Eis bock baby

Behold! The last beer I'll have to lager this year. Hooray. I'll finally get my kegerator back. Woo-hoo! I've been using my kegerator to lager beer and I'll be so happy having a cold brew flow through it's taps again.

My kegerator's last challenge will be to freeze my Eisbock...you know...to flavor the Eisbock. Nod. Nod. Wink. Wink.

Beer Nerd Stuff: 

Beer Style: Eisbock
 
Batch Size: 5 Gallons

Grains: 

• 8.50 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
• 3.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)
• 2.50 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
• 1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM)
• 1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)
• 0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)

Hops:

• 1.75 oz Hallertauer [3.80 %] (90 min)
• 0.50 oz Saaz [6.80 %] (30 min)
• 0.50 oz Saaz [2.60 %] (30 min)
• 0.50 oz Saaz [6.80 %] (5 min)
• 0.50 oz Saaz [2.60 %] (5 min)

Yeast:

• 1 Pkgs Bavarian Lager (Wyeast Labs #2206)

Mash Type:

• Temperature Mash
  

OG:

• 1.090 SG

Beer Word Wednesday

This week's word is: Brewpot

It's what you brew beer in.  You may also cook gumbo, but be sure to clean it before you brew beer the next time.

Here's a pic:

My Doppleback is hurting me

Beautiful day in south Texas to make beer. Too bad it didn't come out right.

Today was the first time I tried to figure out the water profile for me beer. I delicately measured every single water additive down to the gram to try and get a match for the water in the region of the would I was trying to make the beer.

Always check the legs on your collapsible table. Always.

The cooler I was using to store all of that lovely water caused the table to collapse on one side. All the time prep to make the water went to naught and I left having to partially use my local area water.

I even missed the OG for the beer. Ouch! That hurts.

Beer Nerd Stuff: 

Beer Style: Dopplebock
 
Batch Size: 5 Gallons

Grains: 

• 11.25 lb     Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
• 1.75 lb     Lager Malt (2.0 SRM)
• 0.50 lb     Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM)
• 0.50 lb     Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)
• 0.13 lb     Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)

Hops:

• 0.15 oz Hallertauer [4.50 %] (90 min)
• 1.00 oz Tradition [5.80 %] (90 min)
• 0.25 oz Hallertauer [4.50 %] (20 min)

Yeast:

• 1 Pkg German Bock Lager (White Labs #WLP833)

Mash Type:

• Double Infusion, Medium Body (90 Minutes)
  

OG:

• 1.078 SG

Beer Word Wednesday

This week's word is: Hops

A bitter and flavor component of beer.  It also acts as a preservative.  It comes in three forms leaf, whole or pellet.  Most home brewer's use pellet.

Here's a pic.

Big Old ESB

I took a break from brewing lagers this week. The Mrs loves her some bitter, so I brewed a big batch (10 gallons worth) of Extra Special Bitter. This was the first time I ever brewed a 10 gallon batch. Boy was this heavy to move around in the brewpot. I was so worried about sloshing it all over the place.  It took two carboys for all the wort. That some bitter baby!

Beer Nerd Stuff: 

Beer Style: 8C Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
 
Batch Size: 10 Gallons

Grains: 

• 18.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) 
• 2.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)
• 1.00 lb Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM)

Hops:

• 3.00 oz Kent Goldings (USA) [4.90 %] (90 min)
• 2.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (15 min)
• 1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent (Dry Hopped 7 Days) [5.00 %] (0 min)
  

Yeast:

• 2 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04)
  

Mash Type:

• Single Infusion (90 minute)
  

OG:

• 1.053 SG

Beer Word Wednesday

This week's word is: Mash Tun

A container using in the process of mashing your grain.

At some point I'll define what mashing is, but if you can't wait here's a link.

A pic of my mash tun. Aren't Igloo cooler high tech?

Not Mai(My)-Bock Enough...Don't brew after work

Just when you think you are really starting to get a handle at this home brewing thing the brew throws you a curve.

Okay, unlike last week I finally got a hold of the right type of grains for a Maibock. All was going good until...well here's what happened.

My normal brew days, up to this point, have been on the weekend, but my back felt a little whacked out over the weekend, so I put it off a couple days.  I figured brewing on a Monday would give my back a little rest and give me something to do while the Mrs. was out of town on business. I was so wrong.

I made a lot more mistakes this time round. The mistakes I made was simple stuff too.  I spilled water while adding it to the grain in the mash tun. I over compensated and added more water than the water I lost. I even missed my mark on the temp for the protein rest.  It was like that all night.

The end result of this is that I missed the OG on the Maibock

Don't brew tired after work.  That's all I'm saying.

Beer Nerd Stuff: 

Beer Style: 5A Maibock/Helles Bock
 
Batch Size: 5.5 Gallons

Grains:

• 9.25 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)
• 2.75 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
• 0.25 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 2.04 %

Hops:

• 1.00 oz Hallertauer * Noble [3.00 %] (90 min) Hops 10.2 IBU
• 0.63 oz Magnum {LC} [13.10 %] (90 min) Hops 27.8 IBU

Yeast:

• 1 Pkgs German Bock Lager (White Labs #WLP833)
  

Mash Type:

• Double Infusion, Full Body
  

OG:

• 1.060 SG

Beer Word Wednesday

This week's word is: Carboy

A big old jug used in the fermentation of beer.

Here's a pic.

Not Mai(My)-Bock

Took a while to get this week's post.  I'm making this quick cause I got work tomorrow.

I was originally going to make a Maibock out a recipe inspired from the book "Bock" by Darryl Richman. I was all set to make it until...I found out his recipe wasn't exactly to style for a Maibock. So now I had ingredients but not for a Maibock. Quick adjustments to my planned beer were in order. I wound up making a traditional Bock instead of the Maibock.

The lesson learned: pre plan the ingredients for the projected style you are trying to make, so that you make sure the ingredients you have on hand will make the style. Sounds simple.  It wasn't. I spent almost an hour making adjustments to the recipe, so it would come out as a bock rather than a Maibock.

Beer Nerd Stuff: 

Beer Style: 5B Traditional Bock
 
Batch Size: 4.5 Gallons

Grains:

• 5.50 lb Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) 
• 5.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)
• 1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM)

Hops:

• 1.00 oz Hallertauer [3.80 %] (90 min)
• 0.62 oz Hallertauer [3.80 %] (30 min)
• 1.00 oz Saaz [2.60 %] (0 min)

Yeast:

• 1 Pkgs German Lager (White Labs #WLP830)
  

Mash Type:

• Double Infusion, Full Body
  

OG:

• 1.070 SG