Category Archives: tastings

The Weekend IPA

Posted on by

It’s a bad pun of a name, but it also reflects the fact that the strength of this beer is best suited for “The Weekend” (rather than a weeknight).

The recipe used here generally follows my “Spring Classic IPA,” with adjustments to use up grains and hops on-hand. Thus, the mix of pilsner and 2-row malt. My goal with the hops was to create something that had a classic “West Coast IPA” feel to it.

The Weekend IPA

  • 9.5 lb. Lamonta pale American barley malt (Mecca Grade)
  • 5 lb. pilsner zero malt (Viking)
  • 0.5 lb. crystal 40 malt (Great Western)
  • 0.25 lb. biscuit malt (Dingeman)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, added to mash
  • 1 oz. Warrior hop pellets (13.4% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Lupomax Chinook hop pellets (17.0% alpha), 15 minute whirlpool
  • 1 oz. McKenzie hop pellets (13.0% alpha), 15 minute whirlpool
  • 2 pkg. BRY-97 American ale yeast (Lallemand)
  • 2 oz. Lupmax Amarillo hop pellets (14.0% alpha), dry hop in keg
  • 1 oz. McKenzie hop pellets (13.0% alpha), dry hop in keg

Target Parameters

  • 1.064 s.g., 1.011 f.g., 7.0% abv, 70 IBU, 8 SRM
  • 60 minute infusion mash, full volume, 149°
  • Claremont tap water treated with Campden tablet

Procedure

  • I heated 7.625 gallons of water to 156°, and mashed in with the grains for a target temperature of 149°. I also added 8.8 mL of 88% lactic acid at this time, to hit an estimated mash pH of 5.2. I recirculated for 60 minutes, holding at 149°.
  • Next, I raised the mash to 168°, holding it there for 10 minutes before removing the grains.
  • In total, I collected 7 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.051, for 64% mash efficiency. This was low, so I’m guessing I messed up one of the volume measurements, or perhaps could have mashed a bit longer.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, and added hops and finings per the schedule, for a 60 minute boil.
  • After the whirlpool, I chilled the wort to 75° and transferred to the fermenter, before chilling the rest of the way down to 65°.
  • I brewed this beer on 1 October 2023, and fermented at 66°. Starting gravity was 1.064.
  • I kegged the beer on 15 October 2023, with hops added loose to the keg. Final gravity was 1.011, for 7.0% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • This beer pours with a persistent white head and a moderate gold color with some haze.
  • Aroma
    • Fresh orange peel aroma, very prominent. It’s nice!
  • Flavor
    • Fairly bitter (but not over the top), with a sweet orange character to the hops–almost like candied orange peel. The malt is definitely in the background, with a light caramel quality. The hop and malt combination give a slightly sweet profile.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, very slightly dry finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a very drinkable American IPA, and it hits many of the flavor notes I like in a beer of this style. It’s very citrus-forward, and is surprisingly smooth for its strength! I also really like the persistent head on this one. The haze detracts slightly, but other than that it’s an excellent beer. I’m a bit surprised I don’t get more pine/grapefruit on this one, given the hop combination, but I’m guessing it’s the Amarillo that’s really driving orange flavor here.
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Tmavý Ležák (Czech Dark Lager)

Posted on by

With the fall months bringing cooler evenings, I’m hankering for darker beers. In the past, that’s often meant porters and stouts. This year, I’ve been on a big lager roll. In fact, seven out of 20 beers for this year–more than a third!–have been lagers. German pils are of course a regular favorite, but in the dark realm I wanted to try a Czech-style dark lager. This past summer, I had an enjoyable sampling of the Czech Budvar tmavý ležák, and it was delicious! Inspired by that, I tracked down a Czech dark lager recipe in the Dark Lagers book by Kraus-Weyermann and Dornbusch.

This particular recipe, called Tmavý Ležák, promised a classic version of this classic style. To aim for maximum authenticity, I went through the effort of tracking down all of the exact grains. This meant some special orders, to get the floor-malted Bohemian dark malt from Weyermann, for instance. Hopefully the effort and expense would be worth it! I also elected to do a decoction mash as part of this, to experiment a little bit and up the malt character (presumably).

