Wild yeast (Brett) IPA

This is the second beer that I have made with 100% wild yeast (Brettanomyces). I have a feeling it won't be the last...

Appearance – Golden-red in color. Slightly hazy. Pours a white, one finger head that dissipates rapidly leaving behind some lacing.

Aroma – Extremely fruity! Strong peach and tropical fruit. Lots of pineapple. Strong mango. Nothing else comes through. The fruity favors are very prominent. This beer has almost a fruit punch-like nose to it.

Taste – Again, very fruity. Tropical fruit and peach flavors flavors dominate. Mango and pineapple come through first, followed by a sweet caramel-like malt flavor. Bitterness is superbly balanced, and the finish (which has a tendency to be harsh in a lot of IPAs) is very smooth and nice.

Mouthfeel – Medium-heavy body. Carbonation isn’t all that high, lending to overall smooth impression of the beer.

Quite possibly the best beer we have made yet and definitely the best IPA. I couldn’t be happier with this one! The wild yeast really did a fantastic job blending with the fruity hops that I used. The two worked in tandem to make something very special.

Recipe Name:         Wild Yeast (Brett) IPA

Recipe Volume:      5 gallons

Yeast:                     WLP644 Brettanomyces Bruxellensis Trois

Malts:	Amount
1. Pilsner malt	6 lbs.
2. Vienna malt	6 lbs.
3. Carapils	12 oz.
4. Honey malt	12 oz.
5. Crystal 10	12 oz.
6. Flaked corn	12 oz.

Brewhouse Efficiency                      70%
Calculated Original Gravity            1.076
Caclulated Boil Gravity                   1.061
Measured Original Gravity              1.059
Measured Final Gravity                   1.017

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Nugget (14.3%)	0.6 oz.	60	24
2. Mosaic (12.5%)	1.2 oz.	20	24
3. Simcoe (13.0%)	0.5 oz.	10	6
4. Amarillo (9.3%)	0.7 oz.	10	6
5. Cascade (7%)	1.0 oz.	0	0
6. Simcoe (13.0%)	1.5 oz.	Dry hop
7. Cascade (7.0%)	1.0 oz.	Dry hop
8. Mosaic (12.5%)	0.8 oz.	Dry hop
9. Amarillo (9.3%)	0.3 oz.	Dry hop

Calculated IBUs          61

Fruity, piney pale ale

Appearance – Orangish brown, or maybe brownish orange in color. Just a touch below what I would call a rich color. Very clear/transparent. Two finger white head with some staying power that leaves behind slight lacing.

Aroma – Rich sticky sweet aroma. Malty (caramel) aromas come through as do fruity hop aromas. Fruits are of the tropical variety: mango, pineapple. Slight piney aroma.

Taste – Strong rich malty flavor is most readily identifiable. Caramel/honey-like flavor is predominant. Balanced well with hop character – pine and fruity hop flavors. I would say this beer is right in the middle between malty and hoppy – very well balanced. All of the flavors are pretty robust.

Mouthfeel – Rich body that lingers on the palate. Medium level of carbonation makes it still pretty easy drinking.

Balance is the general impression of this beer. Great brew!

Cheers!

Recipe Name:         Fresh pine pale ale

Recipe Volume:      5 gallons

Yeast:                     WLP001 California Ale

Malts:	Amount
1. Pilsner malt	8 lbs.
2. Vienna malt	2 lbs.
3. Carapils	8 oz.
4. Crystal 60	8 oz.
5. Acid malt	3 oz.

Brewhouse Efficiency                      70%
Calculated Original Gravity            1.052
Caclulated Boil Gravity                   1.046
Measured Original Gravity              1.052
Measured Final Gravity                   1.008

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Simcoe (13.0%)	0.4 oz.	60	17
2. Amarillo (9.3%)	0.5 oz.	10	5
3. Simcoe (13.0%)	0.6 oz.	10	9
4. Cascade (7.0%)	0.5 oz.	10	4
5. Amarillo (9.3%)	0.5 oz.	0	0
6. Cascade (7.0%)	0.5 oz.	0	0
7. Simcoe (13.0%)	1 oz.	Dry hop
8. Cascade (7.0%)	1 oz.	Dry hop

Calculated IBUs          35

Bonus photo!

Pale ale with wild yeast (Brettanomyces)

This was our first brew that we made with all wild yeast (Brettanomyces Drie). It turned out pretty good!

Appearance – Golden yellow in color with slight haze. Looks crisp and refreshing. One finger white head that looks quite airy (large bubbles). Surprising staying power despite the airy appearance.

