Brew Batch #175 Reinke's Revenge 2022 CoVid Edition (cont'd) Gamma variant

Way behind on brewing this. Used to be October every year, moved to November for International Stout Day because the recipe turned out so well and now I'm scrambling to get it in by year end. But, continuing the CoVid fun with the Brazilian variant that found it's way to America, we give you P.1 (Gamma). OG 1.122+0.000 @68F, I'm pretty proud of by the way, because my BE was a little better than expected. On a huge 500ml thick 001 pitch from CBB, this one should take of soon. 

Brew Batch #174 Quit that Putin!

Kegged with a luscious aroma at FG 1.004-0.001@ 53F to make a great "Drop Dead You Reds" 6.3%. These Jarrylo hops are guaranteed to make you forget that 10% of all the world's wheat comes from Ukraine and that Russia reaped $1 billion worth of it during occupation. Yeah, bread and beer are tied together. 

Brew Batch #174 Quit That Putin!

What do you do when you have 1 pound of Jarrylo hops? See recipe name above. Haven't had a hazy on tap in a while and trying to fill Mista Wwyan. So, joining Grandma's Hotbox and on tap soon will be the latest Slovik hop driven haze juice made with Comet, Mosaic and of course Jarrylo. OG 1.050+0.000 @66F. Hoping the 3rd gen LA3 chews it on down a bit but not too dry. 

Brew Batch #173 Grandma's Hotbox

Kegged today after a monster CBB 001 yeast pitch at it down to FG 1.004 -0.001 @52F to make it quaffable 4%. Now the fun part. Let's add about 60mls of Amoretti apple pie flavoring to it at kegging and let it waft out of the glass as a fall seasonal. I've got some natural pie crust and green apple as well in case I have to "toe" it one way or another. 

Hoppy Halloween 2022

Came and went with a big hitter from Formation Brewing Co in it, Teenage Dirtbag's Summer Job. That barrel-aged wheatwine on insane amounts of coconut (toasted and raw) and banana chips. It garnered a 38 and went to miniBOS in its category but alas left without bling. Heyman! This is a tough year ender for the Midwest HBOY circuit, so I'll take it. Just didn't care for the judge's comments on how he didn't like this type of beer. Thought they just judged it on what it was? 

Brew Batch #173 Grandma's Hotbox

Since Mercy Bo Coupe didn't quite turn out the way I had planned it was time to move on and possibly help with some R&D. Delving into the usual Berliner base, this one will have pie crusts and some form of apple pie placed in it. Of course, this time I forgot the grain hadn't been milled when I put it in the bucket so when I started to pour it was whole. 😒 Which led to a scrambling for a sein to get the grain out of the water and mill it before use but some was obviously left behind. OG 1.030+0.003 @ 90F BUT CBB came through with a monster Chico ale pitch so in theory I can still get it down to a respectable FG for a nice 4% abv. We'll see.....

Brew Batch #172 It Ain't Helen...Georgia

FG 1.006-0.001 @56F for a solid 6% Prost! If you haven't had this gold medal winner from FOAM Cup 2021, contact your local distributor. May have to see if there's a FL comp soon 😣

Brew Batch #172 It Ain't Helen ...Georgia

Yeah, I'm behind on brewing this one as a seasonal fo sho' but I just couldn't let it go. I feel like as good as this recipe is that enjoying it still at Thanksgiving is ok. FG 1.050+0.001 @80F on a mound of Wyeast 2308 should yield a 6% fall beauty. 

Brew Batch #160 Teenage Dirtbag

Finally!! On 8/3/22 this beast was yanked from Lil' Le' Arthur and placed on 1lb toasted coconut & banana chips and 1/2lb of raw coconut chips. Finishing at 1.012+0.000 @61F gives it a smooth almost pirate-like sought after quality of 9.45%! This is another excellent brainchild of the FBC trust. It'll be entered into Hoppy Halloween to see if it trades swashbuckling blows as well as previous entries. The nose is aromatic of light bourbon wood and Malibu rum while the quaff allows light notes of banana to ooze through. I mean hot damn, it only took a year and about a 20% loss.

Brew Batch #171 Mercy Bo Coupe

Ok so, live and learn. Found the Goodbelly I used to use as my souring agent and did everything the same BUT when adding the dark sweet cherry puree picked up a little infection. Cold crashed, kegged and put with 2oz of lime extract. It's got good head, but this'll definitely be a "do over". It smells a touch phenolic and isopropyl but tastes like a light cherry limeade wild sour if that makes sense. FG 1.004+0.001 @69F. 3.86%. Getting a mega 05 pitch from the local brewery to make sure this doesn't happen again. 

