Tonight was brew night at my house, and I made an extract Ommegang Hennepin clone recipe from Beer Captured. The 'Brew Crew' came over (Jon, Lacey, Eli), as well as two newcomers - Tom L. and Tom W. In addition to brewing, we also tasted some beers (of course). Eli brought a Schlafly Pumpkin Ale (Schlafly) and a Great Lakes Nosferatu (Great Lakes); Tom W. brought two 750-mL Corsendonk Pater Abbey Browns (Brouwerij Van Steenberge); and Tom L. brought a growler of his Christmas ale (Tom L. started homebrewing last fall and jumped in full throttle with all grain). Tom W. brewed once many moons ago and is interested in starting back up - he found us through the Gazette article that ran back on 2/11.
We also opened up a bottle of the Franziskaner clone brewed in January, and much to my dismay it has quite a diacetyl presence. Bummer! Hopefully with a bit more time, it will improve? Either I didn't aerate well enough (though I stirred and agitated the heck out of it) or, when the air lock blew off (twice!), I got some infection. Also, despite hitting target gravities (both original and final), the body seemed overly thin. Maybe it's not carbonating as quickly as I'd hoped. I don't think the priming with corn sugar would affect it that much.
Anyway, the brewing tonight went well. Started with a light grain soak (aromatic malt, flaked maize, rice hulls, and biscuit malt) for 30 minutes. Sparged and added 8 lbs. of Muntons Extra Light DME along with 3/4 lb. of clear candi sugar. Added 1.7 oz. of Styrian Goldings and boiled 45 minutes.
Added 0.25 oz. of Styrian Goldings, 0.25 oz. Czech Saaz, and Irish moss and boiled another 13 minutes, then added final 0.25 oz. Czech Saaz for two minutes.
Chilled and brought up volume to 5 gallons. Pitched Forbidden Fruit from Wyeast and aerated.
O.G. = 1.078
7 comments:
Wait, so you added the rice hulls with the steeping grains?
I thought they didn't do much, but instead acted as a buffer for doing all-grain?
Yep - because this grain 'soup' was then strained and sparged, and the rice hulls allow for better draining and rinsing. Didn't do it the last time because the grains weren't particularly messy.
When you deal with flaked wheat or maize, it gets really gummy, so the rice hulls help keep things from binding up and making a lousy sparge.
Ah, so you sparged your steeping grains? I must have come in after that. I'd like to see how you do that.
Did you have fun? Where there too many cooks in the kitchen. I get kinda nervous when too many people are there. With that many people I tend to drink too much beer, talk too much and forget things.
Sounds like a great time :-)
I can't speak for anyone else, but I had a lot of fun (I refuse to have a bad time while brewing). It's a bit crowded in the kitchen but no worries. Everyone's eager to help but also respectful when you want to do something yourself.
As for drinking .. got in a few new ratings. As for talking .. I can brew and talk at the same time with little trouble - of course, sometimes I'm talking to myself in a room full of people.
Just wondering how this is turning out, I am considering using a Extract Hennepin Clone recipe as a base and changing the fruit addition a bit. Anything you would change in your recipe?
Trevor,
It turned out very well. It's been drunk for about six months now. I need to make some more at some point.
Cheers,
Nate
Post a Comment