Brew #69: 4B & 4D

4B & 4D
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Brewer: Josh Gum
Style: American IPA
Batch: 5.50 gal All Grain

Characteristics
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Recipe Gravity: 1.065 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 47 IBU
Recipe Color: 9° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.014
Alcohol by Volume: 5.6%
Alcohol by Weight: 4.4%

Ingredients
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American Munich 0.80 lb, Grain, Mashed
American two-row 12.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
Crystal 10L 1.30 lb, Grain, Mashed
Crystal 60L 0.55 lb, Grain, Mashed
German wheat 0.85 lb, Grain, Mashed

Cascade 1.0 oz, Whole, 0 minutes
Centennial 0.45 oz, Whole, 30 minutes
Challenger 1.0 oz, Whole, 60 minutes
Summit 0.12 oz, Whole, 60 minutes
Saaz 1 oz, Whole, 30 minutes

Calcium Chloride 1.00 unit, Other, 1tsp
Calcium Sulfate 1.00 unit, Other, (Gypsum) 1.25tsp to mash
Dry Hop 1.00 unit, Other, .75oz each cascade & centennial
Sodium Bicarbonate 1.00 unit, Other, (Baking Soda) .75tsp
WLP002 English Ale 1.00 unit, Yeast,

Notes
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Recipe Notes:
Adapted for my system and water, a CYBI clone recipe of Lagunitas IPA. Brewed for Brehk and for Derk (4B & 4D!)

5ga mash water with Baking Soda and Calcium Chloride, add Gypsum to mash directly.
Mash @ 158f for 60 min, strike water aimed at 178f.
FG should be 1.018

Batch Notes:
8/2: FG 1.016, dry hopped in a clean carboy. Has a bitterness that lingers for a bit in the end accompanied by a range of hop flavor in the middle with some sweetness. So far, so good.
8/13: FG 1.014, mildly bitter with lots of body. Clean bitterness balances the malt and alcohol though comes off a little light. Great hop flavor and plenty of hop nose.. a pleasing beer to drink. Next time I’d bump the bitterness up by 20% at the 60 minute addition and substitute the Saaz hops for Willamette.

Brew #68 : LeBanon Blak

LeBanon Blak
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Brewer: Josh Gum
Style: Oatmeal Stout
Batch: 5.25 gal All Grain

Characteristics
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Recipe Gravity: 1.062 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 48 IBU
Recipe Color: 50° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.015
Alcohol by Volume: 6.0%
Alcohol by Weight: 4.7%

Ingredients
———–
American Munich 2.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
American black patent 0.25 lb, Grain, Mashed
Belgian Special “B” 0.75 lb, Grain, Mashed
Belgian chocolate 1.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
Flaked oats 1.00 lb, Adjunct, Mashed
Maris Otter Malt 11.00 lb, Grain, Mashed
Roasted barley 0.50 lb, Grain, Mashed

Chinook(13aa) 1.00 oz, Whole, 60 minutes
Goldings(5.2aa) 1.00 oz, Whole, 30 minutes
Tettnanger(5.1aa) 1.00 oz, Whole, 10 minutes

Chalk 1.00 unit, Other, 3tsp in mash
Gypsum 1.00 unit, Other, 3/4tsp in mash
Baking Soda 1.00 unit, Other, 1/2tsp in mash
Sodium Chloride 1.00 unit, Other, 1/2tsp in boil
Irish Moss 1.00 unit, Fining,
WLP566 Saison II 1.00 unit, Yeast, 2L starter

Notes
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Recipe Notes:
Mash @ 159f for 60m
Ferment at around 70f

Batch Notes:
Strike water 180f, added 1# oats first and mixed first. Added grains, 1/2c cold water to bring mash temp to 159f.

OG 1.065, tastes thick and rich with bitterness and roast at the end

FG 1.020, didn’t finish very well.. the yeast seemed to drop out quick. Despite the sweetness left over, the thick mouthfeel and specialty grains make it a treat to drink. Coffee, caramel, super malty nose.. a great stout. Next time I think I would just use a california ale yeast to bring that final gravity down to 1.014 or so.

Sasquatch Homebrew Competition

Just got my results from the 2009 Sasquatch Brewfest Homebrew Competition back in the first week of June.. I entered my Black American IPA, and the Imperial Red Ale and both won 1st place in their categories! The Black American IPA also won 2nd runner-up to Best of Show (essentially 3rd place overall!), netting me a $30 gift certificate to the Home Fermenter Center in Eugene. The Imperial Red was entered as an “American Amber” and the Black American IPA was entered as the Tribute to Glen Falconer (a special category created by the host homebrew club in honor Glen Hay Falconer).

Here’s a link to the results from this competition: http://www.northwestlegendsfoundation.org/homebrew_2009results.html

Black American IPA scored 35.33, wins 1st place in its category. The feedback is; “Great hop nose with dark malt, grassy, and fruity notes”, “Black opaque body with great tan head, good retention”, “Medium to light body, lingering bitterness, a very good ‘drinker’”, “Bright hop flavor, less bitter than expected, finishes dry with a slight tannic/tart finish”. Of the 5 judged categories, the Flavor category was on average my lowest, and that seems to be due to the relatively low bitterness again. The rest of the categories each scored 80%+ of the points possible on average. Again, this beer could use some flavor adjustments, a little more bitterness and it would place higher in the points. I eeked out a win by 1/3 of a point, second place scored 35 in this category, total field for this special category was 5 people.

Imperial Red scored 38.7, wins 1st place in its category. The feedback is; “Floral and spicy hop aroma with some malt notes”, “Good head retention, clear and dark copper colored”, “Malt and hop bitterness balanced with some roasted notes, nice malty middle taste joined with hops at the end”, “Medium to full body with slight astringency, smooth taste despite generous hops”, “Little bit too much roast character, overall a good beer in a tough category, well balanced overall”. All 5 judged categories scored high, the Flavor and Aroma were below 80% but the others were in the 85-90% range. It seems this beer could notch back the roast a little bit, add a little more carbonation and some caramel notes. Second place scored 3 points behind me at 35.7, total field for this category was 15 people.