Bottled the Jalapeno today - got 24 22oz. bottles and another 30 or so 12 oz.
Now I will be transferring the brown ale later this week.
Taste tests showed me that the jalapeno does have some heat and a decent peppery smoke flavor.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Batch Standard - 10G Southbound Brown Ale
Lovely day for a brewday. I'll be tweeting this brew session (and I've already started) over in the Twitterverse.
Recipe Specifications
Brew Date: 9/1/2011
Recipe Batch Size: 11.00 gal
Recipe Boil Size: 13.50 gal
Estimated Pre-boil OG: 1.043
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 24.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.3 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Actual OG: 1.042 SG
Actual FG: 1.017 SG
Actual ABV: 3.25 %
Recipe Batch Size: 11.00 gal
Recipe Boil Size: 13.50 gal
Estimated Pre-boil OG: 1.043
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 24.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.3 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Actual OG: 1.042 SG
Actual FG: 1.017 SG
Actual ABV: 3.25 %
Ingredients
Water Additions
| Amount | Item | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1.22 gm | Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 1.22 gm | Salt (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 7.61 gm | Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 16.14 gm | Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 24.67 gm | Baking Soda (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 28.93 gm | Chalk (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 16.75 gal | RO Modified - Brown Ale (Malty) | Water |
Grain Bill
| Amount | Item | Type | % or IBU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18.00 lb | Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 70.59 % |
| 4.00 lb | Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) | Grain | 15.69 % |
| 2.00 lb | Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 7.84 % |
| 1.00 lb | Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) | Grain | 3.92 % |
Hop Schedule/Boil Additions
| Boil | Amount | Item | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 min | 2.02 oz | Centennial [8.70 %] (60 min) | Hops |
| 60 min | 0.50 lb | Brown Sugar, Light (8.0 SRM) | Sugar |
| Amount | Item | Type | % or IBU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.00 oz | Liberty [4.50 %] (5 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) | Hops | - |
Yeast/Other
| Amount | Item | Type | % or IBU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Pkgs | American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) | Yeast-Ale |
Mash
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out, Brown Ale 10G Thick Mash
Total Grain Weight: 25.00 lb
Total Grain Weight: 25.00 lb
| Step Time | Name | Description | Step Temp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 min | Mash In | Add 25.00 qt of water at 174.4 F | 155.0 F |
Notes
First time scaling up to 10G - we will see how this works.Generated with a custom BeerSmith template created by Cameron Mathews
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Jalapeno Update
Quick update - last Thursday I transferred the jalapeno to secondary (I tend to find secondary fermenting helps settling out for better clarity in extract brews - less so in my all grain batches).
Before I did, I cut up two more jalapenos and threw them on a piece of aluminum foil on the grill on high heat. After about 10 minutes, it had a nice black char on some of the skin and the jalapenos had gone soft, so I dropped them into the secondary along with the transferred beer.
Next up - a brown ale brew tomorrow and bottling the jalapeno towards the middle of labor day week (possibly Tuesday).
Before I did, I cut up two more jalapenos and threw them on a piece of aluminum foil on the grill on high heat. After about 10 minutes, it had a nice black char on some of the skin and the jalapenos had gone soft, so I dropped them into the secondary along with the transferred beer.
Next up - a brown ale brew tomorrow and bottling the jalapeno towards the middle of labor day week (possibly Tuesday).
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Batch TEST - 10G Texas Firewater Hand-Picked Jalapeno Pale Ale
I am live Tweeting this brew day over at Twitter. Come follow along for fun.
