| 1 | <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> |
| 2 | <html> |
| 3 | <head> |
| 4 | <meta name="generator" content="QBrew 0.4.1 "> |
| 5 | <title>Pale Ale #1 (Batch C)</title> |
| 6 | <meta name="author" content="Clinton Ebadi"> |
| 7 | <style type='text/css'> |
| 8 | body { font-family: sans-serif; } |
| 9 | </style> |
| 10 | </head> |
| 11 | |
| 12 | <body> |
| 13 | <table summary="header" border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=5 bgcolor="#CCCCCC" width="100%"> |
| 14 | <tr><td> |
| 15 | <big><strong>Pale Ale #1 (Batch C)</strong></big> |
| 16 | </td></tr> |
| 17 | </table> |
| 18 | <p> |
| 19 | |
| 20 | <table summary="recipe" border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0> |
| 21 | <tbody> |
| 22 | <tr> |
| 23 | <td><strong>Recipe</strong></td> |
| 24 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 25 | <td>Pale Ale #1 (Batch C)</td> |
| 26 | <td width="25"></td> |
| 27 | <td><strong>Style</strong></td> |
| 28 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 29 | <td>American Pale Ale</td> |
| 30 | </tr> |
| 31 | <tr> |
| 32 | <td><strong>Brewer</strong></td> |
| 33 | <td></td> |
| 34 | <td>Clinton Ebadi</td> |
| 35 | <td></td> |
| 36 | <td><strong>Batch</strong></td> |
| 37 | <td></td> |
| 38 | <td>5.00 gal</td> |
| 39 | </tr> |
| 40 | <tr> |
| 41 | <td><strong>Extract</strong></td> |
| 42 | </tr> |
| 43 | </tbody> |
| 44 | </table> |
| 45 | <p> |
| 46 | |
| 47 | <big><strong>Recipe Characteristics</strong></big> |
| 48 | <table summary="characteristics" border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0> |
| 49 | <tbody> |
| 50 | <tr> |
| 51 | <td><strong>Recipe Gravity</strong></td> |
| 52 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 53 | <td>1.056 OG</td> |
| 54 | <td width="25"></td> |
| 55 | <td><strong>Estimated FG</strong></td> |
| 56 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 57 | <td>1.014 FG</td> |
| 58 | </tr> |
| 59 | <tr> |
| 60 | <td><strong>Recipe Bitterness</strong></td> |
| 61 | <td></td> |
| 62 | <td>45 IBU</td> |
| 63 | <td></td> |
| 64 | <td><strong>Alcohol by Volume</strong></td> |
| 65 | <td></td> |
| 66 | <td>5.4%</td> |
| 67 | </tr> |
| 68 | <tr> |
| 69 | <td><strong>Recipe Color</strong></td> |
| 70 | <td></td> |
| 71 | <td>12° SRM</td> |
| 72 | <td></td> |
| 73 | <td><strong>Alcohol by Weight</strong></td> |
| 74 | <td></td> |
| 75 | <td>4.3%</td> |
| 76 | </tr> |
| 77 | </tbody> |
| 78 | </table> |
| 79 | <p> |
| 80 | |
| 81 | <big><strong>Ingredients</strong></big> |
| 82 | <table summary="ingredients" border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0> |
| 83 | <tbody> |
| 84 | <tr> |
| 85 | <td><strong>Quantity</strong></td> |
| 86 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 87 | <td><strong>Grain</strong></td> |
| 88 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 89 | <td><strong>Type</strong></td> |
| 90 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 91 | <td><strong>Use</strong></td> |
| 92 | </tr> |
| 93 | |
| 94 | <tr> |
| 95 | <td>0.50 lb</td> |
| 96 | <td></td> |
| 97 | <td>Crystal 20L</td> |
| 98 | <td></td> |
| 99 | <td>Grain</td> |
| 100 | <td></td> |
| 101 | <td>Steeped</td> |
| 102 | </tr> |
| 103 | |
| 104 | <tr> |
| 105 | <td>0.75 lb</td> |
| 106 | <td></td> |
| 107 | <td>Crystal 60L</td> |
| 108 | <td></td> |
| 109 | <td>Grain</td> |
| 110 | <td></td> |
| 111 | <td>Steeped</td> |
| 112 | </tr> |
| 113 | |
| 114 | <tr> |
| 115 | <td>7.00 lb</td> |
| 116 | <td></td> |
