East Coast Lager, 10-10-10

East Coast Lager, 10-10-10

Chillin Chillin Chillin, can't you see?  Sometimes your homebrews just hypnotize me!

Damn, busted the style guidelines again.  This lager doesn't seem to fit in any of the categories but would likely float between a Dortmunder Export and a Vienna Lager.  I'd like to call it an East Coast Lager since a like grain bill I've brewed before more resembled a Boston Lager than any of the style categories.  I have no idea what category a Sam Adams Boston Lager would even fall into (maybe a new category is needed?).  For now, I'll just blanket this in BJCP Category 3 which covers Vienna Lager and Oktoberfest.  Amber Lager is something you definitely see on tap and on the shelves around here since Karl Strauss seems to distribute this beer as their flagship.  Their Amber Lager is a crowd pleaser with its sweeter malt and low hop profile.
The East Coast Lager will be ready for our annual New Year's Big Bear Bash where I plan to have four lagers on tap.  Biggie, this one's for you!

East Coast Lager
BJCP Category 3. European Amber Lager
5 Gallons, All Grain, Step Infusion Mash, 90 Minute Boil

9.5 lbs. Beligan Pilsner
0.5 lbs. Caramunich
0.25 lbs. Crystal 20

Protein Rest at 124°F for 20 minutes
(0.9 qts/lb. raised to 135°F)
Saccharification Rest at 148°F for 60 minutes
(0.5 qts/lb. raised to 212°F)
Fly-sparged at 170°F

2 oz. Tettnanger 60 min.
1 Whirlfloc tab 15 min.
1 oz. Hallertauer 10 min.

White Labs WLP830 German Lager Yeast   (Fresh slurry thanks to Kara!)
Currently in ferment at 52°F

OG: 1.052 @ 79°F
FG: 1.011 @ 38°F
ABV: 5.9%

New Year's Pilsener, October 9 2010

SAAZ!!!

A field of dreams.

A pilsener with Magnum bittering and a flavor profile of Saaz IS where its at.  With the new Lager Cave, I can be in lager production year round.  I just pulled out 5 batches from the cave sitting at around 40°F and can now return to Saccharomyces pastorianus fermentation temperatures around 52°F.  This is simply great!  My kegerator is now full but I can still make lagers for our annual New Year's bash up at Big Bear.   Usually I brew a variety of ales to satisfy the masses but I have to admit, this one's for me!  I might just hide this in the corner for me, Kara, and other hoppy lager fiends.  SAAZ!!!

Bohemian Pilsner

BJCP Category 2B. Bohemian Pilsener
5 Gallons, All Grain, Step Infusion Mash, 90 Minute Boil

9.5 lbs. Beligan Pilsner
0.5 lbs. Vienna

Protein Rest at 124°F for 20 minutes
(0.9 qts/lb. raised to 135°F)
Saccharification Rest at 148°F for 60 minutes
(0.5 qts/lb. raised to 212°F)
Fly-sparged at 170°F

1 oz. Homegrown Magnum 60 min.
0.5 oz. Saaz 20 min.
1 Whirlfloc tab 15 min.
0.5 oz. Saaz 10 min.
0.5 oz. Saaz 5 min.
0.5 oz. Saaz 1 min.

White Labs WLP830 German Lager Yeast   (Fresh slurry thanks to Kara!)
Currently in ferment at 52°F

OG: 1.052 @ 79°F
FG: 1.008 @ 38°F
ABV: 6.3%

Image Source: 
Marti. Hopfengarten. Digital image. Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hops. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, 14 Jan. 2007. Web. 9 Oct. 2010.

Free the Shine

Wish I could join the art.  Local distiller and brewer featured in the video.  Check it. 

Oktoberfest, August 27 2010

Oktoberfest, August 27 2010

Another year goes by and yet I don't fly.

While many homebrewers would find Belgium as a premium beercation, I would prefer an extended intoxication at Oktoberfest in Germany.   As an educator, October is not a practical time for a vacation.  The fall is typically a teacher's tax season, leaving virtually no window of opportunity for a distant beer binge.  For now, I've got to make this happen locally (always replicated and never duplicated as far as I know).  I'm running a bit late this summer but hopefully this will turn out just fine for a fine Oktoberfest brew towards Halloween time.
I changed a few aspects from last year's batch that I hope will solve some of the judging issues where the beer fell shy.  To toot my horn, last year's Oktoberfest won our club-only competition and was sent to nationals where it went to second-round.  Nationals were in the mid-west and the judging comments described the beer as being flawless but slightly lacking in a bigger malt profile and hops.  My guess, this is simply the fact of competition; you gotta make your beer stand out.  Another well established homebrewer in my club remarked that they haven't had an Oktoberfest like this since he was in Germany.  I gotta be doing something right here!

