Round 3 - ESB vs. American 2

Here is the third and final round of split batch amber ales fermented with competing yeast strains. In round 1, the beers remained somewhat understated to see how the yeast strains effect the malts. In round 2, the hops were kicked up a full ounce and the 60 minute bittering units increased about 10 points. In round 3, the beers will resemble round 2, but present a more American hop feel.

This recipe has the largest percentage of base organic 2-row pale malt at 86%. Though the base is larger, the color will be slightly darker from a very small addition of black malt. I'm hoping for a more pure malt taste with an almost sharp quality. I love using the word "accurate" to describe simple and direct flavors (mostly for hops). The way to get accuracy, is to really simplify and focus in on what makes that flavor more pronounced. I suppose many things can contribute to "sharpness" of the simple malt profile, but in this recipe, the accent malts are scaled back, the base percentage is boosted, and the black malt may provide a slight astringency (maybe like crushed black pepper on the top of tomato soup...or something like that) that further accentuates the base malt. Water conditions may also play a role in this equation.

Until now, the hops I've been playing with were blends using German, Czech and English varieties. Here I look forward to smelling and tasting some good old American hoppiness. After tasting the first round, I think the bittering units can be scaled back to a place between Round 1 & 2. Also, the hopping schedules for these are the most similar, compared to the first two rounds. Chinook is the bitter base, and Nugget Cluster is the 1 ounce foundation of aroma. Cascades are more fresh with good citrus notes going into the American 2. For the ESB, Challenger will provide a good herbal fragrance and flavor.

Pretty soon we shall see the outcome of all of this. I will be posting all the results in the Final post. Stay tuned.

Grains
13. lb. Organic 2-row Pale
1.0 lb. Crystal 80L
0.4 lb. Crystal 120L
.25 lb. Victory Malt
.25 lb. CaraPils
.20 lb. Black Patent


London ESB

Hops
.50 oz. Chinook, 12.9%, pellet, 75min+
.80 oz. Challenger, 6.3%, pellet, 15min
1.0 oz. Cluster, 7.9%, pellet, KO
.20 oz. Challenger, 6.3%, pellet, KO


American 2

Hops
.50 oz. Chinook, 12.9%, pellet, 75min
.80 oz. Cascade, 6.9%, pellet, 15min
1.0 oz. Cluster, 7.9%, pellet, KO
.20 oz. Cascade, 6.9%, pellet, KO


Brew Day Stats

Brewed: 4/11/08
Racked: just primary
Bottled: 4/20/08

Water Adjustment:
.5 tsp acid blend, .5 tsp gypsum, .5 tsp CaCl in strike water
1 tsp gypsum in 2nd sparge water

H2O/Grain Ratio: 1.3 qt/lb
Mash Ph: 5.4-5.5
Sacch. Rest Temp/Time: 154-2°F/1hr
Mash Out Temp/Time: 171°F/15min

2nd Batch Sparge Vol/Temp: 5 gal @ 182°F/173°F

Pre-Boil Vol: 5.75 gal each
Boil Time: 90+min
Post-Boil Vol: approx. 4 gallons each

Color/SRM: amber/16+
Ferment Temp: 68-72°F

ESB
OG: 1.061
IBU: 47
FG: 1.014
ABW: 4.9%
ABV: 6.1%

Amer. 2
OG: 1.061
IBU: 47
FG: 1.014
ABW: 4.9%
ABV: 6.1%

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in this series...

Intro
Round 1
Round 2
Finals

Round 2 - ESB vs. American 2

Entering the second round after only 10 days of first round action. And some action it was. Both strains gave a great performance, and showed off their distinctive personalities. London ESB gave off larger bubbles, and though the krausen foam was just as large, it didn't seem to exhale as many air-locked bubbles. It also tried to finish earlier, so it got a couple spins to loosen its clumpy yeast cake. In the end it really settled out good and clear.

The American 2 strain performed with much more vigor. Wildly swirling around, it looked like it was boiling in carboy. Finer sized bubbles succumbed to strong currants on there way to the foamy surface. Simply amazing! Exhalations slowed but never really seemed to stop. Also, a 2 inch thick and creamy foam head never wanted to settle back into the beer, and it remained pretty cloudy at ten days.

