Batch #13 - ROI-L Honey Ale (All-grain)

Batch #13 is a Honey Ale produced with my Uncle Jim's raw South Carolina-harvested honey.  This batch should be an easy-drinking and refreshing ale with a mild honey aftertaste.  The sweetness of the honey and honey malt should be counterbalanced with classic Cascade hops which tend to impart a citrus and floral aroma but with a "clean" bitterness.  The Falconer's Flight hops (in honor of my dad, a falconer & bee keeper too) should lend a distinct floral and citrus bouquet aroma to the finished beer.

Ingredients:

Uncle Jim hard at work!

• 5.75 lbs. Domestic 2-row Pale Malt
• 2 lbs. ROI L Honey (from my Uncle Jim the beekeeper)
• 8 oz. of Cara-Pils/Dextrine
• 4 oz. of Honey Malt
• 1 oz. of Cascade Hops (60 minutes)
• 1 oz. of Falconer's Flight Hops (2 minutes)
• 1 tablespoon of PH 5.2 Mash Stabilizer
• 1/2 teaspoon of Yeast Nutrient
• 1 pkg. of American Ale Yeast (Wyeast Labs #1056)
• 1 Whirfloc tablet for clarifying
• 5 oz. of corn sugar for bottling (adds carbonation)
• 6.5 gallons of drinking water (double filtered at home)
• 20 lb. bag of ice (for quick cooling of wort)

Process (for all-grain batch sparging):

1. Optional  - Prepare a yeast starter at least 24 hours in advance of brew day.
2. Clean and sanitize all equipment that will come in contact with your beer.
3. Prepare your strike water by heating  approximately 8 quarts of water (8.125 to be exact) or 2 gallons (or approximately 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain) to a temperature of 162-170 degrees (10-18 degrees above target temperature to account for temp loss when added to grains).  Aim for 169 degrees.
4. Add all of of your strike water to the mash tun to heat it up and begin adding your crushed grains.  Stir thoroughly to avoid dry pockets (dough balls).
5. Once the mixture is thoroughly combined check the temperature to ensure it is approximately 152-154 degrees.  If not, adjust by adding hot or cold water. 
6. Once your mash is at the proper temperature add pH stabilizer, stir and close the mash tun and let steep for 60 minutes.
7. Prepare your sparge water by heating about 4.5 gallons of water (typically 1/2 gallon of water per pound of grain but increasing since honey is being utilized and is not added until later) to a temperature of 170 degrees.  Be careful not to go over this temperature as tannins can be leached.
8. Optional - check for starch conversion by performing an iodine test or simply taste the mixture.  If conversion has taken place the mixture will taste sweet.
9. Perform vorlauf by slowly collecting the first runnings of your wort and adding them back to mash tun.    Take care to not let grain bed collapse by draining too quickly or dumping first runnings back in the mash tun with too much force.  Repeat this step 2-5 times until the runnings are free of debris and running relatively clear.
10. Collect your first runnings into your brew pot by allowing all of the wort in your mash tun to slowly drain out.  Take your time and be careful to not let your grain bed collapse.
11. After your mash tun has drained close the valve and add all of your sparge water to the tun and stir.  Do not worry about disturbing the grain bed as you are going to create a whole new grain bed for the second runnings.
12. Repeat Step 9 above (vorlauf) and collect enough wort until you have about 6 gallons of beer.
13. Return your brew kettle to burner and bring wort to a vigorous boil.
14. As soon as the beer begins to boil add 1 oz. of Cascade hops for bittering and boil for 60 minutes.
15. With 15 minutes left in the boil add Whirfloc tablet and wort chiller (to sanitize).
16. With 2 minutes left in the boil add 1 oz. of Falconer's Flight hops.
17. During last 10 minutes of boil add 1/2 tsp. of yeast nutrient dissolved in small amount of warm water. 
18. Terminate boil and add the 2 lbs. of honey stirring until dissolved.
19. Chill to fermentation temperature of approximately 70 degrees.
20. Take a specific gravity reading and record.
21. Estimated post-boil volume is 5.2 gallons.  Optional - add water to achieve target SG.
22. Transfer to fermentation carboy by siphon.  Strain if desired.
23. Optional - add water to achieve desired volume of 5 gallons.
24. Pitch yeast and aerate well using pure oxygen.
25. Attach blow-off tube or airlock and ferment until complete according to hydrometer readings (at least 3 weeks).



My dad - he's awesome!!

26. Prepare priming sugar by boiling 2 cups of drinking water and add 3.9 oz. of priming sugar.  Be careful not to scorch.  Boil for 5 minutes and add to bottling bucket.  Add wort, stir gently for 1 minute and bottle. 

Notes, Results and Lessons Learned:

• Brew Day - September 29, 2012
• Bottling Day - October 23, 2012 (24 days in Primary, no Secondary fermentation)
• Notes:
• Had to sub Citra hops for Falconer's Flight since my local homebrew supply store was out.
• This beer (on bottling day) turned out exceptionally clear.

