Hennepin Clone Bottled (Finally!)

So, after two months in secondary, I finally got to bottle the Hennepin clone today. It was certainly clear. Had a final gravity of 1.019 (right on target) and tasted pretty darned good. I got 11 bombers filled and 28 12oz bottles out of the batch. I had two Jolly Pumpkin 750mL bottles that I wanted to fill, but my capper would not fit around the neck. Bummer.

I'm hoping to brew my third batch of the year sometime next week. An all-grain recipe, but I have to decide what style yet.

Hennepin Clone Racked to Secondary

Well, I let it sit for longer than I hoped (two weeks tonight), but I didn't notice any ill effects on aroma or taste. The gravity was at 1.020 (target is 1.015-1.018) so lookin' good.

It's going to take a nice long rest in the glass for six weeks before bottling.

Tomorrow - a beer trip! Since we're on Spring Break, I'm taking a (if I do say so myself) well-deserved day off. Jon, Lacey, and I are leaving town at 8:30 for an excursion to the Northeast. Details soon.

Saison Fermentation Video

I came home last Wednesday to find the saison bubbling away in the bucket quite vigorously - must be something about those Belgian and/or German yeasts .. or else I do a nice job aerating. Anyway, the airlock remained this time, but the cap was off and tons of foamy blow-off were spilled across the top of the bucket.

The fermentation was very active, and I took some video of it. If the volume is up loud enough, you can actually here the gas escaping. This was about 18 hours after pitching the yeast - Forbidden Fruit from Wyeast.

My first YouTube video ...

Ommegang Hennepin Clone

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