Batch 78 Stout

3 gallons 

4.5 lbs Warminster Maris otter
1 lb best malz dark Munich
8 oz Briess roast barley
8 oz flaked wheat
6 oz mfb car120
1/4 tsp soda

8 oz Briess roast barley steeped whole room temp 2 hours, added midway through lauter, restart lauter

SRM ~40

Mash 150 df 30 mins, 156 df 40 mins pH 5.2

OG into boil 1.045, 4.8 gals, 80% eff

Boil 2 hrs

120 mins 6.25 gr Columbus 15%aa 24 IBUs
30 mins 14 gr northdown 7.9%aa 20 IBUs
15 mins 7 gr east kent goldings 5.7% aa 5 IBUs
10 mins 50 gr lactose
10 mins 1/2 tsp Irish moss

49 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.072.

Pitch at 66 df with wyeast 1469 in 1 qt starter, place at 70 df for primary.

Good activity at 8 hrs, 68 df.  At 18 hrs, up to 75 df with full krausen, move to 65 df.  At 32 hrs down to 70 df.  Hold between 70-72 for primary.  Rack to secondary 5/31, leave at 70 df.  

Bottle 6/13/14 with 65 gr table sugar, yield 360 oz, 2.4 vols co2.

FG 1.021, abv 6.7%.

Batch 77 Dubbel

For battle.

3 gallons

5.5 lbs wey boh pils
1 lb best malz dark Munich
6 oz mfb car120
4 oz best malz Vienna
4 oz mfb amber
2 oz ding choc
1/4 tsp cacl

SRM 18

Mash at 148 df 30 mins, 156 df 45 mins pH 5.0

OG into boil 1.059 at 4.2 gals (89% eff?)

Boil 90 mins

90 mins 2 gr Columbus 15%aa, 7 IBUs
30 mins 6 gr Amarillo 8.4%aa, 8 IBUs
5 mins 7 gr Amarillo 8.4%aa, 2 IBUs

17 IBUs

OG 1.079 out of boil, add 24 oz water to get to 1.073.  84% bhe.

Pitch with wlp500 at 65 df, 3/4 qt starter.  Put at 65 df to start primary.  Full krausen at 16 hrs, bump to 67 df.  At 30 hrs, bump to 69 df.  At 54 hrs, bump to 72 df.  At 64 hrs, bump to 74 df.  Gets up to 78 df for a day at day 5, then drop back to 72 df.

Rack to secondary 5/24, put at 70 df.

Bottle 6/7 with 60 gr table sugar, yield 356 oz, 2.2 vols co2.

Cleaning yeast

Ready to make the final pour.

Batch 76 Scottish 80

3 gallons

4.5 lbs TFS golden promise
4 oz mfb amber
3 oz dingemanns chocolate
1/4 tsp cacl

SRM 15

Mash 10 mins 140 df , 60 mins 156 df, pH 5.2

OG into boil 1.035, 4.75 gals (92% eff?)

Boil 105 mins

105 mins 3 gr Columbus 15%aa, 12 IBUs
30 mins 1/2 tsp Irish moss
15 mins 1/2 oz northdown 7.9%aa, 14 IBUs

26 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.050, 3 gals, 84% bhe, add 12 oz water at pitch to get 1.049 OG

Abv est 4.6%

Pitch with US-05 in 1 qt starter at 63 df, move to basement at 63 df.  At 30 hours, full krausen, put wet towel to get to 60 df.

Move to 68 df for a day, then rack to secondary 5/17/14.  Back to basement with wet towel, 59 df for secondary.

Bottle 5/31 with 60 grams table sugar, yield 370 oz, 2.35 vols co2.

Batch 75 Vienna

3 gallons

3 lbs best malz Vienna
1.5 lbs TFS golden promise
12 oz wey boh pils
3 oz mfb car 120
1 oz best malz dark Munich
1/2 tsp cacl

SRM 9

Mash 20 mins 140 df
40 mins 150 df
Fast lauter (20 mins)

OG into boil 1.037 (77% eff at 4.2 gals)

Let wort sit 6 hrs before boil

Boil 90 mins

90 mins 4 gr Columbus 15%aa, 16 IBUs
15 mins 1/2 tsp Irish moss
15 mins 15 gr saaz 3%aa, 6 IBUs
5 min 14 gr northdown 7.9% aa, 6 IBUs

27 IBUs

OG out of boil 1.055, add 12 oz water to get to 1.053.  78% bhe.

Abv 5.2%.

Pitch the next day after chilling wort in chamber, at 53 df with w2633 in 1 qt starter, bump to 55 df.  Full krausen at 57df about 32 hours after pitch.  Bump chamber down to 51 df, primary at 55 df.

Rack to secondary 5/11, bump to 44 df.  5/17 move to 40 df.

Bottle 5/24 with 65 gr table sugar, yield 360 oz, 2.9 vols co2.

Thoughts for next brew

Do I need to take this weekend off?  Or do I try to mash early, then boil late Saturday?

I can make room in a carboy, although it will take some transferring to get done.

Do I have any compelling ideas for beer to make?

My nut brown is finally starting to dry out, and is pleasant to drink.  The stout is grotesquely sweet, maybe I should just pour it all out, it's not improving with age.  The porter is too sweet, but finally drying out to the point of being drinkable, at least.  The big problem with the porter and stout is the lack of a roasty edge on them, especially with the sweetness in each.  Cold-steeping carafa just doesn't cut it.  You need roast barley, and some needs to go in the mash.

Summer is coming, so these dark beers are not where you want to go, anyways.

Maybe I should be experimenting with lagers that run quickly.  I have chamber space now to run cold fermentations.  The issue is time, but if I work with smaller beers and the right yeast, I can cut the time way down, do smaller lager batches, turn them around in 3 weeks.

It would be nice to get a new vienna going, and try lagering it.  I need grain, though.  I have a sack ordered, but don't know when it will be showing up.  I suppose I could go buy a small sack of vienna.

OK, mind is made up, here we go.