That is some clear beer!

The Verdict:

• Time will tell... Taste test will occur the first part of November 2012.  Stay tuned.
• So tasting day has come and gone and while I had high hopes for this beer it didn't turn out quite as I hoped.  It wasn't bad but just didn't have that honey taste I had hoped.  The more I have read about ales utilizing honey the more I have learned how tough it is to keep the honey influence in tact.  For the most part, the honey is treated like any other sugar during the process and consumed by the yeast for food.  What is left behind is not always what we expect.  In any case, it was yet another learning experience.  The beer will not go to waste...

Related articles

• Ale to the Chief: White House Beer Recipe

Batch #12 - Liberty Cream Ale (All-grain)

This batch is a copy of Midwest Supplies' Liberty Cream Ale.  Their description is "A perfect Ale for those who enjoy a lighter bodied beer. A refreshing and easy to brew, light Cream Ale. A real crowd pleaser for all tastes..."  I wanted to brew something up that I could easily share with my friends so hopefully this will be the ticket.  In case you are wondering, "What makes it a cream ale?"  This is debatable but most brewers agree that the common denominator is that the grain bill must contain corn.

Ingredients:

• 7 lbs. of Domestic 2-row Pale Malt
• 2 lbs. of Flaked Corn
• 8 oz. of Carapils
• 1 oz. Cascade Hops (60 minutes)
• 1 oz. Cascade Hops (2 minutes)
• 1 tbsp. PH 5.2 Mash Stabilizer
• 1 Whirfloc Tablet for clarification
• 1/2 tsp. Yeast Nutrient
• 1 pkg. American Ale Yeast (Wyeast Labs #1056)
• 5 oz. Corn Sugar
• 8.5 Gallons of Water
• 20 lb. Bag of Ice

Process (for all-grain batch sparging):

1. Clean and sanitize all equipment that will come in contact with your beer.
2. Prepare your strike water by heating 12 quarts of water or 3 gallons (or approximately 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain) to a temperature of 162-170 degrees (10-18 degrees above target temperature to account for temp loss when added to grains).  Aim for 179 degrees.
3. Add about 4 quarts of your strike water to the mash tun to heat it up and begin adding your crushed grains and the remaining strike water.  Stir thoroughly to avoid dry pockets (dough balls).
4. Once the mixture is thoroughly combined check the temperature to ensure it is approximately 152-154 degrees.  If not, adjust by adding hot or cold water. 
5. Once your mash is at the proper temperature add pH stabilizer, stir and close the mash tun and let steep for 60 minutes.
6. Prepare your sparge water by heating 4.75 gallons of water (1/2 gallon of water per pound of grain) to a temperature of 170 degrees.  Be careful not to go over this temperature as tannins can be leached.
7. Optional - check for starch conversion by performing an iodine test or simply taste the mixture.  If conversion has taken place the mixture will taste sweet.
8. Perform vorlauf by slowly collecting the first runnings of your wort and adding them back to mash tun.    Take care to not let grain bed collapse by draining too quickly or dumping first runnings back in the mash tun with too much force.  Repeat this step 2-5 times until the runnings are free of debris and running relatively clear.
9. Collect your first runnings into your brew pot by allowing all of the wort in your mash tun to slowly drain out.  Take your time and be careful to not let your grain bed collapse.
10. After your mash tun has drained close the valve and add all of your sparge water to the tun and stir.  Do not worry about disturbing the grain bed as you are going to create a whole new grain bed for the second runnings.
11. Repeat Step 9 above (vorlauf) and collect enough wort until you have about 6.5 gallons of beer.
12. Return brew kettle to burner and bring wort to a vigorous boil.
13. As soon as the beer begins to boil add 1 oz. of Cascade hops for bittering and boil for 60 minutes.
14. With 15 minutes left in the boil add Whirfloc tablet and wort chiller (to sanitize).
15. During last 10 minutes of boil add 1/2 tsp. of yeast nutrient dissolved in small amount of warm water. 
16. With 2 minutes left in the boil add 1 oz. of Cascade hops.
17. Terminate boil and chill to fermentation temperature of approximately 70 degrees.
18. Take a specific gravity reading and record.  Target is 1.042-1.046
19. Estimated post-boil volume is 5.5 to 6 gallons.  Optional - add water to achieve target SG.
20. Transfer to fermentation carboy by siphon.  Strain if desired.
21. Optional - add water to achieve desired volume.
22. Pitch yeast and aerate well using pure oxygen.
23. Attach blow-off tube and ferment until complete according to hydrometer readings (at least 2-3 weeks).
24. Prepare priming sugar by boiling 2 cups of drinking water and add 3.9 oz. of priming sugar.  Be careful not to scorch.  Boil for 5 minutes and add to bottling bucket.  Add wort, stir gently for 1 minute and bottle.

