We ain't no PUNKin' Ale

Today's batch falls on two important dates. One I won't mention by name but today is the 10th anniversary of the day someone tried to break the American will and failed. This truly is a great nation and I salute anyone and everyone who puts their life on the line for their fellow man.

Today is also the start of the football season for the 2011-12 season.
So reflecting on the sacrifices of others and the great American past time we all know and love I have dubbed this brew: We Ain't No PUNKin Ale!

This brew is an extract kit from AHS and here is the basic recipe:

Recipe:
1/2 lb Vienna Malt
1/2 lb Cara Munich Malt
1/2 lb Crystal 60L Malt
3 cans of 365 Pumpkin from Whole Foods
6 lb Extra Pale Extract
1 lb Munich Extract
1 oz. Kent Golding
Pumpkin Spice Pack (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Orange Peel)

Yeast:
WLP005 British Ale Yeast

Brew Day 9/11/11:
I added 3 cans of pumpkin to the muslin bag and steeped with the crushed grains for 30 min.
I got the wert to boil and added the extract. I let that get to a good boil before adding the hops and 1 can of pumpkin. I used 1/2 oz of UK Kent Goldings and the can of pumpkin in a nylon bag. I've used the nylon bag for 4 batches now. I recommend using nylon to save some cash. Just remember to clean them good. I added the Irish Moss at this time too. I used a tsp of it and sprinkled it around the chiller.
I added the other 1/2 oz of hops with 10 min left. I then added the spick pack with 5 min left.
I hit the OG right on the money with the kit's instructions.
OG READING: 1.052 at 79 degrees.

Christmas Ale

OG:   1.049 at 77 degrees

FG:    1.012

ABV:  4.84%

ABW: 3.87%

Volume: 5 gal

Brew Date: 9/5/2011

Keg Date:  10/9/2011

Tap Date: 12/14/2011

Recipe:

7lb. Extra Pale Extract

1/2 lb 2 row malt

2 oz chocolate malt

3/4 lb crystal 60l malt

Caramel, or crystal, malts are produced by roasting, rather than kilning, green malt. This will caramelize the sugars in the grain and produce flavors and aromas not achievable in a drying kiln. Crystal 60L will create a deep golden to red color and has a pronounced sweet caramel flavor. 

1 oz mt hood

1 oz saaz

Holiday Pack:

WLP008 White Labs East Coast Ale

Latest on Tap: Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye Ale (clone) and AHS Apocalyspo

Pecan Pie a la Mode Porter

OG:	1.070
FG:	1.020
ABV:	6.5%
ABW:

Brewed:	7/26/2011
Kegged:	9/10/2011

Recipe:

Sugars

• 8 ½ lbs. Dark Malt Extract

Flavoring Malts

• ½ lb. Crystal 120 L malt

• 1 lb. Organic Brewers 2-row malt

• ½ lb. Chocolate malt

Hops

• ½ oz. Magnum hop pellets (bittering)

Germany

Magnum is a high-alpha variety and a very promising new breed used as a clean bittering hop. Typical beer styles using this hop include lagers, pilsners, stouts, and ales. 

Possible Substitutions: Columbus and Nugget.

Technical Specifications:

Aroma: No real distinct aroma character, so is viewed favorably as a clean bittering hop

Alpha Acids: Approx. 13.5%

Beta Acids: 4.5 - 5% w/w

Co-Humulone: 24 - 25% of alpha acids

Storageability: Very Good

Total Oil: 1.9 - 2.3 mls/100 grams

Myrcene: 30 - 35% of whole oil

Humulene: 34 - 40% of whole oil

Caryophyllene: 8 - 12% of whole oil

Farnesene: < 1% of whole oil

• ½ oz. Hallertau hop pellets (flavoring)

Germany

German Hallertau is the classic German aroma hop associated with Bavarian-style lager beers. Other beer styles appropriate for this hop include lagers, bocks, pilsners, weizens, Belgian-style ales, alts, lambics, kolsch, and Munich ales.

Possible Substitutions: Liberty and German Tradition.