Each batch was packaged into ten 12oz. bottles (with Cooper drops) and the rest kegged (3gal each). Please look back to Round 1 for their ending stats.

Round 2 already showed signs of fermentation within 1 hour on their yeast cakes. After five hours they were both fermenting wildly with considerable krausen foam. Eventually the ESB started to settle down, while the American 2 built up even more milky/top-cropping yeast, and decided to blow out of the airlock late the next day. It continued to blow off slowly through the night. photo coming soon

This round is very similar with malts and color. The gravity is a couple points higher, and it was mashed similarly to the first round. The hops however, were increase at both bittering and aroma with one additional ounce. The separation of additions was also increased, with only two aroma addition at 15min & knock out. The hop presence is definitely more pronounced with the ESB getting Phoenix/Saaz and American 2 getting Glacier/Saaz blends. The Saaz has a soft aroma with only 2.3 alpha acids which should provide a good balancing effect with the stronger English aroma hops.

Grains

12. lb. Organic 2-row Pale
1.0 lb. Crystal 120L
0.5 lb. Crystal 80L
.75 lb. Victory Malt
.75 lb. CaraPils


London ESB

Hops
.50 Columbus, 12.2%, pellet, 60min
.10 oz. Phoenix, 10%, pellet, 60min
.40 oz. Saaz, 2.3%, pellet, 15min
.40 oz. Phoenix, 10%, pellet, 15min
.60 oz. Saaz, 2.3%, pellet, KO
.60 oz. Phoenix, 10%, pellet, KO


American 2

Hops
.50 Columbus, 12.2%, pellet, 60min
.10 oz. Phoenix, 10%, pellet, 60min
.40 oz. Saaz, 2.3%, pellet, 15min
.40 oz. Glacier, 6%, pellet, 15min
.60 oz. Saaz, 2.3%, pellet, KO
.60 oz. Glacier, 6%, pellet, KO


Brew Day Stats

Brewed: 3/30/08
Racked: just primary
Bottled: 4/11/08

Water Adjustment:
.75 tsp acid blend & 2.5 tsp gypsum in strike water
2.5 tsp gypsum in 2nd sparge water

H2O/Grain Ratio: 1.3 qt/lb
Mash Ph: 5.5-5.6
Sacch. Rest Temp/Time: 154°F/1hr
Mash Out Temp/Time: 171°F/10min

2nd Batch Sparge Vol/Temp: 5 gal @ 180°F/172°F

Pre-Boil Vol: 5 gal each
Boil Time: 60min
Post-Boil Vol: approx. 4 gallons each

Color/SRM: pale-amber/14-16
Ferment Temp: 68-72°F

ESB
OG: 1.055
IBU: coming soon
FG: 1.015
ABW: 4.2%
ABV: 5.25%

Amer. 2
OG: closer to 1.053
IBU: 47
FG: 1.013
ABW: 4.2%
ABV: 5.25%

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Intro
Round 1
Round 3
Finals

Round 1 - ESB vs. American 2

This is the first round of a number of split brew sessions. London ESB is going head-to-head with American Ale 2 to win my preference as a good pale ale yeast strain. It will be a lot of fun finding out how they perform over a few rounds. Read about the break down of this experiment here.

For the first round, the beer style and hopping is a session-like English style bitter/amber. It may be a little light on the bittering hops, but should allow the yeast's fermentation characteristics to be more noticeable. The next rounds will either be higher OG's and/or higher IBU's. Below there is a list of grains for the main mash, then separate listings of hop schedules, followed by brewday stats. Check back in about 1-1.5 months for the final results, or there may be a special post highlighting the results of all these brews.

A couple challenges added almost 2 hours to the day. The lid was on tight during the first sparge. This caused a strange vacuum, that compacted the grains and stopped the flow. We added about a gallon of the second sparge water to mix the grains, vorlaufed, and we were on track again. Then, while adding the first hop addition to the 2nd batch...American 2 ale, Matt mistakenly added the 2nd addition at the beginning. So I made an adjustment, and added only half the original 1/2 ounce of Pheonix bittering hops. Other than that, it was a good brew day, and the OG's were just a couple points above target.