Tmavý Ležák

  • 5 lb. 12 oz. floor-malted Bohemian pilsner malt (Weyermann)
  • 3 lb. 6 oz. floor-malted Bohemian dark malt (Weyermann)
  • 1 lb. Carabohemian malt (Weyermann)
  • 6 oz. Carafa Special I malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (add to mash)
  • 1 oz. Saaz hop pellets (3.25% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 2 oz. Saaz hop pellets (3.25% alpha), 15 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 10 minute boil
  • 2 oz. Saaz hop pellets (3.25% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Novalager dry yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.047 s.g., 1.012 f.g., 4.6% abv, 29 IBU
  • Full-volume infusion mash, with 75 minute rest at 144°, 45 minute rest at 160°, 10 minute rest at 168°. I also did a decoction mash during the first rest.
  • Claremont water, neutralized to remove carbonates, with final target of 32 ppm Ca, 12 ppm Mg, 54 ppm Na, 50 ppm SO4, 60 ppm Cl, 10 ppm HCO3, RA=-22

Procedure

  • First, I heated the strike water to 148°, and added the grains to hit a target mash rest of 144°.
  • After 15 minutes with recirculation at 144°, I grabbed approximately a gallon of thick mash, heated it to 160°, and let it sit there for 15 minutes. Then, I brought it to a boil, and boiled for 30 minutes with frequent stirring before adding it into the main mash. The primary mash was held at 144° for this entire time, which means the 144° mash rest was around 75 minutes.
  • Next, I raised the mash temperature to 160° and held it there for 45 minutes.
  • Finally, I raised the mash to 168°, and held it there for 10 minutes.
  • Next, I removed the grains and brought the mash to a boil. I collected 6.75 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.039, for 68% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After 60 minutes, I turned off the heat and chilled to 80° before transferring to the fermenter. Then, I moved the fermenter to the fermentation chamber, where I chilled it the rest of the way (down to 50°).
  • I realized that I forgot the CaraBohemian malt in the mash, so had to improvise. I used 1.5 quarts of water with the milled grains, steeped it at 150° to 170° for 30 minutes, filtered, boiled for 10 minutes, and added this directly to the fermenter prior to pitching the yeast. Oops!
  • Starting gravity was 1.045. I brewed the beer on 9 September 2023.
  • After pitching the yeast, I did the initial fermentation at 52°, before raising to 54° on 26 September. Then, I raised to 58° on 28 September, and 60° on 1 October.
  • I cold crashed the beer to 34° on 4 October 2023.
  • I kegged the beer on 14 October 2023. Final gravity was 1.010, for 4.7% abv. All told, I hit my numbers pretty well!

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • A very clear (but not brilliant), deep brown beer with garnet highlights on its edges. It’s almost chestnut in color when against a light source. The beer pours with a rich, fluffy, and persistent off-tan head, which leaves bits of lacing down the side of the glass.
  • Aroma
    • Malty and bread crust aroma, with a bit of cracker. There is a light hop spice, as well as a touch of dried dark fruit as the beer warms.
  • Flavor
    • Malt-forward, malty and bread crust flavor, with a medium level of spicy hop bitterness. There is a moderate coffee note and a slight hint of roastiness.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, with a dry finish. Moderate carbonation. Very drinkable!
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This recipe was a ton of effort in terms of ingredients and the decoction, but is also quite tasty and exceptionally easy to drink. The body is a touch thin for what I expected; it might benefit from backing off the hops just a touch, and perhaps ditching the decoction to reduce the length of time that the main mash was held at a low temperature. I suspect that may have dried out this beer a little more than desirable. That said, the overall drinkability tips the scales in favor of this beer!
  • Overall
    • 9/10

Alstadt Alt 2.1

Posted on by

Alstadt Alt is one of my all-time favorite recipes, and I’ve brewed it annually since 2020. I’ve finally realized that altbier is basically the German version of amber ale, which squarely puts it into my favorite flavor wheelhouse. The original recipe was by Horst Dornbusch, and is just superb.

The grain bill on this version is nearly identical to the 2022 version, only with Viking’s Pilsner Zero instead of plain-old Viking Pilsner malt. I used Magnum hops for bittering, with a generous dose of Spalt Spalter. Finally, I used Köln Kölsch Style Ale Yeast — my go-to dry German ale yeast. I recently learned that Lallemand is discontinuing the strain, which is a major bummer. I can only guess that my personal homebrew demand wasn’t enough to float the line for the long-term. Ah well. I stocked up recently, so I’ll be set for the next year or two before having to find an alternative. K-97 is okay, but just not the same…although I note from past notes that it worked well in an alt. I might have to try it again.

