Rating System

1 - don't waste valuable beer calories on me
2 - tasty, walter approves
3 - so good you should have it for breakfast

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Gareth's Saison v3

Saison v3 (Saison Dupont clone)
(5 gallon)

.5 lb Vienna malt
5.75 lbs Munton's extra light dry malt extract
1 lb wheat dry malt extract
1 lb Belgian light candi sugar

1.4 oz East Kent Goldings 4.8% (60 min)
.5 oz East Kent Goldings 4.8% (15 min)
.5 oz dried orange peel (Penzey's) (15 min)
.25 oz Liberty 4.8% (5 min)

60 min boil

yeast: WLP 550 Belgian Ale Yeast

Pitched 8/14/08, SG 1.062
Kegged 8/24/08, FG 1.015

The final gravity is lower than was previously the case for this beer: perhaps the warm weather meant the yeast worked more efficiently.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Hefeweizen

Hefeweizen
(5 gallons)
8/16/2008

4.5 lbs German Pilsner
5.0 lbs Wheat Malt
? SRM

2 oz Hallertaur (60 min)
0.5 oz Saaz(2 min)
? IBU

Yeast: WLP300 Hefeweizen Ale Yeast

Step mash:
protien rest 45 min @ 120
sacc rest 90 min @ 150
mash out 10 min @ 165

1.044 OG on 8/16

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

ESB

All Grain 6 gallons
7.3% 77 IBU

Grains
5 lbs American 2 row malt
6 lbs British pale malt
8 oz British crystal malt
8 oz Raw wheat

Hops
3 oz Bramling Cross 60 min
1 oz Bramling Cross 5 min
2 oz Kent Goldings 5 min
1 oz Cascade dry hops into primary removed at secondary

Yeast
Wyeast British Ale 1098

Mash @ 158* 60 min

6/4/08 OG 1.050
6/8/08 to secondary
Kegged 6/28/08

Rhubarb Ale

All Grain 10 gallons
OG 1.044, FG1.010, 4.3%, 14 IBU

Grains
6 lbs American 6 row malt
8 lbs wheat malt
2 lbs Dextrine malt

Hops
1 oz Fuggles (or Hallertauer) 45 min
1 0z Fuggles (or Hallertauer) 30 min

Yeast
2 packets dry wheat yeast

Variation 1: 2 lbs rhubarb boiled in 1 cup water, strained to one cup and added to secondary
Variation 2: As above but with 1 lb honey and zest of one orange, boiled and strained

Mash 60 minutes @ 154*
7/3/08 OG 1.030
7/7/08 FG 1.010 Ingredients added
7/19/o8 FG of v.1 1.008, kegged

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Saison Noire II

Saison Noire
(5 gallons)
7/4/2008

10.0 lbs Belgian Pilsner
0.25 lbs CaraFa II
0.75 lbs Malted Rye
0.25 lbs Smoked Malt
1 t gypsum
14.0 SRM

2 oz Hallertaur (60 min)
0.5 oz Kent Golding (15 min)
0.5 oz Styrian Golding(2 min)
42.3 IBU

Yeast: WLP565 Saison

Infusion mash 155 degrees for 90 minutes

1.050 OG on 7/4
1.020 secondary on 7/11
1.019 keg on 7/31

Cut back the CaraFa II malt to make it a bit less Noire. Added in some rye and smoked malt to see if that adds any malt complexity. Brew store had the 565 saison yeast back this time as well, interested to see if that makes a significant difference.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Allagash Black

I tried to just bring up the image of the bottle, but I got the whole writeup. My apologies.

On a recent trip to Portland last month, I decided to make the trip worth while and stopped onto Allagash Brewing to see what was new. Who would have guessed, a Belgian Stout. As luck would have it, we forgot to bring this important discovery south on our last visit and our own tap was between beers, so we had to crack it ourselves. Dark pour, coarse carbonation, as described classic chocolate and coffee taste, but without any hint of Belgian yeast. A very drinkable, although strong stout.


Description and picture from Allagash:


Allagash Black

Allagash Black, our new Belgian style stout, is brewed with German 2 row barley, Torrified wheat and oats, balanced by a large addition of Belgian dark candi to give the Black a full and silky mouthfeel. Roasted malts give this stout its classic chocolate, toast and malty taste, and contribute to chocolate notes and a hint of roasted coffee in the aroma. The Black is fermented with a Belgian yeast strain and refermented in the bottle with the methode champenoise to make this beer truly unique.

Availability: 750 ml bottles, 5.17 gal kegs
ABV: 7.5%
Original Gravity: 1.072
Recommended Serving Temperature: 55°F
Recommended Cellaring Temperature: 55°F


» Click here to see food pairings




Tuesday, June 3, 2008

2008 NYC Road Trip

Ginger Man - 11 East 36th Street

Visited this place after dinner in Midtown. Impressive selection of beer, and I was able to watch the Celtics beat the Pistons. Tried the Allgauer Buble Bock, Saison Dupont Foret, and Jenlain Ambre all on tap.



Spuytn Duyvil - 359 Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg

The place was quiet when we arrived around 10, and packed when we left around midnight. Hipster atmosphere, some eclectic decorations including a collection of whiskey decanters and a pregnancy poster.



McSorleys- 15 East 7th Street

Sawdust on the floor, waiters that look like barbers, only two types of beers served in 10oz mugs - two at a time. This place is classic, the beer was good, the atmosphere sold the place. The high point was the cheese platter of sliced cheddar cheese (american was the other option) that came with a sleeve of saltines.



D.B.A - 41 1st Avenue

Wandered by here after McSorleys. Another impressive beer selection as well as whiskey and the other hard stuff I don't tend to drink. Cantillon Iris (for $21!) and an espresso stout cask. Also tried my first Japanese whiskey - Suntory 12, not bad, a little on the sweet side.