Brew Batch #36 REINKE'S REVENGE 2009

The perennial favorite to brew since 2005. I'll admit it I am 9 days behind on the "date to really brew it on", but The Hyundai Half had me hobblin' like my hamstrings were only an inch long the next day!! Nonetheless, this year's batch has been taken of the burner and is chilling as I type and already has a twist in store. After some great feedback on my Sam Adam's LongShot score sheets from various family and friends, this year's batch will be secondaried on some white oak chips. I've read about barrel chips and charring them to yield certain flavors of vanilla, rum/raisins/plums and finally caramel on the dark roast, so I am going to toy with concept this year and see what happens. I am also going to keg this batch, but still bottle several bottles for Junk, Red (denoted in pink) and T-rav for verticals and criticism. There was something missing in this beer and I would really like to hone in on what I can do to alter the flavor profile just a bit. Boil time for extraction, hop additions, etc are all the same from the original batch, only this method will change. Fermentation days are usually the same, the only alterations this year will be white oak chips (not sure of charring just yet) and kegging. OG 1.080+ 0.001@ 72F

Our Tastes-- Yazoo Hop Project #19

Some of Hop Project #19 stuff made it down to Alabama where I was able to pick it up at Whole Foods in B'ham, which also has a consume on site license (right now) thanks to the new legislation that was passed. In other words I could have a bought a bottle of this stuff at the front register then gone and sat down at a booth and enjoyed my libation! Anyway, Linus has been making this batch for at least 2 years if not a little longer. I remember when Junk told me about this line of beers when he was going through an extreme "hop head" phase. The aroma on this beer is what is truly amazing to me. Trying it has inspired me to brew nothing but pale ale batches or IPA batches and change nothing but the hop additions, much like the 42-A series. It pours a wonderful creamy light tan head with an explosion of floral pine for the nose. Color is a reddish medium brown. Taste is so hop complex I honestly don't know where to start. There is a lingering specific bitterness that is a big hop! No mention on abv but we couldn't get it until the law passed so >6%abv.

Hyundai Half Marathon

This is a map of the route I'll hopefully finish Saturday, that's right my immediate goal is to finish, the secondary goal is to finish in 2hrs or less.

What beer shall I have 1st just before collapsing?

Our Tastes-- Sierra Nevada Kellerweis

Since the Bavarian Hefe is ready to start sampling we are trying Kellerweis hefeweizen. It pours a phenomenal cloudy yeasty dark golden. Aroma is a clean smooth wheat grain. Taste is a crisp mouth filling slight banana clove. This is a nice hefe. An American hefe made by the true Bavarian open fermentation process. Grains are Two-row, pale and Munich malts bittered with Perle or Sterling. 4.8%abv and a definite "Re-Buy" as The Enabler put it.

Brew Batch #34 Bavarian Hefe

Put CO2 on it tonight at about 12.5-14PSI in the hopes that it will be around 2.6 or so volumes. Hefes are usually higher carbed "fizzy" beers so I hope to hit this one right, shortly after will follow some sort of IPA, either Tongue Splitter (an Enabler) donation or the Zeus IPA. We're fightin' off winter as much as we can but fall seems to be seeping in. This is my 4th batch kegged and after taking in some of Rob's kegerator advice, hopefully not my last!

Brew Batch #34 Bavarian Hefe

Into the keg tonight with The Enabler's help. We sanitized 2 kegs to prepare for the next keggable batch. FG 1.000+0.001 @73F to yield 5.7%abv. Sample shots were exquisite. This should be a nice departure from he NaPO4 contaminated batch from back in the day.

Brew Batch #35 Zeus IPA

Modeled after the highly renowned (in small places) 42-A IPA and it's kin the (*) from The Wedding Series, I brewed an IPA tonight with a special ingredient. I increased fermentables 16% and at 45mins added 35gms (approx. 1oz) of my very own Mitchell Farms Zeus whole leaf hop cones!! I have no idea what the true α acid % is but the literature I've read puts it at 15-17%, so I low ball it for about 15, how's that? The starter of Thames Valley Ale yeast really helped get things going on this one. OG 1.060+ 0.001@72F. I've also started a yeast bank that I hope to have going in my garage fridge soon. Everything from a few bottles of EC Lavlin 1118 to good ole American 1056. Cross your fingers on this because one, I'm keggin it and maybe a few special bottles for TnDC homies. BTW, #20 ended tonight, this was the last batch I brewed when I was The Rocket City chapter. This is the one that made it all the way from HuntsVegas to Montgomery with The Enabler. One thing I have learned and will try to improve on, there are some beers that age very well. Overall, the wheat/wit class does not. This one had lost some love but considering a 3/9/07 brewing and 5/2/07 bottling it was still pretty good.