Batch 61 APA tasting notes

This was originally a hop dump, clearing out odd hops from the freezer.

Taste cold

Pours nice orange amber, cloudy, generous tan head that laces, stays intact.

Aroma - citrus orange peel, slight malt undertone, slight sweet pine tar

Mouth feel - medium body, heavily carbed, gives impression of light body.  Not clingy at all.

Flavor - tar hops up front, sweet malt a little too subdued for the hops, dry impression.

Finish - Dry, clean feel, cleansing, almost mediciny.  Leaves noticeable hop bitterness that is not annoying.

Overall - Not bad for a hop dump, should add more character to the malt with more amber or munich. Carb is pretty good for this one.  Could use brighter hops at the end (I recall when it was younger, it was more fresh hop flavors, spice).  Fairly pleasant beverage, hard to ID where the tar comes from, suspect the challenger hops used for dry hopping at pitch, although northdowns in secondary could be the culprit.

Batch 71 Dubbel Wit

3 gallons

3 lbs weyermanns pils
2 lbs flaked wheat
1 lb best malz dark Munich
4 oz mfb caramel 120
4 oz gwm vienna
4 oz mfb kiln amber
2 oz dingemanns chocolate
1/2 tsp cacl

SRM 18

Mash 10 mins @ 130df, 30 mins @ 144df, pH 5.0 30 mins @ 156df

TOG 1.046 at 4 gals

OG into boil 1.043

Boil 90 mins

45 mins 7 gr brewers gold 9.0%aa, 12 IBUs
30 mins 8 oz dark brown sugar, 8 oz white table sugar
15 mins 1/2 tsp Irish moss
20 mins 7 gr northdown 7.0%aa, 6 IBUs
Flameout 14 gr saaz 3.0%aa, 1 IBU

19 IBUs

OG 1.082, add 1 qt water to get to 1.075 into fermenter.  75% overall eff.

Pitch with reclaimed wlp500 in 2/3 qt starter at 65 df.  Leave at 65 df.  Full krausen at 16 hrs, up to 69 df.  At 28 hrs, 70 df, move upstairs.  Day 2, AM, at 72 df. Day 2, pm, move upstairs.  Day 3 am 74 df.  Move to 78 df day 4 pm.  

Rack to secondary 3/28, move to 66 df.

Abv est 7.7%

Bottle 4/11/14 with 100 gr table sugar, yield 30@12oz, 360 oz, 2.8 gals, 3.2 vols co2.

Batch 70 Robust Porter

3 gallons

3 lbs gwm Vienna
2.75 lbs muntons Maris otter
1 lb best malz dark Munich
8 oz mfb caramel 120
8 oz flaked wheat
4 oz dingemanns chocolate
4 oz carafa 1 steeped for 4 hours at room temp, tea added at first wort
1/4 tsp soda

SRM 30

Mash at 130 df 10 mins, 152 df 60 mins pH 5.0

OG into boil 1.056, 4.1 gals (78% mash eff)

Boil 90 mins

60 mins 7 gr brewers gold 9% 15 IBUs
15 mins 1/2 tsp Irish moss
10 mins 1 oz mt hood 5.5%  14 IBUs

OG 1.078 into fermenter, throw on cake from nut brown, us-05, at 66 df, leave at 65 df.  79% brewhouse eff.  Full krausen at 6 hrs.  Primary at 72 df.

Abv 7.4%

Rack to 2ndry 3/22/14, leave at 65 df.

Bottle 4/6/14 with 90 gr table sugar, yield 28@12oz, 336 oz, 2.6 gals, 3.2 vols co2.

Batch 62 fennel wit tasting notes

Drink cold.

Pours straw/yellow, big white head that drops back but hangs around edges, laces OK, big bubbles, lots  of carb rising in glass. Decent haze.

Smells fennel, moderate phenols.

Mouth feel, big carb, toothy but not thick, could back off carbonation, but mash temp is good.

Flavor, fennel that is muted/sweetened.  Some curry/phenol behind the fennel.  Pick up some hop bitterness and earth towards the end.  Malt character is very understated, beneath the fennel.  No rosemary. 

Finish, pepper warmth and hop bitterness, fennel lingers.

Overall, if you like black licorice, this is for you.  2 weeks ago, it was more subtle, but once it dried out, kapow.  Doubtful to try again.  Just not a go-to beer.  Maybe cut fennel in half, double rosemary, add coriander. 

Also, got notes from Brixies contest, just local judges, but my table had some experienced guys.  Avg score 28.6. Comments were bandaid (some debate over whether this was the spice or the yeast), over spiced, good base beer, fennel not my favorite, rosemary not present, medicinal, refreshing, dry finish.

Batch 59 Porter tasting notes

Cellar temp.

Pours huge head, way too much. 

Really nice deep red color, very clear, tan head that laces OK.

Aroma roast vanilla, nice floral accent.

Mouth feel very thick.  Very very thick.  Doesn't coat, heavy carb cleanses, too much.

