Sam Adams Longshot Competition

I just finished bottling my entries for this years Sam Adams Longshot Beer Competition.. I’m entering brews 62 and 63, the brown ale and black american IPA respectively. Both beers taste good, so I’m really looking forward to the judges feedback. I’ll definitely post my results and include a summary of the feedback.. I believe the judging is being done on 5/15 and the feedback will probably be mailed within a week or two afterwards. This is a very big homebrew competition with around a thousand homebrewers entering! So, to say winning it is a Longshot is not just a pun. :D

Brew #65: !:x

I put together this Imperial Red recipe and I think it came it pretty good, although it might be a little too bitter. We’ll see how it tastes once its finished fermenting.

!:x
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Brewer: Josh Gum
Style: Imperial Red Ale
Batch: 5.25 galAll Grain

Characteristics
—————
Recipe Gravity: 1.073 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 74 IBU
Recipe Color: 17° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.018
Alcohol by Volume: 7.1%
Alcohol by Weight: 5.6%

Ingredients
———–
American two-row 13.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
Chocolate malt 0.12 lb, Grain, Mashed
Crystal 120L 0.50 lb, Grain, Mashed
Crystal 40L 1.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
Munich 1.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
Pale Chocolate 0.12 lb, Grain, Mashed
Victory 0.50 lb, Grain, Mashed

Amarillo (9.3aa) 1.00 oz, Whole, 0 minutes
Amarillo (9.3aa) 1.00 oz, Whole, 15 minutes
Centennial (9aa) 1.00 oz, Whole, 0 minutes
Centennial (9aa) 1.00 oz, Whole, 15 minutes
Magnum (14.2aa) 1.30 oz, Whole, 60 minutes

Calcium Chloride 1.00 unit, Other, 1/2 tsp in boil
Irish Moss 1.00 unit, Fining, 1tsp @ 30min
WLP001 California Ale yeast

Notes
—–
Recipe Notes:
Mash at 155f for 60min
Boil 90min

Batch Notes:
OG: 1.070
Pitch yeast @ 66f and let rise to 68f

5/9: FG 1.017, kegged and carbonating.. tastes great, big hops and quite a thick mouthfeel. Very tasty!

Brew #64: :x

Adapted from the Censored ale clone brew, an american amber ale.

:x
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Brewer: Josh Gum
Style: American Amber Ale
Batch: 5.25 galAll Grain

Characteristics
—————
Recipe Gravity: 1.067 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 31 IBU
Recipe Color: 14° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.017
Alcohol by Volume: 6.5%
Alcohol by Weight: 5.1%

Ingredients
———–
American Munich 1.50 lb, Grain, Mashed
American two-row 11.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
Crystal 60L 1.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
German wheat 1.25 lb, Grain, Mashed
Roasted barley 0.07 lb, Grain, Mashed

Nugget(12aa) 0.15 oz, Whole, 60 minutes
Willamette(4.5aa) 1.00 oz, Whole, 60 minutes
Cascade(5.7aa) 0.3 oz, Whole, 30 minutes
Willamette(4.5aa) 0.50 oz, Whole, 30 minutes
Saaz(3aa) 0.35 oz, Whole, 0 minutes
Cascade(5.7aa) 0.60 oz, Whole, 0 minutes

Irish Moss 1.00 unit, Fining,
Custom yeast, about 50ml of London and 75ml of California (2nd generation, harvested from the last two batches and rinsed)

Notes
—–
Recipe Notes:
Mash @ 150f for 60min
Ferment @ 66f
FG target 1.016

Batch Notes:
OG 1.064

Good aggressive hop bitterness, a fair amount of malty and some biscuit notes for sure. We’ll see how it comes out!

Brew #63: @:)

A Black American IPA, and I’m pretty stoked to see how heavily I can hop this sucker.

@:)
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Brewer: Josh Gum
Style: American IPA
Batch: 5.25 gal All Grain

Characteristics
—————
Recipe Gravity: 1.064 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 65 IBU
Recipe Color: 28° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.016
Alcohol by Volume: 6.2%
Alcohol by Weight: 4.9%

Ingredients
———–
American two-row 11.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
American Munich 1.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
American chocolate malt 0.50 lb, Grain, Mashed
Carafa III malt 0.50 lb, Grain, Mashed
Crystal 120L 0.25 lb, Grain, Mashed

Chinook(13aa) 0.50 oz, Whole, 60 minutes
Zeus(16.2aa) 0.50 oz, Whole, 30 minutes
Centennial(9aa) 0.50 oz, Whole, 10 minutes
Chinook(13aa) 0.50 oz, Whole, 10 minutes
Centennial(9aa) 0.50 oz, Whole, 5 minutes
Chinook(13aa) 0.50 oz, Whole, 5 minutes
Simcoe(12.9aa) 1.00 oz, Whole, 5 minutes

Dry Hop 1.00 unit, Other, 1/2oz Chinook, 1/2oz Zeus, 1oz Centennial, 1oz Simcoe
Irish Moss 1.00 unit, Fining,
WLP001 California Ale 1.00 unit, Yeast,

Notes
—–
Recipe Notes:
Looking to get 7ga at start of boil
Mash 150f for 60m
Ferment at 66f raise to 68f

Batch Notes:
Sample tasted good so far, I detect a little bit of roastiness behind a fairly smooth hop bitterness and tons of flavor.
OG 1.060
Pitched yeast @ 66f and fermentation started within 24 hours. Holding at 68f until finished. Will transfer to secondary and dry hop for a week prior to kegging.

4/19: Gravity measured 1.018, not completely done fermenting. Added dry hops.. but its already tasting great!