Puna Noni Sour

Time for some Radical Brewing!  When Bryan came to visit us from Oahu I asked him to bring an interesting and wild Hawaiian ingredient. Noni juice is what arrived. The noni fruit is loaded with carbs, dietary fiber, and a host of other micronutrients and phytochemicals. The Puna Noni juice label describes the product as a nutrient supplement with a suggested daily dose of about 1oz (should be about an ounce per serving of beer in the final product). Searching the web, you can find several noni homeopathic applications none of which have been thoroughly investigated.  From urinary tract infections to cancer inhibitors, noni juice seems to have a number of health benefits.  This beer might be the cure you're looking for! Apparently, the juice is already fermented prior to bottling so there might already be some interesting critters in the juice.  This would also explain why I didn't see a jump in OG after adding the juice.  For better or worse, I applied the juice after the boil so as not to disrupt the funkiness already present in this concoction.

Puna Noni Juice

This has got to be radical brewing, right Randy Mosher?  This fruit develops a strong odor as it ripens that give it nicknames like "cheese fruit" and "vomit fruit".  You'd never think that this species is in the coffee family!  According to the noni Wikipedia article, people will only eat this fruit during times of famine.  Well, let's see how it does in a homebrew.  Should be an interesting experiment and I have several glass carboys that are screaming for long-term projects.

Noni Fruit, Morinda citrifolia

Puna Noni Sour

Specialty Beer

BJCP: 23A	Date: 12/20/2011
Type: All Grain	Brewer: Sean
Batch Size: 5.00 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min	Equipment: Chillindamos Brewhaus
Est Original Gravity: 1.061 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.059 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.9 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.4 %
IBUs (Tinseth’s): 38.1 IBUs	Est Color: 14.3 SRM
Total Hop Weight: 3.80 oz	Calories: 196.2 kcal/12oz
Description: The noni juice is dark brown and very aromatic. The flavor and aroma are hard to describe since I haven't had anything like this before. Definitely funky! Should put most recipes found in "Radical Brewing" in the tame category. I'll categorize this brew in BJCP Category 23 - Specialty Brew for its unusual and exotic fermented fruit ingredient and no definitive baseline style.
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 8.40 gal SD/RO 50/50 Water 1 - 0.50 tbsp pH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 90.0 mins) Water Agent 2 - 8 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 65.6 % 4 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 4 32.8 % 3.2 oz Carafa II (412.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.6 % 1.60 oz Tettnang [4.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 24.5 IBUs 1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 7 - 1.20 oz Saaz [3.80 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 8 8.4 IBUs 1.00 oz Saaz [3.80 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 5.1 IBUs 1.0 pkg Belgian Saison I Ale (White Labs #WLP565) [35.49 ml] Yeast 10 - 3.00 qt Puna Noni Juice (Primary 0.0 mins) Flavor 11 - 2.0 pkg Belgian Sour Mix 1 (White Labs #WLP655) [50.28 ml] [Add to Secondary] Yeast 12 -
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash In Add 13.42 qt of water at 173.8 F 152.0 F 90 min
Mash Type: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out	Total Grain Weight: 12 lbs 3.2 oz
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	Pre-boil Volume: 5.95 gal
Days in Primary: 14.00	Primary Temperature: 65.0 F
Days in Secondary: 365.00	Secondary Temperature: 60.0 F
Days in Tertiary: 7.00	Tertiary Temperature: 65.0 F
Carbonation Type: Keg	Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 12.54 PSI	Carbonation Used: Keg with 12.54 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 45.0 F	Storage Temperature: 60.0 F
Notes: Added noni juice directly to the primary just before pitching WLP565. Saison I yeast was choosen for its known ability as an underachiever leaving food behind for the sour blend to do its work. 60 seconds of oxygen via diffusion stone also applied prior to pitching. No yeast starter used, single vial only. Started ferment at 65°F and insulated well to allow free-rise.  I will not ramp up the temperature like most saison fermentation profiles. Instead, I will let 565 do what it can before racking to secondary and pitching two vials of WLP655 Belgian Sour Mix I. Then, it will sit for a year.
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Image Source:
Rodríguez, Wilfredo. Noni Fruit (Morinda Citrifolia).jpg. 2008. Photograph. Morinda Citrifolia. Wikipedia.org, 15 Oct. 2008. Web. 21 Dec. 2011. .

Lilikoi Wheat

This is my first writings about working with Hawaiian passion fruit but this is the third brew working with the fruit.  I also made a semi-sweet mead with lilikoi juice on national mead day this past August.  The lilikoi fruit is sourced from a great friend's backyard on Oahu.  Lilikoi is the Hawaiian word for passion fruit.  He crushes and strains the juice.  The juice looks like an intense orange juice.  The aroma is amazing and the flavor is very tart, citrusy, and tropical.  Huge props to Bryan who readily processes and ships this across the pond.

