2.24.2012

Russian River - Avery - New Belgium - Crooked Stave | Sour Beer Trade

NB Biere de Mars | RR Pliny the Elder, Redemption, Damnation | CS Surette | CS WWB Yellow | RR Consecration, Temptation , Supplication | NB Frambozen  | Avery Dihos Dactylion | TP Ghost Face Killah




























I put together another beer trade with a guy in Denver.  Man they can get some great beers in that market.  Russian River beers are expensive but they are doing things right....but $13 for a 375ml bottle.  Whoa.  That's highway robbery.   Not sure if it is possible, but if I ever start a brewery and make sour beers I'm gonna find a way to make them more affordable.  They do have consistently amazing sours beer brands which is no small feat.  Also, they make arguably the best DIPA in the world Pliny the Elder.  Oh yeah...I got one freshly brewed on February 2nd!   I also got my hands on some Crooked Stave which is brewed by Chad Y of the Brettanomyces Project.   Word on the streets is that he typically uses a mix of Brett strains for his beers and leans towards the more fruity varieties of Brett.   I'd imagine that means Brett C., Brett Drie, and whatever else he's cultures.    I also got my hands on some New Belgium Frambozen, and Biere de Mars which my guy in Denver hooked me up with as extras.  Whoa...that's generous.  

I'm really interested in 1 gallon experiments as of lately with the idea of then culturing, or saving the yeast produced from dregs of commercial beers in 1 gallon experiment batch's.   I'll eventually take the saved yeast cakes from these experiments and make larger batch's with them.  

It's tough experimenting with sour beer like it is with clean beers because they take so long to age.  This is why I've started doing lots of smaller split batch's and 1 gallon batch's.  This way I'll have a huge variety...eventually.   I love it!   I have something like 44 gallons of Sour or Brett beer aging in my house.   At some point some of that beer is gonna make it into bottles!   I'm actually thinking about using one or two of my 5 gallon kegs for funk and sour beers.   Oh boy...what have I got myself into? 

2.22.2012

Epic Brew Day - 21 Gallons in 6 hours - 2 base worts - 5 distinct beers





This past Friday I had the most Epic brew day in my history of brewing.  I took on a task that I had never even imagined until last Thursday.  I wanted to brew a 10 Gallon batch of beer on Thursday, and then possibly another 10 gallon batch later on in the weekend.   My wife took my boy to Lacrosse, WI for the weekend so I was all bachelor-en it and I thought I'd brew a ton and go see some live music at the Cabooze!   You know....things that I don't get to do as much any more.

Thursday came and went without a brew day so Friday I devised a plan to brew two batch's at once.  It required me borrowing a second mash tun from my buddy Kev, but other then that I pulled it off.  2 mash's going simultaneously, and then 2 -10 gallon batch's boiling at once!

It was a lot of work, but I wanted to push myself, and I wanted to brew a bunch of beers and experiment with a few yeasts I'd acquired recently.

More importantly it was my 50th brew day and I wanted to make it memorable and special.   Part of me wanted to just breeze past it and act like it was no big deal, but it ended up being freakin nuts!

If you look at my blog and read my last two posts, these are the beer that I produced during this epic session!  I was running back and forth from my house with 6 gallons of water what seemed like 10 times but was actually more like 6 times.    The logistics of it were pretty interesting regarding the Mash(s).  For my Black IPA I was doing a single infusion at 156 or so, but for the Biere de Garde I wanted to do a step infusion mash.  Protein Rest (122ish), with an Beta (148ish) and Alpha rest (160ish).   

It ended up working out great.  First I pumped some hot water into my Biere de Garde mash for Protein rest.  Then as the hot liquor tank heated I eventually pumped water into my Black IPA for the higher Mash temp.  Then I boiled the hot liquor water and added that to the Bier de Garde mash at intervals to reach my temps.   I hit my temps almost right on although my Protein rest was a bit high.    Once the mash tuns were drained and the boil started it was all good!

I ended up getting 10 gallons of Black wort and 11 gallons of Biere de Garde wort.  Here's how I split them up from there.

Black IPA / American Brown  -
5 gallons fermenting with WY NB Neobrittania yeast
5 gallons fermenting with 100% Brett (Brett Drie, WY 5526 Brett B, and WY 5112 Brett L)

Biere de Garde  -
5 gallons fermenting with WY Belgian Shelde (De Koninck)
5 gallons fermenting with ECY 02 Flemish Blend (second generation)
1 gallon fermenting with 100% Brett Drie/Avery 15 dregs (Sent to me by the yeast wrangler Jeffrey Crane from San Diego)



That's some shit right there!

What's your most Epic Brew day?

