Double batch Wit bier - Status: FERMENTING

Double batch Wit Beer

16-A Witbier

Size: 11.0 gal - OG 1.047

Ingredients:

10.0 lbs Standard 2-Row
7.0 lbs White Wheat
1.0 lbs Oat Flakes
0.5 oz chinook (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 45.0 min
0.5 oz Centennial (8.0%) - added during boil, boiled 45 min
0.0 ea WYeast 3944 Belgian Witbier

Notes:

Brewed in Boilermakers without tier. Waiting for parts. Started mash at 155F but droped to 148 after 60 min. Plan to split beer into two fermenters one made "herbal" IE Spearamint? Chamomile? Lavender? Oz of dry herbal hop?. The second made as a citrus wit pale ale... IE dry hop with american hop and use grapefruit and corriander. Details to follow on blog.

a make-shift setup for now... New moster mill can be seen (right)

Bourbon Cask Vanilla Bean Stout! status: ON TAP/cold conditioning

vanilla bourbon cask stout

Best Guess Base Style: 13-D Foreign Extra Stout (otherwise a specialty/wood aged beer cat 21,22,23? BJCP)

Size: 6.0 gal
Calories: 226.13 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.068 (1.056 - 1.075)

Ingredients:

13.0 lbs Maris Otter Pale
.75 lbs Roasted Barley
.5 lbs Chocolate Malt
0.5 lbs Crystal Malt 120°L
10 oz Crystal 45
2 oz Pale Chocolate Malt
1.5 oz Target (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
1 ea Fermentis US-05 Safale US-05
2 ea Vanilla (whole bean)
2.0 oz Bourbon wood chunks
3.0 oz Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon

Martin "doughing in" with handmade mash paddle (Chad Heinz)

Notes: Brew Date: March 26th with assistant brewer Martin Medynski.  Strike 15.5# grist in 20 quarts water @ 166F = Mash @ 152F.  Actual OG was 1.079 @ 5 US Gal.  (Did not add water during boil... figured a stronger more robust beer is a good thing!)  

April 4th gravity 1.016 with yeast still in suspension but almost complete. Est alc/vol = 8.3%. 

April 9th Yeast dormant and clearing. Almost ready to age and add more flavor! (See below)

Apr 20th racked into sec. with oak, beans etc.

Progress: Purchased 4 Roses "Single Barrel" Kentucky Bourbon $58.00 retail 100 proof.  This bourbon is based on a single barrel release from 10 test recipes.  One is chosen as the annual "single barrel".  The bottle is numbered as per which warehouse and location within it was aged. (RS | 80-IT).  I looked online and found great reviews and comparison against other american bourbon whiskies.  http://whiskey.findthebest.com/d/c/American/Bourbon : lists 4 roses single barrel #10 out of 130 other american bourbon and rye whiskies with a score of 91/100.  (Jack Daniel's no.7 scored a 45 in last place)

Tyler and I enjoy the "Beer and Shot" 

When I recently visited San Francisco we stopped by a modernized "saloon" for what is locally popular for happy hour "Beer and a shot" for about 5 bucks.  We were served a half pint of local Anchor Steam beer and an unknown variety of Four Roses, the first I'd heard of it, which proved to be an excellent bourbon that I thoroughly enjoyed alone (neat) and alongside the steam beer.  I intend to pair this whiskey with a goblet of stout once it hits the tap;)

2oz oak chunks, 2 Vanilla Beans in 3 oz Four Roses

Now for the fun part!  There are many ways to flavor infuse this beer.  I happen to have chunks of used barrel from a bourbon distillery (unknown), charred and soaked from a single run of bourbon.  These chunks are often popular with home distillers aging their spirits.  Even though the flavors will be aggressive in this beer I think I will start small and add more later if required by taste.  I want the beer to be supported by the bourbon, wood, and vanilla not overwhelmed.  In Jamil's book Brewing Classes Styles, he recommends starting with 1-2 oz of oak.  I will soak 2 oz of chunks in approx 3 oz of Four Roses along with two vanilla beens split open lengthwise for a few days until I rack and blend together.  My brother used a similar protocol in a Brewhouse Kit "stout" with 2 vanilla beans and about 2 oz? oak with 1/2 bottle of Glenfiddich added straight into the keg.  He soaked the oak for maybe 2 days prior.  The beer was gone within a few days so I am unsure how much flavor really blended in.  2 beans was subtle but I intend to age longer than he did and my beers flavor is more aggressive.

