Watermelon Wheat - Perfected

On a bar hopping tour with my sister last winter, we stopped in at the POPE and they had 21A Hell or Highwatermelon Wheat on tap.  I smirked, she smirked back, and then she said, I know, but you should try it.  On tap, it is a heck of a beer.  I became consumed with trying to replicate the beer and scoured my message boards for recipes.  Then I stumbled upon the magic ingredient suggested by another board member, Lorann candy oil.  I made a test batch and the flavor imparted by this little dram of candy oil was perfect.  I know 21A highly guards this recipe and say that they use real watermelon, but I would bet some good money that they use this flavoring in their beer.  This was my third batch and I have now declared it perfect.  I subbed pils for 2-row and Notty for S-05 and the tweaks were exactly what I wanted.  My wife has declared it the best beer that I make.  I used my single kettle e-BIAB setup with a full volume continuous recirculation.

Grains
5.5# pils
5.5# wheat
.25# c-10
.25# c-20
mash at 154

Additions

60 min boil

1 oz Amarillo at 45 min

1oz Amarillo at flame out

1 dram watermelon Lorann candy oil at pitching

Notty at 66 for 30 days, keg and serve
OG-1056

fg-1010

Water Adjustments (tsp)

.6 Epsom Salt

.102 Chalk

Ca=36

SO4=61

Mg=17

Na=27

Cl=70

Carb=67

Hard=162

Alk=59

Aprihop

I had a dram of Apricot Lorann candy oil lying around and wanted to experiment.  So, I decided to try something akin to DFH's Aprihop.  I used my two-tier 3 kettle e-HERMS system with a single batch sparge and hit my target numbers pretty spot on, getting into the 80s for efficiency for the first time.  I have never chased efficiency, but it was nice to see I could go higher if I really wanted to.  I struggled with lower efficiency when I first began all-grain brewing and it is nice to see I have stabilized my system and can get easily repeatable results, which has always been my goal.  This beer has needed a lot of conditioning and is finally presentable 4 months later.  I'm not sure I would make this one again.

Update (11/21)-This beer is finally coming into its own.  The apricot cuts the hop bitterness very nicely and lends a good aroma.  It took some time, but this beer now works and I would not be shy to serve it to anyone.

Grains:

9.75# 2-Row

3.00# Munich I

1.00# Caramel Pils

0.75# c-10

0.50# Wheat

mash 151

Additions:

75 min boil

0.50ozs. Magnum FWH

0.50ozs. Columbus 30

1.00ozs. Amarillo 15

0.50ozs. Columbus 10

1.00ozs. Columbus dry hop

1 dram Apricot Lorann candy oil at pitching

s-05 at 68

OG 1064

fg 1012

Mosher's Ideal Pale Ale

Water Adjustments (tsp)

.587 Epsom Salt

.066 Chalk

4.407 Gypsum

Ca=120

SO4=269

Mg=19

Na=27

Cl=70

Carb=65

Hard=377

Alk=57

Big Eye India Pale Ale

I had the desire to brew something on the 4th of July and wanted to have an IPA ready for late summer.  So, I decided to revisit a recipe that I had brewed a 3 gallon test batch with the year before.  My good friends at Ballast Point provided me with the below recipe, and it is one of the best IPAs that I brew.  I have great respect for the guys at Ballast Point and think they brew some of the best beer out there.  As evidenced by this recipe, simple is often better.  I used my two-tier 3 kettle e-HERMS system with a single batch sparge and hit all of my target numbers.  I have really dialed in my newly revamped system and love brewing with it.  However, I am not a fan of the big cleanup and the longer setup and breakdown of the 3 vessel system.  With smaller beers, I think I will go exclusively with my single vessel BIAB setup.  On tap this beer is fantastic, but I may modify my water adjustments when I brew it again.  I would go with my Vista, CA water profile instead of Mosher's ideal pale ale.  I am finding Mosher's slightly too bitter.

Grains

15.84# 2-row

.72# c-40

.72# carapils

.72# victory

Mash 151

Additions

1.5 oz columbus  at 60

.5 oz columbus at 10

2 oz centennial 10 day dry hop

s-05 ferment at 66      

OG 1068
fg 1010

Mosher's Ideal Pale Ale

Water Adjustments (tsp)

.587 Epsom Salt

.066 Chalk

4.407 Gypsum

Ca=120

SO4=269

Mg=19

Na=27

Cl=70

Carb=65

Hard=377

Alk=57

ESB

One of my best friends was having his first child and I wanted to brew something special for his new baby's arrival.  He and his wife decided not to find out whether it would be a boy or a girl so it made my style choice somewhat difficult.  I decided on an ESB because it was a pretty straight forward beer that appeals to most palates, and because I could play on the ESB name by making my label say "Extra Super Baby".  The label was awesome, and the beer turned out just great, just like my friend's new little girl.  I used my small batch single kettle e-BIAB and scaled down the below recipe to 3.5 gallons.

