Pints: Jarrylo Ale #2

Goals:
No special goal for this batch.  I wanted to use up my last packet of jarrylo, but did not want to recreate exactly jarrylo ale #1 (even though it was delicious!).  Although, in retrospect, it would have been a good test of my process; to see if I can make the same beer twice and have it be consistent.  To make it a little different, I used pilsner malt and threw an ounce of citra into it.  I was originally going to use the citra for a dry hop, but decided at the last minute to throw it in at the end of the boil.  The end result will probably be a little closer to a pale ale than a blonde, but I think it will taste okay in either case.  This beer will be the second I've brewed with the Omega labs Hot head yeast.  I was quite pleased with the results of the first batch, even though I have not tasted it chilled and carbed.  It fermented quickly and cleanly at quite a high temperature, and it had a very tasty fruit character in the uncarbed samples I tried.
Ingredients for 2.5 gallon batch, 70% efficiency
4 Lbs Pilsner Malt
.25 Lbs Acid Malt
.25 Lbs Honey Malt
1 oz Jarrylo (14.2%AA)
1 oz Citra (14.1 AA)
Omega Labs Hot Head Ale yeast (something like a vitality starter...)
Mash:
Treat 3.5 gallons water with campden
Single Infusion BIAB, 148F for 60 minutes
Mash out at 170F and squeeze the bag
Boil:
45 minute boil
.33 oz Jarrylo @ 30 minutes remaining
.66 oz Jarrylo and 1 oz Citra @ 3 minutes remaining
Cool ASAP
Finishing and Fermentation:
Dump into fermentor and add yeast psuedo-starter.  Ferment at room temperature (75F+).
Log:
6/11/2016: brew day.  Started at 12:30PM. Going into the boil the gravity was about 10.5 brix. Finished at 3:30pm.  Had about a quart or so too much.  Gravity in the fermentor was 1.045.  2Tbsp of omega slurry.  Aerated with the immersion blender.  About a quart too much in the fermentor as well.  Added 5 drops of fermcap as well.  Leftover wort was stored in the fridge.  it will be reboiled, cooled, and added to the fermentor when fermentation dies down.  Fermentation started quickly.

6/12/2016:  Because there appeared to be no risk of blowout, I re-boiled, cooled, and pitched the saved wort.  Checked gravity.  It was already about 1.012.

6/16/2016: gravity is about 1.012.  Krausen is gone, but it is still bubbling slowly.

6/20/2016: gravity is about 1.011.  cold crashed.

6/21/2016: Dissolved .25 tsp of gelatin in a bit of water, heated to near boiling, and stirred in.

6/23/2016:. Put on gas to force carb for 12 hours at 35psi.

6/27/2016:. Tasting. Very light looking with a white head.  Good lacing.  Bit of pear or Apple on the nose with some a touch of must.  Very light flavor, first a juicy hop flavor comes through with the expected tropical fruitiness of citra.  Very little bitterness.  Grainy breadiness on the back end.  Slight astringency...over pretty good.  Very refreshing.

7/11/2016:. Another tasting.  Crystal clear at this point.  Really doesn't have much smell.  I think the citra has subsided now.  Kind of tart now, definitely a flavor of lime rind in it with the bitterness of it as well.  Almost tastes like a mild sour... not sure if it's just the yeast esters or there is a slow infection.  If there is it is the good kind, not nasty at all.  Quite refreshing, light and drinkable. The breadiness has almost completely faded.  Slightly concerned that the slurry is contaminated.

Again, at least it looks nice...

 

Pints: Extra Special Bitter #2

Goals:
I've wanted to revisit the ESB ever since the (relative) success of the first on.  And given how pleased I have been with using Wyeast 1318 in my last few brews, I wanted to try brewing this English style beer again with this yeast.  I changed pretty much everything about the recipe; different specialty malts, different hops, different yeast.  My hope is that this will be a very flavorful ale; medium bitterness, some fruity hops flavor,
Ingredients for 2.5 gallon batch, 70% efficiency
4 Lbs Maris Otter
.25 Lbs Acid Malt
.25 Lbs Caramel 20L
.25 Lbs Special B
~.5 (7oz) Lbs Clear candi syrup
1 oz East Kent Goldings (5.1%AA)
1 oz Challenger (9.6% AA)
Wyeast 1318 yeast (something like a vitality starter...)
Mash:
Treat 3.5 gallons water with campden and a little bit of leftover burton salts
Single Infusion BIAB, 148F for 60 minutes
Mash out at 170F and squeeze the bag
Boil:
45 minute boil
.5 oz EKG @ FWH
.5 oz Challenger @ 20 minutes remaining
.5 oz EKG and Challenger each @ 5 minutes remaining
Cool ASAP
Finishing and Fermentation:
Dump into fermentor and add yeast psuedo-starter.  Start fermentation @ 65F and allow to ramp up.  Finish at room temperature for a few days and cold crash.
Log:
6/11/2016: brew day.  Tried using recirculation, but it was sucking air.  Stupid pump finally starts working on demand and the mesh of the bag is probably too fine now, lol.  Started at 8:30am.  Remembered mash out this time.  Going into the boil the gravity was around 12-13 brix.  Added the syrup at the beginning of the boil.  Yeast starter was about half a quart of water, boiled, with about 2 TBSP of extra light DME added.  Two TBSP of stored slurry from the last 1318 batches added after it was cooled and it was left at room temperature.  Came to life pretty quick, so yeast vitality must be pretty good.  Finished at 12:15PM.  Gravity going into fermentor was about 1.056.  Aerated with the blender and added a few drops of fermcap.  Airlock started bubbling within an hour.

I really wish this worked better

6/14/2016:. Still bubbling pretty good.  Checked gravity and gave it a stir to knock the yeast back down.  They picked back up and are threatening a blowout.  Gravity is still pretty high.  Couldn't get a good reading.  Had a blowout.  Lid was unscrewed so it wasn't too much of an issue.

6/16/2016:. Gravity is about 1.017.  Pretty much done I think, but it still is bubbling a bit and has the usual thick krausen.

6/20/2016: gravity is 1.014.  cold crashed.

6/21/2016: Dissolved .25 tsp of gelatin in a bit of water, heated to near boiling, and stirred in.

6/23/2016:. Put on gas to force carb for 12 hours at 35psi.

6/27/2016:. Tasting.  Carbonation is about perfect.  Color is a clear light brown, head is thin an white.  Smells of burnt sugar and something I can't define.  Mouthfeel is almost creamy, but there is some astringency as well.  Flavor cold is not great; a touch of the fruit I was hoping for, but there is a skunkiness as well.  Fairly balanced flavors from the malt; burnt sugar, toastiness, touch of plum and caramel.  As it warms the skunky flavor fades a bit and the whole thing smooths together.  True to style, I think it ends up tasting better as it warms up.

At least it looks nice

7/12/2016:. Tasting.  Head is still perfect.  Has a somewhat malty smell with a touch of fruit.  Warm it still has kind of a skunky taste.  Not great...maybe the Candi sugar had a negative impact on it, maybe the Challenger hops are kind of gross.  I don't know, but it's just not that good.