November 9, 2007

Awesome beer

Category: ESB 3 — Josh @ 11:47 pm

This has got to be one of the best beers that I have ever brewed. It is really good.

September 28, 2007

Renamed this an ESB

Category: ESB 3 — Josh @ 9:47 pm

I renamed this one an ESB.. it fits this style better.

September 18, 2007

Should this be renamed an ESB?

Category: ESB 3 — Josh @ 8:02 pm

I was thinking about this brew a little today and really think it falls more into the ESB category. The only thing that moves it out of the ESB category is the yeast that I used. I wil think about it a bit more. I should brew this again except with Wyeast 1968 yeast.

September 10, 2007

Looking good

Category: ESB 3 — Josh @ 9:42 pm

I tried one of these today. It is by far the best bitter yet. It reminds me of a cross between Sam Adams and Red Hook ESB…. except better.

September 4, 2007

Another batch is born

Category: ESB 3 — Josh @ 8:52 pm

I bottled bitter V this evening. FG was 1.009@74F (1.010 Corrected). Used 6.5 oz of corn sugar for bottling. The flavor reminds me of bitter IV and bitter II. It has the same fruity flavors, but there is not the slight sulfury odor that accompanies the Wyeast 1028. This brew is slightly less sharp in flavor with the Wyeast 1098, but still with a nice fruity flavor. I did lower the fermentation temperature 2 Deg F to 65F, which is the low end of the working range for the 1098. The bitterness is at just the right spot. I hope is does not fade much. The flavor from the Cascade really adds a nice touch, and the earthy aroma and subtle flavor from the Goldings is just right. I can definately taste the warmth from the raw sugar addition. It tastes plesant even at room temperature. I am pleased. ABV calculates to 5.8%. Yeild was 56 bottles (I broke one while capping)

August 27, 2007

93rd hour update

Category: ESB 3 — Josh @ 8:38 pm

I just pulled the blow off tube and attached an airlock. The SG sample that I took read 1.012 @ 73.6 F (1.0135 Corrected). It tastes is pretty good. I definately notice cleaner taste with this bitter VS pervious bitters I have brewed. The flavors of the grains sugars definately come through. The flavor seems softer than with the Wyeast 1028 that I used in the Bitter 4. The slight buttery flavor imparted by the turbinado sugar adds a nice warmth without overpowering the brew, like it did with Bitter 3. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

August 26, 2007

Fermentation update

Category: ESB 3 — Josh @ 11:10 am

Almost 60 hours, the krausen has fallen and, activity out of the airlock has tapered off. It looks like about a quart was pushed out the airlock as foam. The smell is pleasant, with no sulfur odors as with Wyeast 1028.

August 25, 2007

Fermentation update

Category: ESB 3 — Josh @ 2:39 pm

Yesterday around 12:00 pm, fermentation was beginning to take off, with CO2 bubbling out and foam starting to push out of the air lock.

Today at 12:00 pm there is massive airlock activity. It sounds like someone blowing through the BOT into the bucket of sanitizing solution. Foam has been pushing out of the airlock and the sanitizing solution is is amber colored. Fermentation is moving along and looks normal. It is fun to watch the yeast clumps get carried up in the carboy by the tiny CO2 bubbles.

Miftik took some pictures of the brewing process. I am going to post a few soon.

August 24, 2007

Fermentation update

Category: ESB 3 — Josh @ 7:45 am

Just checked the brew this morning. Yeast is beginning to multiply like crazy. There is a visable colony of yeast forming at the top of the carboy. It is beginning to clump together and fall.

Recipe Update

Category: ESB 3 — Josh @ 12:31 am

I have decided to go with the following recipe and hops schedule for this brew.

3 lbs. Maris Otter Pale Malt
.5 lbs. 10°L Crystal Malt
.5 lbs Munich Malt
.25 lbs Cara-Pils
3.3 lbs. Briess Pilsen light liquid malt extract
1 lb Crosby and Baker Muntons light Dried Malt Extract 8 EBC/Lovibond 3.5
1 lb Hawaiian Turbinado Sugar (sugar in the raw)

1 oz Chinook Hops 60 mins
.5 oz Styrian Goldings (whole) 30 mins
.5 oz Styrian Goldings (whole) 15 mins
1 tsp irish moss 15 mins
1/2 tsp Wyeast nutrient 15 mins (per nutirent directions)
1 oz Cascade (whole) 10 mins
Add Turbinado Sugar @ 10 mins
.5 oz Styrian Goldings (whole) 5 mins
.5 oz Styrian Goldings (whole) 1 min

I was planning on a double decoction mash as detailed at www.strangebrewers.org, But I decided to go with a single infusion mash. I just don’t have the time this evening to spend on a decoction mash.

with 4.25 lbs of grain, dough in the mash with 5.625 quarts of water at 175 F (1.3 qt/lb of grist 175°F). Rest 60 mins.

I wrapped the Mash tun in two towels. Temperature drop for my small mash tun was 7 deg F over one hour.

Heat 8.5 quarts of water to 175° F (2 quarts of sparge water per pound of dry grist). Batch Sparge into boiling pot.

SG from mash was 1.032 @ 88.7 F with 9.5 quarts of wort collected. Effieiency was 53%. Terrible I know. (The grind on my grain from the LHBS sucks)

I used a grain bag wrapped around the manifold for the mash tun to help filter things out. This worked really well. I only had to run a quart and the wort was clear.

I topped up to 11 quarts total before boiling. I boiled as noted in the achedule above. I placed the pot in the sink after the boil and dumped in 20lbs of Ice around the pot. It was down to about 110 F in 20 mins. I sparged as normal into the carboy and topped it up with Cold spring water from the fridge. I piched the yeast started and aeriated the wort for 40 mins with my airstone. I then topped up the carboy with spring water to the 6 gallon mark. Carboy was placed in my fermentation freezer and temperature was set to 65.

SG for wort after pitching yeast and topped up with water was 1.053 @ 71.5F(1.054 corrected)