Technical Specifications:

Aroma: Mild and pleasant

Alpha Acids: Approx. 6.2%

Beta Acids: 3 - 4% w/w

Co-Humulone: 17 - 24% of alpha acids

Storageability: 50 - 60% alpha acids remaining after 6 months storage at 20° C

Total Oil: 0.7- 1.3 mls/100 grams

Myrcene: 10 - 20% of whole oil

Humulene: 30 - 35% of whole oil

Caryophyllene: 7 - 10% of whole oil

Farnesene: < 1% of whole oil

• ½ oz. Fuggle (UK) hop pellets (aroma)

UK

Fuggle is a hop long associated with typical English ale brewing. This was once the predominant hop in England, but now it is usually reserved for aroma use in conjunction with high alpha hop types. It imparts a hoppy late-hop flavor that is usually described as being woody, earthy, and slightly fruity. Typical beer styles include all English-style ales, ESBs, bitters, lagers, and Lambics.

Possible Substitutions: Willamette and Styrian Golding.

Technical Specifications:

Aroma: mild, pleasant, and hoppy

Alpha Acids: Approx. 4.2%

Beta Acids: 2 - 3% w/w

Co-Humulone: 23 - 30% of alpha acids

Storageability: 70 - 80% alpha acids remaining after 6 months of storage at 20° C

Total Oil: 0.7 - 1.4 mls/100 grams

Myrcene: 24 - 28% of whole oil

Humulene: 34 - 40% of whole oil

Caryophyllene: 11 - 13% of whole oil

Farnesene: 5 - 7% of whole oil

Yeast

WLP001California Ale Yeast

Other Ingredients

• 1 oz. Pecan Extract

• 1 tsp. Irish Moss

Brew Notes:

Brewed on Yeast Cake of Full Moon Pale Rye Ale

Left about 1 pt to 1 qt in  fermenter.

Did not clean fermenter.

Noticed a lot of trub.

Added 1 cup. Brown Sugar at 30 min.

Keg Notes:

Added half of the vanilla extract pkg from AHS.

Pressure tested keg before siphoning.

AHS Apocalyspo

OG:	1.045
FG:	1.010 at 75
ABV:	4.7%
ABW:	3.8%

Recipe:

7 lb.	Extra Pale Extract
8 oz.	Malto Dextrin
1 oz.	Magnum
3/4 oz.	Calyspo
1/4 oz.	Calyspo
1 pkg.	Mutton Dry Yeast

Schedule:

Brewed	6/12
Secondary	6/25
Kegged	7/9
Cold Crashed	7/19
Tapped	7/20

Brewed: 6/12/2011

Brew Notes:

All Extract with Dextrose

During the flavoring hops, the burner went out so I steeped the hops for about 15 minutes

Moved to Secondary: 6/25/2011

Moved to Keg: 7/9/2011

Added Priming Sugar.

1/2 cup dextrose

1 1/2 cup Water

Brew #6: Dunkelweizen

Decided to brew this batch on a hot summer day in July before I fire up the grill.


Background:

Dunkelweizen, also called Dunkles Weizen, is actually a more traditional German wheat beer than the more famous Hefe. Brewed with high-kilned malts such as Munich malt and Vienna malt, Dunkelweizen combines the yeast character and mouthfeel of a Hefewezen or Kristallweizen with the rich maltiness of a traditional dark German beer. courtesy of Wikipedia

Brew Day:

I got this kit from AHS and it sat in the pipeline for about 6 weeks before the brew day.

The LME has been refridgerated but in shipping some of the extract leaked.

Since I'm using my 5 gal glass carboy I'm going to brew about 4 or 4 1/2 gallons.

Setup:

My setup for today consits of a turkey fryer pot (~7 gal) and base using propane.

I'll use nylon bags I got from Home Depot for my hops and the provided muslin bag for my milled grains.

When I need to cool I'll use my wort chiller and I'll use the aforementioned carboy for fermentation.

This batch is an expirement to me in the fact that its my first time to reuse washed yeast (White Labs WLP3000 Hefeweizen) and my first time I'll use my new chiller.

Brew Time!

Ingredients:

Spalt 1 oz. 60 min.

OG:	1.0409
FG:	1.008
ABV:	4.4%
ABW:	3.5%

Recipe:

7 lb.	Wheat Extract
8 oz.	Caramel Wheat
4 oz.	Caramunich Malt
2 oz.	De-Bittered Black Malt
1 oz.	Spalt Hops
2 c	WLP3000 Hefeweizen

Schedule:

Brewed	7/24
Secondary
Kegged	8/16
Cold Crashed	8/25
Tapped	8/26

Brewing Notes:

1. Steeped at 155 for 25 min.
2. Heated til 190 and added LME.
3. Boiled hops for 60 min.
4. Added chiller to wort at 45 min.
5. Took 30 min to get to 82 degrees.
6. Pitch 2 cups of Yeast into wort.