Rockit Cup American Weissbier Brewday

So no time like the present to get started on the new Rockit Cup, specifically since I plan on making at least a couple different versions. I’ll hold out on laying claim to any more yeast varieties until I am ready to brew the next one, however—I’m all about giving others a chance to choose. Can you feel the kindness, my friends? Plus, with all the yeasts options available, it ain’t like we’re gonna run out.

149. Rockit Cup American Weissbier with WLP510 Bastogne
Mash:
5 lbs. Breiss 6-row
3 lbs. Breiss Flaked Maize
2 lbs. Breiss White Wheat

Mash @ 152° F for 60 minutes w/ 3 gallons of RO water & 2 g. gypsum; collected almost 2 gallons @ 1.076
Batch sparge @ 166° F for 20 minutes w/ 4 gallons RO water & 2 g. gypsum; collected 4 gallons @ 1.032

Added ¾ gallon to bring to 6 ¾ gallons; brought to a boil (60 minutes) & added:
w/60 to go: 1 oz. Cluster leaf 7.6% AA

Chilled, racked to carboy, and pitched WLP510 Bastogne

Brewed: 6/16/2013 @ 66° F; slow rise to 72° F over first 48 hours
Secondary: 7/6/2013 @ 1.006
Bottled: 7/20/2013 w/ 3.5 oz. table sugar

OG: 1.048
FG: 1.006

Tasting Notes (12/12/2013): You’ll need to forgive the tardiness of these notes—I’ve been brewing enough that a few beers have fallen by the wayside. This is the third of four beers I made with 30% corn, and this one—via the yeast—is probably the most surreptitious of the lot. It pours a slightly hazy dull straw with a thin white head—it looks a lot like a lager, although that impression ends once you smell it, as the nose is quite Belgian. A subtle Belgian, but Belgian nonetheless. The nose is slightly phenolic mixed with fruit and floral—I get pear and apple, along with perfume-y bread crust and flowers. Oh, and a touch of creaminess behind the other aromas. Flavors start with bread dough, hints of bread crust, and sweetness; the apple and pear appear soon after, so it is a bit like a morning pastry, albeit in a good way. The middle has a bit of roughness to it via the Cluster—there is a bit of gritty, grainy bitterness that mixes with the sweetness and slight gumminess in the middle. There is a slight phenolic bite in the final third, although the body hides it a bit; while dry, there is some residual sweetness in the finish. The finish is a bit rough and rustic—I get some mineral grit and graininess, and more of the rough hop bitterness. While the carbonation is bright, the malt body still makes itself felt on the tongue. Even with the unevenness, this is a drinkable and enjoyable beer. I like the Belgian yeast character mixed with the American grain bill, and it certainly has a rustic feel to it, although not quite into the realm of farmhouse beers. This beer is further confirmation that corn is worthy of more experimentation next year, although I might still like the version made with Wyeast 1056 the best.

Rockit Cup Rye Pale Ale Recap

So after last month, I believed that things couldn’t get nuttier. Wrong. Way wrong. Super duper wrong. Thirteen different beers and brewers this time, including several newbies. Welcome to the family, kids. 

Our winner! Picture gleefully
stolen from here.

All told, our lucky thirteen brewing the Rockit Cup Rye Pale Ale included myself, Jeff Fortney, Brian Gallow, Jon Vanderglas, Travis Lewis, Wes Davis, Matt Young, John Hoke, Chris Bauman, Jeff Schell, Gus Stathes, Todd Clingman, and Tony (sorry, Tony, I don’t remember your last name). As with the Rockit Cup Single Hop IPA, a lot of palate confusion and difficulty ascertaining the subtle differences, even more so since all of these beers were intended to be the same thing. Since we needed to simplify, everyone ranked the their Top 5, with the results being: 

1st: Brian Gallow
2nd: Gus Stathes
3rd: Jeff Schell

Brian was the clear winner—of the twelve people judging, he got eleven Top 5 votes. Who missed out on that one? Way to go, Darren. As for how I voted, I had Brian in first, but I had kicked out Gus’s beer in getting down to my Top 5—Gus’s version had a fantastic nose, but the body was less distinct with none of the rye spiciness and much less hop flavor in comparison to the other versions. Instead, I had Jeff Fortney’s beer in 2nd (he ended up tied for 4th) and Jon Vanderglas’s beer in 3rd (he ended up tied for 4th). I had Jeff Schell in 6th—his was the last beer out to get down to the final five. And how did my beer fare? To quote my own blind tasting notes, it was “flabby, thin body, slightly gummy, doughy, and under-carbonated.” So you can see how much I loved it. For me, it was one of the first beers off the table. In my defense, it had only been in the bottle a week—yes, I bottle condition everything—and I had ridden my bike to the meeting that night. But those are just excuses, which have no place in the Rockit Cup. I was in 8th. Take that, Tom.