Grains
11. lb. Organic 2-row Pale
1.0 lb. Victory Malt
0.8 lb. Crystal 80L
0.6 lb. Crystal 120L
0.6 lb. CaraPils


London ESB

Hops (IBU 39)
.50 oz. Pheonix, 10%, pellet, 60min
.40 oz. Kent Goldings, 6.3%, whole, 25min
.40 oz. Kent Goldings, 6.3%, whole, 12min
.20 oz. Kent Goldings, 6.3%, whole, KO


American 2

Hops (IBU 40)
.25 oz. Pheonix, 10%, pellet, 60min
.35 oz. Glacier, 6%, pellet, 60min
.10 oz. Saaz, 2.3%, pellet, 60min
.35 oz. Glacier, 6%, pellet, 25min
.10 oz. Saaz, 2.3%, pellet, 25min
.40 oz. Glacier, 6%, pellet, 12min
.10 oz. Saaz, 2.3%, pellet, 12min
.25 oz. Glacier, 6%, pellet, KO


Brew Day Stats

Brewed: 3/20/08
Racked: just primary
Bottled: 3/30/08

Water Adjustment:
.5 tsp acid blend & 2.25 tsp gypsum in strike water
2.25 tsp gypsum in 2nd sparge water

H2O/Grain Ratio: 1.3 qt/lb
Mash Ph: 5.5-5.6
Sacch. Rest Temp/Time: 154°F/1hr
Mash Out Temp/Time: 172°F/10min

2nd Batch Sparge Vol/Temp: 4-4.5gal/172°F

Pre-Boil Vol: 5 gal each
Boil Time: 60min
Post-Boil Vol: 4 gallons each
Mash Efficiency: approx. 80%

Color/SRM: pale-amber/13
Ferment Temp: 68-72°F

ESB
OG: 1.052
IBU: 39
FG: 1.015
ABW: 3.9%
ABV: 4.86%

Amer. 2
OG: 1.052
IBU: 40
FG: 1.013
ABW: 4.1%
ABV: 5.1%

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the other posts
in this series...

Intro
Round 2
Round 3
Finals

Simcoe 100

I've heard good things about Simcoe hops. Its a varietal I've never used before. Thanks to a exceedingly successful IPA (Hop Blend IPA), and a good APA (Matrimony Ale), I'm going through a hop kick this summer. I figure now is as good as any to become familiar with a handful of hops that can be used heavily in beer styles that showcase them.

"Simcoe 100" will be a deep colored, BIG amber ale in the realm of 8%. Exclusively hopped with Simcoe, it will reach a level of 100 IBU's. That's a BU-GU ratio of about 1.22, and with a high Alpha Acid percentage, the flavor and aroma should come out bold and beautiful.

In comparison to the Hop Blend IPA, I expect this beer to bigger in all areas. Bigger malt sweetness, bigger body, more residual sugars, strong head retention, fuller hop bitterness, huge hop flavor and aroma, and a deeper amber color.

The OG came out 10 points higher than expected. This also happened with the yeast starter brewed for this batch. I'm not really experienced with how malt extract effects the gravity of a wort. I suppose there is a rating for various malt extracts. Strange how all-grain brewing is much easier in this department.

Its out of the ordinary for me to get creative and design labels for my beers. Something about this one mysteriously propelled me to do so. Now I have to figure out a way to get it from...don't laugh...a word document, onto the web. David...can you help me? Well, Sarah was able to do it. Thank you dear. The ABV in on the label isn't correct, cause I didn't know it at the time of designing it. Just mentally input 8.6% in that little white oval.

Simcoe 100

Malts
4 lbs. Alexander's Pale Liquid Malt Extract
5 lbs. 2-Row Pale Malt
.25 lb. Crystal 40L
.5 lb. Crystal 60L
.25 lb. Special B
.25 lb. CaraPils

Hops
1.4 oz. Simcoe, 11.9%, pellet, 105min
.90 oz. Simcoe, 11.9%, pellet, 20min
.90 oz. Simcoe, 11.9%, pellet, 5min
.90 oz. Simcoe, 11.9%, pellet, KO
2.0 oz. Simcoe, 11.9%, pellet, DRY

Yeast
Wyeast 1028: London Ale, slurry from 1 gallon batch

Brew Day Stats

Brew Day: 8/14/07
Secondary: 8/26/07
Bottled: 9/18/07

Water Adjustment: 1 gallon distilled, .75 tsp Gypsum, .25 tsp CaCl, pinch of salt