Notes, Results and Lessons Learned:

• Brew Day - Sunday, August 5, 2012
• Bottling Day - Sunday, September 2, 2012
• OG - 1.046
• FG - 1.014
• ABV -  4.2% (estimated)
• Notes - Almost 4 weeks in Primary; no secondary.  Very clear at bottling.

The Verdict:

• Wow... this one delivered as promised.  Not the super hoppy style I'm used to but a lighter, crisp, clean beer that should appeal to a wide variety of beer drinkers.  Worth repeating...

Batch #11 - T-Monkey Brown Ale (All-grain)

This brew is an Americanized version of a typical Brown Ale brewed in Northern England.  The specialty malts impart a toasty flavor and a mild nutty flavor.  This beer, while dark in color, is a low-bitter and easy drinking home brew with a slightly higher alcohol content than is UK counterpart.

Ingredients:

• 10 lbs. of Domestic 2-row Pale Malt
• 12 oz. Caramel/Crystal Malt 80L
• 4 oz. Chocolate Malt
• 4 oz. Special B Malt
• 1 oz. Cascade Hops (60 minutes)
• 1 oz. Fuggles Hops (2 minutes)
• 1 tbsp. PH 5.2 Mash Stabilizer
• 1 Whirfloc Tablet for clarification
• 1/2 tsp. Yeast Nutrient
• 1 pkg. London Ale Yeast (Wyeast Labs #1028)
• 3.6 oz. Corn Sugar
• 8.5 Gallons of Water
• 20 lb. Bag of Ice

Process (for all-grain batch sparging):

1. Optional - Prepare a yeast starter at least 24 hours in advance of brew day.
2. Clean and sanitize all equipment that will come in contact with your beer.
3. Prepare your strike water by heating 14 quarts of water or 3.5 gallons ( or approximately 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain) to a temperature of 162-170 degrees.  Aim for 169 degrees.
4. Add about 4 quarts of your strike water to the mash tun to heat it up and begin adding your crushed grains and the remaining strike water.  Stir thoroughly to avoid dry pockets (dough balls).
5. Once the mixture is thoroughly combined check the temperature to ensure it is approximately 152-154 degrees.  If not, adjust by adding hot or cold water. 
6. Once your mash is at the proper temperature add pH stabilizer, stir and close the mash tun and let steep for 60 minutes.
7. Prepare your sparge water by heating 5.75 gallons of water (1/2 gallon of water per pound of grain) to a temperature of 170 degrees.
8. Optional - check for starch conversion by performing an iodine test or simply taste the mixture.  If conversion has taken place the mixture will taste sweet.
9. Perform vorlauf by slowly collecting the first runnings of your wort and adding them back to mash tun.    Take care to not let grain bed collapse by draining too quickly or dumping first runnings back in the mash tun with too much force.  Repeat this step 2-5 times until the runnings are free of debris and running relatively clear.
10. Collect your first runnings into your brew pot by allowing all of the wort in your mash tun to slowly drain out.  Take your time and be careful to not let your grain bed collapse.
11. After your mash tun has drained close the valve and add all of your sparge water to the tun and stir.  Do not worry about disturbing the grain bed as you are going to create a whole new grain bed for the second runnings.
12. Repeat Step 9 above (vorlauf) and collect enough wort until you have about 6.5 gallons of beer or a measured pre-boil specific gravity of 1.054.  Ensure wort is cooled to obtain an accurate reading.
13. Return your brew kettle to burner and bring wort to a vigorous boil.
14. As soon as the beer begins to boil add 1 oz. of Cascade hops for bittering and boil for 60 minutes.
15. With 15 minutes left in the boil add Whirfloc tablet and wort chiller (to sanitize).
16. During last 10 minutes of boil add 1/2 tsp. of yeast nutrient dissolved in small amount of warm water. 
17. With 2 minutes left in the boil add 1 oz. of Fuggles hops.
18. Terminate boil and chill to fermentation temperature of approximately 70 degrees.
19. Take a specific gravity reading and record.
20. Estimated post-boil volume is 5.98 gallons.  Optional - add water to achieve target SG.
21. Transfer to fermentation carboy by siphon.  Strain if desired.
22. Optional - add water to achieve desired volume.
23. Pitch yeast and aerate well using pure oxygen.
24. Attach blow-off tube and ferment until complete according to hydrometer readings (at least 3 weeks).
25. Optional - Transfer to secondary fermentation carboy for clarifying and/or dry hopping.
26. Prepare priming sugar by boiling 2 cups of drinking water and add 3.9 oz. of priming sugar.  Be careful not to scorch.  Boil for 5 minutes and add to bottling bucket.  Add wort, stir gently for 1 minute and bottle.