2.19.2012

Organic American India Black - Split Batch [Ale Yeast | 100% Brett]

I was watching TV the other day about Black history in Minnesota.  One story really stuck out to me.  There was a man by the name of George Bonga who was a fur trader of African American and Native American descent.  He was one of the first people of African American descent born in what is now Minnesota.  Born in Duluth, MN, formally educated in Montreal, and eventually made a home on Leech Lake.  An educated explorer, a voyageur, and fur trader.   He once tracked a murderer down and delivered the man to Ft. Snelling for prosecution which subsequently made him famous.  The thing I found the most interesting was how people of different cultures perceived him.   The Indians referred to him as pale because he was educated like the white men of the time.  He was in fact half Black and half Indian decent.   I thought a Black Indian Pale beer was appropriate.

It's hard to put this beer into a category much like it was hard to put George Bonga into a category.  It'll definitely be a Brown Ale, but because I used locally grown hops it's hard to say how much bittering power they have.  In my experience so far, locally grown MN hops don't bitter properly.  Because of this I adjusted the IBU's down about 15% but I still expect the final IBU's to be lower then even that.  This is one of those beers where I just take handfuls of locally grown hops and through them into the boil to see what happens! 

    Bonga Black India Pale

    malt & fermentables

    %
    LB
    OZ
    Malt or Fermentable
    ppg
    °L
    79%
    20
    0
    Briess Organic 2-Row
    34
    2
    8%
    2
    0
    Briess Organic Caramel 60L
    34
    60
    6%
    1
    8
    Briess Organic Chocolate Malt
    34
    350
    4%
    1
    0
    Briess Special Roast
    34
    50
    2%
    0
    8
    Briess Crystal 120L
    34
    120
    1%
    0
    4
    Briess Roasted Barley
    34
    300

    25
    4



    Original Gravity: 1.060
    Final Gravity:  1.015?
    Color:  32° SRM (Black)
    Mash Efficiency: 70% 

    Hops
    use
    time
    oz
    variety
    form
    aa
    boil
    60 mins
    3.0
    Organic Magnum
    leaf
    12.0
    boil
    15 mins
    1.0
    Organic Cascade
    leaf
    4.0
    boil
    5 mins
    1.0
    Organic Cascade
    leaf
    4.0
    boil
    1 min
    1.0
    Organic Cascade
    leaf
    4.0
    Bitterness: 58.8 IBU

    Alcohol: 6.0% ABV
    Calories: 198 per 12 oz.


    5 G's fermenting on Wyeast NB NeoBritannia 1945
    Large starter of second generation top cropped from Ithaca Brute Clone
    Pitched at 65 degrees and fermenting at the same. 

    5/28/12 - Aroma is smoky, and roasty.  Flavor develops with Caramel, chocolate, and a slight Green Tea flavor in the finish (from the local MN Cascades).   Nice beer, but could drop the crystal malt a tad and up the Chocolate malt.  Bottled from the Keg.

    5 G's fermenting with 100% Brett:   Three varieties equal parts           |  Brett Lambicus  |  Brett Bruxellis  |  Brett Drie  |
    Pitched with equal parts of each strain of Brett.
    Pitched at 86 degrees 
    5.18.12 - Added 1/4 ounce Medium Toast French Cubes.
    5.28.12 - Bottled using 4.3 ounce corn sugar in 5 gallons to reach 2.5 volumes of carbonation.
    •  No, it's not an Ale.  It's fermenting with 100% Brettanomyces.
    • No, It's not just 100% Brett....it's 33.33% of 3 different kinds of Brett. (WY Brett L, WY Brett B, and Avery 15/ Brett Drie)
    • No, it's not just Organic, it's locally grown Organic (OK...94% of the grain/hops is Organic)  
    • No, it's not an American Brown, a Brown Porter, an India Brown, a Cascadian Dark, or Black IPA.

    2.16.2012

    The Heifer, The Bullocks and the Runt [Blonde Biere De Garde | Sour BdG | 100% Brett BdG]

    I've been wanting to brew a Blonde Biere De Garde ever since reading about them in the Farmhouse Ales book by Phil Markowski.