H2O/Grain Ratio: 1.45 qts/lb
Mash Ph: acidic (ph papers didn't change color)
Sacch Rest Time: 1 hour
Sacch Rest Temp: 153°F
Mash Out Temp: 162°F - low again

2nd Batch Sparge: 2.5 gallons at 182°F
2nd Batch Temp: 166°F- low again

Pre-Boil Vol: 5 gallons
Pre-Boil SG w/o extract: 1.038
Boil Time: 1:30 hours
Post Boil Vol: 4.25 gallons

OG: 1.084
IBU: 100
Color/SRM: 15-18
Mash Efficiency: Approx. 94.2% (Gravity from extract may influence)
FG: 1.0184
ABW: 6.88%
ABV: 8.61%

Fermentation Temp: 74°F
Cost: $31.61, $.71/12oz., $4.26/6-pack

Progress

1. Showed activity, and layer of early foam by night fall
2. Progressed activity next morning
3. Great activity with very thick foam later in the day Wednesday
4. Scent from airlock is a wonderful myriad of fruits, flowers, pine
5. One week later, fermentation has slowed way down. There are still bubbles rising, so I'll let it go some more.
6. 8/26/07 - Transfered to secondary over 2 ounces of Simcoe pellets with an SG of around 1.023 (approx.8%)
7. Tasting at racking revealed a a sweet fruity taste. Sort-of an unbalanced flavor.
8. Bottled 9/18/07 and was delayed a few days because the carboy still look a tad bit active
9. 2 Bottles got a small dose of Cascade cones
10. On 10/4/07 the CO2 level is still a little low, so I'm continuing to turn the bottles.
11. At 2 weeks this beer is FULL of flavor, quite complex, very fruity, good mouthfeel, aromatic, and with a masked alcoholic strength. The deep amber/red color is simply beautiful.

Official N.B.A.

24 hours have gone by and one gallon of yeast starter is fermenting very well right now. It's really a very small batch of beer. This time I'm experimenting with moderate-high usage of Northern Brewer hops. Since the recent brewing of a darn good APA and IPA, I wanted to try using different hops in higher IBU's. The yeast slurry from this batch will go into a 4 gallon batch..."Simcoe 100," a strong amber ale with very strong hops.

It's about half all-grain and extract. Since my coffee carafe "mini-masher" can only handle about a pound of malt, I had to perform two consecutive mashes. Each mash lasted about 45 minutes and took about 15 minutes to batch sparge three times. I made up the rest with amber DME. In the end the gravity turned out high by about 10 points! I thought it was more important to boil it down to the right final volume. So the bittering hops may be contributing more IBU's..

After primary fermentation, a taste sample will dictate how much dry hops to use. I definitely want to go big with the aroma on this one. My prediction is that this hop will result in a more "grassy" and "earthy" taste and aroma. We'll see.

Though its coming out more brown than amber, I'm still calling it the "Official N.B.A."

Official N.B.A.
Brewed 8/7/07
1.25 gallon

Malts (OG 1.062)
.65 lb. Munton's Amber DME
1.5 lb. 2-Row Malt
.20 lb. Crystal 60L
.13 lb. CaraFoam
.05 lb. Chocolate Malt

Hops (IBU 62)
.30 oz. Northern Brewer, 8.5%, whole, 90min
.20 oz. Northern Brewer, 8.5%, whole, 15min
.20 oz. Northern Brewer, 8.5%, whole, 5min
.20 oz. Northern Brewer, 8.5%, whole, KO
.20 oz. Northern Brewer, 8.5%, whole, Dry (more or less)

Yeast
Wyeast 1028: London Ale

Updates

1. Racked to secondary 8/14/07
2. Aroma at racking time was absolutely wonderful, and I almost wanted to just let it be. But I gotta go through with the plans. Since the hops already did great things, a little more can't hurt.
3. Bottled on 8/31/07. Two bottles got a bunch of Northern Brewer whole hops in the bottle, and to be drunk within 2 weeks. Looking forward to see how "cask conditioned" I can get my bottled beer.
4. Overall this beer came out pretty bold. Please read about my assessment of Northern Brewer Hops.