Pre-Nuptu-Ale

Origins:
     I'm brewing this beer for my wedding and wanted something that all of the Bud drinking part of the family could drink and not offend their sensitive palates.  When buying this it was kind of a relief that I only had to buy one package of hops for a 10 gallon batch.  Since Whitney and I have been living in sin for over 5 years and now we are finally making it official, I decided to call our wedding beer Pre-Nuptu-Ale.

Recipe Specifications:

• Batch Size: 10.00 gal
• Boil Size: 12.5  gal
• Predicted OG: 1.057 SG
• Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 7.70 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US
• 7.70 lb Pilsner Malt
• 2.00 lb Flaked Corn
• 2.00 lb Corn Sugar (Dextrose)

Total Grain Weight: 19.4 lb

• 2.00 oz Cascade, US 9.5% Whole Leaf Hops 
• WLP001 California Ale Yeast

Starter Procedure:
Friday May 17, 2013 I made my standard starter and placed it on the stir plate overnight.

Brew Procedure:
      On May 18th 2013, I decided to brew. First I calculated how much mash water I needed. total grain weight was 19.4 lbs. So to calculate mash water I used the following calculation:

19.4 lbs grain x 1.75 qt/lb = 33.95 qt. x 1/4 gallon/qt = 8.49 gal

I used 1.75 since because my hot liquor tank is too small to give the required sparge volume if I only used 1.5 or 1.33.  There isn't really a downside that I have found,  and a couple sites said  a wetter mash can increase your efficiency.  I filled the mashtun with 8.5 gallons of water and began heating it to 165 °F.  After the water reached 165 °F I added the grain and began vigorously stirring. After a few minutes the temperature had dropped down to a perfect 152 °F.  I checked the pH to be about 5.4, and placed the insulation jacket around the mashtun.
     After mashing I transferred to the kettle and completed the brew using the following schedule:

Hops/Ingredients Schedule:

Quantity	Ingredient	Boiled For
1.0 oz.	Cascade	Entire 60 Min. boil
1.0 oz.	Cascade	Last 30 min of boil
2 tabs	Whirlfloc	Last 15 min of boil
1 tsp.	Yeast Nutrient	Last 15 min of boil

I cooled the wort and pitched the yeast into two 6.5 gallon fermentation buckets and oxygenated for 15 seconds each bucket.  I also added a vial of clarityferm to each fermenter since this will be for my wedding, I wanted there to be something for my friend Pat to drink. I ordered a plate chiller but it hasn't got here yet so this is the last time I will have to use my immersion chiller to get my beer down to pitching temp.

Additional Comments:
    This may have been my most successful brew I have done to date.  All temperatures were hit pretty consistently and I essentially nailed my gravity reading.  Also I produced exactly 10 gallons of beer after it was in the fermenters.  Would have liked to have like 11 but not a big deal. I may dry hop with an oz. of cascade pellets I have left over from my last IPA but I'll decide when I transfer.

INITIAL WORT GRAVITY: 1.062

UPDATE 5/26/13:
Gravity at Transfer: 1.022
131.25*(1.062-1.022)=5.25%
Still needs to finish, the beer is cloudy but needs have be fined some more.

Big Brew 2013 IPA

Origins:
My dad was coming up for the weekend from visiting my grandparents and wanted to brew some beer with his favorite son.  So I went to the brew store to gather the ingredients for our brew.  While at the store I found out that same weekend was the Big Brew at Brew Brothers.  Having no way to get my equipment down to the site I told Chris that I wouldn't be able to make it.  He very graciously offered to pick up my equipment on Friday and drive it down so that I could participate in the Big Brew.  The staff at Brew Brothers is amazing!

Big Brew 2013

Recipe Specifications:

• Batch Size: 10.00 gal
• Boil Size: 13.5  gal
• Predicted OG: 1.052 SG
• Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 20.5 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US
• 1.00 lb GW Crystal Malt - 40 °L
• 1.00 lb Briess Crystal Malt -10 °L
• 0.5 lb Briess Cara-pils

Total Grain Weight: 36.5 lb

• 2.0 oz. Magnum 14.9% AA
• 4.0 oz. Simcoe 14.8% AA
• 4.0 oz. Citra
• WLP 001 California Ale Yeast

Starter Procedure:

Thursday March 2, 2013 I made the starter since since this was one of the first times I didn't decide I was going to brew the day I could have almost 2 full days for the starter to ferment. Typical 1000 ml starter recipe was used.

Brew Procedure:
      On May 4th 2013, we got up early and drove down to the event, there was a lot going on but Jay and Chris from brew brothers were extremely helpful in getting my equipment set up.  Since Jay had picked it up the night before and dropped it off at the store it was still in the back.

While I was setting up my equipment I saw Eric, the guy that gave me the insulation jacket for my mashtun.  We talked for a while and he gave us some awesome beer and orange infused carbonated water.

After I got settled in I first calculated how much mash water I needed. total grain weight was 22 lbs. So to calculate mash water I used the following calculation:

22.0 lbs grain x 1.5 qt/lb = 33 qt. x 1/4 gallon/qt = 8.25 gallons

I liked using the 1.5 qt/lb ratio because it makes for a looser mash and I don't have to worry about dough balls as much.  I filled the mash-tun with 8.25 gallons of water and began heating it to 165 °F.  After the water reached 165 °F I added the grain and began stirring. After stirring the mash vigorously for a few minutes the temperature had dropped down to a perfect 155 °F.  I placed the mash-tun insulation jacket around the vessel and let it sit for 45 minutes.  I measured a mash Ph of approximately 5.6 the test strips are not very high resolution so I had to guess.
     After mashing I transferred to the kettle and sparged.  I completed the brew using the following ingredient schedule:

Hops/Ingredients Schedule:

Quantity	Ingredient	Boiled For
2.0 oz.	Magnum	Entire 60 Min. boil
2.0 oz.	Simcoe	Last 20 min of boil
1.0 oz	Simcoe	Last 10 min of boil
1.0 oz	Simcoe	Last 10 min of boil
1 tsp	Yeast Nutrient	Last 10 min of boil
2 tabs	Whirl Floc	Last 10 min of boil
2.0 oz	Citra	Flame out
2.0 oz	Citra	Dry Hopped

About the time that I started the boil the food was ready.  Chris had made a crazy amount of home made sausages for everyone in attendance to eat they were really good.

After finishing up the boil I cooled the wort and pitched the yeast into two 6.5 gallon buckets that I had bought that day.  I switched to the buckets because they would be much easier to move from the event to my house than the glass carboys.

Additional Comments:
The Big Brew event was a really fun time and I had a great time hanging out with my Dad,  Whitney even stopped by a couple of times to say hi.  A lot of people came over to look at my brew sculpture and I had fun explaining all of its intricacies to them.

INITIAL WORT GRAVITY: 1.065

UPDATE 5/26/13:
Gravity at Kegging: 1.006
131.25*(1.065-1.006)=7.74%
Great Hop aroma can really taste the Simcoe resinous flavor on the back end and smell the Citra aromatic bouquet up front.