Batch 185 Porter hop dump tasting notes

Cold from tap

Pours cloudy orange-brown, tall fine tan head that stays and laces

Aroma solid malt with roasty edge, bright fruit, grassy

Mouthfeel pretty toothy, but clears with odd grass thing

Flavor big grassy fruit on top of nice roast malt

Finish odd sour/green bitterness

Overall: never squeeze out whole hops, just let them drain, whatever the loss.  Hops have pretty decent bite this year, but this is a bit too hoppy on the bitterness scale to have balance/be pleasant.  Maybe try more of an IPA base without squeezing out the hops?  Or just bury them in other stuff, don't use for aroma/flavor.

Batch 189 Pilsner

5 gallons

7 lbs weyermanns floor malted boh pils
1 lb best malz dark munich
1/2 tsp cacl

SRM 5

Mash at 148 df 20 mins, pH 4.6, 156 df 50 mins

Boil 120 mins

60 mins 10 gr columbus 14.5%aa, 24 IBUs
15 mins 1 tsp irish moss
5 mins 2 oz saaz at 2.8%aa, 5 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.051, 84% bhe

Pitch with 1 pkg saflager 34/70 in 2 qts 2-step starter at 60 df, move to 55 df.

3/4 pm move to 68 df for rest.  Return to 58 df on 3/6 pm.  Drop to 45 df over 2 days (3/9-3/10).

Rack to keg 4/14, leave at 38 df on 11 psi. 

Batch 188 Imperial Stout

6 gallons

15 lbs chateau pale
1.5 lb muntons roasted barley
1 lb weyermanns choc wheat
1 lb mfb kiln amber
1 lb flaked oats
3 oz peated malt
15 whole coffee beans

SRM 50+

Mash at 150 df 20 mins thick, thin out and drop to 140 df, step back up to 150 df over 30 mins, 70 mins total.

Boil 90 mins

90 mins 1 lb cane sugar
75 mins 2 oz galena 13.5%aa, 69 IBUs
75 mins 1/3 tsp baking soda
35 mins 1/2 oz centennials 10.8%aa, 11 IBUs
25 mins 1 tsp dry irish moss
15 mins 1/2 oz centennials 10.8%aa, 7 IBUs

OG 1.084 into fermenter, 64% bhe, add 1 lb sugar to get to 1.092

Pitch with W1084 in 2/3 qt starter at 75 df, leave at 75 df.  Add 6 fresh cut oak cubes soaked in Hennessy.

2/3 rack to secondary, add 1 lb cane sugar to get to OG 1.100, dry packet of Nottingham yeast, 1 oz centennial hop pellets 10.8%aa, leave at 75 df.

Bottle 2/16 with 110 gr table sugar, yield 724 oz, 2.0 vols co2.

Batch 184 Pilsner tasting notes

Cold from tap

Pours light gold, clear, tall fine white head that stays, laces

Aroma malt front, fresh fruit (apples pears), south asian spice

Mouthfeel light body, slight cling at end, mostly cleansing

Flavor sweet malt front, asian spice, nice bitter at end

Finish slight cling, round bitterness

Overall very good, not quite tart enough, could use a bit more bitterness.  Somehow got aerated? 

Batch 187 Marzen

5 gallons

5 lbs best malz dark munich
2.5 lbs weyermanns floor malted bohemian pilsner

SRM 10

Mash 146 df 10 mins, decoct 1/3 to full simmer, 158 df 50 mins, decoct 1/4 to full simmer, mash out.

Boil 100 mins

95 mins 5 gr columbus @14.5% aa, 12 IBUs
15 mins 14 gr mt hood @5.5% aa, 6 IBUs
15 mins 1 tsp irish moss

OG into fermenter 1.050, 89% bhe

Pitch at 60 df onto 'Batch 184 Pilsner' cake, add 1 pkg saflager 34/70 in 2/3 qt starter, leave at 55 df.  Move to 70 df for rest midday 1/6.  Move to 60 df on 1/9 am.  Drop 5 df every other day until 45 df.  Lager at 45 df starting 1/14.

2/3 rack to keg with 1 tsp gelatin, leave at 38 df on 13 psi.

Batch 186 IPA

5.5 gallons

13 lbs chateau pale
8 oz mfb cara120
1 tsp gypsum

SRM 12

Mash 154 df 40 mins, 158 df 20 mins

Boil 60 mins

55 mins 7 gr columbus 14.5%aa,  12 IBUs
30 mins 1 oz centennial 10.8%aa, 29 IBUs
15 mins 1 oz centennial 10.8%aa, 19 IBUs
5 mins 1 oz centennial 10.8%aa, 8 IBUs

OG into fermenter 1.070, 75% bhe

Pitch with S-04 in 3/4 qt starter at 70 df, leave at 70 df.  Move to 65 df on 12/23.

Rack to keg 1/6, put on 14 psi at 38df.

Batch 183 Dubbel tasting notes

cellar temp

pours deep brown, coarse thin tan head that lingers

aroma slight roast under big sweet fruit esters

mouthfeel moderate body, slight coating

flavor big sweet tropical fruit (not quite banana), dates or raisins, slight roast behind balanced with hop bitterness, ends with slight hop bitterness

finish some heat at the back, slight coating that clears, left with hop bitterness

overall very nice example, not quite enough head, could dry out a bit more with more sugar, but otherwise very good.  quite a kick.