1st attempt at dog biscuits

Post brew session, I decided to try my hand at spent grain dog biscuits.  Here's the recipe I used:

4 cups spent grain
2 cups flour
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Press down into a dense layer on a large cookie sheet. Score almost all the way through into the shapes you want. Bake for about half an hour at 350 F to solidify them. Loosen them from the sheet, break the biscuits apart and return them, loosely spread out on the cookie sheet, to the oven at 225 F for 3 to 4 hours (or until they are really dry) to prevent mold growth. Store in an airtight container to keep them dry and mold-free.

The second bake just commencing.  I pulled a couple to let the doggies (and me) test them.  Pretty tasty, and the dogs are hovering to see if I drop any.  Appears to be a success story...

#55: Two Hearted IPA clone

Wow...  it's been a while since I brewed.  It's been even longer since I brewed an IPA.  One of my favorite IPAs is Two Hearted from Bell's Brewery.  I've wanted to brew one of the countless recipes related to this brew for some time, and I have 2oz of Centennial staring at me in the freezer every time I open it, so here goes.  This is pretty much the BYO recipe, though I am using Notty because it is what I have on hand...


Midway through the hop boil at this point.  Minor catastrophe with a split grain bag (I was experimenting with  a new tool to keep my bag off of the bottom of the pot, and it apparently caught on the bag...  back to the drawing board), but another grain bag as a filter clipped to the top of another brew pot strained things real nice.  Didn't get my usual sparge and lost some wort to the accident, but RDWHAHB...


EDIT:  Well...  with the volume lost with the bag split and the subsequent lack of sparge, my volume was way off.  I figured I could either a) make only a gallon or so of beer that hit my hydro reading pretty well, or b) add water to the wort to reach my volume and make this a light IPA.  I went for option B.  Thus, I am looking at a 4% abv beer.  I also lost a metal binder clip I use to hold the hops bag into the wort and had to fish it out after realizing several minutes later.  Assuming no ill effects from that either.  I tasted the last hydro pull just to make sure there were no off-flavors, but didn't detect any.


Alas, I have a session IPA.  I hope the bitter is not off the chart for this OG...


Again...  RDWHAHB...


EDIT x2:  I have had a day and a half of no activity, which in theory isn't the end of the world, but since this beer has already had issues, I decided to experiment a touch to see if I could get things going, and also to give the ABV a bump. So, I followed normal yeast starter procedures with 1 cup DME and some boiling water, and I also added a pack of booster. Once boiled and cooled, I added an additional pack of Notty, aerated the snot out of it, then added to the fermenter. I ended up mid-Q, so my level is in the 2.4 to 2.5 gallon level. I took a new hydro reading, knowing it wouldn't be 100% accurate with the yeast already added, but it should be close enough. Success on my estimates, as I got it to 6.5%, which was my target. Recipe below adjusted. I see activity already.

Two Hearted

American IPA

Type: All Grain	Date: 12/27/2011
Batch Size: 2.40 gal
Ingredients
Amount       Item          Type             % or IBU

0.50 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 7.08 % 4.50 lb Malteurop 2-Row (2.0 SRM) Grain 63.74 % 0.75 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 10.62 % 0.25 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3.54 % 0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 3.54 % 0.66 oz Centennial [8.80 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops - 0.41 oz Centennial [8.80 %] (60 min) Hops 22.3 IBU 0.20 oz Centennial [8.80 %] (45 min) Hops 10.2 IBU 0.20 oz Centennial [8.80 %] (30 min) Hops 8.6 IBU 0.20 oz Centennial [8.80 %] (15 min) Hops 5.5 IBU 0.20 oz Centennial [8.80 %] (0 min) Hops - 0.81 lb Booster (0.0 SRM) Sugar 11.47 % 1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.089 SG	Revised Est Original Gravity: 1.066 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.021 SG	Revised Est Final Gravity: 1.016 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 8.91 %	Revised Est Alcohol by Vol: 6.53 %
Bitterness: 46.6 IBU	Calories: 298 cal/pint
Est Color: 5.5 SRM

EDIT:

Wow... two weeks in the bottle, and this is great!

EDIT:  Fast-forward to 4.5 months in the bottle.  Still very, very tasty.  Acquired a Two Hearted this weekend, so I did a little side-by-side...  Mine is a bit more pale than theirs and clearer.  Aroma is spot on.  Flavor is pretty darn close as well, though their carries a bit more malt character, which isn't surprising considering the challenges on brew day.  Really, really happy with this attempt.  I hope to have a cleaner brew day next time, but I will definitely roll with this recipe again.

Slow brewing quarter...

Weeellll....  No brewing activity still.  My stats for the year are pretty low.  I guess work and family have cut into my process a bit more than they did last year.  