Notes, Results and Lessons Learned:

• Brew Day - Sunday, June 24, 2012
• Bottling Day - Tuesday, July 17, 2012
• OG - 1.054
• FG - 1.010
• ABV -  5.8%
• Notes - Did a taste test prior to bottling and it was quite nice.  Looking forward to the end result.

The Verdict:

• Opened a bottle after 13 days of bottle conditioning.  Tasted very nice but still needs a little more time to carbonate.

Batch #10 - Chinook/Cascade/Citra IPA (All-grain)

Ingredients:
10 lbs. 2-Row Pale Malt
12 oz. Cara 8/Caramel Pils

8 oz. Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L
1 oz. Chinook Hops (60 minutes)
1 oz. Chinook Hops (15 minutes)
1 oz. Cascade Hops (2 minutes)
1 oz. Citra Hops (Dry Hopping)
1/2 tsp. Yeast Nutrient
1 tbsp 5.2 pH mash stabilizer
1 pkg. American Ale Yeast (Wyeast Labs #1056)
3.9 oz. Corn Sugar
8.5 gallons of drinking water.

Process:

1. Prepare a yeast starter at least 24 hours in advance of brew day.  Decided to omit since OG is supposed to be under 1.060 which is in range of WYEAST recommendations.
2. Clean and sanitize all equipment that will come in contact with your beer.
3. Prepare your strike water by heating 14 quarts of water or 3.5 gallons (1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain) to a temperature of 162-170 degrees.  Aim for 169 degrees.
4. Add about 4 quarts of your strike water to the mash tun to heat it up and begin adding your crushed grains and the remaining strike water.  Stir thoroughly to avoid dry pockets (dough balls).
5. Once the mixture is thoroughly combined check the temperature to ensure it is approximately 152-154 degrees.  If not, adjust by adding hot or cold water.  
6. Once your mash is at the proper temperature add pH stabilizer, stir and close the mash tun and let steep for 60 minutes.  Ughh... Forgot this step.  Added AFTER the original 60 minute mash.  No idea how/if this will affect the end product.
7. Prepare your sparge water by heating 5 gallons of water to a temperature of 170 degrees.
8. Optional - check for starch conversion by performing an iodine test or simply taste the mixture.  If conversion has taken place the mixture will taste sweet.  Wort was sweet to the taste.
9. Perform vorlauf by slowly collecting the first runnings of your wort and adding them back to mash tun.    Take care to not let grain bed collapse by draining too quickly or dumping first runnings back in the mash tun with too much force.  Repeat this step 2-5 times until the runnings are free of debris and running relatively clear.
10. Collect your first runnings into your brew pot by allowing all of the wort in your mash tun to slowly drain out.  Take your time and be careful to not let your grain bed collapse.
11. After your mash tun has drained close the valve and add all of your sparge water to the tun and stir.  Do not worry about disturbing the grain bed as you are going to create a whole new grain bed for the second runnings.
12. Repeat Step 9 above (vorlauf) and collect enough wort until you have about 6.5 gallons of beer or a measured pre-boil specific gravity of 1.052.  Ensure wort is cooled to obtain an accurate reading.  Did not take a pre-boil SG reading.
13. Return your brew kettle to burner and bring wort to a vigorous boil.
14. As soon as the beer begins to boil add 1 oz. of Chinook hops for bittering and boil for 60 minutes.
15. With 15 minutes left in the boil add Whirfloc tablet.  Added at 10 minutes.  Geez...where's my head today!?
16. With 15 minutes left in the boil add 1 oz. of Chinook hops.
17. Add the wort chiller to the boil during the last 15 minutes to sterilize.
18. During last 10 minutes of boil add 1/2 tsp. of yeast nutrient dissolved in small amount of warm water.  Added at 8 minutes - 2 minutes late..
19. With 2 minutes left in the boil add 1 oz. of Cascade hops.
20. Terminate boil and chill to fermentation temperature of approximately 70 degrees.
21. Take a specific gravity reading and record.  Target SG is approximately 1.059.  Forgot to take reading.
22. Estimated post-boil volume is 5.98 gallons.  Optional - add water to achieve target SG.  Added water to get to 6 gallons.
23. Transfer to fermentation carboy.  Strain if desired.  Strained this batch.
24. Optional - add water to achieve desired volume.
25. Pitch yeast and aerate well using pure oxygen.  Aeration caused carboy to overflow.  I hope this didn't expel too much yeast.
26. Attach blow-off tube and ferment until complete according to hydrometer readings (at least 3 weeks).
27. Optional - Transfer to secondary fermentation carboy for clarifying.
28. Prepare priming sugar by boiling 2 cups of drinking water and add 3.9 oz. of priming sugar.  Be careful not to scorch.  Boil for 5 minutes and add to bottling bucket.  Add wort, stir gently for 1 minute and bottle.  

