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.

Batch 66 Vienna tasting notes

Taste cold

Pours orange, slightly cloudy, moderate tan head, falls back quickly,

Aroma, fresh pears, fruity, slight vanilla malt

Mouth feel, some body, but not heavy

Flavor, sweet malt, but not overly sweet, fresh pears again, slight bitterness, no hops.

Finish, vanilla malt, slight bitterness, want more.

Overall, clearly an ale, should try with more hops and lagered.  Malt bill says Vienna, just a bit thicker and fruitier than I want.

Batch 74 Bohemian Pilsner

6 gallons

9.5 lbs weyermanns boh pils
21 oz gwm Vienna
8 oz best malz dark Munich
1/2 tsp cacl

SRM 4

Mash 15 mins 130 df, 150 df 20 mins pH 5.0, 156 40 mins

Restart lauter at 3 gals.

OG into boil 1.060 (7 gals)

Boil 90 mins

90 1/2 oz Columbus 15%aa, 21 IBUs
60 mins 1/2 oz saaz 3.5%aa, 4 IBUs
30 mins 1/2 oz saaz 3.5%aa, 3 IBUs
1 tsp Irish moss 15 mins
5 mins 1 oz saaz 3.5%aa, 2 IBUs

30 IBUs

Og into fermenter 1.066, add 1 gallon to get to 1.056.  93% brew house efficiency.

Abv est 5.3%

Pitch with w2278 in 2 Qts starter, chilled to 48 df.  Chill wort to 52 df, pitch winds up at 56-8 df into chamber.  Move to 50 df.  

Next time, try pitching the next day after chilling wort in carboys overnight.

At 35 hours, full krausen.  At 60 hrs, foam over, transfer some to 3rd carboy.  Leave at 50 df.

Rack to secondary 5/5/14.  Turn down chamber to 49 df.  Turn down 2 df per day until 40 df (5/10/14). Turn down to 35 df 5/25/14.

Bottle 6/20, with 90 gr table sugar, yield 734 oz, 2.7 vols co2.

Using prechiller for the first time

Batch 65 SAB clone tasting notes

Taste cold

Pours cloudy, brown with red hues, big tan head stays, billows, laces well

Aroma tart, earthy pine, malt background

Mouth feel, chunky, too much carbonation.

Flavor bitter, chinooky but mostly bitter, sweetness is way too subdued, kind of too malty, not sweet.

Finish clinging, cloying, hop bitterness too high.  Carbonation not very refreshing.

Overall. WHAT HAPPENED?  Last 2 times this was delicious. Golden promise ruins this, need more protein rest, fresh yeast, watch hop additions, push more towards later additions.  Don't exceed 70 IBUs. Stout starter bad.  Watch priming sugar, 80 gr should be plenty.