I made this beer the same time last year for Thanksgiving. It’s a stout with pumpkin and cinnamon. It came out pretty good except you really couldn’t detect any cinnamon. The first brew I actually scaled back the spicing from the original recipe so this time I upped it to the original and added a bit more pumpkin to see if that pumpkin flavor will come through as well. Had a bit of a problem when I doughed in. Mash temperature came in at 160F which is just too high so added half gallon cold water and stirred. Still 160. I then added the pumpkin and stirred – still 160 and then shot up to 162! Something weird was going on. Damn BeerSmith! When I scaled up the recipe it adjusted the water additions wrong. It told me 33 qaurts for mash when it should of been 27 quarts! Had to add another gallon of water which finally go it down to 140 so then I had to basically step mash up to 156. Needless to say it was a thin mash and didn’t quite convert as well as I would of liked even after an hour and a half. Came out 1.060 instead of 1.071 so we’re looking at maybe a 5.8% beer instead of 6.9%. Just a little concerned about the yo yoing mash temperature and the effect on the dextrins. Didn’t really want an overly sweet or overly dry beer which could be these two scenarios from screwing up the mash. Another lesson learned about BeerSmith.

6 gallons

Estimated OG: 1.071
Estimated FG: 1.020
Estimated Color: 56 SRM
Estimated IBU: 39.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
ABV: 6.9%

Grain
13.5 lbs Pale Two Row (2.0 SRM) 67.7%
1 lb 8 oz Munich (9.0 SRM) 7.7%
1 lb 3oz Chocolate (350 SRM) 6.2%
1 lb 3oz Roasted Barley (650 SRM) 6.2%
10 oz Crystal 20 (20 SRM) 3.1%
10 oz Crystal 80 (80 SRM) 3.1%
14 oz Pumpkin(mash) (3 SRM) 3.1%
14 oz Pumpkin(boil) (3 SRM) 3.1%

Schedule
60 minute Boil
28.00 g Warrior [15.0%] – Boil 60 min 39.1 IBUs
28.00 g US Saaz [4.0%] – Boil 0.0 min 0 IBUs
7.0 g cinnamon – Boil 5.0 min
4.0 g cinnamon – Boil 0.0 min

Whirfloc or Irish Moss 20 min
1tsp yeast nutrient 15 min

Mash and Sparge
Half RO water
Half Ventura water(high bicarbonates and sulfates)
7.00 g Calcium Chloride added to mash water
3 g Calcium Chloride added to sparge water
Mash in 6.75 gallons water 166F and let stabilize to 156F for 60 min
Batch Sparge 3.33 gallons cold

Yeast
WLP 007 Dry English 2L starter

Fermentation
Ferment at 68F for 4 days and then let free rise to 70F next 2 days.

A turn of the century Burton Ale. A ton of hops for this puppy so I substituted Warrior and Admiral for 4 oz of EKG at the start of the boil but kept the Hallertau and EKG as flavor and aroma or it would lose all its intended character. Never used Admiral before but its an off shoot of Wye Challenger. I’ve had good success with these beers but have had them turn out a tad bit dry. Hopefully the addition of Crystal and corn flakes will add a little body and mouth feel to balance the high IBU and alcohol. I can’t be bothered to make the invert sugar the recipe calls for. It’s time consuming, although you can taste a difference. Turbinado with a little molasses is a good substitute or if you can find it pilloncillo is even better but twice as expensive as turbinado. I am going out on a limb and using Carafa III to color up. It’s a dehusked roasted barley that supposedly doesn’t add much flavor and no astringency. Was happy with the color so we’ll see if it’s claims for adding no astringency ring true.

6 gallons

Estimated OG: 1.071
Estimated FG: 1.018
Estimated Color: 24.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 98.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
ABV: 7.0%

Grain
9 lbs Marris Otter (3.0 SRM) 56%
2.5 lbs 2 Row (2.0 SRM) 15.6%
1.5 lbs Flaked Corn (1.3 SRM) 9.3 %
8 oz Carafa III (525 SRM) 3.1%
8 oz Crystal 120 (120 SRM) 3.1%
2 lbs Turbinado sugar (10 SRM) 12.4%
1 oz Molasses (80 SRM) .4%

Schedule
60 minute Boil
28.00 g Warrior [5.70%] – Boil 60 min 39.6 IBUs
28.00 g Admiral [13.00%] – Boil 45 min 31.5 IBUs
56.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.70%] – Boil 30 min 20.3 IBUs
56.00 g Hallertau [2.7%] – Boil 15 min 7.1 IBUs
28.00g East Kent Goldings [5.70%] – Dry hop 3 days