Notes, Results and Lessons Learned:

• Brew Day - June 6, 2012
• Secondary Fermentation (for dry hopping) - June 19, 2012 (13 days in Primary)
• Bottling Day - July 1, 2012 (12 days in Secondary)
• OG - Forgot to measure.  :-(
• FG - 1.010 - Seems to be a complete fermentation at this number.
• ABV -  N/A
• Notes - 
• I spaced out on this batch and either missed some steps or was rushed on others.  Sanitation was thorough as always but this batch didn't "flow" as well as others.  Time will tell if I made any critical mistakes.
• Read an article in BYO that the higher alpha acid hops are best for keeping tannins in check so the Chinook hops should be fine (12-14%) but the Cascade hops (4.5-7%) aren't the best.  Since they went in with on 2 minutes left in the boil they should be fine at just adding aroma.
• Fermentation seems to be going well after about 12 hours.
• Decided to move this batch to Secondary for dry hopping.  The main reason was really just to free up my larger carboy for my next batch but I was pleasantly surprised by the hydrometer reading (seems to have fully fermented) and the taste was quite nice.  This one may turn out OK after all.

The Verdict:

WOW.... Cracked open the first bottle on July 14th and was pleasantly surprised.  Very nice hop aroma and flavor.  Doesn't linger on the tongue.  Very drinkable session style brew.  Worth repeating for sure.  The only thing I would change is perhaps enclosing the hops in a mesh bag as some of the pellet remnants made their way into the bottle.  Huge difference between  all-grain and extract.

Entered this one into the Southern Brewer's Challenge on July 30th, 2012.

Batch #9 - Ryan's Wheat Revenge (All-grain)

Collecting the sweet wort.

This is my first attempt at all-grain after 8 batches of acceptable extract.  I'm actually more of a Pale Ale/IPA fan but with Summer looming this seems like a good recipe to start with.  That, coupled with the fact that my girlfriend said, "Why don't you ever make something that I like..?" sealed the deal.

Truth be told, this is actually my second attempt at this recipe.  The first one ended during the boil when my oldest son was checking the temperature and accidentally broke the glass thermometer into the wort.  Poor little guy was so upset he ruined Daddy's beer.  I felt bad for him and said, "Accidents happen little buddy - nobody should ever cry over spilled beer.".  Assuming this one comes out good I think I will re-name it in his honor to cheer him up.  How about, "Ryan's Wheat Revenge"?

OK, on to the beer...

Ingredients:
5 lbs. 2-Row Pale Malt
4 lbs. Wheat Malt
8 oz. Cara-Pils/Dextrine
8 oz. CaraVienne
8 oz. Rice Hulls (to help establish the grain bed since wheat tends to be more sticky that 2-Row, etc.)
1 oz. Sterling Hops (45 minutes)
1 oz. Palisade Hops (last 2 minutes of boil)
1/2 tsp. Yeast Nutrient
1 tblsp 5.2 pH mash stabilizer
5 oz. Corn Sugar or approximately 2/3 cup
9 gallons of drinking water (added .5 gallon to compensate for the added rice hulls) - Used Crystal Springs (Spring Water) with this batch.

Process:

Fermentation going crazy!

1. Prepare a yeast starter at least 24 hours in advance of brew day.  Did not make a yeast starter for this batch since the alcohol content is relatively low.
2. Clean and sanitize all equipment that will come in contact with your beer.
3. Prepare your strike water by heating 13 quarts of water or 3.25 gallons (1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain) to a temperature of 162-170 degrees.  I heated the water to 169 degrees and this seemed to hit the target for mashing.
4. Add about 4 quarts of your strike water to the mash tun to heat it up and begin adding your crushed grains and the remaining strike water.  Stir thoroughly to avoid dry pockets (dough balls).
5. Once the mixture is thoroughly combined check the temperature to ensure it is approximately 152-154 degrees.  If not, adjust by adding hot or cold water.  Mash temp maintained about 153 degree throughout the hour.
6. Once your mash is at the proper temperature add pH stabilizer and close the mash tun and let steep for 60 minutes.
7. Prepare your sparge water by heating 5 gallons of water to a temperature of 170 degrees.
8. Optional - check for starch conversion by performing an iodine test or simply taste the mixture.  If conversion has taken place the mixture will taste sweet.
9. Perform vorlauf by slowly collecting the first runnings of your wort and adding them back to mash tun.    Take care to not let grain bed collapse by draining too quickly or dumping first runnings back in the mash tun with too much force.  Repeat this step 2-5 times until the runnings are free of debris and running relatively clear.
10. Collect your first runnings into your brew pot by allowing all of the wort in your mash tun to slowly drain out.  Take your time and be careful to not let your grain bed collapse.
11. After your mash tun has drained close the valve and add all of your sparge water to the tun and stir.  Do not worry about disturbing the grain be as you are going to create a whole new grain bed for the second runnings.
12. Repeat Step 9 above (vorlauf) and collect enough wort until you have about 6.4 gallons of beer or a measured pre-boil specific gravity of 1.048.
13. Return your brew kettle to burner and bring wort to a vigorous boil.
14. As soon as the beer begins to boil add 1 oz. of Sterling hops for bittering and boil for 45 minutes.
15. Add the wort chiller to the boil during the last 15 minutes to sterilize.
16. During last 10 minutes of boil add 1/2 tsp. of yeast nutrient dissolved in small amount of warm water.
17. With 2 minutes left in the boil add 1 oz. of remaining Palisade hops.
18. Terminate boil and chill to fermentation temperature of approximately 70 degrees.
19. Take a specific gravity reading and record.  Target SG is approximately 1.048 (according to BrewSmith software).
20. Estimated post-boil volume is 5.98 gallons.  Optional - add water to achieve target SG.  Ended up with less than 5 gallons in carboy after boil.  Should have been more but still seemed to hit target OG.  Not sure what, if any, affect this will have on the finished product.
21. Transfer to fermentation carboy.  I strained this batch to reduce trub.  Make sure you have the volume you are aiming for and if it is off then consider adding top-off water.
22. Pitch yeast and aerate well using pure oxygen.
23. Attach blow-off tube and ferment until complete according to hydrometer readings.
24. Optional - Transfer to secondary fermentation carboy for clarifying.
25. Prepare priming sugar by boiling 2 cups of drinking water and add 5 oz. (approximately 2/3 cup) of priming sugar.  Be careful not to scorch.  Boil for 5 minutes and add to bottling bucket.  Add wort, stir gently for 1 minute and bottle.  My last batch was over-carbonated so I am reducing the amount of sugar in this step to approximately 4 oz.