2010:  77.5 gallons on 33 brews
2011:  49 gallons on 19 brews


Wow...  I was much more motivated last year.  Actually, I think the fact that I'm mostly doing all-grain now, as opposed to extract (and even hopped extract) last year is the big difference.  A much longer brew day.  Luckily I still have a fridge full o' homebrew, so I guess I'm doing enough.  But I still have plenty of styles I want to do, so I'll have to get back on the horse soon...

#54: Oktoberfest/Marzen (AG)

First lager (finally) in the fermenter... It was supposed to go in August, but just now finding time to get it done. I guess I'm looking at a Februaryfest, as I'm looking at 5 or so weeks in fermenters, and then at least a few months lagering in the bottle. Used WLP833 (Ayinger), so it should be a nice clean brew...

Oktoberfest/Marzen (AG)

Type: All Grain
Date: 10/9/2011
Batch Size: 2.40 gal

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
2.75 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 55.00 %
1.25 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 25.00 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.50 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.60 oz Mt. Hood [6.00 %] (60 min) Hops 26.0 IBU
1 Pkgs German Bock Lager (White Labs #WLP833) Yeast-Lager

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.052 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.08 %
Bitterness: 26.0 IBU
Calories: 231 cal/pint
Est Color: 11.7 SRM

#53: Saison

#53: Saison

Type: Partial Mash
Date: 8/21/2011
Batch Size: 2.40 gal

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
1.85 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 48.36 %
0.25 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 6.52 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 6.52 %
0.19 oz Pearle [7.70 %] (60 min) Hops 9.0 IBU
0.29 oz Nugget [13.00 %] (20 min) Hops 13.8 IBU
0.24 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.70 %] (5 min) Hops 1.4 IBU
0.48 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (5 min) Hops 2.3 IBU
1.48 lb Booster (0.0 SRM) Sugar 38.60 %
1 Pkgs Saison Ale Yeast Blend (White Labs #WLP568) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.067 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.066 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.019 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.28 %
Bitterness: 26.5 IBU
Calories: 300 cal/pint
Est Color: 4.3 SRM

Slow brewing month...

Really want to get back in the swing of things, but the vacation, the kids school start-up, and a large load of work from the employer have taken precedence. I have a hefe in the bottle for three weeks now that I realize I haven't documented yet, so I'll have to add that post shortly.

On deck (ingredients on hand):

Saison
Oktoberfest (first lager!)
Pale Ale
Gluten-free Sorghum Ale

Upcoming (need to make purchases):

Yazoo Gerst Amber
Yazoo Sly Rye Porter
Yazoo Pale Ale
Another crack at Winter Welcome
Another crack at a bitter or ESB
Loved the last Fat Tire clone
Haven't done an IPA in ages
Casually thinking of doing the Midwest Kit of the Month, simply to cut down on decision-making
May look at the Northern Brewer Surly series
Been wanting to do a roggenbier
Want to work through some of the Classic Beer Styles I haven't done yet

#52: Weisen

Continuing my revisiting of Mr. B recipes and extracts... 

I'm not a huge wheat fan (though I loves me a Gumballhead or Oberon), but I'm trying to gain a taste for it. This is the second time I've had the WW extract on hand. Last time (nearly two years ago, and near the beginning of my brewing adventure) I added it to the OVL from the variety pack and made something resembling the Prince Ludwig Lager, though I used Centennial instead of Saaz and also added some honey. It was so-so though drinkable.

This time, instead of trying to add it to something else, I went instead full bore into it, getting a wheat yeast and supplementing with wheat DME. Also threw in a touch of EKG I had left from another brew day just for fun.

I did the easy-peasy brew day on Monday night. Overfilled to the top of the Q as an experiment (figuring it's about 2.5 gallons). Odd that the OG was way over the estimate. I didn't weigh the DME. I wonder if they mismeasured at Rebel, as I get the same OG if I change the stats to 1.5 lb. Interesting...

I tested gravity tonight (something like 69 hours later)... 1.011! Below estimate! I guess I need to get some bottles ready... Wow... Munich tore it up...

Hydrometer taste is very encouraging. Banana and clove just as expected, but not overpowering. 
Wheat 
Weizen/Weissbier

Type: Extract
Ferment 7/11; bottled 7/24
Batch Size: 2.50 gal
Brewer: Swenocha

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
1.00 lb Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 45.25 %
1.21 lb Whispering Wheat (6.0 SRM) Extract 54.75 %
0.10 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.70 %] (30 min) Hops 1.6 IBU
1 Pkgs Munich (Lallemand #- ) Yeast-Wheat

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.035 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.044 SG
Adj Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.17 %
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.30 %
Bitterness: 9.7 IBU
Calories: 194 cal/pint
Est Color: 5.2 SRM