Thanks to all that participated! August’s Rockit Cup is a Choose Your Own Yeast American Weissbier, with details posted here. Get brewing!

(6/15/2013)

August Rockit Cup: Choose Your Own Yeast American Weissbier

This is another single-variable Rockit Cup extravaganza, with yeast being that variable. As to the recipe, it is based on a historical recipe I found here; I’ve already brewed one version with another on the way, and I think it well worth experimenting with different yeasts to explore the possibilities to be found in corn. I told Jeff Alworth (of Beervana fame) that I would pass along bottles from those of you who are interested in participating.

August Rockit Cup: Choose Your Own Yeast American Weissbier
OG: 1.049 @ 70%
FG: 1.012
IBU: 31.4
Color: 2.8 SRM
ABV: 4.9 %
(I calculated using WLP 300 Hefeweizen, so FG numbers will vary)

5 lbs. Breiss 6-row
3 lbs. Breiss Flaked Maize
2 lbs. Breiss White Wheat

Mash @ 152° F for 60 minutes [Update: if the fluid in the mash tun isn’t clear after 60, feel free to extend the mash to get full conversion; my more recent version required an extra 15 minutes]

60 minute boil

1 oz. Cluster @ 60

Choose your own yeast adventure

Ferment @ 68.0° F

Carbonate to 2.0 volumes

Here’s to corn!

566. Pretty Things Once Upon a Time November 22nd, 1838 X Ale

Since we’re currently in a historical frame of mind, it seems appropriate to pull out this beer for the evening, part of a historical recreation project between Pretty Things and Ron Pattinson. As the label offers, “Once Upon a Time on November 22nd, 1838, a brewer brewed this very recipe in a now extinct London brewery. The veracity of this 174 year old X Ale is thanks to the private research of Mr. Ron Pattison, a resident of Amsterdam. In collaboration with Ron we present this beer with our Best Returns of the Day.” While I can’t add much to this besides my love of historical beer (although there is more below from both the bottle and the Once Upon a Time website that is interesting regarding the shifting history of this particular style), I will note that we’ve seen Pretty Things this way once before with Jack D’Or Saison Americain. We haven’t seen Ron Pattinson before, which is, well, a crime against humanity. But then again, I do live in Dayton.

X Ale pours a cloudy straw with a thin white head that hangs around moderately; the nose is lemon, earth, and mustiness along with a fair amount of yeast esters. Flavors open with bright lemon and light gumminess, leading into herbal bitterness and pith. In the background, there are buttery toast and bread crust hints rounding the whole. Malt flavors are sweet and bright, continuing on into the finish with herbal and mineral bitterness to the front and bready malt to the back, along with a touch of herbal lemon. The texture is a bit coarse, mainly from the bitterness, but it is still bright and pleasant, just a bit rough. The carbonation is medium to bright, which helps accentuate some of the hop and malt flavors, and the body has some heft and substance. We’re not sure we’d ever position this as a mild—or even mild-derived—if we weren’t told so by the bottle: it tastes much more like a farmhouse saison or something in the rustic vein. But in many ways, that’s the point behind a project like this: charting the transformation of beer and style parameters. Still, a delightful and enjoyable beer, one we’re happy to have to gotten the opportunity to try, specifically as this beer helps to clarify the importance of the evolving elements of style that most people do not readily grasp. And that’s saying a whole mouthful. So thank you, Ron Pattinson, for all you do.