Recipe Specifications
Brew Date: 8/18/2011
Recipe Batch Size: 11.00 gal
Recipe Boil Size: 13.50 gal
Estimated Pre-boil OG: 1.037
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 9.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 47.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: - %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Actual OG: 1.059 SG
Actual FG: 1.010 SG
Actual ABV: 6.39 %
Recipe Batch Size: 11.00 gal
Recipe Boil Size: 13.50 gal
Estimated Pre-boil OG: 1.037
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 9.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 47.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: - %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Actual OG: 1.059 SG
Actual FG: 1.010 SG
Actual ABV: 6.39 %
Ingredients
Water Additions
| Amount | Item | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 0.98 gm | Baking Soda (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 0.98 gm | Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 5.15 gm | Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 9.57 gm | Chalk (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 11.50 gal | Munich, Germany - Jalapeno Modified | Water |
Grain Bill
| Amount | Item | Type | % or IBU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 lb | Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 6.58 % |
| 1.00 lb | Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) | Grain | 6.58 % |
Hop Schedule/Boil Additions
| Boil | Amount | Item | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 min | 13.20 lb | Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) | Extract |
| 60 min | 2.00 oz | Chinook [11.00 %] (60 min) | Hops |
| 60 min | 2.00 items | Jalapeno Pepper, Raw (Boil 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 15 min | 2.00 oz | Cascade [5.00 %] (15 min) | Hops |
| 5 min | 2.00 oz | Cascade [5.00 %] (5 min) | Hops |
| 0 min | 4.00 items | Hop Sock (Boil 0.0 min) | Misc |
Yeast/Other
| Amount | Item | Type | % or IBU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Pkgs | Safale US (LeSaffre #05) | Yeast-Ale |
Mash
Mash Schedule: None
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
Steep grains as desired (30-60 minutes)
Secondary Additions
When transferring to the secondary after a week (if you do such things), or just after a week (if you don't), grill 2 jalapenos on aluminum foil until they collapse and are gooey. Add one to each secondary.
Generated with a custom BeerSmith template created by Cameron Mathews
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
Steep grains as desired (30-60 minutes)
Secondary Additions
When transferring to the secondary after a week (if you do such things), or just after a week (if you don't), grill 2 jalapenos on aluminum foil until they collapse and are gooey. Add one to each secondary.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Upcoming Brew Schedule
Just a placeholder for some planning for brew days (red means I did not do that batch as planned):
August 2011 - Jalapeno Pale Ale (10G batch experiment)
September 2011 - Brown Ale (Standard 10G Batch)
October 2011 - Christmas Ale (10G batch experiment)
November 2011 - Stout (10G batch experiment)
December 2011 - Wye Heavye (5G "final" experiment before this goes standard)
January 2012 - Irish Red (5G or 10G experiment)
Feb/Mar 2012 - IPA (Standard 5G Batch)
Apr/May/June/July 2012 - Belgian Dubbel (5G experiment - untested category)
Apr/May 2012 - Brown Ale (Standard 10G Batch)
June/July 2012 - Jalapeno Pale Ale (hopefully should be 10G standard by then)
Aug/Sept 2012 - APA (Standard 10G Batch)
October 2012 - Christmas Ale (may still be 10G batch experiment)
November 2012 - Stout(should be 10G standard by then)
December 2012 - Wee Heavy(should be 5G standard by then)
October 2011 - Christmas Ale (10G batch experiment)
November 2011 - Stout (10G batch experiment)
December 2011 - Wye Heavye (5G "final" experiment before this goes standard)
January 2012 - Irish Red (5G or 10G experiment)
Feb/Mar 2012 - IPA (Standard 5G Batch)
Apr/May/June/July 2012 - Belgian Dubbel (5G experiment - untested category)
Apr/May 2012 - Brown Ale (Standard 10G Batch)
June/July 2012 - Jalapeno Pale Ale (hopefully should be 10G standard by then)
Aug/Sept 2012 - APA (Standard 10G Batch)
October 2012 - Christmas Ale (may still be 10G batch experiment)
November 2012 - Stout(should be 10G standard by then)
December 2012 - Wee Heavy(should be 5G standard by then)
Monday, November 22, 2010
Update
Brewed a Wee Beastye Wee Heavye this past weekend - and I've got that American Brown Ale in the hopper waiting on my laziness to bottle it (after Thanksgiving, I am sure).
Giving some thought to trying to keep a "stock" set of beers available for 2011, which would mean a good bit of front-loaded brewing, and then some replacement pace brewing on the rest. Not sure if that's possible, but also separating the styles by cap color (to keep me-self organized). Here's what I'm thinking of keeping in stock:
American Brown Ale - red caps
IPA - silver caps
Stout - black caps
APA (if I can find a recipe I like) - blue caps? white caps?