Notes, Results and Lessons Learned:

Batch #9 patiently bottle conditioning

• Brew Day - May 5, 2012
• Transfer to Secondary Fermentation - NONE - I've been reading a lot about this topic and there is a fair amount of evidence that keeping the beer in Primary for 3-4 weeks is beneficial and can produce better beer.  Secondary is useful for dry hopping and clarifying but can also introduce air which results in off flavors.  Experimenting with this Primary-only on this batch.
• Bottling Day - May 28, 2012 (23 days in Primary - no Secondary).  Yield - 48 bottles.
• OG - 1.051 - right on target!
• FG - 1.010 - on target.  :-)
• ABV - 5.4%
• Notes:
• I would increase the volume in step 12 to at least 6.5 gallons.

The Verdict:

Opened a few more bottle on June 16, 2012 and it seems to have improved over time.  I'm going to go ahead and enter this one in a couple of contests. I don't expect to win but would like to get some feedback on this one.

Update - dropped off 3 bottles at Twain's on 6/22/2012 for their Light/Dark competition.  Hope to at least get some feedback.

Update - made it to the final round of judging!  Winners to be announced 7/26 at 7pm.

Update - well.... we didn't win but it was truly nice to be recognized.  One of the judges said he really liked the flavor of the beer but in the end it was a Maibock that took the crown.  Here's how the winners stacked up:

Lights
1st - David Little My Bock Maibock
2nd - Brandon Red Rye Red Rye
3rd - Lee Webster Low Country Comfort Amarillo-hopped Pale Ale with Cerrano Peppers

Darks
1st - Ben Halter Coquito Stout Stout w/rum soaked cinnamon sticks + vanilla beans
2nd - Jonathan Crowe PDG Black IPA
3rd - Luke Rabun Buddha Belgian Stout Belgian Stout

Update - Entered this one into the Southern Brewer's Challenge on July 30th, 2012.

Batch #8 - American Pale Ale (REVISITED), (Extract, Full-Boil, Non-kit)

Custom caps from BottleMark.com

For batch #8 I'm going to quit "playing the field" so-to-speak and really try to perfect my extract American Pale Ale recipe before moving on.  While the original APA batch (#6) was probably the best so far it's still not what I would consider stellar.  I've learned a lot from the previous 7 batches but I think the best way to really pinpoint was it working (or not) is to keep the variables to a minimum and really laser focus on one recipe.

My American Pale Ale should be a pretty easy recipe to pull off as it is fairly basic and the alcohol levels should not overwhelm the yeast before it does its job.  Following are some lessons I learned the first time I tried this recipe that I will incorporate into this batch:

• Start with a pre-boil water level of 5.7 gallons (not 5.5 as before) as prescribed by BeerSmith.  Side note: Full-boils make a big difference in taste.
• STRAIN this batch!  I didn't do this with the last batch and the amount of trub bothered me.
• Consider using a blow-off tube so the airlock doesn't go dry.
• Use the hydrometer and keep your results for reference.
• Aerate well.  See HERE for instructions.  Going to employ a wort aeration system for this batch.
• Pay close attention to fermentation temperatures - keep them constant.  Shoot for 67-68 degrees.
• This style probably does not require a yeast starter as the specifications on the Wyeast site indicate it can handle a full batch based on my style stats.  Follow these instructions carefully IF you do not use a yeast starter.
• Don't be so anxious to transfer to secondary.  Let the yeast do it's job.  Use a hydrometer to assess when/if it is time to go to secondary.

