Hefeweizen

Appearance:  Straw colored, with some orange tint. Quite hazy as a Hefe ought to be. Some solid particulate floating around (should probably filter in some sense next time when bottling). Slight white head with some staying power that dissipates to leave some nice lacing. Bottles seemed somewhat unevenly carbonated (I don’t know why).

Aroma:  Overripe banana/undercooked banana bread. Clove. Slight orange notes. Banana is definitely the dominant aroma.

Taste:  Again, banana is the star of the show. Lovely balance with caramel sweetness and very slight clove spiciness. Finishes very sweet and full. Slightly bready in the middle of the profile. All-in-all it’s fantastic!

Mouthfeel:  Very rich. Somewhat effervescent up front, but this quickly dissipates, leaving a full bodied richness on the palate to finish.

We really knocked this one out of the park! I honestly don’t know how we could possibly improve it. We have made some great beers in the past, but I would say this is our first masterpiece.

Recipe Name:         Hefeweizen

Recipe Volume:      5 gallons

Yeast:                     Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen

Malts:	Amount
1. Pilsner malt	4.5 lbs.
2. White wheat	4.5 lbs.

Brewhouse Efficiency            70%
Calculated Original Gravity            1.049
Caclulated Boil Gravity                   1.039
Measured Original Gravity             1.050
Measured Final Gravity             1.008

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Hallertau (4.5%)	0.6 oz.	60	10

Calculated IBUs          10

Banana Brett Saison

I talked about sour beers a few posts back. I explained to y'all some of the changes that occur when you incorporate wild yeast and bacteria into a beer in addition to brewer's yeast. I have been experimenting some with funking (adding wild microbes) beers and have finally been able to enjoy some of the fruits of my labor. In that previous post, I talked about a beer that I made with bananas and Brettanomyces (wild yeast). I didn't know what to expect when I first tossed them into the fermenter. I have to say, I am quite pleased with the results!

Appearance:  Golden yellow. Straw colored, but a muted straw. Very clear. No head to speak of.

Aroma:  Smells like Brett. Funky. Some horseyness/barnyard (but not in a bad way). Slight sour aroma probably resulting from acetic acid. All funk, no malt or hops.

Taste:  Extremely complex! Nice blend of sour and earthy notes. Slight hop bite, but it has largely faded from what the non-soured saison boasted. Mild caramel flavor. Mild toasty notes. The flavor has certainly improved since my last tasting (which I didn’t write up a post for, oops!!!).

Mouthfeel:  Very light. It seems a lot of the carbonation has faded a bit too. Feels as light as it looks.

Good beer overall. The hoppiness clashes a bit with the other flavors, overpowering them slightly. I will be interested to try this in a few more months.

Recipe Name:         Banana Brett Saison

Recipe Volume:      1 gallon

Yeast:                     White Labs WLP568 Saison Blend for primary fermentation
                                Brett cultured from El Cedro for secondary fermentation

Malts:	Amount
1. 2-row malt	8 lbs.
2. Vienna malt	1 lb.
3. Carapils	0.5 lb.
3. Honey malt	0.5 lb.

Brewhouse Efficiency            77%
Calculated Original Gravity            1.055
Caclulated Boil Gravity                   1.044
Measured Original Gravity             1.056

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Nugget (13.5%)	1 oz.	60	49
2. Warrior (16.7%)	0.5 oz.	30	23
3. Saaz (2.4%)	1 oz.	1	0

Calculated IBUs          73