    Biere De Garde is a classic farmhouse style ale similar in some ways to the French Saison Farmhouse Ale.   Where Biere de Garde's differ from Saison is that Bieres de Garde were meant to be cellared for a period or "laid down" and were maltier and higher in gravity.  Since these beers where typically lagered for months in corked champagne or belgian beer bottles they also picked up a distinct cellar aroma brought on by the cork.  Saison's where typically smaller beers, 3%, and drank a bit more fresh to be consumed by the farm-hands in replace of water throughout the summer months.    Here's a nice post on the differences between Biere de Garde and Saison.  I've had a few fantastic examples of the style..Castelain Blonde Biere de Garde, and Jolly Pumpkin Biere de Mars.   Castelain being brewed with an Ale or Lager yeast (not sure) and Jolly Pumpkin brewed with Souring yeasts and bacteria.   I wanted to replicate both versions so I decide to do a 10 gallon split batch.  I ended up doing 11 gallons (The Jeffrey Crane method of experimentation!) and pitched the 1 gallon with 100% Brett Drie as another little side experiment!


    Often times I've read that Biere de Garde is fermented with lager yeast and that the yeast isn't an important part of the beers characteristic in modern examples of the style.  I tend to lean towards how they probably were brewed way back in history and I can only imagine that they were brewed with similar yeast strains as Saisons.  For my Ale version of Biere de Garde I went with a relatively unknown yeast called Belgian Shelde which presumably comes from
    Brouwerij De Koninck in Antwerp, Belgium.   This yeast seemed to be a perfect fit.  Slight sulfury (like a lager) yet retaining Belgian yeast characteristics (clove, fruity, but hopefully no banana as I hate banana in beer)

    malt & fermentables

    %
    LB
    OZ
    Malt or Fermentable
    ppg
    °L
    55%
    15
    0
    Pilsner Malt
    38
    2
    22%
    6
    0
    Vienna Malt
    36
    3
    7%
    2
    0
    Candi Sugar, Clear
    38
    0
    5%
    1
    8
    Caravienne Malt
    34
    22
    5%
    1
    8
    American Crystal 20L
    34
    20
    5%
    1
    8
    Aromatic Malt
    36
    26

    27
    8



    Original Gravity:  1.059
    Final Gravity:  1.012  
    Color:   9° SRM   (Gold to Copper)
    Mash Efficiency 58%
    hops
    use
    time
    oz
    variety
    form
    aa
    boil
    60 mins
    2.0
    Hallertauer
    pellet
    4.8
    boil
    15 mins
    2.0
    Tettnang
    pellet
    4.5


    The Heifer (Young)
    5 G's on Wyeast Belgian Shelde Ale yeast (Brouwerij De Koninck yeast)
    2nd Place - Belgian, French, German
    Pitched a smack pack at 65 degrees
     and fermenting at the same
    5/28/12 - Bottled from Keg
    10/13/12 - 2nd place in the Belgian, French, and German category of the Nordeast Big River Homebrew Competition!




    The Bullocks (Old)
    5 G's on ECY02 Flemish Blend
    Siphoned from Sour Saison fermentor (second generation)
    pitched at 65 degrees fermenting at 70 degrees.










    The Runt (the little one)
    1 G on 100% Brett Drie / Avery 15
    Pitched at 80 degrees fermenting
    vigorously within 18 hours at 65 degrees
    5/28/12 - Bottled: I bottled and use carb tabs for carbonation.  I got 5-12 oz, and 1 -750 ml bottles.   Saved the yeast for pitching into a 5 gallon Saison type beer.

    2.05.2012

    Ithaca Brute Clone and first Open fermentation



    I’ve been trying to make a trade for Ithaca Brute for quiet some time now with a guy on Beer Advocate.  It’s literally been 4 months and I haven’t had contact with him in over a month now.  I decided that I might as well brew some myself!   I was initially intrigued by this beer mainly from the name “Brute” but also because of the rave reviews.   Brute traditionally represents a dry Champagne so I was under the assumption that this would be a very dry beer which typically is a result of the addition of sugar and/or long term aging in barrels on various Yeast and Bacteria.   

    Then recently The Mad Fermentationist did a post about how to brew a sour beer using the Ithaca Brute style.  This is part of a series he had mentioned in an even earlier post about the differing methods US brewers take for making their sour beer.  His research and subsequent blog post really inspired me to go for it on this one. 

    The final gravity of my Saison’s, Saison Bretts, and Flanders beers always are in the 1.000- 1.006 range which I’d consider dry and worthy of the Brute name.  The weird thing is…Ithaca Brute’s final gravity is 1.016.  It seems more like one of my favorite wines which is a little sweeter then Champagne…Prosecco!  I guess they call it brute because it’s light in color and finished with Champagne yeast for bottle conditioning? 

