PostNatal IPA Bottled

I almost bottled PostNatal and Cherry Sparkles on Friday, just a week after brewing them, but I just couldn't do it. Even though both were done fermenting, I felt like it was too early to bottle them, even for me.

But now it's in this any-day-now mode with my wife's pregnancy, and eeking out a few hours to bottle one batch, let alone two, is a politically and practically delicate matter. You just sort of never know when I'll be needed.

But since PostNatal is for use after giving birth, I thought it would be nice if it were ready at that time. I know I'd want to crack a cold one pretty soon after giving birth, but maybe I'm projecting.

Fortunately, my wife is one of the most understanding on earth, and was agreeable to me bottling today. It turned out it was really only reasonable for me to bottle one of the batches today, but that's fine. Cherry Sparkles can wait a little bit more. Maybe tomorrow ;)

PostNatal started at 1.032 and the FG was 1.006. That makes it 3.4% ABV, which is a little higher than I wanted, but still hopefully low enough. The body is pretty thin and watery. I think that will improve with some fizz in there, and perhaps a little with age, but age generally hurts hop-centric beers. I will probably add more crystal malts and increase the mash temperature for next time I make this one. The hop bitterness is good and firm with a nice linger, but the hop flavor and aroma are weak to non-existant. I guess I need a lot more hops at flameout and maybe at other late boil times.

I'll report back when they're fully conditioned.

Marynka Porter

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Marynka Porter
Brewer: Keith Brainard
Asst Brewer:
Style: Brown Porter
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.72 gal
Estimated OG: 1.070 SG
Estimated Color: 30.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 31.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 90.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
10.00 lb Pale Malt (Pearl) (3.0 SRM) Grain 90.91 %
0.50 lb Black (Patent) Malt - Light (478.5 SRM) Grain 4.55 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -150L (150.0 SRM) Grain 2.27 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt - Medium (385.0 SRM) Grain 2.27 %
0.50 oz Marynka [6.50 %] (90 min) (First Wort HopHops 12.3 IBU
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.60 %] (60 min) Hops 14.9 IBU
0.25 oz Marynka [6.50 %] (30 min) Hops 4.0 IBU
0.25 oz Marynka [6.50 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 items Immersion Chiller (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs US-05/US-56 (Safale #1056) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 11.00 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 13.75 qt of water at 167.1 F 155.0 F


Notes:
------
Gemini Series - Alpha Two.

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Dragon King Pale Ale

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Dragon King Pale Ale
Brewer: Keith Brainard
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Pale Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.33 gal
Estimated OG: 1.070 SG
Estimated Color: 6.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 40.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 90.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
11.25 lb Pale Malt (Pearl) (3.0 SRM) Grain 93.75 %
0.25 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine - Dark (12.5 SRM) Grain 2.08 %
0.25 lb Carared (20.0 SRM) Grain 2.08 %
0.25 lb Munich Malt - Light (6.5 SRM) Grain 2.08 %
1.00 oz Brewer's Gold [7.70 %] (60 min) Hops 22.5 IBU
0.75 oz Ahtanum [5.50 %] (30 min) Hops 9.3 IBU
0.50 oz Brewer's Gold [7.70 %] (30 min) Hops 8.6 IBU
0.25 oz Ahtanum [5.50 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 items Immersion Chiller (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs US-05/US-56 (Safale #1056) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: My Mash
Total Grain Weight: 12.00 lb
----------------------------
My Mash
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 15.00 qt of water at 162.5 F 151.0 F


Notes:
------
Gemini Series - Alpha One

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Big Slick 2 Imperial IPA

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Big Slick 2
Brewer: Keith Brainard
Asst Brewer:
Style: Imperial IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0) Wort is very sweet and cleanly bitter. Perhaps a tad too bitter - may need some aging.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.33 gal
Estimated OG: 1.085 SG
Estimated Color: 8.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 82.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 57.5 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
10.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 47.7 %
10.50 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 47.7 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 4.5 %
1.00 oz Chinook [11.00%] (60 min) Hops 30.4 IBU
0.75 oz Magnum [10.00%] (60 min) Hops 20.7 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.40%] (60 min) Hops 13.4 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [6.00%] (30 min) Hops 12.7 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40%] (30 min) Hops 5.2 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40%] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 items Immersion Chiller (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs US-05/US-56 (Safale #1056) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: My Mash
Total Grain Weight: 22.00 lb
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash-In Add 27.50 qt of water at 162.5 F 151.0 F 60 min


Notes:
------
Two separate mashes, but not reiterated. Partigyle the second runnings. First mash was 63% efficient, but the second was apparently only 53%. The grains were floating in the MLT when I opened it at the end of the mash for the second mash (the maris otter mash), so that may be the problem - many of the grains weren't in solution for the mash.