From the bottle: “Mild was a hugely popular style for more than a century (1800-1900s). Here, we have released two Milds side-by-side, which represent beers from opposite ends of that period. Over those years, Mild changed considerably: something these beers amply demonstrate. Though bearing the same name, X Ale, in character they could hardly be more dissimilar. The 1830s saw the beginning boom in Mild ale brewing, which in 30 years became England’s favorite beer. This beer, 1838 X Ale is a typical London mild of the era: bigger and more robustly hopped than modern versions. Brewed from 100% pale malt and Kent hops, this is a straightforward, uncomplicated beer, much like the working classes who first drank it. The color is also much paler than you might expect. From this original form, Mild was to undergo many transformations, culminating in the second beer in this series, February 22nd, 1945. Drink them side-by-side to compare how this beer style evolved.”

From the Once Upon a Time website: “Our new releases in March 2012! Two X Ales from the same London brewery, 107 years apart: these beers were brewed and sold as the ‘same beer.’ But they weren’t the same beer at all! This side-by-side release allows you to taste history in a very direct, beat-you-about-the-head kind of way. The beers are whoppingly, fantastically different. There’s no way you would think they are connected by the same brewery, brand name and style. Isn’t history wonderful? Ron Pattinson once again provided recipes and brewday documents for these beers. The 1838 Mild (X Ale) is 7.4%, golden and very hoppy: if you tried our 1832 XXXX Mild ale, you could certainly see this as it’s little brother. The 1945 Mild (X Ale) is 2.8% and more of a mild-as-we-know-it. Dark, weak, grainy. It’s a fantastic way to get yourself into a World War II rationing frame of mind (Note; we recommend drinking this a bit warmer than the fridge). All in all, these beers drunk either alone or side by side demonstrate brewing history in action, and even more wonderfully, they reflect the massive changes that occurred in London between 1838 and 1945, the intimate relationship between working people and their beers, and the passion and creativity that brewers throughout the ages have applied to their craft. We are honored to re-brew these beers, and we give Ron our heartfelt thanks once again for making it possible. Prepare for some time traveling from the comfort of your pint-glass-accompanied armchair! Cheers!”

ABV: 7.4%
First brewed: November 22nd, 1838
This batch: February 13th, 2012

And yes, this beer was a year-plus old. Not that it tasted like it.

(6/7/2013)

American Weissbier II Brewday

Since the last version was a success, time for another. A couple of changes: I went with a neutral American yeast (1056), cut 1 lb. of 6-row while adding 1 lb. of white wheat, extended the mash to 90 minutes (I wasn’t sure if 6-row’s diastatic power was enough with only 60 minutes), and added another ½ oz. of Cluster with 10 minutes to go. The color was significantly lighter than the last version going into the carboy; the yeast choice is intended to provide a better sense the flavor contribution from corn. I’ll keep you all posted.

147. American Weissbier II
Mash:
4 lbs. Breiss 6-row
3 lbs. Breiss Flaked Maize
3 lbs. Breiss White Wheat

Mash @ 153° F for 90 minutes w/ 3 gallons of RO water & 2 g. gypsum; collected almost 2 gallons @ 1.082
Batch sparge @ 168° F for 20 minutes w/ 4 gallons RO water & 2 g. gypsum; collected 4 gallons @ 1.026

Added ¾ gallon to bring to 6 ¾ gallons; brought to a boil (60 minutes) & added:
w/60 to go: 1 oz. Cluster leaf 7.6% AA

w/10 to go: ½ oz. Cluster leaf 7.6% AA

Chilled and racked on to Wyeast 1056 yeast cake from 146. Rock-it Cup Rye Pale Ale

Brewed: 6/3/2013 @ 68° F; rose to 72° F in first 12 hours; passed high krausen in 36 hours
Secondary: 6/16/2013 @ 1.008
Bottled: 7/6/2013 w/ 3.15 oz. table sugar

OG: 1.048
FG: 1.008

Tasting Notes (7/25/2013): American Weissbier II pours a slightly hazy straw with a thin white head that hangs around like fruit flies near an airlock, and there are lots of tiny white streaming bubbles, which give the beer a nice look. In the nose, there is mainly husky graininess with a slight sweet corniness underneath, but you have to look for it. Without the knowledge that there was corn in it, though, you’d probably pass over it, although the sweetness is more clearly evident. Flavors open dry and grainy, with a kiss of sweetness before the bitterness in the middle kicks in, and the finish has a touch of that soapy bitterness I associate with lagers. In fact, this beer reads kinda like a lager with the dry body and lingering bitter finish. The carbonation bite that leads into the finish has the same effect—it dries and cleans the palate, and then the slight sweetness comes back with the bitterness in the finish. It is also noticeably lighter than 140. American Weissbier, my first experiment with this beer; dropping a pound of 6-row and replacing it with a pound of white wheat also rounds the beer a bit more on the palate, and the neutral yeast choice (Wyeast 1056 here, as opposed to White Labs 570 Belgian Golden) also lets the grainy sweetness come through across the beer’s profile. This is a good, easy-drinking beer that I’ll be adding to the regular rotation, although I’m sure I’ll continue to experiment with yeast selection to see what I can discover.