BJCP Category 3B. Oktoberfest
5 Gallons, All Grain, Step Infusion Mash, 90 Minute Boil

4 lbs. German Pilsner
5.5 lbs. Vienna
1.5 lbs. Munch
1 lb. Caramunich
0.75 lb. Caravienne
4 oz. Melanoidan

Protein Rest at 126°F for 20 minutes
Saccharification Rest at 149°F for 60 minutes
1g Calcium Carbonate added to 5 gallons of 170°F sparge water
Fly-sparged at 165°F for about 50 minutes

1 oz. Hallertauer 60 min.
1 Whirlfloc tab 20 min.
0.25 oz. Hallertauer 10 min.

White Labs WLP830 German Lager Yeast  Vial (Thanks, Kara!) to 900ml starter

Currently in ferment at 52°F

OG: 1.061 @ 68°F
FG: 1.013 @46°F
ABV: 6.5% (temperature corrected)

Image Source:
User: Senator86. Mass Krug. Digital image. Oktoberfest. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, 24 Sept. 2006. Web. 3 Oct. 2010.

Evaluation: Took this beer to the QUAFF evaluation panel last night.  It needs a bit more body to accentuate the malt profile.  It was suggested to keep the protein rest under 10 minutes to avoid the breakdown of body-building proteins.  Since my last visit with the panel, I've already employed this strategy.  

Dortmunder Export, August 24 2010

Dortmunder Export, August 24 2010

Despite the style, I'm not exporting this beer anywhere! (except maybe to my belly)

BJCP Category 1E. Dortmunder Export
5 Gallons, All Grain, Single Infusion Mash, 90 Minute Boil

7 lbs. German Pilsner
3.5 lbs. Munich
7 oz. Vienna
2 oz. Melanoidan

60 Minute Single Infusion Mash 149°F
Fly-sparged at 165°F for about 50 minutes

1.55 oz. Hallertauer 60 min.
0.5 oz. Spalt 20 min.
1 Whirlfloc tab 20 min.
1 oz. Spalt KO
Primary fermentation at 52°F  Lagering for one month at 38°F.

Racked on yeast bed of Munich Helles using White Labs WLP830 German Lager Yeast

OG: 1.058 @ 77°F
FG: 1.014 @ 46°F
ABV: 6.1% (temperature corrected)

Image Source: 
Hormats, Robert D. National Export Initiative. Digital image. National Export Initiative. US Department of State Official Blog, 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2010.  

Evaluation: I took this beer to QUAFF's evaluation panel on November 17th.  Since I poured bottles straight from draft, I believe I didn't clear out the beverage line enough (mental note) and while this beer has poured very clean for several weeks now, the most noticeable character when pouring was diacetyl.  I suspect a bit of oxygen is the cause.  Otherwise, we noted that is was under-attenuated but otherwise a fair export.

Anchor Brewing Company Tour

Early August, I did a bit of a road trip visiting friends and stopping at some locations where liquid chillindamos is made.  Amongst numerous wineries in the Russian River areas, a visit was also made to Moylan's Brewing, Russian River Brewing, and Anchor Brewing.  I love Anchor Steam.  Its been on my top 10 since I had it for the first time in the late 90's.  I really enjoy brewing the beer style, California Common, and think my interpretation holds very well in a side-by-side.  Needless to say, I was really excited to see this historic brewery.

A tour at Anchor Brewing is free but you'll need to schedule an appointment in advance.  Its fairly easy to call them and find out their availability.  I made reservation about a month out for a Tuesday morning in August. They seemed to be booked solid during the summer so plan accordingly.

Anchor Brewing houses their entire operation in this building.  Turns out that Fritz Maytag (former owner and brewmaster) had his last official day at the brewery the Friday before I was here.  Darn, it would have been great to get a picture with this brewing hero.  Our guide told us that the new owners and management arrive the following day to ensure the continuation of the Anchor tradition.

Their brewing room and tasting area are the only allowable locations to take photos but there are lots of videos out there, including ones on the Anchor Brewing website, that show what takes place beyond these images.  Their brewing system is classic and elegant.  The office space in the back houses their laboratory equipment.  I took notes on a handful of details such as the temps in their open fermentation room and the varieties spotted in the hop room.  Turns out that videos describe those details too!

The tour doesn't take long and our guide didn't flourish on any details of their quintessential California Common flagship, Anchor Steam.  I asked for lagering temps and times and even the guide wasn't aware of the details.   Last, they bring the group back to the above tasting area for some generous samples of their entire flight.

Anchor Brewing Company: A conversation with craft beer pioneer Fritz Maytag