This past summer, I brewed a similar batch to this one as well as a Belgian Wit.  Personally, I think it does very well in an American Wheat but others at my homebrew club liked the wit better.  While the wit was more tart, I feel the fruit flavor and aromas were in better marriage with the malt and yeast profile in the American Wheat I brewed.  Part of me also thinks that beer fans are also more partial to any Belgian style over a style like American Wheat which can have a bad reputation as a "blonde ale".

I'm getting better with BeerSmith 2.  Like with most software, it has had its learning curve.  I still see calculated values that don't match my brew day.  Since the Chillindamos Brewhaus will experience a major upgrade in the future, I will invest the time at a later date to match the software with my brewing process.  I'm wondering if anyone else uses the software with MoreBeer!s SMART system?  Here's a description of the mashing process I'm adopting:

SMART is a method of maintaining or raising the temperature of your Mash. SMART stands for Step Mash Adjusted Recirculation Temperature. While the acronym is a bit of a stretch, it is a smart way of adjusting your Mash temperature without the concerns of scorching that can be associated with applying direct flame or use electric heating elements.

The way it works: By using a pump, you move liquid wort out the bottom of the Mash Tun through a heat exchanger (a copper coil) located in your Hot Liquor Tank and then gently return it to the top of the grain bed. This heat exchange is very gentle and will not have any caramelizing effects on the wort. Another advantage of SMART systems is wort clarity. When you are doing recirculation you are using the grain bed as a filter to remove particulate from the recirculating wort. This allows you to transfer already cleared wort into the Boil Kettle.

Passiflora edulis, the flower of lilikoi.

Lilikoi Wheat

American Wheat or Rye Beer

BJCP: 6D	Date: 12/04/2011
Type: All Grain	Brewer: Sean
Batch Size: 5.00 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min	Equipment: Chillindamos Brewhaus
Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.059 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.006 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.0 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 7.0 %
IBUs (Tinseth’s): 15.4 IBUs	Est Color: 4.5 SRM
Total Hop Weight: 1.00 oz	Calories: 194.3 kcal/12oz
Description: Bryan shipped a gallon of fresh lilikoi from his backyard. He crushed and lightly pasteurized the fruit. This batch is not as intensely aromatic and flavorful as the last two arrivals. Another good friend, ALF, says the acidity is so high that pasteurization is not necessary. I typically do a 70/30% grist ratio with my American Wheat recipes but stepped this up a bit in the pale malt along with a slightly higher mash temp to cut just a bit off the tart. This is the 3rd homebrew using Lilikoi juice and I also have a mead in progress as well. In my opinion, this is an outstanding fruit to work with for its aromatics, flavor, tartness, and hue contribution (a saturated orange juice color).
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 8.03 gal SD Alvarado Water 1 - 7 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 2 63.6 % 4 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 36.4 % 1.00 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 15.4 IBUs 1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 5 - 1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35.49 ml] Yeast 6 - 1.00 pt Lilikoi Juice (Primary 0.0 mins) Flavor 7 - 0.50 pt Lilikoi Juice (Bottling 0.0 mins) Flavor 8 -
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash In Add 12.10 qt of water at 174.5 F 152.0 F 60 min
Mash Type: Single Infusion, Medium-Light Body, No Mash Out	Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	Pre-boil Volume: 5.95 gal
Days in Primary: 13.00	Primary Temperature: 65.0 F
Days in Secondary: 10.00	Secondary Temperature: 67.0 F
Days in Tertiary: 7.00	Tertiary Temperature: 65.0 F
Carbonation Type: Keg	Volumes of CO2: 2.5
Pressure/Weight: 12.27 PSI	Carbonation Used: Keg with 12.27 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 40.0 F	Storage Temperature: 40.0 F
Notes: At kegging, it was determined by Michelle (my senses were ruined by a recent cold) to add more lilikoi juice to increase aromatics, flavor, and tartness. 1/2 pint of juice was added directly to the keg. No secondary fermentation, went straight to keg. White Labs WLP001 used directly from vial, no starter. By the look at the bottom of the primary after racking, the yeast bed looked very frothy white and healthy. Certainly cleaner than most yeast beds after primary though could be due to lower trub amounts in primary. Lilikoi Juice likely added sugar content that contributes to the OG. It also changes the pH at each addition.
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If this beer is remotely the hit it was when served at Andrew's engagement party, should prove to be a solid performer at our Annual New Year's Big Bear Bash.