Alstadt Alt 2.1

  • 6.5 lb. Viking Pilsner Zero malt
  • 1.5 lb. Munich I malt (Weyermann)
  • 1.5 lb. Vienna malt (Weyermann)
  • 1 lb. Caramunich I malt (Weyermann)
  • 2 oz. Carafa Special I malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.75 oz. Magnum hop pellets (10.1% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (3.9% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1.5 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (3.9% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 pkg. Köln Kölsch Style Ale Yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.048 s.g., 1.011 f.g., 4.9% abv, 38 IBU, 12 SRM
  • 60 minute infusion mash, full volume, 152°
  • Claremont tap water treated with Campden tablet

Procedure

  • I mashed in with 7 gallons of water at 158°, to hit a mash temperature of 152°. I added 5 mL of 88% lactic acid and held the mash here (with recirculation) for 60 minutes, before raising to 168° for the 10 minute mash-out.
  • After removing the grain basket, I had 6.3 gallons of wort with a gravity of 1.040, for an efficiency of 63%.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding malt and finings per the recipe. After the 60 minute boil, I chilled to 78° and transferred to the fermenter. I let it chill a bit down to 60° in the fermentation chamber, before pitching the yeast and setting the fermentation temperature to 62°.
  • I brewed the beer on 2 September 2023, and it had a starting gravity of 1.048.
  • I let the beer free-rise to 66° on 11 September 2023.
  • I kegged the beer on 16 September 2023, and it had a final gravity of 1.012. This works out to 4.7% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • The altbier pours with a persistent ivory head; the beer itself is a deep amber and brilliantly clear. It’s gorgeous!
  • Aroma
    • A malty bread crust character predominates, especially as the beer warms in the glass. There is perhaps a hint of fruitiness from the yeast. I don’t get much hop aroma.
  • Flavor
    • I get a rich, somewhat bready and toasty malt character, against a fairly prominent bitterness. This batch feels a bit more bitter than past versions, with a bit of herbal character.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium body, moderate carbonation, extended dryness on the finish.
  • Would I brew this again?
    • This remains one of my favorite recipes, but I think I would adjust the hops for my next batch. Magnum ended up just too bitter, taking this just over the edge into what works well for the recipe. For my next version, I think I’ll go back to Sterling for the bittering hops. I might also go back to Briess’s Caramel Munich 60L, to see how that works out.
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Pfriem Pils 2023

Posted on by

German pils is perhaps my favorite style. It’s surprisingly complex, highlights both malt and hops in a non-IPA sort of way, and is a fun challenge to do well. At current count, I’ve made 16 batches over the past 7 years.

My latest batch retreads the Pfriem Pils recipe from Dave Carpenter’s Lagers book. I’ve made versions of this twice previously, and it’s a really solid beer. Every iteration has some changes in hops, grist, and yeast, and this version is no different. I leaned into the HOPBOX European hops I had on hand, ending up with a nice combo of Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Saaz, and Tettnang. Although the original recipe calls for acidulated malt, I worked with lactic acid instead, which provides pretty much the same effect. Lallemand’s Diamond Lager yeast rounded out the recipe–this strain is (in my opinion) one of the best dry lager yeasts out there right now. It ferments quickly and cleanly, and drops clear with minimal fuss.

Pfriem Pils 2023

  • 9.5 lb. Viking Pilsner Zero malt
  • 0.5 lb. Carafoam
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (added to mash)
  • 1.5 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hop pellets (5.2% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Saaz hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.2% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Saaz hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 1.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.2% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 2 pkg. Diamond Lager dry yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.046 s.g., 1.007 f.g., 5.1% abv, 4 SRM, 36 IBU
  • Full volume step mash, with 45 minutes at 144°, 30 minutes at 156°, and 10 minutes at 168°; 60 minute boil
  • Water built up from RO, to hit target parameters of 59 ppm Ca, 8 ppm Mg, 89 ppm SO4, and 63 ppm Cl, with RA=-47 ppm

Procedure

  • To 7.5 gallons of RO water, I added 2.9 g gypsum, 2.4 g epsom salt, and 3.7 g of calcium chloride, in order to hit my target parameters.
  • I heated the strike water to 146°, and added the grains and BrewTanB. I set the mash for 144° with recirculation, holding it here for 45 minutes. Then, I raised the mash to 156° for 30 minutes, and finally mashed out at 168° for 10 minutes.
  • After removing the grains, I had 6.6 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.037, for 66% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the kettle to a boil, boiling for 60 minutes and adding the hops and finings per the recipe. Finally, I turned off the heat and chilled down to 82°. I let things settle, transferred to the fermenter, and let it chill to 50° before pitching the yeast.
  • Starting gravity was 1.044. I brewed this beer on 12 August 2023.
  • The beer was held at 52° for the bulk of fermentation, and raised to 60° on 19 August. I crashed it to 34° on 27 August 2023.
  • I kegged the beer on 7 September 2023, using a closed transfer. It tastes amazing at this point, with notes of hay in the aroma. In terms of appearance, it’s still reasonably hazy. Final gravity was 1.012, for 4.2% abv. It’s a true session beer!