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Pre-Cut: Ale with Fir

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Pre-Cut
Brewer: Keith Brainard
Asst Brewer:
Style: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
TYPE: Partial Mash
Taste: (35.0) Smell and taste of wort are of christmas tree. Of course, the taste has some sweetness. This should be interesting!

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 3.00 gal
Boil Size: 3.75 gal
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated Color: 5.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 0.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 58.0 %
Boil Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
0.50 lb Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM) Dry Extract 9.2 %
2.10 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 38.8 %
2.10 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 38.8 %
0.21 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 3.9 %
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
0.50 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1.00 items Fraser Fir Bough (Secondary 7.0 days) Misc
3.00 items Fraser Fir Bough (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
0.50 lb Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 9.2 %
1 Pkgs US-05/US-56 (Safale #1056) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: My Mash 2
Total Grain Weight: 4.41 lb
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash In Add 5.51 qt of water at 162.5 F 151.0 F 60 min


Notes:
------
Second runnings of both mashes of Big Slick 2. Grains are approximation of gravity of this wort. Extract and sugar added to achieve normal gravity beer. Used the open, half-pack of US-05. Fir boughs got all black and nasty looking after being boiled.

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Big Slick and Absinthe Beer

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Big Slick
Brewer: Keith Brainard
Style: Imperial IPA

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Estimated OG: 1.095 SG
Estimated Color: 8.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 80.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 63.1 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item
10.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
10.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)
0.20 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)
1.00 oz Chinook [11.60%] (60 min)
1.00 oz Cascade [7.00%] (60 min)
1.00 oz Centennial [9.90%] (30 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [7.00%] (30 min)
1.00 oz Cascade [5.80%] (0 min)
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min)
2L Starter California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)


Mash-In with 1 qt/lb at 153F for 60 min.
Mash Out with 0.5 qt/lb at 170F for 10 min.

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Added 0.25 oz to about 2 gallons of about 1.035 wort, boiled for about a half hour. Very bitter.

Brew Day: Little Bear's Brown Beer

Today I brew, tomorrow I bake, the next day the young queen's child I'll take.
Soon far and wide shall spread the fame that Rumplestiltskin is my name!

Today I brew, but I probably won't bake tomorrow. But this is a cool line to have in a childrens' book.

I am making a full-size starter for next week's Imperial Stout. Not done yet, but everything is smooth so far.

Here's the recipe:
BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Little Bear's Brown Beer
Brewer: Keith Brainard
Style: American Brown Ale
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.042 SG
Estimated Color: 23.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 31.0 IBU
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item
7.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM)
0.30 oz Cascade [6.00%] (First Wort Hop)
0.35 oz Magnum [13.00%] (60 min)
0.30 oz Liberty [4.10%] (30 min)
0.25 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40%] (0 min)
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min)
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 min)
1 Pkgs Safale US-05


Total Grain Weight: 8.00 lb
Grain ratio 1.25 qts/lb
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash In Add 10.00 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F 60 min

Christmas Presence Recipe

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Christmas Presence Holiday Ale
Brewer: Keith Brainard
Style: Christmas/Winter Specialty Spice Beer

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
OG: 1.080
FG: 1.013
ABV: 8.8%
363 Calories/pint
Color: 17.7 SRM
IBU: 35.1 IBU

Ingredients:
------------
2.00 lb Amber Dry Extract
10.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1.00 lb Caravienne Malt
1.00 lb Munich Malt
0.50 lb Caramunich Malt
0.50 lb Special B Malt
0.50 oz Pearle [6.70%] (First Wort Hop)
1.50 oz Pearle [6.70%] (30 min)
3.00 oz Liberty [4.10%] (0 min)
1 Pkgs Safale US-05

Mash at 150 for 60 minutes at 1 qt./lb.
Ferment at 70F for 14 days