There is none better than an overnight mash to get brew day done by 10am! Even though this doesn't really need it, I wanted to try my hand at this style one more time for the summer to see if slight tweaks in hopping and a mega multi-generational yeast pitch would help. OG 1.033+0.001 @76 should yield a crisp dry representation.
We last heard from this batch in January of 24'. Well, 'Merica's 250th is here and what better day to finally keg this beauty. A compilation of 4 separate and blended batches of our "annual" favorite from 2005, this one sat in a John Emerald Spurgeon spiced rum barrel for almost 30 full months. Yield was monstrous as well considering the sleep! (About 13.5 gallons or more). The smell and taste are of absolute victory! ABV landed at 11.9% and the notes of barrel wood and pirate's liquid are a mélange of effort and patience. One keg will be of the barrel pull, a second of 3# red cherry puree and the third I'll hold out for now. Look for your 8oz pour at the taproom.
FG on this one 1.004+0.000 @66F with some gelatin for clearing as it seems that adding a whirfloc to anything nowadays is something I am painfully missing. Makes it 4.9% and lower than my last batch but those extra 4 points on the front end would've made the difference. Hoping this one is a bit more dialed into style so I can enter it into NGHC. Let's let it sit for a month to clear and see what happens. Onto the next batch!
Cold crashed on 4/22 in an attempt to clear it up as I forgot all about the Whirfloc. FG 1.010+0.000 @63F gives it a gulp-able 4.2%. And it has now yielded a slap full quart and a half of 2nd gen healthy yeast.
And just one week after a disappointing AL HB Cup, the same 2 beers, Little Sausage and HOLD FAST! represented here out of 286. The Vienna was pounded and included notes of monstrous oxidation (and a 22 overall, 😒). It was judged by pro brewer, Alex Spencer, from DC Brau. The heavy paper he noted was thanks to FedEx shaking it for an extra 2 damn days and making a fresh 3-day ship a 6-day endeavor. The Anchor "nod" came in at 31 with expected notes of a smidge more hop bitterness needed (next batch will have Perle to bitter then NW for boil and flameout) but still managed to snag🥉. I can mark DC off the list but really wanted them to have better entries from a shipping standpoint. May re-enter again next year for giggles.