Brew Batch #171 Mercy Bo Coupe

As the kids return to school and humidity drops just a pinch, brewing revs back up to full steam. The original brain child and beta batch to a now successful seasonal offering at a local brewery, Mercy Bo Coupe looks to be a wonderful crowd pleaser Berliner on dark sweet cherries and white chocolate. +/- cocoa nibs and lactose still an option. OG 1.032+0.001 @75F should give it a crushable 4%. And thanks to Aldi for still carrying Goodbelly, it hasn't let me down yet on the brew comp circuit.  

Biting the Bullet

It's not often that I write about products but when I do they tend to impress me. This past Christmas my wife told me to bite the bullet. After checking to make sure my life insurance was up-to-date, I was then given the License to Chill Bullet Glacier Rocks. I've got to say that as I've crept back in to sipping bourbons and whiskey that these things have come in handy. Keep them frozen and enjoy more than just 2 fingers of your favorite barreled libation. 

Brew Batch #170 KeeWeePee v2.05

So, this lightly IBU'd batch hit the keg with FG 1.004 -0.001 @60F today. Not sure how it'll come across with only 14.5 IBUs and I may not even put it on Untappd, but the neighbors are like "Mikey". At least a cultivated a mega jar of yeast off of it. 

Brew Batch #170 KeeWeePee v2.05

The ole v2.0 with a change in hopping schedule that was to be 2.1 but alas distraction came in the form of my 9 year old wanting to FaceTime. 😏 Instead of having a 10 minute boil with Rakau and Waimea, they'll be sitting out until dry-hop. This also brings the IBUs from 32 to 14! I don't even know what to expect other than just "drinking beer". Ah, procreation, ain't it great?

Brew Batch #169 Occasionally

This first attempt at a true German Pils hit the keg at 1.000-0.001 @54F to give it a 5.9%abv. The Bohemian 2124 from CommonBond really chewed it on down. So much so that I'm saving a full quart of slurry for any other summer lagers if this turns out well. So now if someone asks if you drink beer you can say only Occasionally. 😆

DC Homebrewers Cherry Blossom Competition

 

Whelp, the "51st" state eludes. I sent Jake's Juice v2.3, which to me is dialed in as a honey kolsch (entered it as a kolsch), but only scored a 25 on apple, pear, honey, too dark for SRM notes. I'll be looking into 31B for the next comps. Reinke's Revenge 2021 CoVid edition Delta variant garnered 29 only 😐. Notes on it are well balanced and HOT! That one "killed me smalls". Both judges said it was decent with one saying closer to a Mexican stout, not sure what category that is but I'll look into it. The awards are supposed to be held June 15th but it seems with 104 they were able to knock out scoring ahead of time. Can't complain on how it was run just that some of these judge's handwriting stinks! And I'm a doctor.... next year DC, next year. 

Brew Batch #169 Occasionally

Let no Bohemian Wyeast 2124 go to waste! Time for a German Pils for the summer comp circuit. Almost all pils with a splash of carapils for head and Saaz out the wazzoo. OG 1.044+0.00@70F. Thanks to CBB for the yeast pitch. 

Brew Batch #168 Jake's Juice v2.3

For the batch that rivals Reinke's Revenge in brew attempts this one hit the keg at 1.004-0.001@61F to yield a nice 4.2% (hopefully) crushable bevvy. That ramped up 2565 Kolsch yeast got down! Starting the summer light brew lineup. 

For the Outdoorsman?

I'm an outdoor guy with a family of the same. We dig animal stories and I've always marveled over the story over the USS Indianapolis, I guess in part because I'm a Jaws fan but that it was told in such a surreal and factual manner. There were 1195 men aboard, approximately 300 went down with the ship while the remaining 890 went into the water to face what awaited with only 316 survivors. So in all, the sharks could've taken the 574 but dehydration and seawater poisoning probably claimed many. The wreckage was just found in 2017! And as of Thanksgiving 2021 there are only 3 remaining survivors. 

Then there's this story about pissing off the US Navy in WWII. All of sudden knowing what's in those mangroves bothers me.

Brew Batch #168 Jake's Juice v2.3

Returning to an oldie but a goodie with a pound of local honey. Ah yes, I see many light quaffers this summer as we're to hit 90F already at the beginning of May here. OG 1.036+0.000 @72F. Off by 9 points on BE but was a pound short on grain as I await my mega summer order through CBB. Monster 2565 Kolsch yeast pitch may make up any difference. 

Brew Batch #167 Uranus IPA

And Uranus is in the keg. One of our first hazies that deserved a “do over” since better understanding of 💧  🧪, yeast health etc. FG 1.010-0.001@53 F puts it right in line with the last batch at 6.8%

2022 Coconut Cup

And FL eludes once again. 30 for Reinke’s Revenge 2022 Covid edition alpha variant and 25 on I Like Big Oats v1.1 (but I think my water chemistry may have been off on that one). 💩! Well, it’s the last BA ordering state I have. ‘Twas a nice big comp of 393 and run well by MASH but I couldn’t pull it off. Next time FL, next time. 

