jonjon

17 hours ago, nw baltimore wx said:

Hey, Jon,

Awesome stuff there. Thanks for sharing. You brew on a 5 bbl system, right?

We actually have a 10bbl system, but we have a couple 5bbl fermenters that we brew half batches in for our specialty beers (such as in this case)

20 minutes ago, mattie g said:

@jonjon

If you don't mind my asking, what are the specs (OG, FG, etc.) on the imperial stout? Did you do anything different than your standard brew session like a longer boil, higher mash temp, or anything?

I'm curious because I want to see if I can really thicken up the stout I'll be doing..and to see what a pro might do to set a big stout apart from others. I did one a couple years ago that I conditioned on a bourboned oak spiral and vanilla beans (and of which I have one bottle left) that I'm pretty happy with, but it was definitely thinner and had more carb than I wanted. I'm not too worried about the carbonation for the upcoming one since I'll be naturally carbonating and keg conditioning it, but I'd love to get it a good deal thicker.

I'm a big fan of Firestone Walker Parabola, and I've read some posts from their brewer about the challenge of brewing a big beer like that, and their process, so I've followed their lead.

We will be putting an entire 55lb bag of flaked oats in the mash, this will thicken things up pretty well.  We also mash low (144 degrees) in order to help the fermenability of the wort, as this will be quite a monster for the yeast with an OG of somewhere between 1.100 and 1.125 (we've set the goal posts wide here since this will be the first we are brewing this on this scale).  To get the gravity up this high we are going to add an entire bag of Muntons dark DME for gravity boost.  We'll check gravity near the end of the boil to see if we're in the range, if too low we'll boil longer.  I'd like to get the final gravity down in the 1.030 to 1.035 range, if possible.  It will be a monster pitch of US-05 dry yeast. This will give us a beer in the 11-13% abv range without being too cloying.  We also add the dark malts to the mash for just the last 10-15 minutes of the mash (not the entire mash time) to cut down on astringency.

I think that sums it up.  I'll be glad to answer any other questions.

Jon

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

You could have ordered 4 full ones, had a hell of a party, and then as a result have your 4 empty ones

Didn't think of that lol.  

That would be one hell of a party!

21 hours ago, mattie g said:

I can imagine it must be tough to ensure that there's enough of a variety of styles to appeal to the most potential customers, but I absolutely agree that you can really only get the best out of yourself if you have a passion for what you're producing. I think the breweries in bigger markets and/or that have established themselves as being the top at what they do (I'm thinking of places like Other Half, Monkish, Trillium, Jester King, Bottle Logic, etc.) have an upper hand in that they have established a large and loyal following who will remain loyal as long as they continue to pump out high-quality beverages. For a place like yours - out in a "less accessible" setting and needing to appeal to locals and tourists - it must be a difficult balancing act on producing beers *you* like while also pumping out product that maybe isn't something you'd necessarily choose to drink yourself.

That's awesome that you've branched out into other types of beers, especially the Belgians. I'm not hugely into them, to be honest, but I can certainly appreciate them. Now...as for barrel aging, I'm all freakin' in. I *love* a big barrel-aged stout (and to a lesser extent, barleywine), so I really like hearing that you're going to give them a shot.

I have a big stout in my brew plan - probably brew it in December - that will be aged on bourbon-soaked oak spirals, cocoa nibs, and vanilla beans (might toss in a little cinnamon, too). Can't wait to get that going so I can let it keg condition until next fall.

Just ordered 4 emptied Buffalo Trace barrels.  Imperial Stout going into them next week.  Thanks for the inspiration!

Never enjoyed pumpkin beers much myself.  

The tough part of owning a brewery is putting out beers you don't like in order to have a somewhat broad portfolio of options for everyone that visits.  But I'm a big believer that you are the best at what you truly have a passion for.  We obviously started (and still continue to a somewhat lesser extent) as a hop-heavy brewery.   But in the last couple of years I've really gotten into Trappist and other Belgian style beers, so now we are putting out some cellared Belgian Dubbels, Tripels and hopefully soon a quad.  We're getting into barrel aging as well -- going to be doing some stouts and  an English Barleywine that way soon.

But you won't find anything pumpkin here.

Leaf Peepers Festival going on here in Davis this weekend.  Lots of good color, although maybe a little behind some of the recent years.

It did get down to the upper 30s last night in this area.

Snowing here this morning, enough to whiten the ground.  I hope its the last of this for the season.

Ended up with close to 4" of snow yesterday putting us over 100" for the season.  Was worried we would fall short of that mark for a while, that would have been embarrassing!

Virga storm ongoing out this way.  Too bad, I think it would have been snow.

4 minutes ago, psuhoffman said:

Would you say Montpelier is the best “larger town” for big snows and not being in a shadow effect up there?  