    From my research, here’s my understanding of how to brew a clone of Ithaca Brute. 
    1.      Grain Bill – Pilsner, White Wheat, Acidulated Malt(13%), Red Wheat, Raw Wheat, and Corn(12%).
    2.      Lots of Acidulated Malt and Corn- Sour with a huge of portion of Acidulated malt (13%)
    3.      Mash - Mash high in the 160-162 degree range. This, in combination with a low mash ph from the acidulated malt should produce a wort that is rather turbid and hard for regular brewers yeast to ferment.
    4.      Hops – Use Aged Hops like a Lambic, preferably locally grown Willamette, Hallertau, and Cascade like they do for Brute.
    5.      Primary Fermentation- Primary fermentation is done at high temperatures with an English ale strain.  Crash once it hits 50% attenuation or 1.035- 1.030.
    6.      Secondary Fermentation- Pitch Brett Drie into secondary with Light American Oak Spirals and age for 6-12 months.  FG of Ithaca Brute is 1.016 (which is why I question the name Brute but I suppose the acidity enhances the dryness of the beer)
    7.      Bottle Condition - Finish with three types of Champagne yeast.

    There are a lot of interesting techniques in creating this beer.  They use tons of Acid malt to sour it instead of Lactobaccilus and Pedioccus.  High Mash, aged hops, Cold Crash the Sacc. yeast, secondary with Brett Drie which is impossible to get a hold of, and then finish with three different types of champagne yeast.  There must be reasoning behind using three types of champagne yeast?  Phew…that’s a lot going on.

    Here’s my recipe as brewed on Saturday 2.4.12 –

    malt & fermentables

    %
    LB
    OZ
    Malt or Fermentable
    ppg
    °L
    67%
    9
    8
    Rahr Pilsner
    37
    2
    23%
    3
    4
    Acidulated Malt
    33
    2
    4%
    0
    8
    Rahr Red Wheat Malt
    37
    3
    4%
    0
    8
    White Wheat Malt
    40
    2
    4%
    0
    8
    Flaked Corn (Maize)
    40
    1

    14
    4



    Batch size: 5.5 gallons
    Original Gravity
    1.066 measured
    Final Gravity
    1.016 estimated
    Color
    5° SRM
    Mash Efficiency
    70% measured

    hops

    use
    time
    oz
    variety
    form
    aa
    first wort
    60+ mins
    0.5
    Aged Palisades
    pellet
    6.0
    boil
    30 mins
    1.0
    Aged Vanguard
    leaf
    4.4
    boil
    1 min
    0.8
    Aged Homegrown Cascade
    leaf
    5.5
    Bitterness
    20.7 IBU

    yeast

    Wyeast NB NeoBritannia - 1945
    medium to high flocculation and 75% attenuation
    Brettanomyces Drie
    Alcohol
    6.7% ABV
    Calories
    217 per 12 oz.


    On top of all of that….I also decided to do an Open fermentation because I didn’t have an extra air lock hanging around.  It made sense to me for many reasons and kinda happened organically.   I wanted to use a top cropping English Ale strain.  I also wanted to ferment hot in order to have increased esters for the brett to play with in the long secondary.  I decided to simply set the top on lightly for the first 6 hours until I saw active fermentation.  Once I saw active fermentation I took the lid of completely and every few hours skimmed the yeast, hop residue and other volatile substances hanging around in the huge kruesen.  This should have done a few things.  First it should have allowed more oxygen to enter the wort to help the English yeast’s cell wall formation and help it multiply.  It also results in less pressure which allows the yeast to be healthier, work harder, and produce additional esters. 

    18 hours at 75 degrees and there was a very noticeable Tropical Fruit aroma coming from the fermentor and the gravity was down to 1.035. (pictures to come)
    I top cropped the yeast into a sanitized jar for later use, put the lid on the Ale Pale and brought it to my basement for cold conditioning.  

    I’m sourcing Brett Drie from a homebrew blogger friend out in San Diego who has been kind enough to send me a vial of Brett Drie in the mail.   I told him, once I receive the Brett, I’ll officially label him as a bona fide yeast wrangler.  

    Once that arrives, I’ll create a huge starter. Transfer to secondary and pitch with the Brett Drie and add some light toast American oak spirals or cubes to be aged for 6 months to a year! 

    I doubt I’ll bottle condition with three types of champagne yeast, but who knows, 6 months from now, I just may get that crazy!

    Hope you enjoy, and I hope this inspires others to expand your brewing horizons and try something new every once in a while!  

    3.14.12 - Sampled and took a ph reading.  Extremely bright and refreshing.  Super clear blonde beer with fruity aroma's from the high Fermentation and the Brett Drie coming through a bit already!  A tad bit of a lactic tartness that is pleasant but not abrasive in any way.  Really nice.  I think it'll sit for a while though to let the brett character come about longer.  Should've taken a gravity reading but didn't.  PH 3.9/4.0 measured.

    5.18.12 - Added 1/2 ounce Medium Toast French Cubes.
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