Whirfloc or Irish Moss 20 min
1tsp yeast nutrient 15 min

Mash and Sparge
1/2 Ventura water(high bicarbonates and sulfates)
1/2 RO Water
4 g Calcium Chloride Mash
4g Calcium Chloride Sparge
Mash in 4.5 gallons water 163F and let stabilize to 154F for 60 min
Mash out 170F
Batch Sparge 4.25 gallons cold sparge

Yeast
WLP 007 Dry English Ale 2L starter

Fermentation and packaging
63F for 7 days raise temp each day 1 degree to 70F. Dry hop in fermenter for 3 days. Rack off 5 gallons into keg and cold crash and carb. If bottling cold crash for a few days and then bottle. You could prime keg with 122g of sugar and let it condition for minimum 3 days and then put on gas at 7psi and chill at least 24 hours before serving to make sure everything drops.

Loosely based on Flowers OB from the 50’s. I added a late addition, which wouldn’t be traditional, at zero minute/flame out/whirlpool. Interesting how the thought has changed from zero minute additions not adding any IBUs to it adding IBUs. I guess it depends if you don’t chill immediately. According to Mitch Steele the heat threshold for alpha acid extraction is around 185F. So depending on how fast your chiller cools the wort to 185 plus when start chilling after flame out would equal some IBU extraction. My brief reading on the subject has pointed out a few extra points, one bieng that the IBU estimate doesn’t take into account less utilization at elevated levels of IBU. There was also an interesting Mr. Wizard article  in the latest issue of BYO about how IBU is calculated as opposed to estimated. Big difference. Anyhow, I think the importance is taste and aroma. I think this should be spot on. One final note. In my experince I don’t think the Dry English yeast will get down to 1.007 more like 1.010 giving 4.7%.

6 gallons

Estimated OG: 1.044
Estimated FG: 1.007
Estimated Color: 4.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 46.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
ABV: 4.9%

Grain
9 lbs Marris Otter (3.0 SRM) 90%
1 lbs Turbinado sugar

Schedule
60 minute Boil
28.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.70%] – Boil 60 min 18.4 IBUs
28.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.70%] – Boil 30 min 14.1 IBUs
28.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.70%] – Boil 15 min 9.1 IBUs
28.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.70%] – Whirlpool/steep 15 min  4.6 IBUs
28.00 g Celeia Goldings [3.7%] – Dry Hop 3 days

Whirfloc or Irish Moss 20 min
1tsp yeast nutrient 15 min

Mash and Sparge
1/2 Ventura water(high bicarbonates and sulfates)
1/2 RO Water
3ml lactic acid mash water
3ml lactic acid sparge water
Mash in 4 gallons water 160F and let stabilize to 152F for 60 min
Mash out 170F
Batch Sparge 5.25 gallons cold sparge

Yeast
WLP 007 Dry English Ale 2L starter

Fermentation and packaging
65 F for 5 days raise temp each day 1 degree to 70F. Dry hop in fermenter for 3 days. Rack off 5 gallons into keg and cold crash and carb. If bottling cold crash for a few days and then bottle. You could prime keg with 122g of sugar and let it condition for minimum 3 days and then put on gas at 7psi and chill at least 24 hours before serving to make sure everything drops.

This is a highly hopped pale ale. I guess maybe you could call it a session IPA. I like to think of this beer as kind of a hybrid of an English PA and American PA. English malt and yeast with aggressive late and dry hopping with American hops. I’ve been looking through my archives since I started recording these recipes and I’m seeing a clear trend for me. Pale ales with English yeast. I really love how these yeasts drop clear. Cal Ale will not flocculate for me. Two weeks and three weeks in I have seen murk. 5-6 days with WLP007 and my beer is relatively clear and finished.

6 gallons

Estimated OG: 1.053
Estimated FG: 1.012
Estimated Color: 5.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 72.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
ABV: 5.4%

Grain
13 lbs Marris Otter (3.0 SRM) 100%

Schedule
60 minute Boil
28.00 g Warrior [16.00%] – Boil 60 min 48.3 IBUs
14.00 g Cascade [7.4%] – Boil 5 min 2.2 IBUs
14.00 g Centennial [8.7%] – Boil 5 min 2.6 IBUs
28.00 g Amarillo [9.2%] – Whirlpool/steep 10.7 IBUs
28.00 g Cascade [12.25%] – Whirlpool/steep 15 min 8.6 IBU
28.00 g Amarillo [9.2%] – Dry Hop 3 days
14.00 g Cascade [7.4%] – Dry Hop 3 days
42.00 g Centennial [8.7%] – Dry Hop 3 days

