Tettnanger flavor, 0.5 oz Tettnanger aroma). As a result, we have a wildcard of a brew! I'm going to continue to follow the directions (i.e., let the beer ferment, then transfer to a carboy and lager the contents) with the hope that it will turn out well despite the extra dark malt and altered hop additions. Don't worry, relax, have a homebrew - right?

I guess it is a good thing that I chose to brew the Brown to coincide with the Belgian White, because the lagering process will take an additional 2-3 weeks. Let's be honest, though, I'm guessing it will depend on the amount of time I'm willing to give up the vast majority of my fridge's storage space. Anyhow, I will let you all know. 

From left to right: Fermenting Brown Ale, Bottle Conditioning Belgian White, and Fermenting German Lager

Elbro Nerkte Brown Ale - Part 1

A take on a Brown Ale from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: 1.04
F.G.: Unknown

Ingredients:

• 6.6 pounds Breiss Traditional Dark Malt Extract
• 0.75 pounds CaraHell Weyermann malt
• 0.25 pounds Black Patent malt
• 3.0 oz Fuggles Hops
• 2.0 oz boiling
• 1.0 oz finishing
• 4 tsp Gypsum
• Yeast: White Labs Edinburgh Scottish Ale
• 0.75 cup Corn Sugar
• for bottling

Single-Stage Fermentation

Crystal and Black malts steeping

What can I say about this recipe? Well, it's ready to drink in only 14 days! That's right... 14 days. I saw this and couldn't help but try it. Plus, the price tag was about half of what I've spent in the past on ingredients. 

Anyhow, the brewing went by without incident. Steeping the malts without a muslin bag was a change, and not necessarily a pleasant one due to the subsequent straining. Beyond this, it was brewing as usual. Boiled the wort with the starting ingredients, tossed in the finishing hops, cooled the wort with a wort-chiller before straining it into the carboy, and finally topped the carboy off with cold water and the yeast. I will say that this is the first time I'd used a White Labs yeast and after shaking it (as directed) the contents exploded to some extent. I managed to salvage all but a small quantity of the bottle, but it is something to keep in mind during future brewing attempts.

The Brown Ale with fermentation cap and hose. 

Expect an update about bottling in a little under a week and a tasting review in about two, which will be around the time the Belgian White is ready to taste.

Goat Scrotum Ale - Tasting

A porter from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
ABV: Unknown
IBU: Unknown

At long last, a review of the Primal Porter!

The beer has a rich, dark brown color with a tan head and a light aroma that reflects the dark malts and spruce essence that shaped it. After tasting, the spruce and black patent are immediately detected, though their profile is complicated and intertwined enough that several of my friends have only detected one or the other. The Primal finishes with a bit of toasted maltiness and sweetness that is much more distinct than the initial flavor profile. This is one of the more light-bodied porters that I've had, though it is very pleasing in this respect.

The Primal Porter on a
gloomy fall day

I have passed this around several groups of friends as I was interested at what their reactions would be to a brew that is so strangely unique - recall that I threw a bunch of essentially random ingredients into a boiling pot, let it sit for a while, then bottled it. The great consensus is that the Primal is much more drinkable than a typical porter - I can't tell you how many people were reluctant to try it due to their (misplaced) belief that it would be a very heavy beer or have a flavor profile that was too much like other dark beers (i.e., dominated by a dark or toasted malt). It seems that most people, including myself at one point, are under the impression that porters don't have any kind of sweetness or overall complexity to them. Upon tasting the Primal, most people expressed their genuine enjoyment of the beer, noting its lightness and drinkability. Of course, there were still a few individuals who did not enjoy it due to the fact that they either (1) don't enjoy darker beers - which Tegan sadly fits into - or (2) just don't enjoy beer as a whole. That said, I'm truly pleased that I was able to share this well respected, yet very misunderstood, style of beer.

We're in the Garden - Part 1

An impromptu take on a Belgian white from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
ABV: Unknown
IBU: Unknown

Ingredients:

• 5.0 pounds Munton's Light Malt Extract
• 2.0 pounds Colorado Light Alfalfa Honey
• 2.0 oz Hallertauer Pellet Hops
• 1 oz for boiling
• 0.5 oz for flavor
• 0.5 oz for aroma
• 1.5 oz freshly crushed whole coriander seed
• used in two 0.75 oz batches
• 0.5 oz dried, ground sweet orange peel
• Yeast: WYEAST 3944
• 0.75 cup corn sugar
• for bottling

Single-Stage Fermentation

Since our Blackhole Red Ale is gone, Hilary and I decided to try our hand at a light and refreshing beer, and a Belgian white is it! The original recipe is for Who's In The Garden Grand Cru, but due to a lack of supplies at HopToIt!, we had to improvise with the ingredients used above. 

Brewing went extraordinarily smoothly. Using the dry malt extract required a bit more stirring than liquid malt extract to ensure it dissolved completely. The coriander was ground to a relatively coarse grain using a mortar and pestle.

While waiting for the wort to boil, Hilary and I indulged in a couple of Hoegaarden wit ales. This was fitting as the original recipe was meant to mimic this brew. Anyhow, the Hoegaarden was delicious and in a little under a month we'll find out just how delicious this homebrew is.

We're In the Garden with fermentation cap and hose

Goat Scrotum Ale - Part 1

A porter from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
ABV: Unknown
IBU: Unknown

Ingredients:

• 5.0 pounds Monsons Dark Malt Extract
• 16 oz Medium Crystal Malt
• 4 oz Roasted Barley
• 4 oz Black Patent Malt
• 2 oz Saaz Czech Pellet Hops
• 1.5 oz for boiling
• 0.5 oz for finishing
• 1.0 cup Brown Sugar
• 1.0 cup Brer Rabbit Molasses
• 2.0 tsp gypsum
• 1.0 inch brewing licorice stick
• 2.0 tsp spruce essence, or new spruce growth
• Yeast: WYEAST 1098
• 0.75 cup corn sugar
• for bottling

Single-Stage Fermentation

The Primal fermenting in front of the Irish Red

Ramius and I were joined by our old friend Tegan for the brewing of this iconic porter. Based on Charlie's description of this porter, it seems to be a great unknown - that is, it is what you make it. Thus, we set out to create our own version of this primal beer. I must note here that Tegan hates dark beers... hopefully this Primal Porter helps her change her mind!

This batch went much more smoothly compared to the Irish Red. The boiling seemed to take less time to occur and we were able to use the wort chiller, which brought the temperature to below 75 degrees Fahrenheit within about 10 minutes. Further, we activated the yeast packet at the beginning of the brewing process, so there were no worries about the yeast being fully activated after heating, chilling, and placing the wort into our 5 gallon glass carboy. Setting up the fermentation cap and hose was initially no problem, but after fermentation activities really picked up on Day 2 I had to attach a rubber-band around the base of the fermentation cap so the liquid being ejected didn't escape the fermentation hose. On the Day 4, I replaced the fermentation cap 'n' hose with a stopper and 3-piece airlock.