Sunday, June 24, 2012

Pistachio Nut Brown Ale

Nailed my mash temperature of 155F.  Awesome aromas of roasted malt and nutty goodness!  About 50 minutes to go on the mash, then I'll sparge with 170F water, then it's off to the boil.  I'll be using Northern Brewer hops for bittering and Fuggles hops for flavor and aroma.  I wanted to stay along the lines of "earthy" type flavors to compliment the nuttiness.  (Rated at 28 IBU by calculation.) 
I'll use Fermentis US-05 yeast for it's clean crisp finish, also to promote the overall flavors of the beer.
Projected gravity: 1.059.  Actual measured: 1.054.  (My sparge calculation was off due to my error and not inputting the proper measurement in a field.)  Color: deep amber/dark golden/medium brown.  Tastes good already.  Malty and nutty with a slight caramel like flavor.
I'll update in a week.

Cheers!  

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Pistachio Nut Brown Ale

O.k.  I know it sounds weird, but I have a friend that keeps saying how it would be awesome to have a beer that tastes like pistachios.  So I came up with this idea of making a Nut Brown Ale flavored with pistachio.  I didn't really want to figure out how to use real pistachios by de-fatting them so I am opting to use a high grade pistachio flavored extract instead.  (smells amazing by the way!) 

So it will be brew day, 6/24/12.  The Nut Brown Ale will be brewed, and just before bottling, the flavoring extract will be added, depending on a taste test.  I have a nice nutty malt bill utilzing Maris Otter, Victory, Carabrown, Amber, a little Carapils for body, and a little Pale Wheat for smoothness and head retention.  I'm using US-05 yeast for a clean, crisp finish to highlight the nutty flavors.

I'll keep you posted!
Cheers!

Summer Wheat White IPA

Definitely a new style, mine is modeled after Deshutes Brewery Chainbreaker White IPA.  My wife actually loves Chainbreaker and she doesn't usually like IPA's. 
I changed mine up just a tad, highlighting the grapefruit flavors and aromas, and utilizing grapefruit zest instead of orange peel.  My wife enjoys this one too!
Big hop aroma with citrus with floral notes, flavor of smooth wheat, citrus, and tropical fruit, with a slight hops bitterness and a lingering flavor of ruby red grapefruit.  Slightly spicy from coriander, ginger, and Safbrew T-58 yeast.
I think this will remain one of my house brews as quite a few friends say it is absolutely delicious!  Possibly because it is different from anything else out there right now.
Thanks for reading!
Cheers!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

White IPA, bottled

Bottled this morning.  FG 1.016: ABV 5.7.  Aroma of tropical fruit and citrus, especially grapefruit.  Flavor: smooth, some tropical fruit, slight spiciness, moderate hops bitterness, with a lingering flavor of pink grapefruit. 
I opted to carbonate this one a little higher since it is a wheat based IPA.  (2.7 volumes CO2).  Two weeks to go for carbonation and conditioning.  Can't wait to taste this one when it's completed!
Cheers!