Pale Ale

Shining Star Pale Ale
(10 gallons)
4/14/2012

15.0 lbs rahr premium pils
2.5 lbs bairds light carastan

6.3 lbs gold malt syrup
6.0 lbs golden light dry malt extract

1.5 oz palisade (60 min)
1.0 oz centennial (10 min)
1.0 oz columbus (10 min)
1.0 oz centenial (0 min)
1.0 oz columbus (0 min)

yeast:
Safbrew US-05

Infusion mash at 152 for 60 min
60 min boil

Kölsch

Recipe from Northern Brewer

5 gallons extract

1 lb Pilsen Light DME
6 lbs Pilsen LME (late addition: last 15 min. of boil)

1 oz Tradition @ (60 min.)
1 oz Hersbrucker @ (30 min.)

Wyeast 2565 Kölsch

Pitched: 4/20/12 OG 1.052
Secondary: 5/19/12 SG 1.010
Kegged:

Notes: The late addition liquid malt extract was a bit unusual; adding that much late in the boil really cools things down and I wasn't quite sure whether I needed to adjust the boil time to give it a full 60 minutes of vigorous boiling or whether the entire heating time from first boil was supposed to be 60 minutes. I went with the first option, so the wort was bubbling away for 65-70 minutes in the end. The fermentation is supposed to take place at a somewhat lower temperature than normal, between 55 and 65, so I lugged the primary fermenter down to the basement in search of a chillier spot.

It spent much longer in the primary than I expected: just after brewday the weather got very cold indeed and our basement may have been cold enough to stop or slow fermentation. After a couple of weeks, things were still moving along with plenty of vigour, so it ended up being in the primary for almost four weeks. It tasted pretty good at transfer, and the specific gravity was good.

This was one of my favourite styles when I lived in Germany, often served in tiny Kölsch glasses, so I'm hopeful that the outcome will be good here.

Saison

Saison
(10 gallons)
3/11/2012

2.0 lbs franco-belgs pilsner malt
1.25 lbs simsons golden naked oats
1.25 lbs weyermann aciduated malt
1.25 lbs belgian aromatic malt
12 lbs pilsen malt syrup

1.0 oz styrian goldings (first wort)
1.0 oz columbus (60 min)
3.0 oz styrian goldings (0 min)

yeast:
wyeast 3522 belgian ardennes
Partial mash recipe
Steep grains with 2 gallons at 165 for 60 min
Sparged with 1.5 gallons at 150
60 min boil

Partial mash version of all-grain saison:
http://scbrew.blogspot.com/2011/05/saison.html

Breakwater Pale Ale

Breakwater Pale Ale
(10 gallons)
1/22/2012

0.75 lbs briess caramel 60L
0.625 lbs belgian biscuit

6.3 lbs gold malt syrup
6.0 lbs golden light dry malt extract

1.0 oz chinook (60 min)
1.0 oz chinook (40 min)
1.0 oz chinook (20 min)
1.0 oz chinook (2 min)
1.0 oz citra (dry)

yeast:
Safbrew US-05

Steep grains for 20 min @ 170
60 min boil

1.049 OG on 1/22
secondary A&B on 1/29
keg A on 2/6
keg B on 3/3

Czech Pilsner

Tmave Vycepni 10 all grain kit from Northern Brewers

Grains

7.25 lbs German Munich

0.25 lbs Weyermann CaraAroma

0.125 lbs Weyermann Carara III

Hops

2 oz Saaz for 60 min

1 0z Saaz for 45 min

Yeast

Wyeast #2782 Staro Prague Lager

brewed 1/9/12 og 1030 24 hrs at 68*, then 50*

secondary 1/17 1010 50*

Kegged 1/29 1020 (extra 1/2 gal in growler with 1 T cane sugar)

Notes: Yeast was very slow to activate. It finally expanded in about 10 days. A starter was used with 5 0z of priming dextrose for 2 days with good results. Initial bubbling began in 24 hours in the kitchen before it was set in the purple room to finish.

Apple Grinder

This apple grinder is built around a 12" wheel. The wheel was made by laminating 1" maple boards from Fat Eddies in Falmouth. After the boards were glued and rough shaped with a saw, they were turned on the frame itself. The teeth are pieces of stainless steel clamps, cut and bent to leave 1/8", and then screwed onto the wheel. Powered by a 1/2 hp motor and ready to go.

Fire Lizard Extra Stout

Recipe from Modern Brewer

5 gallons extract

1/2 lb Crystal 120
1/2 lb Chocolate
1/2 lb Flaked Maize
1/4 lb Roast Barley
1/4 lb Carafa III

6.6 lbs Amber LME
1 lb brown sugar

2 oz dried Brewer's Gold (9.4% AA) (60 min.)

Wyeast 1098 British Ale

Pitched 1/7/12 OG 1.060
Kegged 2/18/2012 FG 1.025

Notes: The brown sugar was another new ingredient for me: I've used candi sugar in the Belgian clones before, but not the brown sugar. The OG was a touch under the recommended level but I'm not too bothered: the FG is still likely to be 5.5+%, plenty for a beer on tap in the basement. The initial fermentation kicked off after 24 hours, and has been solid if not incredibly vigorous.