Flavor is chocolate, sweet but not cloying, with a nice toasted malt accent that is not astringent.  Slight fresh hop floral taste, kind of earthy.

Finish, clean, but primarily from high carbonation, hop bittering in background, leaves a sweetness behind.  Not dry.

Overall, too much carbonation, but that helps with the heavy body.  Malt flavor profile is ideal, could mash at lower temp, and bump aroma hops.  Bittering is about right.  Almost stouty, but just shy.

Next weekend

Running low on porter.

Need tasting notes for last batch.

Note to self:  make porter tasting notes tonight.  As I recall, last batch was pretty good, not a lot of room for improvement.

I have brewers gold and mt hood hops in stock.

Batch 69 Nut Brown

3 gallons

3 lbs muntons Maris otter
1.75 lbs TFS golden promise
8 oz mfb caramel 120
4 oz flaked wheat
4 oz mfb kiln amber
2 oz dingemanns chocolate
No salts

SRM 19

Mash 10 mins 130, 60 mins 150, pH 5.2

TOG 1.035 into boil (assuming 78%)

OG into boil 1.043 at 4.75 gallons (94%? calcs don't account for break material, maybe 1/4 lb?, that come out of mash in sol'n but drop out before measurement into fermenter)

Boil 90 mins in new big boil pot

60 mins 7 gr brewers gold 9%aa, 15 IBUs

15 mins 1/2 tsp Irish moss

5 mins 1 oz east kent goldings 4.2%aa, 5 IBUs

20 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.056, pitch with reclaimed house US-05 in 3/4 qt starter at 70 df, move to 60 df.

Overall efficiency 78% (assuming 3 gallons, looks more like 3.2, which would be 83%.  Check final yield).

Abv est 5.3%

At 20 hours, 62df, nice foam top and blipping at 10 secs.  Primary runs at about 61 df.  Rack to secondary 3/15/14, move to 66 df.

Bottle 3/28 with 55 grams table sugar, yield 30 @12oz, 360 oz, 2.8 gals, 2.2 vols

New 30 qt boil kettle

For this coming weekend

Thinking of a nut brown again.  Revising my nut brown recipe, I notice it is nearly identical to homebrewtalk's Lil' Sparky's nut brown, that seems to be pretty popular. Mine doesn't include the oatmeal, mashes at a lower temp, and uses US-05 in place of Notty, but otherwise, it's spot on.

Maybe I'll throw in a little flaked wheat, in place of the oatmeal.

Funny how things converge.

Batch 60 dubbel tasting notes

Pours clear brown, orange and red very nice, small tan head that stays.

Smells of spice and tropical fruit.  Earthy, spicy hop aroma, yeasty alcohol.

Mouth feel, very full and chunky, carbonation cleans out cheeks.

Flavor, rich fruity cherry or pear, hint of roasted nuts and malt.  Yeast dominates here, very nice with the roast malt edge.

Finish, deep yeast fruits, brace of hop bitterness at very end.

Overall, too much carbonation.  Something up front that's harsh, hop bitterness?  Could tone down hop bitterness, turn it up at the end for more pine.  Could use more crystal flavor, could increase caramel by 1/2.  Reclaim on this yeast may not be feasible, see how quad comes out.

Batch 68 Pious Quad

3 gallons

Adapted from a recipe from saq on homebrewtalk, a 'westy 12 clone'

6.5 lbs weyermanns pils
8 oz German dark Munich
6 oz mfb caramel 120
4 oz mfb kiln amber
1 1/2 oz Belgian chocolate
1/2 tsp cacl

SRM 18

Mash 10 mins 130, 60 mins 150 pH 5.0

TOG into boil 1.072

OG into boil 1.075 (78% eff)

Boil 90 mins
90 mins add 3/4 lb brown sugar, 1/4 lb table sugar
80 mins 1/2 oz tettnanger 3.9%aa, 12 IBUs (4-5 mo oldies from Jody's fridge)
30 mins 5 gr nugget 13.5%aa, 11 IBUs
15 mins 1/2 oz northdown, 7%aa, 10 IBUs
15 mins 1/2 tsp Irish moss

33 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.091

Abv est 9.3%

Don't filter wort into fermenter, just dump cold break and all, except filter funnel very end into next weeks starter jar.

Pitch with wlp500 in 1/2 qt starter at 70 df, move to 60 df.  At 8 hrs, 65 df, move to 65 df.  At 20 hrs, full krausen at 65 df, cover with blanket.  By 24 hours, up to 70 df, remove blanket.  By 28 hours, up to 72 df.  At 40 hours, 72 df, put blanket back on.

3/4/14 pm still at 72 df, move up to 72 df area.  3/5/14 am still at 72 df, put blanket on.  3/5/14 pm activity slowed a lot at 72 df, move to 78 df.  3/6/14 am showing 78 df, move to 72 df with blanket.

Rack to secondary 3/7/14, move to 65 df.

Bottle 3/22/14 with 95 gr table sugar.  Yield 28@12oz, 336 oz, 2.63 gals, 3.3 vols co2.