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Very clear, nearly brilliant; a light yellow beer with a persistent and creamy white head.
  • Aroma
    • Lightly spicy (like a spice cake); malt aroma is slightly sweet.
  • Flavor
    • Medium-high bitterness with a lingering finish; slightly herbal quality to the hop profile. The beer has a crackery malt flavor, with a bit of sweetness also. The balance is tilted towards the bitter side.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Smooth, moderate body, with medium-low carbonation (especially when “slow-poured”). Moderately dry and very crisp finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • Yes! It’s a great recipe. I might like to try it with more floral-type hops, such as the Edelweiss blend, for something different. I perfected a slow-pour on my faucet, to approximate the creamy and highly persistent heads you can get with the “side-pour” taps. Now that I’ve figured this out, I’m happy with the beer on home draft.
  • Overall
    • 10/10

The French Connection Pale Ale

Posted on by

A recent HOPBOX had a few varieties of French hops, which ranged from lager-type to IPA-ready varieties. Wanting to experiment a bit and also make an end-of-summer-drinkable-pale-ale, I created “French Connection Pale Ale.” Because my fermentation space was limited, I opted for a kveik–once again, the faithful Lutra. It’s not over-the-top in flavor, with mild citrusy qualities that would play well with the hops. I kept the grist on the lighter side, with just 2-row and caramel 20, in order to tilt towards easy drinkability and also contrast with the “old school” pale ale I brewed recently.

The French Connection Pale Ale

pale beer in glass
  • Lamonta Pale American barley malt (Mecca Grade)
  • 0.5 lb. caramel malt 20L (Briess)
  • 1.5 oz. Barbe Rouge hop pellets (6.6% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 pkg. dry Lutra Kveik (Omega #OYL-071)
  • 2 oz. Mistral hop pellets (4.2% alpha), dry hop in keg
  • 0.5 oz. Barbe Rouge hop pellets (6.6% alpha), dry hop in keg

Target Parameters

  • 1.049 s.g., 1.010 f.g., 5.2% abv, 37 IBU, 6 SRM
  • Full volume mash, 152° for 60 minutes, 168° mash-out for 10 minutes
  • Claremont tap water adjusted to hit target water parameters of to hit target of 91 ppm Ca, 23 ppm Mg, 84 ppm Na, 196 ppm SO4, 120 ppm Cl, 20 ppm HCO3, RA=-62

Procedure

  • I collected 7.5 gallons of tap water and added 6.25 mL of 88% lactic acid, to knock out the carbonates. Then, I added 5 g of Epsom salts and 5 g of gypsum in order to hit my target water.
  • I heated the water to 157° in order to hit a mash temperature of 152°. I added 3 mL of 88% lactic acid to adjust the mash pH…only to realize I shouldn’t have done this! I hadn’t adjusted my water profile in the recipe, so this would result in a pH of ~4.9. Oops! I figured I would just roll with it by this point, and let the beer find its pH in the end.
  • I mashed at 152° for 60 minutes, with recirculation, before raising the mash to 168° for 10 minutes. I then pulled the grains.
  • In total, I collected 6.75 gallons with a gravity of 1.041, for 70% mash effciency.
  • I brought the kettle to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After 60 minutes, I turned off the heat and chilled to 84° and transferred to the fermenter.
  • I brewed this beer on 19 August 2023. Starting gravity was 1.046.
  • After pitching the yeast, I fermented the beer at ambient.
  • I kegged the beer on 7 September 2023. It had a final gravity of 1.012, for 4.5% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • This is a straw-colored, hazy beer, with a thin white head. The head is somewhat persistent around the margins of the glass, but nothing special.
  • Aroma
    • A bit of berry as the beer warms up as well as some citrus; very fresh fruit character. I even get a bit of melon (cantaloupe/honeydew) at times.
  • Flavor
    • Hop-forward, especially in a fresh hop flavor. Bitterness is medium, and the hops come across with a bit of orange and even more berry character–especially currant and others. It’s more of a “generic berry” quality than anything. In some tastings, I get more citrus, but overall that is in the background. Malt quality is fairly innocuous, as expected. There is a bit of the “kveik flavor,” but it’s quite minimal.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium light body, moderate carbonation, and very very slightly dry finish. It’s an easy drinking beer!
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a pretty good “modern American pale ale,” and it is quite drinkable. I wouldn’t say it’s an earth-shaking beer, but the hops definitely are enjoyable. They are a nice departure from “citrus/pine bomb” territory. I would recommend these varieties for others who want to branch out. I got a strong vegetal/allium quality on the first few pours of this, but that is long gone thankfully.
  • Overall
    • 8/10 — the haze dings it a bit for my taste, but otherwise it’s pretty solid.