IPA Brewday

This beer was my first experiment in harvesting yeast out of a bottle; I saved the last inch of three bottles of Bell’s Two Hearted, covering the mouth and neck with paper towels soaked in Star San. I boiled ½ lb. DME with ½ gallon for 30 minutes, cooled it, and racked it into a one gallon glass carboy, added the bottle dregs, and capped it. It took a couple of days to see any activity; I swirled the bottle vigourously 4-5 times (at least) a day to stimulate activity. Once activity got going, the smell coming out was that of normal yeast activity; with hindsight, I probably should have used Bell’s Pale Ale or Amber (less hops, so better yeast viability), but I only figured this out after I had made the starter. Once the starter was pitched into the beer, the airlock started bubbling within 5 hours. I made the starter two weeks ago, the same day brewed the last IPA. If you look at the picture at the bottom, you’ll see the yeast starter in front of the carboy.

66. Two Hearted Clone
Mini-mash:
1 ½ lbs. Breiss 2-row
1 lb. Breiss Vienna 3.2 L
½ lb. Breiss Munich 10 L
½ lb. Cara 8 Belgian 7.7 L
½ lb. Breiss Caramel 20 L
½ oz. Centennial leaf 11.5% AA

Mashed @ 150° F for 60 minutes; raised to 170° F
Sparged with 1 gallon of 170° F water

Added fluid to brew kettle, brought to a boil (60 minute) and added:
3 lbs. Breiss Pilsen Light DME
1 oz. Centennial leaf 11.5% AA
½ tsp. gypsum

Hop schedule:
w/45 min. to go: 1 oz. Centennial leaf 11.5% AA
w/30 min. to go: 1 oz. Centennial leaf 11.5% AA
w/15 min. to go: 1 oz. Centennial leaf 11.5% AA, 3 lbs. Breiss Pilsen Light DME, and 1 tsp. Irish Moss
w/5 min. to go: 1 oz. Centennial leaf 11.5% AA
@ removal from heat: 1 oz. Centennial leaf 11.5% AA

Cooled wort, racked to bucket, and pitched starter made from Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

Brewed: 3/25/2010
Secondary: 4/3/2010 @ 1.016; dry-hopped w/ 1 oz. Centennial leaf 11.5% AA
Bottled: 4/8/2010 with 6.0 oz. Pilsen Light DME

OG: 1.064
FG: 1.015

Tasting Notes:

Competitions:

Barley’s 15th Annual Homebrew Competition: 26 (they got this beer after the sourness/infection had taken off, June 13, 2010)