Whirfloc or Irish Moss 20 min
1tsp yeast nutrient 15 min

Mash and Sparge
1/2 Ventura water(high bicarbonates and sulfates)
1/2 RO Water
4gm calcium chloride  mash water
3gm calcium chloride  sparge water
Mash in 5 gallons water 160F and let stabilize to 152F for 60 min
Mash out 170F
Batch Sparge 4.5 gallons cold sparge

Yeast
WLP 007 Dry English Ale 2L starter

Fermentation and packaging
68 F for 5 days raise temp on 4th day 1 degree and 5th day 1 degree to 70F. Dry hop in fermenter for 3 days. Rack off 5 gallons into keg and cold crash and carb. If bottling cold crash for a few days and then bottle.

Tips
Any of these beers with high hopping rates (this is equivalent to about 2.75lbs per barrel) your final yield is going to suffer. Plan on brewing for 6 gallons instead of 5 gallons. Two to three more pounds of grain cost little. If you have leftovers after racking to your keg you can bottle it. If bottling, wash bottles like your bottling for 5.5 gallons. Depending on how well my water measurements are I always boil about 7.5 – 7.75 gallons. This will yield about 6.5 gallons at the end of boil with an assumed loss of about 1 gallon to trub form all the hops and break so we are looking at 5.5 gallons of clear wort  in the fermenter.  I will then pitch my whole 2L starter, so another 1/2 gallon of wort, but remember to adjust you final IBUs by 1/12. So in this recipe I’m really getting 63 IBUs instead of 72. Noticeable? I don’t know. These IBU rating are assumptions anyhow.

Had Deschute’s Fresh Squeezed for the first time about a month ago. Was really impressed. I’m liking these more malt forward IPAs. I think the malt plays really well with the hefty IBUs and the fruitiness of these hops. I highly doubt I’m getting 90 IBUs. It tastes around 60-70. I’ve read that when homebrewing expect 20% less IBU extract. Another successful cold sparge as well. I’m not burning 20 minutes worth of propane to heat sparge water and getting the exact same extract. Funny thing is I was talking to my wife’s cousin the day after I brewed it and I told him I went through a few recipes on the internet and felt this one ‘s the best just by gut instinct. Meanwhile he’s leafing through the latest version of Zymurgy and what do you know my recipe is almost identical except they have it dry hopped. I kegged this six days after I racked to the fermenter. Let it chill at near freezing while it carbed for two days. No need for dry hopping in my opinion. The late additions were coming through excellent. An excellent beer with a quick turn around. What more could you ask for?

6 gallons

Estimated OG: 1.064
Estimated FG: 1.015
Estimated Color: 13.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 89.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
ABV: 6.5%

Grain
14 lbs Two Row (2.0 SRM) 84.8%
1.5 lbs Crystal 80 (80 SRM) 9.1%
1 lbs Munich (10 SRM) 6.1%

Schedule
60 minute Boil
28.00 g Nugget [13.00%] – Boil 60 min 36.1 IBUs
28.00 g Citra [12.00%] – Boil 15 min 16.5 IBUs
28.00 g Mosaic [12.25%] – Boil 15 min 16.9 IBUs
28.00 g Citra [12.00%] – Whirlpool/steep 10.1 IBUs
28.00 g Mosaic [12.25%] – Whirlpool/steep 15 min 10.3 IBU

Whirfloc or Irish Moss 20 min
1tsp yeast nutrient 15 min

Mash and Sparge
1/2 Ventura water(high bicarbonates and sulfates)
1/2 RO Water
5gm calcium chloride  mash water
3gm calcium chloride  sparge water
Mash in 6.5 gallons water 161F and let stabilize to 152F for 60 min
Mash out 170F
Batch Sparge 3.5 gallons cold sparge

Yeast
WLP 007 Dry English Ale 2L starter

I had a 6 pack of Firestone Walker’s Pale 31 a couple of weeks ago and forgot what a great beer this is. Clean, hoppy, floral, and with a tiny hint of tannic oak. Highly sessionable. Mix of their Pale Ale with 10% DBA. To recreate the DBA blend I add 1/2 oz. of oak chips. Technique I like is to throw the chips into a saucier pan and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, cool, and add to secondary when you dry hop. You could add a little Crystal 80 to add a touch of color and sweetness to mimic the 10% DBA but I don’t really think it’s a deal breaker not adding it. I did this beer  a couple years before for the Ventura Winter Sudstice and it came out remarkably spot on.