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs. Light Dry Malt Extract (DME) - Munton's Light
• .5 lbs. 2-Row
• .5 lbs. Munich
• .25 lbs. Pale Malt 20L
• .25 lbs. Pale Malt 40L
• .5 lbs. Carapils
• 1 oz. Centennial Hops for bittering (60 mins.)
• .5 oz. Cascade Hops for bittering (40 mins.)
• .5 oz. Cascade Hops for flavor (30 mins.)
• .5 oz Cascade Hops for aroma (20 mins.)
• 1.5 oz. Cascade Hops for aroma (dry hop)
• 1 Whirlfloc tablet (an Irish Moss product) during last 15 minutes of boil.
• Yeast - American Ale from Wyeast #1056
• 5 oz. Corn Sugar (Dextrose) for priming (bottle conditioning)
• 6 gallons of drinking water
• 20 lb. bag of ice for chilling the wort

Process:

1. Bring 5.7 gallons of water up to a temperature of approximately 158 degrees.
2. Pour all of the crushed grain into a grain sock and submerge in water for 20 minutes to steep. Maintain a temperature between 150-165 degrees for steeping.  Be careful not to let temperature rise to 170 or above to prevent off flavors from being introduced.
3. Remove grain sock and allow excess water to drip back into pot.  (Do not squeeze.)
4. Bring wort to a gentle rolling boil, remove from heat and add all of the Light Dry Malt Extract and stir vigorously to dissolve.  Return to heat and resume boil.
5. Add hops according to boil schedule above.
6. Add 1 Whirlfloc tablet (an Irish Moss product) during last 15 minutes of boil.
7. Chill wort to 70 degrees or less and transfer to primary fermentation (strain).
8. Take OG reading with hydrometer - target is 1.056.
9. Optional - add clean (boiled) water to get OG to target range.
10. Pitch yeast.  Follow these instructions:
1. To Activate, locate and move inner packet to a corner. Place this area in palm of one hand and firmly smack the package with the other hand to break the inner nutrient packet. Confirm the inner packet is broken.
2. Shake the package well to release the nutrients.
3. Allow the package to incubate and swell for 3 hours or more (it is not necessary for this package to fully swell before use) at 70-75°F (21-24°C).   
4. Use sanitizing solution to sanitize the package before opening.
5. Shake well, open and pour the Activator™ into 5 gallons of well aerated or oxygenated wort up to 1.060 OG at 65-72°F (18-22°C). Maintain temperature until fermentation is evident by CO₂ bubble formation, bubbling airlock or foaming on top of wort. For high gravity or low temperature fermentations additional yeast may be required.
6. Adjust to desired fermentation temperature.
11. Ferment in primary for 4-7 days or LONGER.  Use your hydrometer to determine when it is ready to move.  Don't rely on airlock activity.
12. Take second specific gravity reading.
13. Move to secondary fermentation when ready for an additional 10 days or more.
14. Take final specific gravity reading to ensure fermentation has ceased.
15. Prepare priming sugar by boiling 2 cups of water and adding 5 oz. of priming sugar.   Be careful not to scorch.  Boil for 3-5 minutes and add to bottling bucket.  Stir for 1 minute.
16. Transfer wort to bottling bucket and bottle.
17. Bottle condition for approximately 30 days.

Notes, Results and Lessons Learned:

• Brew Day - March 25, 2012
• Transfer to secondary fermentation - April 15, 2012 (dry hopped) - 3 weeks in Primary.
• Bottling Day - April 25, 2012 - 10 days in Secondary.
• Fermentation temperature (range) - Remained constant at 66 degrees.
• Estimated Original Gravity after boil - 1.057
• Actual Original Gravity - 1.080
• Estimated Final Gravity - 1.012
• Actual Final Gravity - 1.020
• Estimated ABV - 5.9%
• Actual ABV - 7.9%
• What was done differently for this batch compared to the last one of the same style?
• Employed a wort aeration system to try and ensure a full fermentation.
• Hops schedule changed.
• Deleted amber malt and used a 2 lb. grain bill suggested by my local home brew supply store.
• OG was much higher than planned.  Forgot to add additional water.  I think there was more boil-off than I anticipated.
• Tasted the wort when it was transferred to Secondary and it was surprisingly good.

The Verdict:
I cracked open a bottle on May 9th which meant 14 days in the bottle.  Carbonation was fine.  As for taste, like many of the previous batches, it was certainly not bad but still not where I want it to be.  It has a sweetness to it that I attribute to an incomplete fermentation.  The final gravity was much higher that it was supposed to be.  I will go through this batch and enjoy it for what it is but I am on a quest to produce that batch of homebrew that makes me say, "Finally, this is IT!".