May 27th Update:  After about 5 weeks now aging on the vanilla and bourbon chunks I have finally racked into a keg.  I guess the beer is ready to go but will continue to cold age at 2 C as the keg sits.  Since the beer is so bold, dark, and high in alcohol I don't think it will go quick.  Nor will I bring to a party which should improve its longevity!

St. Paddy's Mead status: AGING

 St. Paddy's Mead

Size: 3.5 gal

Original Gravity: 1.098 (1.000 - 1.100)
Final gravity 0.98
EST about 13 % alc/vol

Ingredients:

12.3 lbs Honey
1 tsp Yeast Energizer - added during boil, boiled 0.0 min
1 tsp AYF Yeast Nutrient - added during boil, boiled 0.0 min
1 tsp Acid Blend - added during boil, boiled 0.0 min

Notes:

Mixed what was left of my old pail of famers honey (clover mostly) in warm water, dissolved, mixed with cool water to 4 gal. No boil or temp raise. Pitched EC-1118 champagne dry (re hydrated) yeast into oxygenated must at about 30 celcius. Also pitched about 1/4-1/2 tsp each of acid blend (to reduce ph to just below 5) and nutrient energizer. Intend to add more nutrient and energizer every 24 hours for the next few days. I will also stir once or twice a day to re suspend yeast and rid carbonic acid/co2. (Curt Stock method found online). May add heat belt after high krausen.

April 20 racked to 3 gal fermenter top the top with 1/2oz bourbon barrel chunks to age long time ;)

HEFEWIEZEN Status: GONE!

Hefeweizen

15-A Weizen/Weissbier

Size: 5.0 gal
Efficiency: 77.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 185.1 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.056 (1.044 - 1.052)
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Terminal Gravity: 1.014 (1.010 - 1.014)
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Color: 1.6 (2.0 - 8.0)
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Alcohol: 5.47% (4.3% - 5.6%)
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Bitterness: 12.36 (8.0 - 15.0)
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Ingredients:

5.0 lbs White Wheat
5.0 lbs Pilsen Malt
1.0 oz Czech Saaz (3.3%) - added first wort, boiled 90 min
0.0 ea WYeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen

Notes:

10lb in 15 quarts @ 166 = 154 mash | Single decoction boiled for 5 min then added back for mashout. | Couldnt resist adding about 1/4 oz of saaz into the mashtun and used my hops as 90 min FWH.

Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.0.29

Dubbel Trubbel | Status: GONE

This beer was brewed by my father and I and is properly named Dubbel Stenberg Trubbel.  Nice hey?  While we brewed this beer, we enjoyed a belgian dubbel I made in 2005 (bottled nov 14 '05) with Chris Watts from the EHG called Hairy Abbey.  I saved two bottles (1 for my 30th B-day)  I couldn't resist trying the beer and to my amazement it was exceptional.  One of the BEST hombrews I have tried of my own.  We even followed it up with a real Dubbel from Belgium and it didn't even come close to comparing. I will try and dig up that recipe and post it below for reference.  This beer was a new recipe and used all import premium grains.  However you will notice 3 yeasts in the recipe with the Fermentis yeast probably contributing the most character since the other two were old and almost dead ;(  No worries, it will just be that much harder for anyone to duplicate if they want to go big scale with it!  haha yeah right.  So far the beer smells strongly of banana but hopefully, from what I read online, will diminish with some age....

18-B Belgian Dubbel

Size: 5.0 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 247.01 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.060 Without sugar (1.062 - 1.075)
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Terminal Gravity: 1.018 (1.010 - 1.018)
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Color: 18.4 (10.0 - 14.0)
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Alcohol: 7.3% (6.0% - 7.5%)
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Bitterness: 25.28 (15.0 - 25.0)
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Ingredients:

10 lbs Belgian Pils
1 lbs Belgian Munich
0.5 lbs Belgian Special B
0.5 lbs Belgian Aromatic
0.5 lbs Belgian Caramunich
1.5 oz Tettnanger (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
0.0 ea WYeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II
0.0 ea WYeast 3724 Belgian Saison Yeast
0.0 ea Fermentis T-58 SafBrew T-58

1 lbs White Table Sugar (Sucrose) made into simple syrup on the stove, cooled, and added post high Krausen as a second fermentation.

