January 22, 2007

Winter Brown Ale – Final Thoughts

Category: Winter Brown Ale — Josh @ 2:45 pm

I did not really like this as much as I was hoping. Thinking back on this one, I think that it may have had a lacto bateria infection. The taste was definately off. If I make it again I will have to be more careful with sanitation and probably add the honey to the boil during the last 10-15 mins. This recipe definately needs more honey.

To try for round 2

6.6 lb Amber Extract
2.00 lb 2 row pale malt
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt – 90-120L
1.00 lb Dark Brown Sugar
1.00 lb Honey (Boil 10 mins)

2.00 oz Northern Brewer – 60 mins
2.00 oz Cascade 15 – mins
1.00 oz kent Goldings 5 – mins
1.00 OZ kent Goldings 0 – mins

.5 tsp Ginger – 10 minutes
.5 tsp Allspice – 10 minutes
.5 tsp Nutmeg – 10 minutes
1 tsp Cinnamon – 10 minutes
1 tsp Grated Orange Peel – 10 minutes
1 Dash of ground cloves – 10 minutes
1 Vanilla Bean – 5 mins

December 1, 2006

Winter Brown Ale – Bottling Day

Category: Winter Brown Ale — Josh @ 10:29 pm

12/01/2006 – Day 19 – Bottled beer. Calculated priming sugar needed using this webpage

A Primer on Priming

I chose volume of CO2 2.6. I want this beer to be carbonated. I have kept the beer at 68F in the temp controlled freezer, and calculated that I needed 5 oz of corn sugar. I mixed corn sugar with .5 gallons of water to make up for the wort lost in fermentation. Boiled the mixture for 15 minutes let cool and used this to prime the beer for bottling.

FG 1.024 @ 70F – 1.025 corrected – 2.4 % ABV. It tastes pretty good, not what I was expecting though.

November 26, 2006

Winter Brown Ale – Update

Category: Winter Brown Ale — Josh @ 10:23 am

Day 14 – Fermentation very slow one bubble every 40-45 seconds. Will bottle 12/01/2006

November 24, 2006

Winter Brown Ale – Update

Category: Winter Brown Ale — Josh @ 8:18 am

Day 12 – fermentation slow

November 17, 2006

Winter Brown Ale – Racked

Category: Winter Brown Ale — Josh @ 7:56 pm

Day 5 – racked to secondary fermenter

November 14, 2006

Winter Brown Ale – Honey Addition

Category: Winter Brown Ale — Josh @ 8:43 pm

Day 2 – Added Honey. I prepared it by preheating the oven to 176 F. I placed the honey in a small pyrex bowl, then heated the honey on the stovetop to 176¡ F. I heated the honey in a water bath inside a small pot so I would not burn the honey. When the honey reached 176 F, I placed the dish in the oven at 176-185 F for 2.5 hours. I then added the 8 oz of honey to, 2 cups boiled(15m) water, cooled to room temp, and piched at the peak of fermentation on day two.

November 12, 2006

Winter Brown Ale – Brewing

Category: Winter Brown Ale — Josh @ 9:01 pm

Brew Day

4lbs Ironmaster Northern Brown Ale kit – 60 mins
3.3 lbs Briess CBW Dark Liquid ME – 60 mins
.5 lb Dark Brown Sugar – 60 mins
1 oz Fuggles Pellets – 60 mins
1 tsp Irish Moss – 15 mins
.5 oz Fuggles Pellets – 10 mins
.5 tsp Allspice – 5 minutes
.5 tsp Nutmeg – 5 minutes
1 tsp Cinnamon – 5 minutes
1 tbsp Grated Orange Peel 1 Tbs – 5 minutes
1 dash of ground cloves – 5 minutes
1 Vanilla Bean – 5 minutes
1 tbsp Grated Orange Peel – steeped at the end
.5 oz Fuggles Pellets – steeped at the end
.5 lb Honey – Day 2

Zepher hills water used to fill up to 5 gallon mark

O. G. 1.044 @ 74 F – 1.046 corrected (Reading was after yeast pitched)

Winter Brown Ale – Starter

Category: Winter Brown Ale — Josh @ 8:07 am

Day 0 – Starter wort – 1.5 liters water – 5.25 oz malt sugar – boil for 15 mins
activate Wyeast 1335 british ale yeast propigator smack pack. Let stand for three hours, then pitch into cooled wort.