Grains:

14# 2-row

.50# c-40

.38# c-120

.25# Special Roast

.50# Aromatic Malt

Mash at 154

Additions:

90 min boil

1.5 oz EKG at 60

.5 oz EKG at 20

1 oz EKG at 1

S-04 at 68

OG 1063
fg1014

Cali-Belgique IPA

Having just lagered my Leffe Blonde that was raised up on a 2L starter, I wanted to reuse my Wyeast Belgian Strong Ale yeast.  I had recently enjoyed a bottle of Stone's Cali-Belgique IPA so I decided to brew something similar.  Stone's beer is supposedly just their standard IPA with belgian yeast.  The recipe below is the one from BYO.  I used my CB20 system for this brew.  I'm not sure if it was because I reused the yeast cake from my Leffe Blonde, but I was not happy with the results of this beer.  I kegged it and kept hoping it would get better after a few months, but it just didn't finish right on the palate.  Probably because of the yeast.  I have not enjoyed the beers I have made with reused yeast cakes and will likely never use one again.  I bottled the remainder of the keg with the hopes the beer may round into form some day.

Update (11/29) - I cracked a bottle of this one last night and was very surprised to taste a much better beer.  Based on the amount of yeast that dropped to the bottom of the bottle I suspect this one needed some time to age before it came together.  It was way too yeasty on tap.  I doubt if I would make it again, but I am very happy to report that the beer now tastes the way it was designed to taste.

Grains:

12.75# 2-row

.875# c-15

Mash at 149   

Additions:

90 min boil

.43 magnum at 90

.64 perle at 90

2 oz centennial at 15

1 tsp irish moss at 15

1 oz centennial dry hop

.5 chinnook dry hop

Reused Wyeast Belgian Strong Ale cake     

Ferment at 66    

10 day dry hop   
OG 1064   
fg-1012

Mosher's Ideal Pale Ale

Water Adjustments (tsp)

.587 Epsom Salt

.066 Chalk

4.407 Gypsum

Ca=120

SO4=269

Mg=19

Na=27

Cl=70

Carb=65

Hard=377

Alk=57

    

Citrillo Wheat

I had been hearing great things about the new citra hop but knew that it needed to be used in the proper quantities.  I had 55lbs of wheat sitting in my basement waiting to be used so I decided to brew a slightly hoppy summer wheat.  Man did this recipe deliver.  It was by far my favorite beer of the summer and the keg did not last long.  I used my single kettle e-BIAB setup with a full volume continuous recirculation.

Grains:

4.25# 2-row   

4.25# wheat   

Mash at 149

Additions:

75 min boil

0.4 oz Citra FWH

.625 oz Citra at 15 min

.625 oz Amarillo at 10 min

1 oz Amarillo at 0 min

1 oz Amarillo Dry Hop 10 days

S-05 at 65-68

OG 1047
fg-1008

Water Adjustments (tsp)

.6 Epsom Salt

.102 Chalk

Ca=36

SO4=61

Mg=17

Na=27

Cl=70

Carb=67

Hard=162

Alk=59

Leffe Blonde

I have a fond memory of one of the first beers that introduced me to Belgians, Leffe Blonde.  It became one of my go-to beers and I ordered it often at Teresa's Next Door when my sister worked there.  My wife has become a fan of it as well and I wanted to brew this beer for her.  I kegged the beer and it took about 3-4 months to really round into form.  If I make it again, I will bottle condition it.  This was a really good beer.  I used my CB20 system right before I revamped it into a HERMS system.

Grains:

11# Pils          

.5# wheat       

1.5# Cane Sugar

.5# Aromatic  

Mash at 150

Additions:

90 min boil

1.6 oz Hallertau 4% at 60 min

Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale  

64 pitch raise to 68 over 1 week       

1 month lager 45-50 degrees

OG 1066
fg-1010

Water Adjustments (tsp)

.6 Epsom Salt

.102 Chalk

Ca=36

SO4=61

Mg=17

Na=27

Cl=70

Carb=67

Hard=162

Alk=59