Notes:

mash around 150 up to 90 min for full conversion. Boil 90 min. Add the 1lb cane sugar after high krausen and fermentation near completion. Avoid too much oxygen at pitch to decrease fusel alcohols. keep constant ferment temp around 18 at pitch and allow to rise naturally to 21 or add subtle heat for good attenuation. Strike 12.5 lb grain in 15 quarts at 166F = 150 rest

THE OLD HAIRY ABBEY RECIPE

PS is won various medals in the belgian strong catagory.

my recipe in notes form from 2005

Pumpkin Beer! Status: GONE

The Hunt For Orange Oktober (Pumpkin Beer)

I can't wait to get this beer fermenting tomorrow!  Pumpkin and other spiced beers have always been my forte in brewing and pumpkin ales happen to be my favorite seasonal.  They are great to serve with Thanksgiving dinner, on Halloween, or on tap at your annual Harvest Party Kegger!  I always use fresh spices and use a blend that would be found in Pumpkin Pie.  The slightly sweet malty character also has a biscuity quality that also relates to the pie.  However the beer is not too strong and can be drank as a session ale.  This year I decided to make my base beer style an Oktoberfest.  Munich Malts combined with a special strain of yeast from Germany will help bring out the rich flavors of the celebratory lager.  The pumpkin is simple.  Add 1-2 cans of pure 100% non spiced pumpkin into the mash.  I have seen people use real pumpkin after cubing and cooking etc but usually avoid the work and mess.  Plus there are no pumpkins available yet. You can also ferment, lager, and even serve the beer in a pumpkin on tap at a party!  Just need to find a pumpkin!!  If you are looking for a commercial version of the pumpkin ale, Alley Kat in Edmonton releases a pumpkin spiced beer almost annually.  Try and find it quick in either Edmonton or Calgary because it sells out fast!

3-B Oktoberfest/Märzen

Size: 5.5 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%

Calories: 186.98 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.056 (1.050 - 1.056)

Ingredients:

6 lbs Standard 2-Row
5 lbs Munich Malt
1 lbs Caramunich® TYPE II
1.0 ea Pumpkin (canned) - added during mash
1.5 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice - added during boil, boiled 0.0 min
0.75 oz Target (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
0.5 L WYeast 2633 Octoberfest Lager Blend

Notes:strike 12lb grain in 12 quarts 50/50 water @ 172F = 154 est REST 30-45 min then add boiling water to increase mash temp for effeciency 15-30 min (est increase to 158F?) Mash 100% pure pumpkin in top of mash and stir gently to avoid stuck mash. Use fresh spices in boil 3/4tsp cinnamon 1/2tsp ginger 1/4tsp each of nutmeg and allspice. Add spices to boil at 0 min. Ferment est 15C

Here are a couple past recipes of pumpkin ales I have brewed that turned out amazing!!!  The first one even one a silver medal at the Dixie cup which is one of the largest competitions in the world.

Kurt STENBERG’s Pumpkin Pie Brau

Stats: 6 Gal batch, 9.7 SRM, est 1.045 OG, est 15 IBU’s, est 75% efficiency

8 # 2-row

3 # Munich I

6 oz Special B

1 Can (800ml) 100% pure pumpkin puree (not spiced)

0.5 oz Northern Brewer hops @ 60 min (7.1 AAU) = 14.5 IBU’s

¾ tsp Cinnamon @ 15 min

½ tsp Ginger @ 15 min

¼ tsp mix of all-spice and nutmeg

Rogue Pacman Ale yeast (seasonal Wyeast release) Active fresh 1 Liter starter made 24 hrs before pitch with light DME.

Notes: Mashed 60 min @ 148F and @ 160F for 20 min.  Spices were fresh ground.  Add pumpkin to top of mash once settled and gently stir into top layer to avoid stuck mash.  Ferment 18-20 celcius.  Oxygenate beer at pitch 1L/min for 30-45 seconds.  This beer won silver medal at the Dixie cup.

Kurt STENBERG’s ‘DP’ brau (Double Pumpkin) 2008

Stats: 6 gal batch, est 15-20 IBU’s, OG 1.042, SRM light orange est 80-85% efficiency

Est 9 #s 2 row

0.5 # cara red (15-25) Lov.

0.5 # biscuit malt

2 Can (1600ml) 100% pure pumpkin puree (not spiced)

¾? Oz fuggles @ 60 min (15-20 IBU’s worth)

In Whirlpool 0 min add:

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

¼ tsp all spice

¼ tsp nutmeg

London ESB Wyeast active fresh starter 1L made 24 hrs before pitch with light DME.

