Imperial Stout 2010

grain:
- 20 pounds Maris Otter Pale Ale malt
- 2 1/2 pounds Briess Roasted Barley
- 1 pound Dingemans Special B
- 1 pound Briess Chocolate malt
- 1 pound Briess Black Malt

hop:
- 2 ounce Columbus whole hops (60 minutes)
- 1 ounces Columbus whole hops (30 minutes)

yeast: White Labs California Ale from Black IPA via Harvest Ale

comments:
More roasted barley and darker crystal should produce a more flavorful Imperial Stout compared to last years (which was decent). The roast should be obvious this year.

batch size: 5 gallon

ambient outdoor temperature: 60 degrees Fahrenheit
ambient basement temperature: 66 degrees Fahrenheit

mash notes:
- (10:45 AM) mash start @ 152 degrees Fahrenheit
- (12:15 PM) mash end @ 146 degrees Fahrenheit
- first sparge reading @ 21 1/2 degrees Brix
- preboil reading: 17 degrees Brix

boil notes:
- 60 minute boil
- post boil Brix reading: 21 degrees

brew date: 10/23/2010
secondary date: 11/16/2010 (24 days in primary)
bottle date: 7/2/2011 (128 days in primary); powerful brew at bottling sample. Very coarse, dry, strong, bitter; Only time will tell. A strong imperial stout.

notes:
- another Fall image from the brewery

- dark rolling brew

- Fermenation started slowly the next morning gradually growing more and more active through the day. At the end of the night one bubble per 3 or 5 seconds. The second morning fermentation is strong with constant bubbling. Smells like fruit in the basement. Krausen reaching the top of the carboy afixed with a blow off hose.
- Transfered into secondary with about 1/4 ounces Cascade. Flat, unconditioned beer with streaks of harsh roastiness. Fruit flavors in there somewhere ... alchohol flavors.
- priming solution ... more fermentables for the yeast to consume and carbonate the bottles.

- fermenter and bottles to be filled ... imposing dark brew.

- transfering from fermenter to bottling bucket

- bottled:

American Style India Black Ale

grain:
- 23 pounds Briess Pale Ale malt
- 2 pounds Briess Carapils
- 2 pounds Weyermann Dehusked Carafa II
- 11 1/2 ounces Caramel 80

hop:
- 1 ounce Columbus whole hops (60 minutes)
- 2 ounces Columbus whole hops (30 minutes)
- 2 ounces Cascade whole hops (30 minutes)
- 1 ounce Columbus whole hops (dry hop)
- 1 ounce Cascade whole hops (dry hop)

yeast: White Labs California Ale from Harvest Ale

comments:
Dark and hoppy ... Black IPA.

batch size: 10 gallon

ambient outdoor temperature: 54 degrees Fahrenheit
ambient basement temperature: 72 degrees Fahrenheit

mash notes:
- (8:40 AM) mash start @ 148 degrees Fahrenheit
- Preboil Brix reading: 12.5

boil notes:
- 60 or 70 minute boil
- post boil Brix reading: 16

brew date: 9/25/2010
keg date: 10/23/2010 with 1 ounce Cascade and 1 ounce Columbus (4 weeks in primary)
secondary date: 10/23/2010 with 1 ounce Cascade and 1 ounce Columbus (4 weeks in primary)

notes:
- pitch black hop slammajamma. reduce Carafa II to 1 1/2 ounces next time. a tad too roasty.
- Brown foam atop the boiling dark brew

- Bucket full of milled grain

- Season changing at the brewery ... notice the fallen tree on the left ... fell during one of the first days of Fall

Harvest Ale

grain:
- 16 pounds Briess Pale Ale malt
- 3 pounds Briess Munich malt
- 2 pounds Briess Carapils
- 1 pound Belgian aromatic malt
- 1 pound Briess Caramel 40
- 8 ounces Briess Caramel 80

hop:
- 1 ounce Centennial whole hops (60 minutes)
- 2 ounces Centennial whole hops (30 minutes)
- 1 1/2 ounces homegrown Chinook wet hops (20 minutes)
- 1 1/2 ounces homegrown Chinook and Cascade wet hops in keg

yeast: White Labs California Ale

comments:
Hop forward malty Pale ale featuring homegrown hops.

batch size: 10 gallon

ambient outdoor temperature: 70 degrees Fahrenheit
ambient basement temperature: 72 degrees Fahrenheit

mash notes:
- (11:50 AM) mash start @ 150 degrees Fahrenheit
- (12:10 PM) @ 150 degrees Fahrenheit
- (12:50 PM) @ 150 degrees Fahrenheit
- first sparge at 17 1/2 degrees Brix
- second sparge at 11 degrees Brix

boil notes:
- (2:40 PM) boil start
- (3:55 PM) boil end
- post boil Brix reading: 12 1/2 degrees

brew date: 9/4/2010
keg date: 9/25/2010
secondary date: 9/25/2010 with 1/3 ounces Cascade, 1/3 ounces Columbus and 1/3 ounces Willamette dry hops
keg date: 1/16/2010 ... aroma still too subtle ... and body is light ... add more Carapils or Caramel malt next time ... good brew however

notes:
- this was an average Pale Ale ... good but lacking hop aroma and flavor depth.
- freshly picked Chinook hops

- Chinook hops added to boil ... notice how much greener they are

- collected as much wort as possible ... leaving only an inch or so for foam ... here is a shot just prior to the start of the boil

- Here are the one and a half ounces of homegrown Chinook and Cascade wet hops added as dry hops to the keg.

