The Bar Towel

Damn, still at 1.025. Not at all what I was going for. Not happy with this yeast (or its commercial description).

Cranked the room up to 70F and stirred the yeast off the bottom... I'll see if it gets a couple more points. Fortunately, this brew has the bitterness to back it up. If I can get a couple more points, I won't bother re-pitching.

I think I'll give the notty a go for the next brew. If it doesn't take off, toss in the S05.

I've used the S-05 more than anything. It's supposedly derived from the Chico strain, which came from Ballantines, which also came from the UK. I like it a lot. I think it might produce a little more vanilla and a little less peach than the Wyeast, but I've never done a split, back-to-back to test. It's a workhorse, and seems to be idiot proof. When I mashed the 100% Canadian 2-row at 158F and got the attenuation down to 67%AA, but usually it's up around 80.

I can't believe this Windsor is stalled at 58% AA!

tonight im bottling my first ever oak aged beer. its actually a blend of 5 different 1 gallon portions of previous batches that has been sitting on virgin american oak (boiled to reduce tannins) for 2 months.

heres the blend (batch age at time of blending):

1 gallon unblended lambic (16 months)
1 gallon flanders pale (14 months)
1 gallon berliner weisse (9 months)
1 gallon bret c saison (6 months)
1 gallon saison d'soy (3 months)

Well, the EI is down to 1.024.

Coincidently, my gravities were essentially the same as Barclay Perkins version from 1849:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/sear ... results=20

So I might just leave well-enough alone (right now it tastes like bakers chocolate). Hey, I wonder if they were using this crappy yeast?

Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to blame it. There really isn't much of a yeast cake... it's like it just jumped right into fermentation without enough propagation. Perhaps the packet wasn't in its prime and I should have made a starter.

brewed our 2010 lambic, transferred our 2009 lambic into secondary then threw the 2010 in its place. the 2009 batch smells pretty badass. plan is to save half for future blending, turn some into a kriek, and bottle a bit of the unblended stuff. the 2010 batch will likely sit until about this time next year when the 2011 batch takes its place. once we've got 3 years, the plan is to blend a gueuze. fun times!

matt7215 wrote:tonight im bottling my first ever oak aged beer. its actually a blend of 5 different 1 gallon portions of previous batches that has been sitting on virgin american oak (boiled to reduce tannins) for 2 months.

heres the blend (batch age at time of blending):

1 gallon unblended lambic (16 months)
1 gallon flanders pale (14 months)
1 gallon berliner weisse (9 months)
1 gallon bret c saison (6 months)
1 gallon saison d'soy (3 months)

if anyone doesnt know what american oak tastes like ill send you a bottle of this

grub wrote:brewed our 2010 lambic, transferred our 2009 lambic into secondary then threw the 2010 in its place. the 2009 batch smells pretty badass. plan is to save half for future blending, turn some into a kriek, and bottle a bit of the unblended stuff. the 2010 batch will likely sit until about this time next year when the 2011 batch takes its place. once we've got 3 years, the plan is to blend a gueuze. fun times!

That is the way to do it. Need to build up a nice stock of multi-year batches, and then the fun begins.

matt7215 wrote:

matt7215 wrote:tonight im bottling my first ever oak aged beer. its actually a blend of 5 different 1 gallon portions of previous batches that has been sitting on virgin american oak (boiled to reduce tannins) for 2 months.

heres the blend (batch age at time of blending):

1 gallon unblended lambic (16 months)
1 gallon flanders pale (14 months)
1 gallon berliner weisse (9 months)
1 gallon bret c saison (6 months)
1 gallon saison d'soy (3 months)

if anyone doesnt know what american oak tastes like ill send you a bottle of this

I just finished a botlle of your Brett c saison, I'd love to try a bottle of this. Save me one and we can trade at one of the next Grand River tastings.

markaberrant wrote:Can't say I am overly fond of the S-04 character so far either, not sure what to call it, seems a little buttery, but then I am so used to the ultra clean S-05 character.

Ok, so I was just getting over a cold when I wrote this, and the beer had just finished fermenting, and I didn't think it was possible/I was embarrassed, but after giving it a week and chilling it down yesterday morning, there is no doubt. This beer is a BUTTER BOMB.

I have been brewing for 5 years, and have never ever had a hint of diacetyl. I use S-04 this one time, and it is overwhleming. Just nasty.

So I threw in a pack of Nottingham yesterday. It already smells better this morning.

Bottled up by Breakfast Porter (Oatmeal & Maple), tasting great even before bottle conditioning. Packs a bit of a punch though at 7%.

matt7215 wrote:

matt7215 wrote:tonight im bottling my first ever oak aged beer.

[...]

if anyone doesnt know what american oak tastes like ill send you a bottle of this

I'd like to give it a try. I'll PM you my contact info. Do you have oak barrels, or did you use chips/cubes?

icemachine wrote:Bottled up by Breakfast Porter (Oatmeal & Maple), tasting great even before bottle conditioning. Packs a bit of a punch though at 7%.

Sounds great! Care to share the recipe? I've been pondering doing a Smoked Porter for a winter brew.. but this sounds awesome!

elproducto wrote:

icemachine wrote:Bottled up by Breakfast Porter (Oatmeal & Maple), tasting great even before bottle conditioning. Packs a bit of a punch though at 7%.

Sounds great! Care to share the recipe? I've been pondering doing a Smoked Porter for a winter brew.. but this sounds awesome!

My Malt bill was
4.5kg Marris Otter
0.5kg Chocolate
1.5 kg Oatmeal Flakes

Pulled 27L of wort, at 42ppg (about 70% eff)

Boil was 70 Min
28g Pride of Ringwood 60min
14g Goldings 30min
750ml Maple Syrup 15min
14g Goldings 10 min
10g Irish Moss 5min

All Hops were pellets, software estimated 29.6 IBU
Ringwood liquid Ale Yeast pitched at 20C on 5.5gallons of 1.056 SG wort, it was an older pack so after a couple days with little activity (should have made a starter) I bumped the temp to 22C. It took off after another 24hours, transferred to Secondary a week later at 1.008, conditioned 30 days at 18C, when I went to bottle it was at 1.004, gave it a 2 point bump for priming.

An ordinary bitter that I helped Jason Stranak brew at Learn To Brew at the Amsterdam last weekend. A quick fermentation and now off to secondary.

Jalepeno Peppercorn Bock

I brewed up another batch of my session strength saison on Remembrance Day. And just finished cleaning up 3 more kegs I acquired earlier this afternoon.