6 gallons

Estimated OG: 1.046
Estimated FG: 1.008
Estimated Color: 5.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 42.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
ABV: 4.9%

Grain
9 lbs Two Row (2.0 SRM) 76.9%
2 lbs Munich(10 SRM) 17.1%
11 oz Cara-pils (2 SRM) 6.0%

Schedule
60 minute Boil
12.00 g Chinook [13.00%] – Boil 60 min 17.8 IBUs
28.00 g Centennial [10.00%] – Boil 30 min 24.6 IBUs
28.00 g Cascade [7.0%] – Boil 0 min 0 IBUs
44.00 g Centennial [10.00%] – Boil 0 min 0 IBUs
28.00 g Cascade [7.0%] – Dry Hop 4 days
42.00 g Centennial [10.00%] – Dry Hop 4 days
16.00 g Chinook [13.00%] – Dry Hop 4 days
0.5 oz Oak Chips – Secondary 4 days(boil in small amount of water and add to secondary)

Whirfloc or Irish Moss 20 min
1tsp yeast nutrient 15 min

Mash and Sparge
1/2 Ventura water(high bicarbonates and sulfates)
1/2 RO Water
4gm calcium chloride  mash water
2gm calcium chloride  sparge water
Mash in 4.65 gallons water 157F and let stabilize to 148F for 60 min
Batch Sparge 4.75 gallons (.75 gallons add to mash and then sparge with remaining 4) cold sparge

Yeast
WLP 007 Dry English Ale 2L starter

Since it is Mild Month I’ve decided to brew a proper English dark mild. The interesting thing is I have never had the pleasure of drinking a mild. Maybe I have in my long and storied drinking career and haven’t realised it but to the best of my knowledge one has not crossed my lips. Anyhow, J.W. Lee’s Best Mild, according to all dubious internet sources, is the Mild that needs to be brewed if you’re going to do a dark mild. As usual this is an interpretation of a Pattinson archival recipe. A bit higher in alcohol and a tad more hop heft in my version but still in the “session beer” spectrum I guess.

Brewer’s Caramel recipe:
3 tablespoons brown sugar to 1 tablespoon water = 1.5 oz. Go low and slow in saucier pan until black.

Yes the beer was black this time.

6 gallons

Estimated OG: 1.036
Estimated FG: 1.005
Estimated Color: 30.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 30.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
ABV: 4.1%

Grain
6 lbs Marris Otter (3.0 SRM) 74.9%
1 lbs Table Sugar (1 SRM) 12.5%
5.3 oz Crystal 80 (80 SRM) 4.1%
5.3 oz Chocolate  (350 SRM) 4.1%
3.2 oz Brewers Caramel (1500 SRM) 2.5%
2.4 oz Black Patent (500 SRM) 1.9%

Schedule
60 minute Boil
28.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.5%] – Boil 60 min 18.9 IBUs
14.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.5%] – Boil 30 min 7.3 IBUs
14.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.5%] – Boil 15 min 4.7 IBUs

Whirfloc or Irish Moss 20 min
1tsp yeast nutrient 15 min

Mash and Sparge
1/2 Ventura water(high bicarbonates and sulfates)
1/2 RO Water
6gm calcium chloride  sparge water
Mash in 3 gallons water 161F and let stabilize to 152F for 60 min
Batch Sparge 6 gallons (2 gallons add to mash and then sparge with remaining 4) 170F

Yeast
WLP 005 British Ale 2L starter

My take on a 3K ale, also know as a stock or Burton ale. These beers have high gravities and high hopping rates and were aged, although by the 20th century the gravities had dropped quite a bit as compared to 18th and 19th centuries where the gravities would be as high as 1.100. I was going to make an invert sugar but it’s such a pain in the butt that I opted to try my hand again at brewers caramel for coloring while using Turbinado and molasses as substitutes for the invert. To make the brewer’s caramel I took 3 tablespoons of brown sugar with one tablespoon water and went low and slow in a saucier pan for about a half hour and got it pretty black without burning it. Based on the SRM color chart of the finished product in the fermenter,  I back calculated and came up with 1500 SRM on it. This is highly speculative of course but Sinamar is 3000 SRM so it makes sense somewhat. Anyhow, after all this the beer is still not black but brown…looks like I need to have either more caramel or actually use Blackstrap molasses instead of regular molasses. Never knew there was a difference. Blackstrap is three times more concentrated. Wort tasted like one of those molasses cookies. Should be tasty.

