Batch 70 robust porter tasting notes

Cellar temp 65 df

Big dark tan head, deep red brown, almost opaque, clear

Aroma, soapy hops, malt sweetness, pears, slight roast

Mouth feel, cloyingly thick, sweet, alcohol warmth

Flavor old soapy sponge (nose), very sweet roast malt, hop bitterness at finish.  pH seems too high, don't add soda.  No fruit in flavor, yeast character is lost.

Finish is bitter and cloying, alcohol warmth.

Overall, way overshot on adding body, a bit too robust!  Sweet; roast flavors are largely absent.  Soap is probably old hops/trub from old yeast cake, no more throwing onto old cake.  Hop bitterness and carb levels are trying to save this, but the grain bill/mash is just not working here.

Batch 81 Baltic Porter

6 gallons

4 lbs bm Vienna
4 lbs bm dark Munich
4 lbs Briess 2 row
1.5 lbs warminster Maris otter
8 oz mfb kiln amber
6 oz mfb car120
4 oz dingchoc
2 oz Briess roast barley
2 oz TFS brown

SRM 21

Mash 140 df 10 mins, 152 df 60 mins pH 4.8

Start boil in 2 pots

75 min boil

75 15.5 gr nugget 13.5%aa, 22 IBUs
30 mins 14.5 gr cascades 7.1%aa, 8 IBUs
15 mins 14 gr mt hood 5.5%aa, 4 IBUs
15 mins 1 tsp Irish moss

34 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.080, 5.5 gals, 81% BHE

Chill in chamber overnight.  Pitch at 52 df 6/22 am, with w2633 in 1-1/2 qt 2-step starter acclimated to 57 df.  Leave chamber at 50 df for primary (ferm runs at 52).

Rack to secondary 7/6, move to 40 df.  7/14 bump down to 38 df.  Take down 2 deg per day until 34 df (7/16).

Bottle 7/31 with 80 gr table sugar, 2.5 vols co2, yield 634 oz.

FG 1.022

Abv 7.6%

Batch 68 Pious quad tasting notes #2 whoops

Cellar temp 65 df

Pours huge yellow tan head, clear orangy red, head drops back a bit, uneven, solid lacing.  Note: head inconsistent between bottles.

Aroma yeast hits you on pour.  Spicey yeast, stone fruit and ripe pears, smells thick.

Mouth feel warm, clean, minor tooth, carb level a bit high.

Flavor cornucopia, yeast is stone fruit pears and slight cherry, peppery, nice hop bitterness is pleasant, present, not overdone, warming with slight alcohol bite, esp at finish, malt enhances yeast, some roast/ coffee comes through without controlling.

Finishes alcohol warmth, malt, hop bitter.

Note won 3rd overall at Brixies club Belgian contest as Belgian dark strong, among 11 beers.  Scored 33 avg 5 judges.

Overall, big yeasty beer, lovely, delicious, a bit heavy on the carb, could bring forward some late american hops, malt seems good possibly too much roast, could run ferm at higher temps, pretty buzzed after 12 oz.

Batch 80 Tripel

6 gallons

Asst brewer Joe Chomijewski

12 lbs wey boh pils
1 lb flaked wheat
8 oz best malz dark munich
1/2 tsp cacl

SRM 7

Mash 150 df 75 mins

OG into boil 1.062

Boil 90 mins

60 mins 14 gr nugget 13.5aa 18 IBUs
50 mins 1 lb table sugar
50 mins 1 lb brown sugar
30 mins 14 gr mt hood 5.5%aa 6 IBUs
15 mins 14 gr cascades 7.1%aa 5 IBUs
15 mins 1 tsp Irish moss
5 mins 1/2 oz mt hood 5.5% aa 1 IBU

30 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.088, 5.5 gallons BHE 77%

Pitch at 70 df with w3787, in 1-1/2 qt starter (one yr old pack, one fresh), move to 65 df chamber.  Full krausen at 16 hrs, 71 df, bump down chamber temp to 60 df.  At 40 hrs, 65 df, put chamber at 65 df.  At 2 days read 70df, bump to 67 df.  At 3 days read 72 df, bump to 69 df.  At 4 days 74 df, bump to 71 df.  At 5 days, 73 df, bump to 78.