Sources:

MoreBeer! "Analog S.M.A.R.T | MoreBeer." Beer Making Kits and Home Brewing Supplies | MoreBeer. MoreBeer! Web. 18 Dec. 2011.

Passiflora Edulis Forma Flavicarpa. Photograph. Passiflora Edulis Forma Flavicarpa. By Agricultural Research Service, USDA. Wikipedia,org, 13 Aug. 2006. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. .

Big Bear Fest Ale

I've brewed at least a dozen batches since my last recipe post (April).  While I've been trying to use software (BeerTools Pro and BeerSmith 2) to drive my planning and record keeping, parenting has only yielded occasional opportunities to brew, not to sit at the computer for hours beyond the brew day.  I have found myself returning to the days of scribbling my recipe ideas on sticky notes, scratching in amendments as I go, and piling the stickies at the computer for (possible) future data entry.  
Using brewing software has been time consuming.  I started playing around with BeerSmith 2 this past summer and found the learning curve about the same as with BeerTools Pro.  Instead of the software informing my brewing process, I have spent more time trying to train the software to match my measurements on brew day.  Overall, it has been a good experience that does lend to better planning but at the cost of blogging time, very un-chillindamos!

Using BeerSmith 2 for Recipe Formulation

One of the things I like using this blog for is posting my recipes.  I found that BeerSmith 2 has some built in reports for exporting and printing.  I also like that I was able to create my own custom report for specifically exporting to HTML for my blog.  At this point, the custom report is limited to specified variables but there's lots to work from.  Below is my working custom report that exported the recipe below:

BeerSmith 2 Custom Report

On to the homebrew.  This year is our 18th Annual Big Bear New Year's party and I wanted to brew something more extensive.  I have listened to a number of podcasts while brewing, working on the hop farm, and chillindamos.  On the Sunday Session, there's a great interview with Steve Dresler of Sierra Nevada who shares the recipe for Celebration Ale.  There's also a recipe podcast on the Jamil Show, Can You Brew It: Sierra Celebration.  This homebrew is inspired by these podcasts but as I always do in brewing, I wandered off to find my own celebration.

Big Bear Fest Ale

American Amber Ale

BJCP: 6B	Date: 11/19/2011
Type: All Grain	Brewer: Sean
Batch Size: 5.00 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min	Equipment: Chillindamos Brewhaus
Est Original Gravity: 1.072 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.060 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.018 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.2 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.1 %
IBUs (Tinseth’s): 83.3 IBUs	Est Color: 13.9 SRM
Total Hop Weight: 7.90 oz	Calories: 201.6 kcal/12oz
Description: Inspired by Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, here's my take on a special amber ale.
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 8.70 gal SD Alvarado Water 1 - 0.50 tbsp pH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 - 12 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 83.0 % 1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 4 10.2 % 8.0 oz Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.4 % 8.0 oz Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 6 3.4 % 1.60 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 54.2 IBUs 1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 8 - 1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 9 7.8 IBUs 1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 10 18.1 IBUs 1.00 Items Servomyces (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 11 - 1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 12 3.1 IBUs 0.80 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 13 0.0 IBUs 0.75 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 14 0.0 IBUs 0.60 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 15 0.0 IBUs 1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 ml] Yeast 16 - 1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35.49 ml] Yeast 17 - 0.65 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs 0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 19 0.0 IBUs
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash In Add 14.79 qt of water at 168.9 F 154.0 F 60 min
Mash Type: Single Infusion, Full Body, No Mash Out	Total Grain Weight: 14 lbs 12.0 oz
Sparge Temperature: 165.0 F	Pre-boil Volume: 6.93 gal
Days in Primary: 10.00	Primary Temperature: 60.0 F
Days in Secondary: 10.00	Secondary Temperature: 58.0 F
Days in Tertiary: 7.00	Tertiary Temperature: 65.0 F
Carbonation Type: Keg	Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 12.54 PSI	Carbonation Used: Keg with 12.54 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 45.0 F	Storage Temperature: 38.0 F
Notes: Used homegrown hops, cascade was from Travis. Hops at 0 min were added to a Blichmann Hop Rocket used in the recirculation loop. I made two 5-gallon batches of this beer with an attempt to keep most variables identical. One batch was fermented with Wyeast 1056 and the other with White Labs WLP001. No starters, only original packaging (and process, smack pack) from the yeast manufacturer. Oxygen added for 60 seconds prior to pitching.
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I borrowed a Blichmann Engineering Hop Rocket from a QUAFF buddy to give it a try and now it is on my list of must-have brewing gadgets.  I filled the rocket with homegrown hops at the end of the boil, connecting it to my recirculation pump.  I found it to be perfect for utilizing my homegrown hops.  I should also mention that MoreBeer!s metal shop has been employed!

Hop Rocket in action!