6 gallons

Estimated OG: 1.065
Estimated FG: 1.009
Estimated Color: 21.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 102.6 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
ABV: 7.5%

Grain
12 lbs Marris Otter (3.0 SRM) 83.7%
2 lbs Turbinado Sugar (10.0 SRM) 13.9%
3.2 oz Black Patent (500 SRM) 1.4%
1.6 oz Brewers Caramel (1500 SRM est based on SRM wort color and back calculating) 0.7%

Schedule
60 minute Boil
28.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.7%] – Boil 60 min 15.7 IBUs
28.00 g Warrior [15.7%] – Boil 60 min 43.3 IBUs
28.00 g Galena [12.5%] – Boil 30 min 26.5 IBUs
28.00 g Galena [12.5%] – Boil 15 min 17.1 IBUs
28.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.7%] – Boil 0 min 0 IBUs
56.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.7%] – Dry hop 7 days

Whirfloc or Irish Moss 20 min
1tsp yeast nutrient 15 min

Mash and Sparge
1/2 Ventura water(high bicarbonates and sulfates)
1/2 RO Water
4g calcium chloride mash
4gm calcium chloride  sparge water
Mash in 4.825 gallons water 162F and let stabilize to 153F for 60 min
Batch Sparge 4.6 gallons 170F

Yeast
WLP 007 Dry English Ale 2L starter

My wife wants something a little less bitter than the IPAs and what not I’ve been making. How about an easy drinking blond beer. Unfortunately I can’t just add a single bittering addition. Was thinking of adding some floral aromas – more like a Pils. I added 1 oz Willamette in flame out and in dry hopping. Don’t know what style category it would fall under but it smelled very nice at flame out with that Willamette addition.

6 gallons

Estimated OG: 1.052
Estimated FG: 1.010
Estimated Color: 5.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
ABV: 5.4%

Grain
11 lbs 8 oz Pale Two Row (2.0 SRM) 93.1%
14 oz Crystal 20 (20 SRM) 6.9%

Schedule
60 minute Boil
28.00 g Cascade [6.8%] – Boil 60 min 24 IBUs
28.00 g Willamette [5.5%] – Boil 0 min 0.0 IBUs
28.00 g Willamette [5.5%] – Dry Hop 4 days

Whirfloc or Irish Moss 20 min
1tsp yeast nutrient 15 min

Mash and Sparge
1/2 Ventura water(high bicarbonates and sulfates)
1/2 RO Water
5g calcium chloride mash
4gm calcium chloride  sparge water
Mash in 4.8 gallons water 161F and let stabilize to 152F for 60 min
Batch Sparge 4.6 gallons 170F

Yeast
WLP 001 Cal Ale 2L starter

Taking the Ballantine recipe I did a few weeks ago and tweaking. Although the large charge of Galena added enough oomph to balance out the Marris Otter, Munich, and corn, I was pretty disappointed with the EKG as flavor, aroma and dry hops. Maybe its my desensitized palette but was expecting a bit more floral hop character that EKG should provide but just wasn’t getting it. Dry English ale yeast scavenging hop flavor and aromas? Hard to say but I am using Cal Ale this time. Going Simcoe, Amarillo, and Columbus. That should be pretty dank in comparison.

6 gallons

Estimated OG: 1.065
Estimated FG: 1.009
Estimated Color: 8.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 68.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
ABV: 7.4%

Grain
12 lbs Pale Two Row (2.0 SRM) 76.9%
2 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) 12.8%
1 lb Table Sugar (1.0 SRM) 6.4%
10 oz Crystal 60 (60.0 SRM) 3.8%

Schedule
60 minute Boil
28.00 g Warrior [15.7%] – Boil 60 min 43.4 IBUs
28.00 g Simcoe [13.0%] – Boil 25 min 25.0 IBUs
28.00 g Simcoe [13.0%] – Boil 0 min 0 IBUs
28.00 g Amarillo [9.2%} – Dry Hop 7 days
56.00 g Columbus [15%] – Dry Hop 7 days

Whirfloc or Irish Moss 20 min
1tsp yeast nutrient 15 min

Mash and Sparge
2/3 Ventura water(high bicarbonates and sulfates)
1/3 RO Water
4ml lactic acid mash
4ml lactic acid sparge water
Mash in 4.8 gallons water 161F and let stabilize to 150F for 60 min
Batch Sparge 5 gallons 170F

Yeast
WLP 001 Cal Ale 2L starter