| 117 | <td>Light malt extract</td> |
| 118 | <td></td> |
| 119 | <td>Extract</td> |
| 120 | <td></td> |
| 121 | <td>Extract</td> |
| 122 | </tr> |
| 123 | |
| 124 | <tr> |
| 125 | <td><strong>Quantity</strong></td> |
| 126 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 127 | <td><strong>Hop</strong></td> |
| 128 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 129 | <td><strong>Type</strong></td> |
| 130 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 131 | <td><strong>Time</strong></td> |
| 132 | </tr> |
| 133 | |
| 134 | <tr> |
| 135 | <td>0.50 oz</td> |
| 136 | <td></td> |
| 137 | <td>Cascade</td> |
| 138 | <td></td> |
| 139 | <td>Pellet</td> |
| 140 | <td></td> |
| 141 | <td colspan=2>0 minutes</td> |
| 142 | </tr> |
| 143 | |
| 144 | <tr> |
| 145 | <td>0.75 oz</td> |
| 146 | <td></td> |
| 147 | <td>Cascade</td> |
| 148 | <td></td> |
| 149 | <td>Pellet</td> |
| 150 | <td></td> |
| 151 | <td colspan=2>10 minutes</td> |
| 152 | </tr> |
| 153 | |
| 154 | <tr> |
| 155 | <td>0.75 oz</td> |
| 156 | <td></td> |
| 157 | <td>Nugget</td> |
| 158 | <td></td> |
| 159 | <td>Pellet</td> |
| 160 | <td></td> |
| 161 | <td colspan=2>60 minutes</td> |
| 162 | </tr> |
| 163 | |
| 164 | <tr> |
| 165 | <td><strong>Quantity</strong></td> |
| 166 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 167 | <td><strong>Misc</strong></td> |
| 168 | <td width="15"></td> |
| 169 | <td><strong>Notes</strong></td> |
| 170 | </tr> |
| 171 | |
| 172 | <tr> |
| 173 | <td>1.00 unit</td> |
| 174 | <td></td> |
| 175 | <td>Wyeast 1272 - American Ale II</td> |
| 176 | <td></td> |
| 177 | <td>Yeast</td> |
| 178 | <td></td> |
| 179 | <td colspan=3>Activator Pack <http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=11></td> |
| 180 | </tr> |
| 181 | |
| 182 | </tbody> |
| 183 | </table> |
| 184 | <p> |
| 185 | |
| 186 | <big><strong>Recipe Notes</strong></big> |
| 187 | |
| 188 | <p>First batch of beer in *five* years (I'm getting old, jesus), and the first with a full rather than a partial boil. Bittering hops have been downadjusted by 25% to compensate revealing that with a partial boil this pale ale actually was not in IPA bitterness range.<br> |
| 189 | <br> |
| 190 | Previous batches used White Labs WLP0008 (East Coast Ale Yeast) and a very cool fermentation, but fermentation conditions at my current dwelling are suboptimal and warm so we'll see how this supposedly fruity Wyeast strain works out.<br> |
| 191 | <br> |
| 192 | All DME has been eliminated as it appears there is actually no real difference when brewing, and a 33 pound bucket of LME was far more economical than purchasing smaller amounts. The lack of amber extract has been compensated for with the addition of a bit of 60⁰L Crystal Malt and a slight reduction in the amount of 20⁰L Crystal malt. |
| 193 | </p> |
| 194 | <p> |
| 195 | <big><strong>Batch Notes</strong></big> |
| 196 | |
| 197 | <p>Recipe was for 13.2% Fuggles and 6% Cascade. Actual were 13.7% Fuggles and 5% Cascade. I left the quantities the same since they were close enough. Theoretical original IBU of 44, adjusted IBU 45.<br> |
| 198 | <br> |
| 199 | Idealized brewing schedule:<br> |
| 200 | <br> |
| 201 | Fill bucket with 6 gallons of water and remove chloramine with 1/4 campden tablet<br> |
| 202 | <br> |
| 203 | Steep grains in 1/2 gallon unmodified water (strike temp 165F, goal 160F) for 30 minutes<br> |
| 204 | Sparge with 1 pint 170F water<br> |
| 205 | Measure gravity<br> |
| 206 | <br> |
| 207 | Bring 5.25 gallons water to boil, kill heat, add LME, specialty grain water, and 2g of water crystals<br> |
