Brew Batch #83 Jake's Juice

The final extract batch for this recipe for me as I continue on my all grain journey from here on out with this one. One problem, pedicle formation. A big one. Dropped the OG to 1.002+0.001@ 67F to yield 6.4, so this why the abv is higher than expected. After looking at it, this was the same fermenter I racked over from mango wheat's first attempt. So, on advice from fellow brewer at One True Bine Brewing, I now have some Brett and sour equipment to isolate and branch out with. The beer gods taketh away then giveth?

Hoppy Halloween

Came and went yesterday without an Ikigai place. However, with 587 entries and an English Barleywine winning BOS I feel lucky just getting score sheets. That and the fact that the entry that took 1st in my category won it out right tells me I was up against a big dog. Maybe Badger Brew 2017 will yield better results. I'll keep you posted on scores when they come in. (update) scored 32.5 average with the same overall impressions and possible changes to the recipe.

Brew Batch #85 Southie-12 (AG)

My first post-Siebel AG batch was my interpretation of Southie-12. Southie is my idea of a Belgian Strong Dark (18E). Malt bill included 2-row, white wheat, chocolate malt, honey malt, C40, C120, cara-pils and eventually some D-180 Belgian syrup. Stayed with Cluster and paradise seeds at their usual time. OG came in at 1.079ish about 10 points off expected but still learning Pf's brewing system and B.E. at One True Bine Brewing Co. Bottom line is we need to brew it again to validate and quantify! Hopefully the Wyeast 3864 is churning away by the morrow.

Jacktoberfest 2017

Ikigai was brewed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. Pronounced, ee-kee-guy and a concept of "reason for being", I let this one age a touch and sent it on its way to my first post-Siebel homebrew comp. Came in 3rd in it's category out of 69 entries (score of 38). Preview of medal below, mine's in bronze;) Get it on draft while you can, Batch #2 due to brew soon!

Our Tastes-- Orange X

Another post-Siebel buy that apparently the masses at the draft house at AleSmith called for?! Their Extra PA on orange peel and flavor, yeah I got it, working on that one myself with mango wheat;) 5.25%abv with a good frothy whiteness to top and nose of pure orange, NOT tangerine, cutie, tangelo, but straight ORANGE, as though juice with the pulp. Taste, EPA overcome by oranges! I'd drink a sixer, if I hadn't given away a few.

Brew Batch #84 Mango Wheat v1.1

So this go around I altered the Azacca additions a little and went with 2.5 ounces mango flavoring on the kegging. FG 1.006+0.001 @74 to give it a smooth 5.4%. Got it on the gas for next weekend's Oktoberfest in Auburn.

Our Tastes-- Here Comes Mango!

So post-Siebel, I treated myself to a ton of beers I couldn't get here via Craftshack.com. That's where this little lovely came from. Here Comes Mango! is an IPA from Belching Beaver, of which I've never had a single brew. However, this one pours a frothy whiteness atop a hazy medium orange hue. The Amarillo and Simcoe hops are nice and the mango flavor is obviously over the top but welcomed. 6.6% and a only one bomber made this a quick disappearance.

Our Tastes-- HawkBill

So the image stuff on this is weak (which is usually a good thing!) But made with pilsner (expected), oats, but a touch of rye? (that one got me cause it's easily missed), I certainly did with the light body given forward before even getting to the hops! Mosaic (which is all over the place from what I discern) , El Dorado, and Galaxy hops present a sharp, citrus punch while the addition of Simcoe to the dry hop adds a final piney complexity to this easy sipping, hazy IPA. The commercial description of NS and Rakau must be different because my can said otherwise. At 6% I'm one these cans all day!

Hoppy Halloween

Sent more comp samples this morning to Hoppy Halloween in Fargo, ND. That's the farthest competition I've entered and went with Ikigai again. There were 11 entries in this category last year with an English Barleywine coming in 3rd. (464 entries from 20 states). 2015 was even deeper and yet an English Barleywine came in 2nd, so maybe there's a chance. Currently there are 460 entries and I'm #197. Awards live here on 10/28/17.

Our Tastes-- Ramarillo

From Big Lake Brewing, Ramarillo sports a nifty designed 16oz can to hold a very nice Amarillo and Citra laden IPA. Yazoo's pale ale, if memory serves, used to be a prime example of Amarillo hops. I've grown to truly enjoy these pint cans, in that they fill a nonic with no problem. However, the 4 packs you usually by them in cut 12 ounces out of the "usual" 6 pack volume while maintaining the same price point (boo). I'm thankful to Andy Mc for snagging this "Untapper", keep'em coming!

Brew Batch #84 Mango Wheat

Mango wheat v1.1, with 10 additional grams of Azacca at 5 minutes and I'll be skipping the mango pulp this time, apparently best use is 1.5lbs/gallon and my 4 only yielded 1lb last time (those big honking seeds!). OG 1.044 +0.002 @77F, lower than last batch but more inline with the numbers I was expecting. I'll also dabble with tripling the flavoring agent (sorry Red) to get the mango where I want it. ABV should be slightly lower making it more crushable and a hopeful entry into this year's Oktoberfest in Auburn.

Our Tastes-- Both Ways

A collaboration from Burial Beer Co and Threes Brewing, Both Ways may be the best IPL I've had. A Junker via the Lil' Mule, Both Ways pours a light sheer golden almost "old fashioned" lemonade hue. The perfect white head atop this pilsner malt heavy bevvy wafts heavily of Citra hops. The Saphir used is my first exposure to this particular hop and the alpha/beta percentages seem akin to Medusa (speaking of which I need to brew that again on an AG bill). A touch of danky on the taste and 6.5%abv makes this one a destroyer.... if you can get it!