29th Peach State Brew Off

 

The 29th PSBO came and went and all I could do was hope for any bling at all as my neighboring state has eluded me for years. Well, IAH…GA muddled a 28.5 with notes of acetaldehyde noted, so I’ll start building that Munich 2308. But When Doves Rye hit a 42 out of 453 entries and a 🥇 to take it to mini-BOS I was floored. I gotta say Covert Hops Society have it dialed in on coordinating and communication after 29 attempts, but I’m not sure I can medal again in this stiff competition. 

Brew Batch #167 Uranus IPA

OG 1.060+0.001@75F on this old timey favorite. We've been told at Beat-12, that there's nothing like Uranus. People have admitted to really enjoying Uranus time and time again. Go figure. I ASSume it's the Galaxy, Comet, Mosaic hop blend that makes Uranus so palatable? 

Brew Batch #166 Sparkly Roo

After crashing for a few extra days than planned, Sparkly Roo finally hit the keg at FG 1.004-0.001@50F. Should be a destroyable 5.4%. I've been wanting to try this style for a while as I've taken a liking to the NZ pils style in the past year or so. I've just found it hard to get the Pride of Ringwood iron-like quality just right, but I've got to brew more "out of my wheelhouse" brews if I'm going to keep developing. 

6th Annual Pennsylvania Homebrew Open

Absolutely a well executed comp! The scores were posted before actual time and scoresheets were available the next morning. It Ain't Helen...Georgia eked out a 33 and had good feedback. Notes of sulfur and DMS were noticed but that may be becase it was still young at the time though the keg kicked quick. BUT Reinke's Revenge 2021 CoVid edition alpha variant tapped into a 34 and snagged the 🥉. My Grand Master judge said to back off the abv points a bit (tee-hee). So out of 109, I can mark PA off the map officially...finally! Sip up people, Omicron variant awaits!

Brew Batch #166 Sparkly Roo

I have quite a few recipes that I'm comfortable with and brew well even to win medals during comps but it's time to branch out and do some styles that I like and intrigue me but I'm not necessarily comfortable with. Hence Sparkly Roo, an Australian Sparking Ale. OG 1.044+0.000 @69F on a little White Labs Australian yeast and a smattering of Pride of Ringwood hops. 

FrostBalls 5K

 

In 2013 it was Gingerballs and since then any winter running has taken a slide but for good reason. I spent a year November 2021 in a soft left ankle brace and 2 new swanky orthotic inserts in my other shoes during workouts and days off to correct TTS. So, at this point I'm just thankful to be able to run this far. 38:48 was the time for 4miles and normally the winner takes a stout but it was 8am. Maybe just maybe Hotballs 10K will return this year. Funny how you take the little things you enjoy so much for granted. 

Brew Batch #165 I Like Big Oats v1.1

I mean the color is a wonderful white to light yellow opacity! FG 1.006-0.001@53F to give 6.56%. So, I missed the 7% target, but I guarantee no one will be able to tell the difference. ILBO v1.0 came in at 7.6% but was also one of the last batches done at OTB. It has a nice pineapple-y dank to it. For fun I'll be entering it into Coconut Cup in Miami fresh just to see if I can grab some bling in FL finally. 

Funk You, Funk Me. Funk it for Always...(that's the way it should be)

After pulling a long-awaited sample we have some tasting notes. It was a broad and diverse panel of palates and experience. We all agree that the tannins of the oak are coming through but we all pick up some slight differences in the aroma ranging from peach to banana to apple. There's some slight tart-ness, which our BJCP judge, identifies as acetic acid, possibly produced by acetobacter since he also picks up apple wafts. There's a miniscule pellicle at best but that's not indicative of anything as depending on whether it's Lacto, Pedio, Brett or Aceto and the temps it's been stored at since they may all vary on pellicle production. So, in the hopes of stalling ANY further aceto, if it's in there, I pitched a fresh WL Brett Claussenii. Let's let it crowd Le' Arthur a bit more and pull it again closer towards the 1-year anniversary of 3/31/22. 

Brew Batch #165 I Like Big Oats v1.1

Starting Groundhog Day off right with a slight tweak to a previous favorite. The only change here is Denali whirlpool and DDH instead of Calypso. Calypso at these levels kind of "pined" it up last time. OG 1.054+0.001@80F. Missed that one big time by night stirring as much I guess, but it should yield a solid 6 as opposed to a 7% abv. And all done before 9am. Learned that technique early on just haven't started applying it until recently.