Brew Batch #80 Jake's Juice (AG#2)

Into the keg with both strains tonight. 2565 came n at 1.002+0.002 @75F to yield 6.43%, 1010 came in at 1.004+0.002 @75F to yield 6.3%. Color is identical, nose is relatively the same on both. I am somewhat worried about a phenolic tone but my taste may be off and of course the swill was 75F. The one noticeable character from the AG batches is that I have better efficiency with attenuation being roughly the same, so I need to back off the grain bill (dropping the honey isn't an option, because it's part of the ever changing process of the beer). Having a kölsch at >6% is not an option for me. Plus lower grain bills mean lower costs, even if minuscule it all adds up over time. I'll keep you posted on "bandaid" notes and whether or not I give it to Jake, but this one WILL be brewed again post Seibel.

Our Tastes-- SW Hatchery Series #1

A Mosaic IPA. Using a "basic " IPA grain bill of silo malt and Munich then dry-hopping with Mosaic hops this one is tolerable. The large white froth is concerning and I won't mention the particulate for those weary of such (I just drink it), I thought filtering on my recent Centennial and Chinook IPAs was bad but all of a sudden I feel much better watching this come out of our recently fully piecemeal purchased regional brewery. It's OK, but there's also a reason why it gets distributed in seasonal packs from a 10bbl system. Jim Koch does it best pushing the seasons and using leftovers on his fall/winter packs. Marketing and free research. This was a great 6.4% excursion. I like brewing a 10bbl.

Our Tastes-- Barista Brew

It's no secret that BlackStone beer holds a special place in my...belly! And as summer closes in on us I lean towards lighter, more wheat bodied beer but, every now and then I crave the darkness like a "needlehead" (sorry heroin addicts, or in my case all the cats, dogs, and grandmas that have diabetes). This one was almost excellence. Pouring exactly what you see above, there's no need for a descriptive of head and color. Nose was of a malty sweetness and the taste was divine, especially before noon. Barista Brew is an 8.1% black coffee stout, that actually comes over sweet for those afraid of coffee. It's "twin" so to speak Mocha Stout, I'll be having later. A smooth swill all the way through with a noticeable Frothy Monkey, cold pressed infusion. A great eye opener.

Seibel Studies

Three weeks in and I'm picking up some really good concepts that even years of reading hasn't brought forth. So far Brewing Water Chemistry has been the toughest and I imagine without going completely to all grain will be the hardest for me to master. The hop chapter has been very informative and I'm sensing a better grasp on the how/when/why of certain varieties. In the next few weeks we'll cover Yeast Nature and Propagation. I'm really looking forward to this material, as every brewer wants to know how to maintain and cultivate their favorite workhorse for the next batch.

Our Tastes-- Launch Beer

Launch Beer by Trillium Brewing is a phenomenal pale ale! I'll have to admit I'm on the NE haze craze. Though "I be" in Siebel, that doesn't mean I'm not still pushing the palate. It just means I may revamp/rebrew all my old recipes once I emerge from my chrysalis. Words couldn't describe the appearance of this beer, so I posted an actual pic. The cloudy medium straw has the same opacity as a stout! Sunlight barely passes through this beauty. Head is a pillowy settling white that springs the voluptuous Citra aroma at you like a pie in the face.  I say add a little wheat to it all now! The yeast/protein bed left in tulip is something even Ray Charles would notice.

Siebel Start

After almost 15 years of home brewing, I've decided to try my hand at obtaining a Brewing Certificate from Siebel Institute via their online course. Suffice to say my extra time for the next 13 weeks will be spent on studying the 7-11 hours/week for the "average student". Then when I emerge from my Siebel cocoon, I hope to be able to provide better more consistent brews. My ultimate takeaway from this process is a good hazy wheat beer and how to possibly incorporate wheat into an IPA and a good session IPA recipe that I can use smoked malt in.  So I'll be on a bit of a brewing hiatus until about August. Of course the tasters will still be flowing, maybe even a bit more often. But ultimately after I keg Jake's Juice the Beat-12 "nano" will be down for a while.