| 208 | Return to boil<br> |
| 209 | Hop additions &c<br> |
| 210 | <br> |
| 211 | Crash cool with wort chiller<br> |
| 212 | Rack from kettle into carboy once temperature hits ~70-72F<br> |
| 213 | Take gravity reading<br> |
| 214 | Pitch yeast<br> |
| 215 | <br> |
| 216 | Ferment!<br> |
| 217 | <br> |
| 218 | Brew day (2010-11-09): <br> |
| 219 | <br> |
| 220 | 15:42 Treated water with 1/2 campden tablet and then ran various errands for missing bits and pieces<br> |
| 221 | <br> |
| 222 | 16:49 Steeped specialty grains (1qt water) in metal pot within a 170⁰F pot. Strike temp = 168⁰F, Initial temp = 164⁰F. Removed 30 minutes later (temp = 158⁰F), and allowed grain bag to fully drain. Rinsed with one pint of distilled water @ 165⁰F. SG of specialty grain wort = 1.032<br> |
| 223 | <br> |
| 224 | 17:42 Began heating 5.25 gallons of water on my fancy new propane burner. Treated with 2g of 'Water Crystals' (8:1 CaSO_4:MgSO_4) (see http://wiki.calefaction.org/HomeBrewing for water modification charts for Raleigh water) owing to obscenely low (read: basically no) sulfate levels leading to concerns about hop bitterness not working out too well.<br> |
| 225 | <br> |
| 226 | 18:07 It turns out I forgot to take the yeast out of the fridge. Removed, smacked, and placed into a pot of 85⁰F water!<br> |
| 227 | <br> |
| 228 | 18:15 Water begins to boil. Still taking care of miscellaneous tasks.<br> |
| 229 | 18:30 Start wort boiling. Wort boil goes as well as can be expected, but should have been more vigorous (wort scorched!)<br> |
| 230 | <br> |
| 231 | 19:00 Added wort chiller, but this killed the boil. Turned the burner up and things were back on track within three minutes. Boil definitely was not strong enough--the next brew we boiled more vigorously and the addition of the wort chiller caused no disruption to the boil.<br> |
| 232 | <br> |
| 233 | 19:33 Killed boil and started chilling<br> |
| 234 | <br> |
| 235 | 20:17 Back yard is now a bog, wort chilled to 81⁰F. Giving up. Preparing fermenter &c<br> |
| 236 | 20:40 Racked into carboy, still at 81⁰F. Final volume is a hair over five gallons. OG = 1.056. Perfect! Moved carboy up to fermentation closet. Sealed with a plastic cap (sanitized, naturally), and placed into a tray of water with a tshirt over it and a fan blowing away from it.<br> |
| 237 | <br> |
| 238 | 2010-11-10:<br> |
| 239 | <br> |
| 240 | 04:18 Returned from post-brewing "well the wort is too hot to pitch the yeast who wants to get drunk instead of waiting" gathering. Pitched yeast. Carboy internally @ 72⁰F. Turned fan off for now.<br> |
| 241 | <br> |
| 242 | 13:25 Spotty krausen forming, airlock bubbling every 10-15 seconds. Fermentor @ 68⁰F. Leaving fan off. Bubbling increases to once every five seconds by 13:40.<br> |
| 243 | <br> |
| 244 | 14:22 Activity level similar, starting to cool (fan at middle setting whatever that implies).<br> |
| 245 | <br> |
| 246 | 18:25 Carboy @ 66⁰F. Increasing fan speed a bit to get down to 62-64.<br> |
| 247 | <br> |
| 248 | 21:27 Last time peeking tonight... temperature between 64 and 66. Bubbling more active (1/second). Returning fan to middle setting to see if things will stabilize around 64.<br> |
| 249 | <br> |
| 250 | 2010-11-11<br> |
| 251 | <br> |
| 252 | 11:30 Temperature down to 62⁰F. Setting fan to lowest setting to prevent cooling it too much.<br> |
| 253 | <br> |
| 254 | 2010-11-12<br> |
| 255 | <br> |