Aroma – Predominantly grapefruit. Some floral overtones. Again, indicators of freshness and crispness. Layered subtle tropical fruit, but difficult to place amid the stronger aromas.

Taste – Very crisp and refreshing as the appearance and aroma had informed. Grapefruit surely is the key player, but some tropical fruit is evident. A wine-like quality is evident and rather strong. There’s a nice toasty malt backbone that plays off the grapefruit and rounds out the flavor. A floral bite builds with each sip.

Mouthfeel – Light and crisp, as all other indicators would suggest. This beer is rather carbonated, which makes the finish very clean.

Solid brew. It didn’t turn out as dramatic as I had expected given the use of wild yeast (Brettanomyces Drie) as opposed to brewer’s yeast, but it is still excellent.

Cheers!



Recipe Name:         Citra Brett pale ale

Recipe Volume:      5 gallons

Yeast:                     White Labs WLP644 Brettanomyces Bruxellensis Trois

Malts:	Amount
1. 2-Row malt	8 lbs.
2. Vienna malt	1 lb.
3. White wheat	1 lb.
4. Carapils	1 lb.
5. Acid malt	4 oz.
6. Acid malt (late boil)	6 oz.
7. Rice hulls	8 oz.

Brewhouse Efficiency                     70%
Calculated Original Gravity            1.059
Caclulated Boil Gravity                  1.047
Measured Original Gravity             1.055
Measured Final Gravity                  1.008
Calculated ABV                              6.3%

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Galaxy (13.9%)	0.4 oz.	25	14
2. Citra (13.9%)	1 oz.	10	17
3. Cascade (7%)	1 oz.	10	7
4. Citra (13.9%)	1 oz.	Dry hop

Calculated IBUs          38

Beer Team goes sour!!!!

This was the first sour beer that we brewed. I have often heard that brewing a sour beer involves a lot of luck and patience. The patience we certainly have covered, and fortunately the luck was also on our sides with this one.

Appearance – Golden yellow to orange in color. Crystal clear with some small bits of sediment. Very little white head, just a dusting across the top.

Aroma – Strong aroma on this one. I could smell it even when pouring. Smells potently sour. Fruity notes that resemble Skittles. Some citrus, mostly lemon.

Taste – Sour punch up front that fades to under-ripe blueberry and lemon flavors near the middle. Some toasty malt flavor permeates at the very end, which is likely due to the malt bill being primarily Vienna. Slight hay flavor up front that accompanies sour punch, but I think this one would benefit from some more funk to it. Flavor changes over the course of the glass with the sour punch blunting a bit and the malty finish becoming more prevalent. It works! This one should get better and better as it ages. Hopefully it will stick around long enough to reach its peak! On the negative side, I perceive something more on the oxidized side, possibly acetic acid. It is slight and doesn’t detract too much from the beer, but exists as a potential imperfection.

Mouthfeel –  Medium-high carbonation, light body, and sour pucker factor make this one feel very pretty light and airy. That having been said, it doesn’t feel flat or watered down. The body suits the flavor well.

Recipe Name:        Base Pale Sour Ale

Recipe Volume:      5 gallons

Yeast:                    Safale US-05 and assorted dregs from other sours, primarily Jester King Ol' Oi!

Malts:	Amount
1. Vienna malt	5 lbs.
2. Flaked corn	1 lb.
3. Pilsner malt	3 lb.
4. Crystal 10	14 oz.
5. Caravienne	14 oz.

Measured Original Gravity              1.045

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Hallertau (4.5%, aged)	1 oz.	60	14

Calculated IBUs          14

Biere de Garde Noir

In an attempt to try something entirely different, we decided to make a dark biere de garde with chocolate and chili pepper extract. The results were a bit underwhelming, but here's the review anyway.

Appearance – Dark but not the darkest I have encountered. Slightly translucent with a brownish tint around the edges. Off-white head that dissipates rapidly leaving behind a little bit of lacing.

Aroma – Dark fruits (currants, raisins, etc.), some malty sweetness but both are rather dull. Not a significant nose to it. Slightly off-putting aroma to this one, which seems to be the same flaw observed in both of my imperial stouts.

Taste – Coffee and chocolate up front. Slight off flavor that I am still having trouble placing (possibly astringent, which may be due to ineffective vorlaufing procedures – don’t worry if you don’t understand what that means). Also a bit disappointing was the fact that I couldn't taste any of the chili peppers that we put into this brew. Chocolate comes through a bit, although I am not sure if this is due to the extract I included or the malts I used. The tastes are subtle, which I believe plays more into the reason why the off flavor really harms this beer. Hopefully, armed with a new variable to control, we can make an even better brew next time.

