Vanilla Cinnamon Wheat Ale

Description:

A vanilla and cinnamon wheat ale to be blended with a maple brown ale to make a fusion French toast ale.

Ingredients:

3.3# Light Malt Extract

3.3# Wheat Malt Extract

1# Light Dry Malt Extract

1 1/4# Ground German Wheat

1 oz. German Tettnang Hop Pellets

Edme Ale Yeast (Safbrew S-33)

2 Vanilla Beans

3" Cinnamon Stick

Hop Schedule:

60 mins - German Tettnang
15 mins - Cinnamon Stick

ABV:

Starting - 12/30/2010 - 1.055 SG - 0.0% ABV

Racking - 1/15/2011 - 1.022 SG - 4.4% ABV 

Ending - 1/22/2011 - 1.020 SG - 4.7% ABV

Notes:

Mistakes - The wort got a little scorched by the electric stove used. Cinnamon was not present at all. Vanilla was a little strong even though it only soaked in pint of vodka for 1 week.

Changes - Bring down the boil a little or use flame to prevent scorching. Add another 3" of cinnamon. Use only 1 vanilla bean.

Tasting:

A: Pours a dark golden color with two fingers of lemon-white head. Head quickly recedes leaving behind a fairly decent lacing.

S: Smells of wheat and a sweet citrus. Alcohol and cinnamon are barely present.

T: Vanilla is prominent at first, it is young and sweet tasting in the middle and ends with slight bitter from the Tettnang and alcohol.

M: Light-medium bodied with a real smooth mouthfeel. It is pretty well carbonated.

D: As it has aged the vanilla has been less powerful and it has become pleasant to drink. The carbonation seems right and if the vanilla was a little less strong it would be very drinkable.

Christmas Stout

Description:
Based off a Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout kit with "Christmas" flavors added.

Kit Ingredients:
Priming Sugar
Aroma Hops
Bittering Hops
Specialty Grains
Specialty Extracts
Spray Dry Malts

Added Ingredients:
2 oz Fresh Ginger
1 teaspoon Cloves
6 inches Stick Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Sweet Orange Peel
Whole Leaf Cascade Hops
Pacific Ale Yeast WLP041

Hop Schedule:
55min - Cascade Hops
15min - Christmas Spices
5min - Cascade Hops
0min - 2oz Ginger
0min - 1tsp Cloves
0min - 6in Stick Cinnamon
0min - 2tsp Sweet Orange Peel

Fermenting Schedule:
Dry - Cascade Whole Leaf Hops

ABV:
Starting - 11/6/2010 - 1.070 SG - 0.0%
Racking - 11/20/2010 - 1.032 SG - 5.1%
Bottling - 11/28/2010 - 1.028 SG - 5.6%

Notes:
Mistakes - Something seemed to have contaminated the batch as it was highly carbonated.
Changes - Use hop pellets when dry hopping and reduce the amount of priming sugar for bottling.

Cade's Crawlspace IPA

Description:

A Belgian Tripel IPA based on Houblon Chouffe but with hops similar to Urthel Hop-It.

Ingredients:

10 Lbs Belgian Pilsener Malt
2 Lbs Belgian Candi Syrup
2 oz. Chinook Hops
2 oz. Styrian Golding Hops
1 oz. Czech Saaz Hops
1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
Belgian Ale Yeast WLP550

Mash:
60 mins - 155 degrees
Sparge - 168 degrees

Hop Schedule:

60 mins - 1 oz. Chinook
20 mins - 1 oz. Chinook
7 mins - 2 oz. Styrian Golding
Dry Hop - 1 oz. Czech Saaz

ABV:

Starting - 09/04/2010 - 1.078 - 0.0%
Racking - 09/19/2010 - 1.008 - 9.3%
Ending - 10/09/2010 - 1.008 - 9.3%

Notes:

Mistakes - 2 lbs of Belgian candi was too much simple sugar. Flavor was "cidery," and amount of alcohol killed some of the hops flavor. Color was slightly darker than intended.

Changes - Use 1 lb of Belgian candi

Tasting:

Color - Dark golden color, slightly too dark for an IPA.

Carbonation - Carbonation was low until 4 - 5 weeks after bottling. Once it had aged properly there was decent head and lacing.

Clarity - Clarity was very good for an all grain.

Aroma - Wonderful Saaz aroma, alcohol killed some of the aroma.

Mouthfeel - Dry, light and good carbonation.

Flavor - Slight fruity flavor accustomed to Belgians. Could only catch a hint of the coriander, which was the intent.

Finish - Left with a "cidery" taste from too much simple sugar.

Irish Red Tide Ale

Description:

An all grain Irish Red for a friend, but with hops of my choice.

Ingredients:

10 Lbs American 2-row
1/2 Lb Crystal 40
1/2 Lb Crystal 120
1/2 oz. Hallertau Hops
1 oz. Cascade Hops
Irish Ale Yeast WLP004

Mash:

60 mins - 158 degrees
Sparge - 168 degrees

Hop Schedule:

60 mins - 1/2 oz. Hallertau Hops
45 mins - 1/2 oz. Cascade Hops
5 mins - 1/2 oz. Cascade Hops

ABV:

Starting - 08/04/2010 - 1.052 SG - 0.0%

Racking - 08/21/2010 - 1.026 SG - 3.5%

Ending - 08/31/2010 - 1.022 SG - 4.0%

Notes:

Mistakes:
- I had a hard time maintaining a 158 degree mash, the temperature kept peaking over 162 degrees.
- The wort was boiling too rigorously when I added the second batch of Cascade Hops.
- The ale was still fermenting when I racked to secondary

Changes:
- Do not repeat mistakes.

- Irish Moss for clarity.

Tasting:

Color - A good red, maybe a bit browned by the high mash temperature.

Carbonation - Carbonation was real low, it was a good 6+ weeks in a bottle before it seemed well aged.

Clarity - Was a bit cloudy from pour.

Aroma - Sweet ale.

Mouthfeel - Excellent body and silky texture.

Flavor - Fairly sweet flavor.

Finish - Finish was that of a slightly sweet, light ale.

Winterview Blackberry Wheat

Description:

After picking a few pounds of blackberries from around my yard I decided to do a Blackberry Wheat. I've never been a huge fan fruit beers but I knew I could balance the fruit and the beer to my own liking. I cooked the blackberries for 15 minutes at a medium-low temperature in order to smash them and kill any bacteria on them.

I initially intended to add some anise to the ingredients to give it some additional flavor and to balance the sweet with some additional bitter, but didn't get to the store to buy some. Next time.

Ingredients:

6.6lbs Wheat Malt Extract
1oz Hops
~2lbs Frozen Blackberries
Ale Yeast

Hop Schedule:

60 mins - 1oz hops
0 mins - smashed blackberries

ABV:

Starting - 3/7/2010 - 1.048 SG - 0.0% ABV

Racking - 3/13/2010

Ending - 3/20/2010 - 1.014 SG - 4.5% ABV

Notes:

Changes - Add anise to the boil.