565. Seventh Son Humulus Nimbus Super Pale Ale

I scored this yesterday in Columbus when I was judging beer for Digfest; Jeff Fortney and I had a pint at Seventh Son, and then we each grabbed a growler to take back to Dayton. Jeff describes this as his “favorite beer made in Ohio,” which is pretty heady praise. Elli and I decided to wait to drink this until today, as last night we stopped by 5th Street Brewpub Co-op to check out how it was coming together during their weekend open house. This was my second trip to Seventh Son—the first was beer judging for SODZ British Beer Fest—but this was the first time I got to try any of their beer, as last time they hadn’t started brewing yet.

Humulus Nimbus pours a clear, vibrant dirty straw and features a long-lasting creamy white head that laces the glass well. The nose is bread dough from the malt along with floral, citrus, and general fruitiness from the hops. There might be just a hint of biscuit, but I’m not certain. Flavors are light, bright, and clean—there is bread crust in the front, along with a hint of citrus, followed by clean bitterness in the middle before finishing with hints of grape, pine, and resin. The lingering bitterness is clean and lightly mineral, and there is a touch of candy sweetness that falls just short of caramel. The body is medium to light, with a gentle malt chewiness and creamy mouthfeel rounded by the medium carbonation. Yesterday, there was more of the blueberry hop flavor listed in the description below, but today it comes across more as grape and general fruitiness. Still, a solid, well-made beer. I like the balance between malt and hops: while both are distinct, neither is in your face, and both play harmoniously back and forth across the tongue. My only real criticism is the use of “dandelion” to describe the bitterness in the finish—as someone who regularly brews with dandelion, this doesn’t track as dandelion on my palate. Still, I’m looking forward to getting more of this beer the next time I’m in Columbus. Light, easy drinking, and certainly enjoyable. Welcome Seventh Son!

From the description at the brewery taproom: “A pale golden ale that is both super crisp and super hop forward with a refreshing mouthfeel and a summer friendly 6% abv. Mosaic & Simcoe hops lend tart blueberry and fragrant pine to a pleasingly bitter dandelion finish.”

ABV: 6.0%

(6/2/2013)

Digfest Beer Judging

Another early Saturday morning rolling east toward Columbus, Jeff Fortney grasping for that flick of consciousness while I tick off the miles. Today’s holy grail: Digfest Homebrew Competition, which is part of the larger Digfest (an acronym for drinking in Grandview—I had to ask, too). Judging was held at the Ohio Taproom, a pretty sweet location that features all Ohio craft beer on tap—they had twenty beers on tap Saturday, several I’d never seen before. Still, no matter how suave, they can certainly choke on that OSU “the” for reals. No, I’m not bitter—it’s just annoying.

One downside, however: the Ohio Taproom is small, so we had to judge outside. It was a nice day, so that part was O.K., but it was windy, which meant many a scoresheet went whipping across the sidewalk. I know, I know: improvise and overcome. I did. I judged 23. Specialty Beer, which was pretty much the same as usual: some good, some bad, and a general inability to enter the beers with the correct information. I should be used to it at this point, but I’ll still kick up a fuss. Again, no surprises there. It was also a small flight: eight beers listed, but only five showed up, so we were able to roll through them quickly and effectively. Patrick and Lisa Gangwer’s Pucker Up Or Die, a  Cherry Berliner Weisse, won the flight, and just like the name would suggest, it was pucker-y deliciousness. Nice job, you two. Results are listed here.

After a quick lunch, we sampled a couple of the beers on tap and Jeff participated in the Best of Show. We ran by Seventh Son on the way out of town for a pint and a growler, then headed back to Dayton. And more nap time for Fortney!

(6/1/2013)