Notes: I brewed this beer “by feel” without any brewing software.  I did measure small ingredient amounts and temps during brew but did not predict a strike temp or mash temp and just went by experience.  I did strike grist in 167F 13 quarts RO/tap water mix for a 60  min rest @ 152F.  This beer was also excellent and I was confident it would have been decorate in competition however I took it to a party in a keg!  It was slightly sweeter than the last batch and was a nicer orange color.

RUM CASK SCOTTISH ALE status: GONE

Inspiration

Innis and Gunn?  That's at least the idea I had when creating this masterpiece in my head!  I love oak.  I love rum.  I love spiced rum.  I love beer.... you get the idea.

When I was brewing the dopplebock, I had the idea to continue sparging my grain slowly in anticipation I would collect more volume than needed for the bock.  I was correct.  I used the richest of the wort runnings for the dopplebock but continued to collect about 1.5-2 gallons of a weaker gravity bock wort.  I knew this wort would still have some sweetness and toasted caramel notes, but needed more strength.  I had a package of unused light DME (dry malt extract) normally reserved for extract brewers or in my case: making yeast starters.  This was some higher quality muntons extract that I thought would be perfect for the stove-top batch I was in the midst of creation.  I ended up with about 3-4 gallons total, bittered with goldings, and fermented in porous plastic for a month then transferred to glass with spiced rum soaked american oak chips.  I chose the golden standard of spiced rum: captain morgans since it contains such a high ratio of vanilla flavors which is native to oak character.  This choice should  support the Innis and Gunn character I am looking for.

But wait Kurt!  What yeast did I use you ask?  Well, the same harvest of second generation scottish ale yeast that I originally collected from the Malt Monster!  The other half of the second generation scottish ale yeast was used on the Kona Oatmeal stout... remember?  Talk about saving money while improving my beer batman!

The beer will be on tap soon sitting between 5-5.5% and should contain a toasted oaky malty sweet vanilla character ;)

the ol' STENBATOR! status: GONE

the ol' Stenbator!
5-C Doppelbock


This style of beer is like the Munich Dunkel I brewed a while back in the fact that its a dark german lager with wonderful rich toasted notes from high usage of munich malts.  The doppelbock literally translates into "Double-goat" which is somewhat strange and you will often see a goat on the label of a commercially made "bock" style beer.  The double is true in the fact I used twice the amount of grain I normally would on a batch of beer.  This gives me a stronger concentration of malt sugars to ferment which creates a bigger bodied, sweeter, higher alcohol brew.  More is always better right?  In this case yes!  I needed a huge amount of yeast so I recycled the yeast from the dunkel and re pitched it immediately after racking out the dunkel into a keg.  (that is the main reason I brewed the dunkel.  To ferment and create a large amount of yeast for this beer.)

Fun facts about doppelbocks:  Doppelbocks always end in the suffix "ator".  Salivator, Celebrator, Master..... you get the idea.  They are so rich and used to be even sweeter back in the day, because of poor fermentations etc, that they were considered full of nutrition and monks used to drink them for sustenance during Lent and gave the beer its nickname "liquid bread".  Historically, beer was also the safest beverage to drink since water supplies and even wine were all contaminated and made people sick.  The boiling process when making beer, sterilized the liquid making it the safest option.  I also believe beer is still considered a legitimate "staple" in the diet of germans.


Actual Brew Date March 8, 2012
Size: 5.75 gal
Efficiency: 77.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 283.92 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.085 (1.072 - 1.096)
Terminal Gravity: 1.021 (1.016 - 1.024)
Color: 18.5 (6.0 - 25.0)
Alcohol: 8.4% (7.0% - 10.0%)
Bitterness: 23.0 (16.0 - 26.0)

Ingredients:
13 lbs Munich Malt 1
3.5 lbs Pilsner Malt
2 lbs Caramunich® TYPE III
1.25 oz Tettnanger (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
0.5 oz Tettnanger (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 25 min
1 ea WYeast 2206 Bavarian Lager

Notes:
striked 18.5 lb in 20 quarts water @172= 155 rest 60 min.

Wit Bier | status: GONE

Wit Bier

You will notice that this beer is very close to the Hefe-wit-wiezen I brewed not too long ago.  Well there is a good reason for this.... We drank the whole keg in 1 sitting!  It was excellent so it's time to brew another.  Only slight modifications to the original recipe.  Opted for a belgian yeast strain, Forbidden Fruit, and increased the grain bill for a bit more strength and body.