Seems like anything east of the Green Mountains does well.  See current snow cover up there here https://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/html/map.html?ql=station&zoom=5&loc=44.621+N%2C+73.238+W&var=ssm_depth&dy=2019&dm=3&dd=8&dh=17&snap=1&o9=1&o12=1&o13=1&lbl=m&mode=pan&extents=us&min_x=-73.858333333336&min_y=43.566666666662&max_x=-71.983333333336&max_y=44.624999999996&coord_x=-72.920833333336&coord_y=44.095833333329&zbox_n=&zbox_s=&zbox_e=&zbox_w=&metric=0&bgvar=dem&shdvar=shading&width=800&height=450&nw=800&nh=450&h_o=0&font=0&js=1&uc=0

Its like there is some CAD that protects areas east of the mountains from the brief thaws they do get.

I'll put up another vote for Vermont.  I have my eyes set on a place up there someday, I try to get up there once a year (Waterbury).  I was inspired by their beer and my brewery is essentially a Vermont South version of what they put out. Their sense of craft, whether beer, cheese, maple syrup, etc., is truly inspiring to me.  Beautiful mountains, long snowy winters with few thaws, and summers that aren't too hot are definitely draws for me, too.

8 minutes ago, Fozz said:

That kinda sucks. Is it the lack of northwest winds in a cold airmass that's been screwing them over?

Yeah, these storms that depend on CAD benefit those just to our east on the other side of the Potomac Highlands.  A lot of times we are raining and just 15-20 miles east and northeast of us is piling up the snow.  We get hurt by quick warm air invasion from the west whenever a storm doesn't track right under us.  But they don't get the upslope or truly elevation dependent storms (the elevation dependent storms usually only occur in the early or late season).

So yes, the lack of consistent northwest flow has not only cost us this year, but it seems like the last few (since 13/14) have had this problem.  Clippers are our best friend and they have been lacking for  quite a while.  I'm always looking for the clipper pattern to come around!

3 hours ago, Fozz said:

If I can get enough work done today and tomorrow, I'm going to try heading to Canaan Valley on Friday. It looks to be an interesting event up there.

@jonjon what are your thoughts?

I have to admit I haven't looked at it too closely as I've become despondent from the worst winter we've had since I moved here in 2003.  I suppose we'll crack 100", but not by much.

My gut tells me we may see a few wet inches of snow on Friday, and we do have a good amount on the ground, so it should be a winter wonderland on Friday, at least.  But then meltsville cometh on Saturday . . .

I'm glad a lot of you didn't grade my assignments in school.

2 minutes ago, C.A.P.E. said:

Probably one reason I go with the high gravity stuff. DFH 120 min is a sipper, and by the time I am done its like, nah don't need anymore. Of course even though its one beer, its really more like drinking 3 lol.

I think I've actually cut back my drinking a bit by going with the high gravity stuff and just having one (maybe two if I'm crazy).  I've really gotten into barley wines and trappist ales lately.  I had Barrel Aged Down the Line Barleywine from Rip Current last night (14.2%) and it took me an entire movie to sip the whole thing down (really enjoyed it).  I also love imperial stouts more than I used to.  Now these styles are making their way into our brewery's lineup, as I've brewed many small batches over the last year and now we are ready to scale up.  The ipa's we brew are the basis for our reputation and pay the bills as they are very popular, but I'm hoping to have a much broader portfolio of beers going forward and hope that people appreciate these styles more (barleywines, imperial stouts, belgian dubbels, tripels, quads, etc.).

Enjoying a high gravity beer or two at home hits the spot for me -- but when I'm at the pub and I get going on the free ipas out of the tap the night starts out fun then quickly turns into me suddenly waking up the next morning feeling like crap and wondering what happened . . .

Please, no beer talk until after noon.

12 minutes ago, psuhoffman said:

There are a few we know will DEB every year unless it’s 2003, 2010, or 2014. Basically that once every 7 years kind of anomaly where we get 200% snowfall is all that can keep them happy. The other 85% of the time they will be miserable. 

 

I recall people even complaining in those great years listed above (albeit less so).  Some people are just never satisfied or feel the need to be downers.

19 hours ago, C.A.P.E. said:

Here is his general recipe. What do you think?

IPA Recipe

The objective is to make an IPA with an IBU no more than 50 and ABV around 6.0%. I used the following online calculators to get the required numbers and proportions for the recipe. This procedure will be done 3 times, and each batch divided in 2 for fermentation using different yeast strains. This will make a total of 6 different beer brews with each using a different yeast.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/allgrain-ogfg/

https://www.grainfather.com/brewing-calculators

https://www.hopsteiner.com/ibu-calculator/

Batch size: 23L
Grain weight: Approximately 6 Kg
Boil Time: 60 min

Based on this, 19.7 L of mash water is required

Grain Specifics:
5.5 Kg of Maris Otter
0.3 Kg of Crystal 40L

Based on this, the pre-boil Original Gravity is 1.051
Estimated Final Gravity is 1.018
Estimated ABV is 6.1%

For the hops:

Columbus has an alpha acid percent of 15%
Quantity to be used: 8.5 grams

Citra has an alpha acid percent of 12%
Quantity to be used: 15 grams

Cascade has an alpha acid percent of 6%
Quantity to be used: 28 grams

Add columbus early in the boil for bittering, then some Citra more towards the middle of the boil, and then Cascade would be added last for aroma and flavor. Target is around 45 IBU. I dont want the hops to be too strong as the goal is to detect flavor characteristics imparted by the different yeast strains.
 

