Lambic December 2014

New Years Eve 2014
I brewed a lambic with the traditional ingredients (barley, raw wheat),  multiple mash steps (120,150,160,170) and a three hour boil.
What a long day.
When using 40% raw wheat there are some unusual looking proteins left in the kettle.
Snot is the word that comes to mind.

The wort going into the fermentors was very clear, so there must be something about the multiple mash steps, long boil or the raw wheat.

I brewed to get a higher OG because I am adding boiled water to the fermentors to get my desired volume.
I split the wort going into the fermentors three ways.
I pitched a 2 year old batch of wort built up from Cantillon dregs.
I pitched a 2 year old batch of wort built up from Jolly Pumpkin dregs.
I pitched a 1 week old batch of wort built up from The Yeast Bay Farmhouse Sour.

Target tasting date: 12/31/2015

Happy New Years everyone.

Whitbread Mild -X - 1890 - 12/14

This is mild from 1890 by the brewery Whitbread. Most would think mild is a low abv beer, but not back in 1890. This beer is hopped like a ipa/double ipa and has an OG of 1.060. My OG came out to 1.066, so I'll add boiled water to dilute the batch down to 1.060. I'll split the batch and then dry hop it with different hops.
This beer has 2# of invert #2 sugar so I should get those sugar notes I like.
I subbed Belma for Cluster.
I subbed EKG for Fuggle because I'm not about Fuggles.
I also used WLP013 instead of Whitbread yeast.
Normal brew day.

Stout - Batch 200 - December

My 200th batch of beer since I started brewing.
I brewed a regular Irish Dry Stout in memory of Guinness. Guinness was our chocolate lab that we lost this year after 14 1/2 great years.
Normal brew day - I used 4# of roasted barley at mash out. I'm still trying to get the level of roast I like.
Here's Guinness enjoying some ice cream on his 14th birthday:

Truman Burton 4 1877 Tasting Notes

Truman Burton 4, is it a Strong Ale, English IPA, Barley Wine?
What is this beer, it's a Burton.

An 1877 recipe for Burton 4 from a brewery named Truman.

101 IBU of American bittering hops, 5 ounce of EKG at 30 minutes. 100% Maris Otter

7% ABV - 7 SRM.

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2009/09/fermentation-rooms-at-trumans-burton.html

Beer served on beer engine.

Chewy malt, firm bitterness but not overpowering. Hint of alcohol, some fruit, and warming alcohol finish. Mouthfeel is smooth, creamy, almost silky. With all the hops I was expecting this to be a hop bomb. This is actually quite restrained for a 139 calculated ibu beer. Overall, an easy drinking 7% pale ale.

If I was a brewer at Burton in 1877, I would have this on the beer cask in the cellar at home.

I may have to pitch some brettanomyces into a gallon and let it age. Brewing in 2014 is a lot more sanitary than in 1877.

Tasting notes at 2.5 months from brew day.

Noakes X 1915 - Tasting notes

Noakes brewery - Beer called X from 1915
Oh, this is good.
Caramel, toasty, like eating a Crisp bar without the chocolate.
Or Twix bar for us 'Merican's.

This is what invert sugar 3# tastes like. - it has 2.5# in 5 gallon batch.
I split this batch 50/50 and pitched two different White lab strains:
013 - Worthington White Shield
007 - Whitbread Dry - Less caramel comes through. I have seen color differences with yeast before, but this seems to be more than that. My caramel addition may have been more in this keg

Yep, someone is going to be pounding this on Christmas Eve - especially at 4%.
I'll drink the 007 batch - 013 is a better.

I've tried both Whitbread strains in multiple beers. Whitbread dry is better than Whitbread but I just like other strains better.

Note: Tasting notes are 60 days from brew day.

wlp013

wlp007

Inspiration: http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2009/10/1909-beer-style-guide-x-ale.html

Fra-gi-le (it must be Italian) 12/12

Christmas is right around the corner. My family and friends come over Christmas Eve for the feast of the Seven fishes and hopefully to enjoy some beer. On Christmas Day one of my favorite movies loops on cable. A Christmas Story

The name of this beer is what the old man when he's reading the box for his "major award".
Gets me every time.

Anyway... This beer is a stout brewed with 1.25# of invert sugar #4 added to make things interesting.
Normal brew day - no sparge for low gravity beer.