Dark IPA (might try this one in 2011 to see if I like em) - dark blue caps?
Then the seasonals:
Jalapeno Pale Ale - Brew Summer for Fall - yellow caps
Christmas Ale - Brew Fall for Winter - green caps
Wee Beastye Wee Heavye - Brew Early Winter for Winter/Spring - gold caps
Blonde Ale (if I can find a recipe I like) - white or blue caps?
Then one to two additional brews per year (kind of like St. Arnold does with Divine Reserve) just trying something new. For these I'd use some overrun caps.
Now I just need to bottle that brown ale. And then the wee heavye in a couple of weeks. And get brewing on the rest!
Giving some thought to trying to keep a "stock" set of beers available for 2011, which would mean a good bit of front-loaded brewing, and then some replacement pace brewing on the rest. Not sure if that's possible, but also separating the styles by cap color (to keep me-self organized). Here's what I'm thinking of keeping in stock:
American Brown Ale - red caps
IPA - silver caps
Stout - black caps
APA (if I can find a recipe I like) - blue caps? white caps?
Dark IPA (might try this one in 2011 to see if I like em) - dark blue caps?
Then the seasonals:
Jalapeno Pale Ale - Brew Summer for Fall - yellow caps
Christmas Ale - Brew Fall for Winter - green caps
Wee Beastye Wee Heavye - Brew Early Winter for Winter/Spring - gold caps
Blonde Ale (if I can find a recipe I like) - white or blue caps?
Then one to two additional brews per year (kind of like St. Arnold does with Divine Reserve) just trying something new. For these I'd use some overrun caps.
Now I just need to bottle that brown ale. And then the wee heavye in a couple of weeks. And get brewing on the rest!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Batch 25.2 - American Brown Ale and Mash Tun Inauguration and Calibrating Stuffs
So, I finished the mash tun upgrades (put barbs and high temp tubing on the inside) and am testing it out with my American Brown Ale. I'm also using this brew to calibrate and figure out the variances on some of my equipment.
So here's the hose barb and high temp tubing:
And then here's the barb and elbow for the other end where the false bottom is:
Here's the finished mash tun inside:
One problem I found early - the thermometer in my HLT is off by several degrees. This was verified with my new lab thermometer, and could be the reason my sparges are not getting hot enough and perhaps I'm not mashing at a high enough temp either. So, with the help of some more precision measurements, I successfully got my mash in at EXACTLY 154, which is what I was going for.
Also good to know - I put about half of my strike water in at 10 degrees high (181) to pre-heat the mash tun. While it pre-heated it, I let it go 8 minutes and it had dropped 20 degrees. Need to adjust to hotter water or shorter time in the mash tun. Regardless, I cleared it up this time by just heating additional strike water.
And I had to pour myself one of these for any brew day (this is the tart cherry beer from back in May):
Here's the Recipe:
Generated with a custom BeerSmith template created by Cameron Mathews
So here's the hose barb and high temp tubing:
And then here's the barb and elbow for the other end where the false bottom is:
Here's the finished mash tun inside:
One problem I found early - the thermometer in my HLT is off by several degrees. This was verified with my new lab thermometer, and could be the reason my sparges are not getting hot enough and perhaps I'm not mashing at a high enough temp either. So, with the help of some more precision measurements, I successfully got my mash in at EXACTLY 154, which is what I was going for.
Also good to know - I put about half of my strike water in at 10 degrees high (181) to pre-heat the mash tun. While it pre-heated it, I let it go 8 minutes and it had dropped 20 degrees. Need to adjust to hotter water or shorter time in the mash tun. Regardless, I cleared it up this time by just heating additional strike water.