Mouthfeel –  Full and syrupy mouthfeel. Coats the palate. Very little carbonation also lends to a strong feel overall.

This beer didn’t turn out all that special. Overall, it is quite forgettable, but it may have been a very significant brew in that I was able to identify an off flavor that I believe played a part in harming (possibly ruining) three of my more recent beers. It reminded me that we are still ramping up our operations – improving with each batch.

Recipe Name:         Biere de Garde Noir

Recipe Volume:      5 gallons

Yeast:                     WLP011 European Ale

Malts:	Amount
1. 2-row malt	10.7 lbs.
2. Chocolate malt	10 oz.
3. Roasted barley	10 oz.
4. Carapils	4 oz.
5. Victory malt	9 oz.

Brewhouse Efficiency                      70%
Calculated Original Gravity            1.068
Caclulated Boil Gravity                   1.055
Measured Original Gravity              1.064
Measured Final Gravity                   1.011

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Northdown (7%)	0.5 oz.	60	12
2. Mt. Hood (4.5%)	0.5 oz.	30	5
3. Northdown (7%)	0.5 oz.	10	4
4. Mt. Hood (4.5%)	0.5 oz.	0	0

Calculated IBUs          21

Event Horizon Imperial Stout - Take 2!

I made this beer for the first time about a year ago. It turned out to be the worst beer I had ever made! This was my second go around, and although the results were better, it still isn't where I want it to be. Hopefully next time we will get this one right. Generally beers that are more alcoholic are also more challenging to brew.

Appearance – Pitch black. Even a tiny bit seems to block out all light. Very fitting to the name. Slight tan head that dissipates rather rapidly leaving behind little to no lacing.

Aroma – Some good, some bad. Chocolate and toffee aromas come through as does raisin, but also a sharp, solvent aroma is present. The bad is a bit reminiscent of paint thinner.

Taste – Again some good, some bad. Not nearly as bad as last time. Coffee and chocolate notes laced with hints of rubbing alcohol. There is also a general “green” flavor to the beer. Something is not quite right. It’s not entirely unpleasant, but it could stand to be far better. At least it’s drinkable.

Mouthfeel – Very full and syrupy on the palate.

Recipe Name:         Event Horizon Imperial Stout

Recipe Volume:      5 gallons

Yeast:                     White Labs WLP001 California Ale

Malts:	Amount
1. 2-row malt	13 lbs.
2. Roasted barley	0.5 lb.
3. Chocolate malt	1 lb.
4. Crystal 120	1 lb.
5. Black patent malt	0.75 lb.
6. Oats	1 lb.
7. Carapils	1 lb.

Brewhouse Efficiency                     70%
Calculated Original Gravity            1.086
Caclulated Boil Gravity                  1.069
Measured Original Gravity             1.077
Measured Final Gravity                  1.013
Calculated ABV                              8.9%

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Nugget (13%)	1 oz.	60	29
2. Warrior (15%)	0.25 oz.	10	16

Calculated IBUs          51

An update (with a sprinkling of philosophy on the end)

It has been quite a while since I last posted on this blog, which is not to say I haven't been brewing. In fact, I have been upgrading my operation even further.

My latest project has involved gaining a greater understanding and appreciation for the yeast that I use in the brewing process. One of my earliest posts regarded freezing yeast for long term storage. At the time I was simply regurgitating information I had read on internet blogs and homebrew forums. While this process did seem to work (to an extent at least), I have since learned that it is not the best method for yeast storage. A far better method involves culturing onto an agar slant and storing in the refrigerator as shown here:

The same knowhow that goes into this process also allows for isolation and purification of yeast strains on agar plates as so:

If you are at all interested in learning these methods I can't recommend this book highly enough (Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermenation). My hope is that employing the techniques I have learned in reading this book will not only allow me to store yeast more successfully, but will also improve the quality of the beers I brew.

One of the main reasons I haven't updated the blog in a while is that a number of my most recent beers have suffered from flaws, which render them less than enjoyable, in my opinion. While I fully intend for this blog to be a catalog of every beer I brew, I cannot deny that I have found it more difficult to motivate myself to write about the failures. However, the failures also tend to be the primary factors moving the ship forward and saving me from complacency. One of my favorite writers (David Foster Wallace) loved to expound upon the profound meanings underlying many of the cliches we all know but seldom follow.  Anyone who has seen this video will know what I am talking about. He died 6 years from yesterday, so in his honor I will end this post with a cliche. Those who can't learn from their failures are bound to repeat them. Here's to hoping we can learn from ours.