- the Harvest from the keg is less hoppy that I expected. A little yeasty at first. A few days later the hop flavor develops but not into the hop bomb I expected. Good beer though. Could go maltier next time ... surprisingly enough.

Chinook in Bloom

Grew Chinook and Cascade hops this year. The Chinook is in bloom with a faint, piney aroma. A Harvest Ale is in store for these. I think I will wet hop an American Pale Ale with an ounce or two in the keg. To be enjoyed as the weather turns cooler.

American Rye Ale

grain:
- 12 pounds Briess 2 row Brewer's malt
- 8 pounds Briess Rye malt
- 6 pounds Briess White Wheat malt

hop:
- 2 ounces Willamette (whole hops) 60 minutes
- 1 ounces Cascade pellet hops in secondary (first half of batch)
- 1 ounces Centennial pellet hops in secondary (first half of batch)
- 1 ounces Willamette (whole hops) in keg (second half of batch)

yeast: White Labs German Ale/Kolsch from American Wheat

comments:
Sure as heck fire a fine Summertime quencher with enough rye character you will not forget him. Am I right? Or am I right? Or am I right? Or am I right?

Based on a BYO recipe.

batch size: 10 gallon

ambient outdoor temperature: 83 degrees Fahrenheit
ambient basement temperature: 72 degrees Fahrenheit

mash notes:
- (12:30 PM) mash start @ 154 degrees Fahrenheit
- (1:15 PM) @ 150 degrees Fahrenheit
- (1:30 PM) @ 150 degrees Fahrenheit
- (2:20 PM) first sparge at 19 degrees Brix
- (3:00 PM?) third (second not recorded) sparge at 14 or 15 degrees Brix

boil notes:
- (3:50 PM) boil start
- (5:00 PM) boil end
- post boil Brix reading: 18 degrees

brew date: 7/10/2010
keg date: 7/24/2010 with 1 ounce Willamette whole hops (second half of batch)
secondary date: 7/24/2010 with 1 ounce Cascade pellet and 1 ounce Centennial pellet hops (first half of batch)
bottle date: kegged it all!

notes:
- a good brew ... slightly bitter and oily from the rye. Willamette dry hops provide a nice floral contrast. less foamy than the wheat ale.
- the cascade and centennial dry hopped is very hoppy and decent ... the wheat ale was better though ... skip the rye ale next time

American Wheat Ale

grain:
- 11 pounds Briess White Wheat malt
- 6 pounds Briess 2 row Brewer's malt
- 5 pounds Weyermann Pils

hop:
- 1 1/2 ounces Willamette (whole hops) 60 minutes
- 1 ounce Willamette whole hops @ flame out

yeast: White Labs German Ale/Kolsch

comments:
A hint of flowery Willemette hops in an otherwise malt focused Summer quaffer. Based on a BYO recipe.

batch size: 10 gallon

ambient outdoor temperature: 78 degrees Fahrenheit
ambient basement temperature: 68 degrees Fahrenheit

mash notes:
- (9:10 AM) mash start @ 148 degrees Fahrenheit
- (9:30 AM) @ 144 degrees Fahrenheit
- (10:40 AM) @ 150 degrees Fahrenheit
- (11:00 AM) first sparge at 17 degrees Brix
- (11:35 AM) second sparge at 12 degrees Brix

boil notes:
- (12:10 PM) boil start
- (1:40 PM) boil end
- post boil Brix reading: 17 degrees

brew date: 6/26/2010
keg date:
- first keg forced carbonated by shaking, tastes great. Enjoyed a pint on 7/7.
- second key kegged on 7/10 with full package priming sugar. Added a 1/4 ounce Willamette to keg. Will naturally carbonate until the first keg is retired.

bottle date: kegged the whole batch


notes:
- an exceptional brew; must join the California Common and Amber / Red Ales as yearly batches
- learned wheat is more dense and more difficult to mill than barley
- no problems with stuck sparges
- spent grains cooling off prior to composting:

- boil about to begin:

- hot day in the brewery ... a Summery image:

- enjoying a pint

Strong Ale

grain:
- 26 pounds Muntons English Pale Ale Malt (Maris Otter)

hop:
- 2 ounces Willamette (whole hops) first wort hops
- 2 ounces Nugget (whole hops) 90 minutes
- 1 ounce Amarillo (whole hops) 90 minutes
- 2 1/2 ounces Amarillo (whole hops) dry

yeast: White Labs London Ale Yeast from Red Ale

comments:
A monster brew in the Barleywine / Old Ale category.

batch size: 5 gallon

ambient outdoor temperature: 65 degrees Fahrenheit
ambient basement temperature: 63 degrees Fahrenheit

mash notes:
- (1:45 PM) mash start @ 154 degrees Fahrenheit
- (2:00 PM) @ 150 degrees Fahrenheit
- (2:20 PM) @ 152 degrees Fahrenheit
- (3:45 PM) first sparge at 22 degrees Brix
- (? PM) second sparge at 17 degrees Brix

boil notes:
- (5:00 PM) boil start
- (7:00 PM) boil end
- post boil Brix reading: 24 degrees (predicting a 12% brew)

brew date: 5/15/2010
secondary date: 5/29/2010 (14 days in primary)
bottle date: 11/12/2010 (six months in secondary)

notes:
- too hoppy ... aroma and flavor ... feature malt more next time
- check out the hops in the secondary... about 2 1/2 ounces of Amarillo

- here is an interesting shot that shows how light this brew is compared to the Red Ale on the right (both brews are much lighter than the image indicates ... just note the contrast)

- 41 bottles

- enjoying a bottle in 30 degrees