Over the Wall (Berliner Weisse) and Don't Get Grahammed (English Brown Ale) 3/21/15

Double batch brew day. The next 5 or 6 beers are to be served at Shannon's graduation party June 13.

A couple problems on brew day (mill, mash tun temperature probe):

1. The Northern Brewer mill that I bought to replace the barley crusher is not very good. I had to keep playing with the gap to get it crush. That will be going up on eBay. I'm going to purchase a Monster Mill and hopefully that will resolve my ongoing mill issues.

2. The temperature probe on my mash tun has been finicky. It was giving all kinds of strange readings on brew day the last few brew days. I ordered a new probe and sent the other back for repair. I should have a spare anyway.

Here are the beers brewed:

Berliner weisse:

Berliner weisse was 50%pils, 40% wheat, 10% flaked barley.

Mash hop - 15 minute boil

Split fermentation

4 day .75L starter of Omega Labs Lactobacillus blend for 72 hours at 67F

4 day .75L starter of White Labs Lactobacillus Brevis for 72 hours at 67F

Then split 1L starter of Wyeast German Ale into each.

4% ABV

English Brown Ale:

83% Maris Otter/Golden Promise

4% special roast

4% victory

4% c60

5% pale chocolate

EKG 25 IBU - First wort, then 14 grams at 20 min.

Split fermentation wlp013, wlp037

4.5% ABV

Next up: Kolsch

Utepils!

Utepils!

“… utepils simply means any beer enjoyed outside, at any time of the year, but it is true that the first one of the season is a much anticipated ritual.” Inspired by http://thebeerengineblog.com

Amen Brother.  All the snow isn't gone, but it's been a long winter. Two days of 50 plus weather and some of the lawn is visible and the garden is only 6" deep. It's been a long time since I raised a glass to the setting sun after work. Come on spring...
I'm looking for aparagus shoots before hop shoots...

This particular beer is a 1890 recipe from Whitbread brewery - Mild X.
See Ron's blog for "The Homebrewers Guide To Vintage Beer":
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/p/book-shop.html 

Shut up about Barclay Perkins: Let's Brew Wednesday - 1911 Heineken Pils

Shut up about Barclay Perkins: Let's Brew Wednesday - 1911 Heineken Pils

Multiple LBW posts? Something must be lurking for the finale!

Little Joe 2/28/15

The never ending winter and I haven't brewed in a long time.

I decided this morning with the temperature forecasted to break 32 degree/0 Celsius I was going to brew. So I came up with a 5% Pale Ale recipe targeting 30 ibus. All late hops (hop bursting) using Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe and good fresh WLP001 in a 1.5L starter.

I brew in the garage with the electric brewery so weather isn't a problem but I still need water.

Water source was frozen, so I had to come up with an alternate water source to run through the carbon filter. The temperature dropped to 20 degrees before brew day was finished.

I used the hop back and the counter flow chiller. Chilled the wort to 68 no problem.

I still like the immersion chiller the best but with the water so cold and the chance to use the hop back I used the counterflow. I'll have to rig both counterflow and plate chiller up at the same time and see if I can drop the temperature fast as I want.

I'm going to make another batch of this beer using the immersion chiller and see I can taste the difference.

Check the wort today on 3/9/15 and I'm at 1.014. So maybe a few more points to drop in gravity then I'll keg it up for St. Joseph's Feast Day on 3/19.

 My patron saint don't you know. 

What else would a little Paddy like to drink other than a low abv American Pale Ale!