Rack to secondary 6/20, leave at 70 df.

Abv est 8.8%

Bottle 7/3 with table sugar, forgot to document amount of sugar and yield.  Probably shot for 2.5 to 3 vols co2.

Batch 79 Nut Brown

3 gallons

3.5 lbs Warminster Maris otter
1 lb TFS golden promise
5 oz mfb cara120
4 oz flaked wheat
4 oz mfb kiln amber
3 oz dingemanns choc
1/2 tsp cacl

SRM 19

Mash 70 mins 150 df, pH 5.0

OG into boil 1.043 at 4.3 gals, 91% eff?

Boil 75 mins
75 mins 7 gr east kent goldings 5.7%aa, 10 IBUs
15 mins 1/2 tsp Irish moss
5 mins 14 gr northdown 7.9%aa, 5 IBUs

15 IBUs

1.052 OG into fermenter, 3 gals 77% bhe

Pitch with w1469 in 3/4 qt starter at 66 df, put at 65 df.

Abv est 4.8%

Full krausen 66 df in 16 hrs.  Primary at 65 df.

Rack to secondary 6/13/14, leave at 65 df.

Bottle 6/29 with 60 gr table sugar, 2.25 vols co2, yield 374 oz.

Batch 72 Witbier tasting notes

Sample cold from fridge

Pours cloudy, golden brown, big white head billows, stays a while

Aroma remote malty, orange peel, other citrus and apple, bitter spice

Mouth feel clean and refreshing

Flavor strong dry orange peel, (used old orange for priming zest), nice malt base and lemon hops, coriander is mostly lost.  Orange zest is bad here.  Need fresher oranges, amount is OK.

Finish slight moldy orange flavor, clean palate from malt/hop balance.

Overall, do this again, use fresh oranges.

Batch 67 Marzen tasting notes

Taste cold from fridge

Pours bright, light orange, moderate tan head that drops back mostly but clings at edge

Aroma fruit apples, rich malt, spice hops very slight

Mouth feel, very clean, brilliant, cleans up right away

Flavor pleasant malt, apples, mildly sweet pleasant, low hop bitterness at end

Finish malt goodness, more hop bitterness, want more.

Overall, refreshing delicious beverage, buttery malt goodness, try again with more abv, but bump base, not Munich.

Batch 68 pious quad tasting notes

Cellar/room temp (65ish)

Pours clear, red, nice tan head that dies right back

Aroma stone fruit, almost model glue, after airing out, get roast malt, earth hops very slight

Mouth feel, moderate thickness, carb cleans up front.

Flavor pears and cherries, alcohol warmth very apparent, pleasant bitterness at end.  Malt and roast balance nicely in the background, providing good support for the yeast. 

Finishes fruit and direct bitterness.

Overall, beer of royalty, better than wine, very strong but tastes almost like a carbonated pear wine. Wouldn't suffer from more up front piny aroma flavor hop, but bitterness level is correct.  Malt profile is very good.  Could reduce ferm temp a tad, but that would be a challenge here, because top end is needed some.  Winner.  How to sustain head in big beers?

Batch 69 nut brown tasting notes

Cellar temp

Pours nice tan head that stays OK, clear brown with red/orange throughout, attractive.

Aroma biscuit malt with slight roast, spice hops with hint of earth.

Mouth feel pretty hefty, but carb level is good balance.

Flavor caramel and very slight roast.  Hop bitterness a bit much, not really nutty at all.

Finish, sweet with hop bitterness.  A bit too clingy.

Way too much caramel here, need to back off a lot.  Bump chocolate instead.  EKG not the right hop, northdown preferred here for proper spicy flavor aroma.  Back off IBUs to about 15.  Also, may need a refresh on the us-05, possibly getting dirty.  Check next batch with house us-05.  Try west Yorkshire yeast.