Batch 123 Russian Imperial Stout Tasting Notes

Cellar temp

Pours black clear with reddish hues, big fine dark tan head that lingers

Aroma tangy roast, deep chocolaty base with toffee/coffee notes, topped with fruity/pine tartness

Mouthfeel full bodied, big carb cleans it up, somewhat warm, pleasant coating

Flavor: hops on roast, big piney sharpness battling with heavy roast malt, hop-balanced, roast has some malt sweetness under subtle chocolate/coffee roast flavor, not at all astringent, alcohol warmth very slight at end.

Finish roast cleans up fast, left mostly with hop bitterness and wanting more, alcohol is present but not overwhelming (until it hits your stomach: buzzed already here).

Overall, probably 10 or so too much IBUs here, nice piney hop flavor, but should stand behind roast flavors, not dominate.  Malt bill seems solid, pleasant, could bump roast barley to add a little edge.  Good winter warmer, but would be more effective with less hops.

Batch 131 Witbier

4.5 gallons

5.25 lbs best malz pils
3 lb 6 oz flaked wheat
9 oz best malz Vienna
3/4 tsp cacl

SRM 4

Mash 50 mins at 146 df, 20 mins at 156 df

Boil 75 mins

60 mins 5 gr sorachi ace 10.4%aa, 8 IBUs
10 mins 0.75 oz hallertau mittelfruh 3.2%aa, 4 IBUs
10 mins 12 gr cracked toasted coriander
No Irish moss

12 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.055, 74% bhe

Pitch at 65 df with w3944 in 3/4 qt starter, leave at 65 df for primary.

Rack to secondary 2/21, move to 75 df.  Still plugging away steadily on 2/27.  3/3 activity done, move to 66 df.  

Bottle 3/5 with 125 gr table sugar, splash of champagne yeast, yield 576 oz, 2.7 vols co2

Batch 121 Vienna tasting notes

Cold

Pours huge fine white head, yellow, slight haze

Aroma big vanilla punch, tart fruit, spicy hops in the background

Mouthfeel moderate body, definite tooth, a little clingy

Flavor all sweet vanilla, even at the end.  Slight pears maybe.

Finish vanilla again, not really quenching.

Overall, about what I expected unfortunately, very sweet malty without the melanoidin crunch, hop balance is way off (although probably to style), lagering just doesn't cut the vienna flavor as much as I had hoped.  Abandoning the style, as of today.  Kind of had to choke down the batch, although there may be takers out there, just not me.

Batch 130 Schwarzbier

5.5 gallons

4.75 lbs best malz pilsner
4.75 lbs best malz dark munich
8 oz MFB cara120
6 oz briess roast barley
2 oz weyermanns choc wheat
1/4 tsp soda

SRM 22

Mash 148 df 30 mins, 156 df 35 mins

Boil 90 mins

60 mins 1/2 oz centennial 10.5 %aa, 18 IBUs
30 mins 1/2 oz centennial 10.5%aa, 14 IBUs
15 mins 1 tsp Irish moss
5 mins 1 oz german hallertau 2.7%aa, 2 IBU

34 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.058, 83% bhe

Abv 5.5%

Pitch with w2124 in 1.5 qt 2 stage starter, at 63 df, move to 55 df.

Move to 68 df 2/8 for a rest.  Rack to secondary and return to 55 df on 2/10.  Drop 5 df per day until 35 df for lagering.

Bottle 3/12 with 90 gr table sugar, yield 690 oz, 2.5 vols co2.

Batch 129 IPA

5.25 gallons

5 lbs Muntons Maris Otter
4 lbs Best Malz pils
12 oz MFB cara120

1/2 tsp gypsum

SRM 12

Mash 20 mins 150df, 50 mins 156 df

Over-lautered, 7 gallons into boil (planned for 6)

Boil 90 mins
60 mins 18 gr Chinook 13%aa, 29 IBUs
15 mins 1/2 oz Amarillo 8.4%aa, 7 IBUs
15 mins 1 tsp Irish moss
5 mins 1/2 oz each centennial 10.5%aa, Chinook 13%aa, 8 IBUs total
Flameout 1/4 oz Amarillo, 1/2 oz Chinook, 1/2 oz citra 11%aa

47 IBUs

OG 1.055, add 10 oz table sugar to get to 1.060.  77% bhe.

Pitch with S-04 in 2/3 qt starter at 75 df, move to 57df.  Move to 68 df 1/18.

Rack to secondary 1/24, dry hop 1/4 oz Amarillo, 1/2 oz citra, 10 gr Chinook.  Leave at 68 df, drink 12 oz sample.  Move to 60 df 2/2 to try to settle last hops.

Bottle 2/5/16 with 110 gr table sugar, yield 638 oz, 2.5 vols co2.

Batch 124 IPA Tasting Notes

Cold

Pours cloudy orange brown, massive fine white head that stays, laces

Aroma tart piney fruit, cat pee/soap, earthy sweet malt beneath

Mouthfeel moderate body, clean

Flavor bitter edge grapefruit, piney satisfying hops, malt sweetness very subtle

Finish hop acid at back, clean

Overall, very good, like fruit punch.  Keep citra out of boil, bump up mash temperature and caramel, Cat pee must be from falconers?

Batch 128 Porter

4.5 gallons

4.5 lbs muntons Maris otter
3 lbs bm Vienna
1.5 lbs bm dark Munich
12 oz MFB cara120
12 oz MFB kiln Amber
12 oz TFS brown
3 oz weyermanns choc wheat
1/2 tsp soda

SRM 25

Mash 70 mins 153 df

Boil 75 mins
60 mins 1/2 oz Columbus 13.4%aa, 28 IBUs
30 mins 1 oz Willamette 5.1%aa, 16 IBUs
15 mins 1 tsp Irish moss
5 mins 1 oz Willamette 5.1%aa, 4 IBUs

48 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.066, 73 % bhe

Pitch with w1084 in 1 qt starter at 75 df, leave at 68 df.

Rack to secondary 1/9/16, leave at 68 df.  Move to 57 df 1/16.

Bottle 1/24 with 60 gr table sugar splash of champagne yeast, yield 614 oz, 2 vols co2.