16-A Witbier

Size: 7.0 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 163.9 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.049 (1.044 - 1.052)
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Terminal Gravity: 1.012 (1.008 - 1.012)
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Color: 2.0 (2.0 - 4.0)
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Alcohol: 4.84% (4.5% - 5.5%)
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Bitterness: 16.05 (10.0 - 20.0)
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Ingredients:

6.0 lbs Standard 2-Row
5.5 lbs White Wheat
1.0 lbs Oat Flakes
0.25 lbs Light Munich Malt
1 oz Sterling (6.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
0.4 oz Corriander crushed - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min
1.5 oz Orange zest - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min
0.0 ea WYeast 3463 Forbidden Fruit

Notes:

ALOHA Stout status: GONE

UPDATE: the brew seems to have stopped showing much activity after increasing its temp for a few days (see last update in the "comment" below the post)  I now have the beer blended with the coffee extract and in a secondary vessel and cold conditioning near freezing.  This will hopefully drop out any suspended yeast and proteins left hazing the beer.  Then it's time for packaging!

I love brewing coffee stouts.  The main reason is because you are able to capture such an awesome flavor of coffee in the beer.  For some mysterious reason, when you cold steep coffee, you retain that wonderful fresh coffee flavor that you smell when you sniff a bag of fresh coffee.  When coffee is brewed hot, it loses a lot of its nuances and really doesn't taste like it smells.  In beer however, if done correctly, it does! Why Oatmeal Stout as the base beer?  It is slightly sweet and already has a soft "coffee with cream" mouthfeel and flavor.  I believe these flavors will play naturally with the already coffee like character of a stout and the fresh coffee extraction we will get from fresh ground roast coffee.

Honestly you could use any coffee.  But like any cooking, fresh ingredients are best.  We are ordering 100% Kona Coffee online straight from the islands of Hawaii.  The coffee is "cold steeped" overnight in sterile water then filtered and added to the beer at bottling time.  This method extracts the best and most fresh flavors.  In the past I have tried using hot espresso and even adding beans directly into the bottle before sending to competition.  Both have yielded excellent results, including gold medals, but the cold extraction is just that much more superior.


The fermentation in this batch is somewhat experimental.  I tried harvesting my own yeast from the Malt Monster.  After racking out the beer for bottling, I added some cooled sterile de-oxygenated water and swirled up the yeast cake.  Keeping everything as sterile as possible I then transferred it to another small glass vessel to settle in the fridge and separate into three layers of beer, yeast, and trub.  Then I poured the yeast and beer into two mason jars and kept in the fridge until now.  With a small starter I will be able to rouse the yeast and smell and taste it for any signs of infection.  If successful, this will prove to be a way to re-use yeast and save money as well as improve my beer.  Brewers say that the 3rd-5th generation of yeast harvested produces the "best" beers.  Wish  me luck, lest hope I can make it to batch 5 without infection ;)



100% Kona Coffee Aloha Stout
13-C Oatmeal Stout



Size: 6.0 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 191.53 per 12.0 fl oz



Original Gravity: 1.057 (1.048 - 1.065)
Terminal Gravity: 1.014 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 25.9 (22.0 - 40.0)
Alcohol: 5.66% (4.2% - 5.9%)
Bitterness: 37.45 (25.0 - 40.0)

Ingredients:
11.0 lbs Standard 2-Row
1.0 lbs Quick Oats
0.75 lbs Chocolate Malt
0.5 lbs Crystal Malt 80°L
0.5 lbs Roasted Barley
4.0 oz Special B - Caramel malt
1.0 oz Chinook (12.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
1 ea WYeast 1728 Scottish Ale
0.5 lbs 100% Kona Coffee (grounds) - cold extraction added at bottling time

Brewmaster Notes:
Toast Oats in oven @ 300F until the slightly brown to enhance flavor.  Strike 14 lb grist in 17 quarts 50% RO water @ 171F = single infusion rest @ 155 60-90 min.  May need full 90 min to convert oats.  4 oz special B used instead of a 0.75 lb addition of Victory Malt (noted in brewing classic styles).  Scottish Ale yeast est 1/4-1/2 cup "thick" slurry from harvest of Scottish Malt Monster on Jan 12th.  Yeast was washed with sterile water and placed into 2 mason jars in fridge since harvest.  Yeast partially decanted, swirled then added to a small starter to rouse yeast and smell/taste for any signs of infection/problems.  Ferment beer at current room temp est 16C.  When complete and clear, 1/2lb fresh imported 100% Kona Coffee imported from Hawaii online, to be "cold steeped" in about 1 quart of sterile water in the fridge overnight.  Coffee then strained in french press or filter and added to beer @ bottling time.  Carbonate 2-2.5 CO2 volumes with dextrose.