Related articles

• How (and why) to Make a Yeast Starter (andyslusher.blogspot.com)
• Homebrew Batch #6 Notes - American Pale Ale (Full-boil, non-kit) (andyslusher.blogspot.com)
• How (and why) to Aerate Your Wort (andyslusher.blogspot.com)

How (and why) to Aerate Your Wort

Let's start out with WHY we should aerate our wort.  Aeration is really about helping the yeast.  Because yeast plays such a critical role in the overall success of our home brew we want to pay special attention to it and create an ideal environment for it to thrive.

Yeast needs several things to work well and do its job.  First, it needs food.  Yeast feeds off of the fermentable sugars in the wort and in the process converts it to CO2 and alcohol.  Next, it needs to be able to work within the proper temperatures for its particular style.  Many ale yeast strains work best around 68 degrees Fahrenheit.  Finally, yeast needs OXYGEN which brings us to WHY we need to aerate our wort.

It is often written that the best things we can do to improve the quality of our home brew is to do full-boils of our wort*, control fermentation temperatures and take special care with sanitation.  All very useful and practical suggestions but I submit that aerating your wort ranks just as high in importance.

*Note: While full-boils of your wort can significantly increase the quality of your beer they also greatly deplete the amount of oxygen naturally contained in the water thus further increasing the need to aerate.

Let's take a look at what happens with under-oxygenated wort:

1. Long Lag Times.  This will be one of the first problems you may notice if your wort has not been properly aerated.  Lag time is that crucial period when yeast cells replicate and fermentation begins.  We want shorter lag times to lessen the chance of contamination and reduce the chance of off flavors ending up in our finished beer.
2. Incomplete Fermentation.  Here again, it comes down to the yeast.  To achieve the desired final gravity of your particular beer style you want your yeast to ferment completely to achieve the desired Final Gravity and ABV percentage.  If your yeast does not have enough oxygen it will eventually cease functioning thus resulting in incomplete fermentation.  Assuming proper pitch ratios, fermentation temperatures and life-sustaining oxygen, the yeast will continue to be healthy and thrive despite the rising alcohol production which can kill the fermentation cycle in poor environments.
3. Off flavors or "fruity" tastes.  When it comes down to it we are really just trying to make the best tasting beer we can.  As we previously alluded to, long lag times can lead to off flavors ending up in our finished product.  Another by-product of poor yeast cell production (from poor aeration for instance) is excessive ester production.  An over abundance of esters can lead to an unwanted fruity character to your beer.

So if you are convinced that aerating your wort is a good thing, let's investigate HOW to do so.  The good news is that it's easy.  Like most tasks in home brewing there are many avenues to getting to where you want to go.  Aeration is no different.  Below are 3 methods for getting oxygen into your wort.  (All methods take place AFTER the wort is cooled and BEFORE the yeast is pitched.)

William's Oxygen Aeration System

1. Splashing.  This is a simple method of allowing the wort to "splash" into the primary fermentation container either along the side, through a strainer or off the bottom of the vessel itself.  This will allow a little additional air to make its way into the wort before the yeast is pitched.
2. Agitating or Shaking.  This method simply involves vigorously stirring or whisking the wort after it is in the fermentation container for several minutes or longer.  Alternatively, you can cap the fermentation bucket or carboy with a sanitized lid and shake for 1-2 minutes or as long as you can stand it.  This isn't as practical since a typical 5 gallon batch of wort is quite heavy!  Note - method 1 and 2 can be done in combination with one another to improve the result.
3. Injection.  There are 2 basic ways of injecting oxygen into your wort.  The first involves purchasing a simple aquarium pump along with a filter and diffusion stone. These are readily available from pet stores or home brew stores. Simply sanitize the hose and stone that will come in contact with your wort, submerge and power on for 25-30 minutes.  The second, and most preferable, method is to inject pure oxygen into your wort.  All of the methods above introduce "air" into your wort.  Since air only contains just over 20% oxygen you need to inject way less pure oxygen into your wort for it work.  Much like the aquarium set-up, you can purchase a relatively inexpensive oxygen valve, hose and diffusion stone to get the job done.  To this, you will add a pure oxygen tank (for around $10 from Lowe's or Home Depot) and you are set (I like this one from Williams Brewing).  The good news is that instead of injecting air into the wort for 25-30 minutes you only need 45-60 seconds of pure oxygen to give the yeast its much needed boost.  A word of caution though - More isn't always better when it comes to injecting oxygen into your wort.  Too much oxygen can actually stress the yeast and in extreme cases kill it so stick with the prescribed times.

Well, that's it.  I hope you have luck aerating your wort and I'm sure your home brew will be all that much better.

Cheers!

Related articles

• How (and why) to Make a Yeast Starter (andyslusher.blogspot.com)