Fruity IPA

Appearance – Reddish orange/golden color. Slightly hazy. Two finger off-white head with some staying power and decent lacing.

Aroma – Very fruity! Mango, pineapple, passion fruit. Lots of peach. Slight floral characteristic as well. I could smell the fruity notes while pouring with the glass two feet away from my nose.

Taste – Excellent flavor. First taste yields a tropical fruit flavor up front (I can place pineapple most readily) that fades into a toasty finish. Some caramel flavor in the mix too. Not overtly bitter – bitterness blends well with other flavors. The more I drink, the more sticky fruit I taste, almost like a passion fruit syrup was used in the brew. Malt backbone evokes the crusty part of banana bread – a mix of bready/toasty and caramel.

Mouthfeel – Full bodied. Leaves a coating on the mouth that lingers well beyond each sip. Medium carbonation punches up the hop flavors at the start of the sip and causes the flavors of the malt flavors to make their stand in the aftertaste.

This is a great beer. I’m very proud of it!

Recipe Name:         Fruity IPA

Recipe Volume:      5 gallons

Yeast:                     White Labs WLP299 Persica Ale

Malts:	Amount
1. Pilsner malt	8 lbs.
2. Vienna malt	1 lb.
3. Crystal 10	1 lb.
4. Flaked corn	2 lbs.
5. CaraAmber	1 lb.
6. Acid malt	2 oz.

Brewhouse Efficiency                     70%
Calculated Original Gravity            1.069
Caclulated Boil Gravity                  1.055
Measured Original Gravity             1.061
Measured Final Gravity                  1.013
Calculated ABV                              6.8%

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Galaxy (13.9%)	0.6 oz.	60	29
2. Galaxy (13.9%)	1 oz.	10	16
3. Cascade (7%)	1 oz.	5	5
4. Galaxy (13.9%)	1 oz.	5	9
5. Palisade (7.8%)	1 oz.	0	0

Calculated IBUs          59

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

Summer pale ale

Appearance:  Light orange, somewhat golden. Some white head with moderate staying power. Some lacing. Slightly hazy (probably should have cold crashed longer).

Aroma:  Fruity aromas. Apricot, mango, and grapefruit prevalent. Very fresh smelling. Sticky sweet aroma possibly due to coalescence of malty and fruity (hoppy) aromas.

Taste:  Very well balanced! Malty up front, that fades to sweet and fruity aftertaste. Smooth throughout. Grapefruit and honey notes distinctly present. The more I drink it, the more the malty flavors come forth and hoppy flavors blend into a general bitterness. It would be nice if those fruity notes could last throughout the entire glass (next time I will replace Warrior hops with Citra - maybe that will help).

Mouthfeel:  Medium body. Medium-low cabonation. Might benefit from a bit more carbonation. Easy drinking. I could polish off quite a few of these in one sitting.

Recipe Name:         Summer pale ale

Recipe Volume:      5 gallons

Yeast:                     White Labs WLP001 American Ale

Malts:	Amount
1. 2-row malt	7 lbs.
2. 6-row malt	1 lb.
3. Honey malt	8 oz.
4. Acid malt	2 oz.

Brewhouse Efficiency            70%
Calculated Original Gravity            1.045
Caclulated Boil Gravity                   1.036
Measured Original Gravity             1.044
Measured Final Gravity             1.009

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Warrior (15.7%)	0.25 oz.	20	9
2. Cascade (6.3%)	0.5 oz.	15	6
3. Summer (5.8%)	0.5 oz.	15	6
4. Cascade (6.3%)	0.5 oz.	5	2
5. Summer (5.8%)	0.5 oz.	5	2
6. Summer (5.8%)	0.5 oz.	0	0
7. Summer (5.8%)	0.5 oz.	Dry hop
8. Warrior (15.7%)	0.5 oz.	Dry hop

Calculated IBUs          26

Amber IPA

Appearance:  Darker than I had anticipated. The color suggests that of a brown ale. Slight yellowish head with some staying power and moderate lacing.

Aroma:  Fruit bomb! Pineapple, mango, papaya, peach. Smells like a pina colada. No maltiness aromas come through.

Taste:  Grapefuit and pineapple notes. General tropical fruitiness – difficult to identify particular flavors. Mild malty undertone that presents near the end of the taste. Very mild flavors. Bitterness is well balanced with sweetness.

Mouthfeel:  Full bodied. Rich. Could stand to be more carbonated – a bit on the low side of what I would have wanted. Enhanced carbonation may also provide a brighter, fresher taste that I think would do this beer very well.

Recipe Name:         Amber IPA

Recipe Volume:      5 gallons

Yeast:                     White Labs WLP001 American Ale

Malts:	Amount
1. 2-row malt	8 lbs.
2. Vienna malt	2 lbs.
3. Crystal 60	1 lb.
4. Carapils	0.5 lb.
5. Black patent	2 oz.

Brewhouse Efficiency            70%
Calculated Original Gravity            1.060
Caclulated Boil Gravity                   1.048
Measured Original Gravity             1.060

Hops:	Amount	Boil Time	IBUs
1. Warrior (15.7%)	0.5 oz.	60	25
2. Warrior (15.7%)	0.33 oz.	30	13
3. Galaxy (15%)	0.5 oz.	15	12
4. Falconer's Flight (10.8%)	0.5 oz.	0	0
5. Palisade (7.8%)	0.5 oz.	0	0
6. Palisade (7.8%)	0.5 oz.	Dry hop
7. Falconer's Flight (10.8%)	0.5 oz.	Dry hop
8. Galaxy (15%)	0.5 oz.	Dry hop

Calculated IBUs          50

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