And I had to pour myself one of these for any brew day (this is the tart cherry beer from back in May):
Here's the Recipe:
Batch 25.2 - American Brown Ale
Recipe Specifications
Brew Date: 10/17/2010
Recipe Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Recipe Boil Size: 10.38 gal
Estimated Pre-boil OG: 1.024
Estimated OG: 1.042 SG
Estimated Color: 24.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 38.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 49.70 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Actual OG: 1.042 SG
Actual FG: 1.012 SG
Actual ABV: 3.90 %
Recipe Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Recipe Boil Size: 10.38 gal
Estimated Pre-boil OG: 1.024
Estimated OG: 1.042 SG
Estimated Color: 24.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 38.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 49.70 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Actual OG: 1.042 SG
Actual FG: 1.012 SG
Actual ABV: 3.90 %
Ingredients
Water Additions
| Amount | Item | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 0.40 gm | Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 0.40 gm | Salt (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 2.50 gm | Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 5.30 gm | Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 8.10 gm | Baking Soda (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 9.50 gm | Chalk (Mash 60.0 min) | Misc |
| 5.50 gal | RO Modified - Brown Ale (Malty) | Water |
Grain Bill
| Amount | Item | Type | % or IBU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.00 lb | Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 70.59 % |
| 2.00 lb | Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) | Grain | 15.69 % |
| 1.00 lb | Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 7.84 % |
| 0.50 lb | Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) | Grain | 3.92 % |
Hop Schedule/Boil Additions
| Boil | Amount | Item | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 min | 1.00 oz | Centennial [9.70 %] (60 min) | Hops |
| 60 min | 0.25 lb | Brown Sugar, Light (8.0 SRM) | Sugar |
| Amount | Item | Type | % or IBU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 oz | Liberty [4.50 %] (5 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) | Hops | - |
Yeast/Other
| Amount | Item | Type | % or IBU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Pkgs | American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) | Yeast-Ale |
Mash
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 12.50 lb
Total Grain Weight: 12.50 lb
| Step Time | Name | Description | Step Temp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 min | Mash In | Add 15.63 qt of water at 170.1 F | 154.0 F |
Notes
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Mash Tun Upgrade Part One: New Valve
So I have been fighting with lower than desired efficiency for a while on my mash, and have decided that part of the problem may be in the way the false bottom I have is connected to my valve. I bought the entire cooler pre-set up as a kit, and it has a few things that I don't particularly like.
First, almost all of the fittings are brass. I wanted to upgrade as part of this effort and convert everything to stainless steel. I know brass can be used, but it isn't as SHINY. In addition, the false bottom was connected to the valve via a piece of pipe that I felt was potentially too short, and a bunch of compression fittings that I could never get tight enough. So, I feared that part of the problem might be some leakage at the compression fittings, generating somewhat of a spiral.
Finally, the whole thing leaked. Twice. It leaked liquid slowly out the front bottom underneath the valve, and it leaked air into my tube as I was draining.
All of this needs to be fixed. So, while I am not sure this will fix any of these issues, I have decided to replace the hardware in there and give it a little change. I'll have to brew once I get it all set up to determine if there is any actual change. And there are some additional upgrades I want as well (sparge arm or other sparging device, valve on my HLT, etc.) that may help.
As for this part, I bought a stainless bulkhead weldless keg kit from BargainFittings.com and installed it (more to come in a subsequent post).
First, almost all of the fittings are brass. I wanted to upgrade as part of this effort and convert everything to stainless steel. I know brass can be used, but it isn't as SHINY. In addition, the false bottom was connected to the valve via a piece of pipe that I felt was potentially too short, and a bunch of compression fittings that I could never get tight enough. So, I feared that part of the problem might be some leakage at the compression fittings, generating somewhat of a spiral.
Finally, the whole thing leaked. Twice. It leaked liquid slowly out the front bottom underneath the valve, and it leaked air into my tube as I was draining.
All of this needs to be fixed. So, while I am not sure this will fix any of these issues, I have decided to replace the hardware in there and give it a little change. I'll have to brew once I get it all set up to determine if there is any actual change. And there are some additional upgrades I want as well (sparge arm or other sparging device, valve on my HLT, etc.) that may help.
As for this part, I bought a stainless bulkhead weldless keg kit from BargainFittings.com and installed it (more to come in a subsequent post).
- Remove all of the hardware from the cooler and wipe it down.
- Wash all the new parts in PBW.
- Rinse the parts thoroughly, and let them air dry.
- Wrap both sides of the nipple with teflon plumbers tape. Add an O-ring to the nipple and screw on the lock nut
- Thread the nipple through the cooler wall and attach a washer and then the valve on the front, hand tighten, then tighten with a locking set of pliers (vise grips) on the inside. I just used my hand to hold the valve on the outside.