Add Columbus first, at the beginning of the boil. 
Add Citra next, in the middle of the boil. (30 mins in)
Add Cascade last, towards the end of the boil. (45 mins in)

Estimated IBU = 44, using Tinseth method

Looks good!  Let us know how it all turns out.

2 hours ago, C.A.P.E. said:

jonjon- Thanks, this is good information. The piece of equipment they have in the lab for brewing is the "Grainfather" and it is 23L. So yes he will brew a 6 gallon batch (probably end up with around 5 gallons of wort), then split it into 2 fermenters , then repeat that process 2 more times to get the 6 different brews, each using a different yeast strain.

I agree that keeping it pretty basic with the hopping process is the way to go here given the intent of this exercise. What proportions would you suggest for the different hop varieties (Columbus, cascade, citra), and is there a particular order they should be added to the boil? Which of these are more bitter...more aromatic? Does higher alpha acid % equate to more bitterness? One of the parameters he has to estimate is the IBUs for the recipe.

The online beer recipe formulator sounds like a great way to go too, in addition to the info you have provided. 

I would use the Columbus for bittering, then some Cascade near the end of the boil and Citra would be used as late as possible, preferably as a dry hop, as this is by far the most flavorful and aromatic of the three.  The recipe formulators should give him an idea of ibu based upon when/how much of each hop is added to the recipe in order to meet whatever ibu he is trying to achieve.

18 hours ago, C.A.P.E. said:

@jonjon

I hope you don't mind a bit of a beer brewing consultation. My friend went with that Everyday IPA, but his teacher didn't want to order the one gallon kits, as it wasn't cost effective. Here is a screenshot of the revised spreadsheet with the list of all ingredients. Following that are the teacher's "instructions" on how to proceed with the recipe. It looks a tad 'greek' to my friend- the specifics of generating the recipe based on maris otter barley. He has the general idea, but has never actually brewed, only watched one demonstration by the instructor using the Grainfather 23L in the lab. Any insights/advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

His teacher's comments-

You need to ferment at least 10 L a go per batch, and buying as a kit is a very expensive way to do business. Best is to make a standard 23 L batch, then split between 2 small vessels to allow for 2 yeasts in one day of brewing. 

Please formulate a suitable recipe using marris otter, with a small amount of cystal malt scaled to 20L beer after losses. I’ve ordered all the hops in the kit (Columbus, cascade, citra) so have a think about your addition schedule. Work out all the weights, the volume of mash and boil water, and the estimated SG and IBUs and let me know before you start. 

Sounds like he just has to come up with a recipe for around a 5 gallon batch.  I suppose the class has the equipment for an all-grain 5 gallon brew?  I think a basic IPA would have a gravity in the 1.055 to 1.060 range (they may use the plato scale over there, I'm not familiar with that scale).  I used to brew 10 gallon batches in the early days, and I would need around 25lbs of fermentable grains to get the gravity wort I wanted to ferment for my basic IPA -- so I'm guessing he is going to need somewhere around half of that amount for just a 5 gall (20L) brew.  So something like 12 lbs of Maris otter, and maybe a half pound or so of some crystal/caramel 40L and that would be a nice simple grain recipe.  Then he has to decide the amounts of hops to use and when to add them.  When I brew an IPA, I look to it with as much aroma/flavor as possible, so I'm heavy on the late addition hops and especially heavy on the dry hops.  This may not be the goal here since its the yeast variations that they are looking to detect, so he may just want to add a 1/2 oz. to 3/4 oz. hop addition at the beginning of the boil, then add a few more ounces very late in the boil or at flameout, then split into two different fermenters that can handle the 2.5 gallons each, then use a different yeast on each to, in essence, come up with two different versions from the same brew session.

I would suggest playing around with an online beer recipe formulator so that the gravity of the brew ends up around what he is looking for -- what I suggested up above is probably close, but a lot depends on the brew system and its capacity (to brew a 5 gallon batch you would need to probably start the boil with 6.5 gall or so to anticipate boil-off etc.) and the system's efficiency. Not sure if I answered what you were looking for, I'd be glad to chip in more if you have something specific you're looking for on this.

Winds kept us from dropping too low this morning, but still managed to get down to -12

Currently -5

Nice looking houses up there!

1 minute ago, C.A.P.E. said:

I looked on the Brooklyn Brew Shop site and it looks like the kit contains Cascade and Columbus hops.

Yeah, sounds like Columbus is the bittering hop and Cascade would be the flavor/aroma hop.   Certainly not going to be a "rock star" IPA, but should be perfect for this experiment.

4 minutes ago, C.A.P.E. said:

@jonjon

Any thoughts on this one? 

https://www.beerhawk.co.uk/brooklyn-brew-shop-everyday-ipa-beer-making-refill

He is in the UK and this should be easy to get.

I can't tell what grains and hops are used on this, but I'm sure that would do the trick just fine.