A '63 Red Rocket 5/30/16

Brewed a Red IPA today called A '63 Red Rocket. Today is Memorial Day, and my Mom passed away a year tomorrow. My thoughts this weekend have been with her.

When I was little,  my Dad and Mom owned a 1963 Chevy Impala. The Impala was a dark red maroon color. In 1973 we moved out of the city and to the country. This meant Mom and I would go from place to place and our drives were longer than they used to be.

Going to my Mom's mom's home meant an hour ride into the city. We would always talk about do we go the back way or down Verree Ave? Or which way at The Buck?

We would get lost exploring the new roads trying to find a way to Oxford Valley Mall until we found a secret road (I told her to follow the Yellow brick Road).

Driving around asking township truck drivers for loads of dirt to spread in the low spots at out new house was always an adventure.

Waiting in line for gas in the 70's during the gas shortage so my Dad could siphon gas into his car so he could get to work.

Whenever I see a 60s Impala it brings me back to those adventures with my Mum. Sure do miss her.

Cheers Mom.


Red IPA
malts:2 row, munich, c120, c60, special roast, pale chocolate
hops: Galaxy,Cascade,Amarillo (Hop Bursted 10 minutes)
Yeast: WLP001 repitch
regular water treatment for the mash and then 10G gypsum added to boil.

On the Rockpile 2016

Every spring I brew a Berliner weisse for the summer. It's a style that I enjoy in the summer. It's a low alcohol beer made with lactic bacteria and a German ale yeast. Sometimes it's sweetened with raspberry or woodruff syrup, sometimes 7up is added. But I like it as it is.

My Uncle Tommy spent time in Berlin during the service and patrolled the Berlin wall. They called it the "rock pile".

So Uncle Tommy...

Here's to you and the rock pile!

Brew details:

4# pils, 1# acid malt, 4# red wheat

.25# mash hops Belma - 2-3 ibus

15 minute boil

The Yeast Bay 2016 Lacto Blend Beta

Warsteiner Dunkel

Every time I'm in Manhattan, I like to stop at this German bar and drink a Warsteiner Dunkel.
I made a few Dunkels over the years, but they are not as good as Warsteiner.
Munich Dunkel is a style that I really enjoy. It's a subtle easy drinking beer.

I've decided to start a research project to try to make a Dunkel in the same class as Warsteiner.
I started at the website:
http://www.warsteiner.us/our-beer/dunkel/
Soft water, special roasted barley, hops and yeast.

Then I emailed the brewery for more details on the recipe. They wouldn't provide any details on mash  or specific ingredients. They did send a nice response along with the document below.

I have neutral water in the brewery and I run in through a carbon filter. When I brew this I am going to soften the water further. I am also going to use all Weyermann malts and a Munich yeast.
Munich, a little melanoidin, and a little roasted barley
Haltetau Mittelfrüh hops 21 ibus - 60, 20 minutes
Yeast - Munich yeast - wlp838


Stay tuned....

Kind regards By order Ulrike Eschrich

WARSTEINER BRAUEREI Haus Cramer KG

Domring 4 - 10 | D - 59581 Warstein Tel.: +49 (2902) 88-1210 | Fax.: +49 (2902) 88-2210

Version 03 10.07.2015

client information WARSTEINER DUNKEL

Brand	Warsteiner Dunkel
Beverage type	bottom fermented
Labeling	beer
Added indications	no
Beer type	dark beer
Beer style	dark beer (Munich type)

Product description

Appearance	fiery dark color and fine pored head
Color	dark, amber
Flavour	decent fine and elegant scent of roasted malt and by its unique soft brewing water as well as its selected raw materials of highest quality with a fine liveliness and a stimulating fullness of flavour.
Bitterness	gentle, bitter sweet

Ingredients

Brewing water, barley malt, roasted barley malt, hops, hop extract

Beer production	Warsteiner Dunkel is brewed with:
Brewing water	Brewing water of an outstanding quality for WARSTEINER which is particularly characterized by it's pureness and "softness".
Malt	Malt from selected and audited two-row spring barley of specified types and provenances.
Hops	Hops, composed due to the results of professional manual quality evaluation and elaborated analysis methods of hundreds of samples of fresh harvested batches of premium quality varieties from accepted best provenances, so that it matches the profile demands for WARSTEINER. (To keep this harvest-fresh quality over the year these selected batches are extracted after selection immediately with the help of pure carbon dioxide or alcohol respectively pelletized and vacuum-packed).
Brewer's yeast	Brewer's yeast that has been especially selected for WARSTEINER to achieve the unique character of this top beer.

Beer analysis
Nutrition information
Typical values per 100 ml:
Percentage composition
Notes

Original gravity	11,6	%
Alcohol content	4,8	%vol
Alcohol content	3,8	%
Remaining extract	4,2	%

Energy	180	kJ
	43	kcal
Fat	0	g
# of which saturates	0	g
Carbohydrate	3,5	g
# of which sugars	traces	g
Protein	0,5	g
Salt	0,01	g

Water	91,498	%
Alcohol	3,8	%
Extract (malt extract)	4,2	%
		%
Hops & hop extract	0,002	%
Carbon dioxide	0,5	%
		%
		%
		%
		%
		%
Total	100	%

Storage conditions	stored in a cool, dark and dry place
Recommend. drinking temp. (°C)	4-8

Lady Luck Alt Meter - 05/14/16

I haven't brewed an alt since 2011, it's about time I resisted that style.
Pilsner, munich, aromatic, caramunich, and Black Prinz.
I used Spalt hops which are very common hop for and alt.
Going for a 5% beer with a copper color.

The brew kettle controller went all wacky during the mash on this beer. I rewired in a spare and kept on brewing...

Spare Tire 3 - Fat Tire Clone attempt 3 - 05/14/16

This batch is attempt 3 at duplicating New Belgium's Fat Tire. I increased the Victory to 9% and Munich malt to 18% in this batch.
WLP001 yeast
Pale malt 68%, crystal 60 5%