- Screw on the coupling on the inside.
- Add teflon tape to barb and screw it into the valve on the outside.
- Fill with water to a level above the coupling.
- Check outside for leaks (YAY no leaks!!!)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Bottled the Cherry Beer
Tastes like (shocking) tart cherries. Bottled today and should be ready in a couple of weeks. Need to bottle the IPA soon and then get back go brewing.
Couple of things I've been thinking about lately on brewing are to create a set of "standards" that I would like to have "in stock" pretty much all the time, and then intersperse the experimentals in there as needed.
Thoughts on the standards:
American Brown Ale
Blonde Ale
IPA
Stout
and possible an APA or one of these "Dark IPAs or Dark India Ales or Cascadian Dark Ales" if I can find a good recipe
Then 4 seasonals:
Scottish Strong Ale - Wee Beastye (Spring)
Jalapeno Pale Ale (Summer/Fall)
Annual Rotator (Summer/Fall) - Brew something different as a special brew
Christmas Ale (Winter)
Of course, I will probably brew whatever I want, but this is just something I was thinking about in terms of if I were to ever "upscale" the production (aka buy/build a brewery).
The other things I have been thinking about is getting a little more precise with my equipment. I intend to add some temperature gauges to my cooler and possibly the HLT and then also potentially come up with some other efficiency gaining equipment improvements. In addition, I am going to try to calibrate all of my stuff (this really means boiling lots of water most likely and wasting propane). I might can work some of it into a really long brew day, but otherwise, it will be a less-than-exciting effort that I'll still document here.
Enjoy.
Couple of things I've been thinking about lately on brewing are to create a set of "standards" that I would like to have "in stock" pretty much all the time, and then intersperse the experimentals in there as needed.
Thoughts on the standards:
American Brown Ale
Blonde Ale
IPA
Stout
and possible an APA or one of these "Dark IPAs or Dark India Ales or Cascadian Dark Ales" if I can find a good recipe
Then 4 seasonals:
Scottish Strong Ale - Wee Beastye (Spring)
Jalapeno Pale Ale (Summer/Fall)
Annual Rotator (Summer/Fall) - Brew something different as a special brew
Christmas Ale (Winter)
Of course, I will probably brew whatever I want, but this is just something I was thinking about in terms of if I were to ever "upscale" the production (aka buy/build a brewery).
The other things I have been thinking about is getting a little more precise with my equipment. I intend to add some temperature gauges to my cooler and possibly the HLT and then also potentially come up with some other efficiency gaining equipment improvements. In addition, I am going to try to calibrate all of my stuff (this really means boiling lots of water most likely and wasting propane). I might can work some of it into a really long brew day, but otherwise, it will be a less-than-exciting effort that I'll still document here.
Enjoy.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Limbo Competition
So I don't know how many people actually cruise this blog much as it is generally a repository of my recipes and whatever I am up to from a brewing perspective. However, I do want to throw in a quick pitch about my club and their competition (the last day for entries of which is Friday).
I'm a member of North Texas Homebrewers' Association. This club has been around for 25 years now, and supports homebrewers across the greater Dallas area. I joined initially to get a discount at Homebrew Headquarters, but have found it to be a fun set of people that are all interested in making great beer.
That said, 8/6 is the deadline for the annual competition, the Limbo. The rules are simple. Come up with a beer with low alcohol (starting gravities at 1.050 and below) and enter it.
So, there's my pitch! Hopefully you have a beer sitting around to enter, and if not, then get planning one for next year.
I'm a member of North Texas Homebrewers' Association. This club has been around for 25 years now, and supports homebrewers across the greater Dallas area. I joined initially to get a discount at Homebrew Headquarters, but have found it to be a fun set of people that are all interested in making great beer.
That said, 8/6 is the deadline for the annual competition, the Limbo. The rules are simple. Come up with a beer with low alcohol (starting gravities at 1.050 and below) and enter it.
So, there's my pitch! Hopefully you have a beer sitting around to enter, and if not, then get planning one for next year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