| 256 | 17:12 Turned fan off last night. Temperature is holding steady at 62⁰F. Fermentation is less active, but steady (airlock bubbling once every two seconds). Removing water from tray and swapping wet for a dry tshirt.<br> |
| 257 | <br> |
| 258 | 2010-11-17<br> |
| 259 | <br> |
| 260 | 14:22 Fermenter has been at around 64-65⁰F, Now at 67⁰F. Bubbling not so often, but krausen has yet to be reabsorbed.<br> |
| 261 | <br> |
| 262 | 2010-11-20<br> |
| 263 | <br> |
| 264 | 21:41 Fermenter has risen over the last 48 from 66⁰F to 68⁰F. Krausen began dissipating today.<br> |
| 265 | <br> |
| 266 | 2010-11-28<br> |
| 267 | <br> |
| 268 | 19:34 Fermenter was left in the house between 11-21 and 11-26 at 66⁰F and has stabilized at this temperature. Will be bottled shortly assuming gravity is on target.<br> |
| 269 | <br> |
| 270 | Will be aiming for 2.5 volumes of CO₂. Calculating corn sugar addition given a five gallon volume and fermentation having taken place at an average of 65⁰F. Priming with 4.28 oz. (121g) of corn sugar.<br> |
| 271 | <br> |
| 272 | 2010-11-29<br> |
| 273 | <br> |
| 274 | 14:55 Took gravity reading, 1.010@68⁰F (Attenuation = 82%!) Beyond typical attenuation for this yeast (72-76%). ABV = 5.9%<br> |
| 275 | <br> |
| 276 | Pours a mostly clear copper with a strong initial fresh hop aroma with a bit of a grain note. Somewhat sweet, resiny flavor that gives way to a brisk but pleasant bitterness. Slight bitterness lingers afterward. The body is thin, but has a slight grain thickness already present so I think it will carbonate rather well.<br> |
| 277 | <br> |
| 278 | 19:00 Bottled. Primed with 121.6g of corn sugar dissolved in two cups of distilled water boiled from ten minutes (probably overmuch, but eh). Got 44 12oz bottles--drank first 12oz (probably oxidized to Hell), lost 12oz during capping (justin was clumsy), and got a final half bottle but didn't cap it.<br> |
| 279 | <br> |
| 280 | 2010-12-14<br> |
| 281 | Taste test #1<br> |
| 282 | <br> |
| 283 | Cracked one open for a taste test. I tried one a few days earlier, but it was still oversweet and appley tasting. <br> |
| 284 | <br> |
| 285 | Served in a tulip.<br> |
| 286 | <br> |
| 287 | Pours a slightly hazy copper with a fingertip white head. Fades at a reasonable pace and remains as a thin cap (but this is true of almost every beer with this glass). Initial aroma is slightly grainy and citrusy with perhaps a hint of green apple and sweetness remaining (not quite three weeks of conditioning). Carbonation levels are adequate. The body is about right--maybe a quarter pound more crystal malt could be used. The flavor is initially rather malty (fresh bread, caramel), giving way in the end to a brisk bitterness. There is a slight hop resin flavor/feeling that builds over a few sips.<br> |
| 288 | <br> |
| 289 | Initial impression: The taste is actually pretty well balanced--the malt is strong enough to force the bitterness into the background until after swallowing. The body so far is pleasant; the carbonation and 60⁰L Crystal Malt seem to contribute to a rather good mouthfeel that is not thin, but also not sickly sweet and syrupy (something I dislike strongly). The weak aroma and indistinctness of the hop flavor are its most noticeable defects.<br> |
| 290 | <br> |
| 291 | Quaffable, if not amazing. We'll see what the masses say.<br> |
| 292 | <br> |
| 293 | More end of boil (with a fast cooling time) hops, and perhaps dry hopping for a week seem like good ideas for next time. |
| 294 | </p> |
| 295 | </body> |
| 296 | </html> |