pennine's brewdays

[Pennine]

181 - West Coast Pils #2
11l batch - 1.054/1.010 - mash 65c

had a nice package arrive in the mail with a bunch of new hops to sample. thought i might get away from citra and mosaic and try out some of the newer but less popular u.s. hops. a sack of hook head lager malt was in the delivery too. i really like this one straight out of the bag, quite tasty. and since the last brew was a dipa figured a nice easy drinking hoppy lager would be good. i have read that sabro is powerful hence the lower quantities. kicking off the boil now.

2.30 kg​	Hook Head Lager Malt (3.9 EBC)​	92.7 %​
0.08 kg​	Carabelge (39.4 EBC)​	3.2 %​
0.08 kg​	Carahell (Weyermann) (25.6 EBC)​	3.2 %​
0.02 kg​	Melanoiden Malt (39.4 EBC)​	0.8 %​
5.00 g​	Hallertau Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min​	13.7 IBUs​
20.00 g​	Azacca [15.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20.0 min, 80.0 C​	8.3 IBUs​
15.00 g​	Idaho #7 [13.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20.0 min, 80.0 C​	5.4 IBUs​
10.00 g​	Sabro [16.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20.0 min, 80.0 C​	4.4 IBUs​
1.0 pkg​	Bavarian Lager (Mangrove Jacks M76) [50.28 ml]​	-​
30.00 g​	Azacca [15.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days​	0.0 IBUs​
25.00 g​	Idaho #7 [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days​	0.0 IBUs​
20.00 g​	Sabro [16.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days​	0.0 IBUs​

 

[foxbat]

Interesting... are you aiming for a cold-fermented lager with this one or are you going to ferment at ale temperatures?

 

[Pennine]

Interesting... are you aiming for a cold-fermented lager with this one or are you going to ferment at ale temperatures?

at ale temps, well garage temps so probably around 18-20c. right now the fermenting chamber is full of bottles. i have had pretty good luck with warm fermenting lagers as long as you get the initial pitch temp below 18c and if the outside temps don't get much above 22c.

edit: although i should note i just realized that i do not have 34/70 and only MJ M76 bavarian lager, so we will see how this one turns out warm fermented?

 

[Pennine]

180 - Oud Bruin Lager
10l batch - 1.070/1.010 - mash 65c

wanted to take advantage of the yeas cake from the german porter so brewed up another bacth today. ended up stretching over about 8 hours and somehow majorly under s**t my mash pH at 4.8. figured it was a sour beer and hopefully it won't matter too much. the yeast usually take care of everything. i had a chimay blue the other day and was surprised how much i enjoyed it, which oddly enough was one of my first trappist beers i have ever had, a long long while ago. even though its not sour i thought it would mesh really well with some funk and the recipes between an oud bruin and dubbel are pretty similar. i also figure the brett has the equivalent of a whole pack now building up in the yeast cake.

2.50 kg​	Hook Head Pale (5.0 EBC)​	81.3 %​
0.12 kg​	Wheat Malt, Bel (3.9 EBC)​	4.1 %​
0.10 kg​	Caraaroma (256.1 EBC)​	3.3 %​
0.10 kg​	Caramunich I (Weyermann) (100.5 EBC)​	3.3 %​
0.05 kg​	BEST Acidulated (BESTMALZ) (6.0 EBC)​	1.6 %​
10.00 g​	Hallertau Magnum [12.00 %] - First Wort 90.0 min​	28.0 IBUs​
0.10 kg​	Candi Sugar, Amber [Boil] (180.0 EBC)​	3.3 %​
0.10 kg​	Candi Sugar, Dark [Boil] (900.0 EBC)​	3.3 %​
20.00 g​	Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min​	11.1 IBUs​
1.0 pkg​	Bohemian Lager (Mangrove Jack's #M84)​	-​
1.0 pkg​	Brettanomyces Bruxellensis (Omega #OYL-202)​	-​

sampling the belgian dubbel/oud bruin after 2 weeks in the fermenter. pouring very yeasty still. likely due to using the entire yeast cake. still no pellicle on top but it's definitiley souring and is quite tart. has a really potent leathery aroma right now and a overwhelming flavor that is a bit complicated to describe.

 

[Pennine]

182 - Vienna Centennial IPA
11l batch - 1.056/1.012 - mash 67c

won't have a chance to brew this weekend so threw a quick one together today. had a little inspiration to brew a centennial ipa from listening to the most recent basic brew radio hop sampler episode. glad to hear they liked it more than galaxy!

also it's too hot for a vienna lager, and i have been wanting to give vienna a try again hence the malt choice. mashing away now. I figure US-05 will be much safer.

2.55 kg​	Vienna Malt (6.9 EBC)​	Grain​	5​	94.4 %​	1.66 L​
0.15 kg​	Carabelge (39.4 EBC)​	Grain​	6​	5.6 %​	0.10 L​
8.00 g​	Hallertau Magnum [14.00 %] - First Wort 30.0 min​	Hop​	7​	21.1 IBUs​	-​
25.00 g​	Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min​	Hop​	8​	20.2 IBUs​	-​
25.00 g​	Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 min, 96.0 C​	Hop​	9​	15.3 IBUs​	-​
1.0 pkg​	Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml]​	Yeast​	10​	-​	-​

 

[Pennine]

183 & 184 - Saison Yeast Sampler (Belle Saison & BE-134)
11l x 2 batch - 1.053/1.004 - mash 64c

It's hot so it's saison time! i am going to brew a 22l batch in my robobrew and split it in two fermenters. i'll drop the fermenters in various refrigerators for the first 36 hours to minimize fusels but then let them simmer in the heat.

the plan is to sample the two yeasts side by side. i have done three saison yeasts so far Belle Saison, BE-134 and M29 and my anectdotal opinion is i prefer the BE-134 the best. i have to admit, although i enjoy M29, it definitely gives off a different funk that the other two yeasts. likely i likely prefer the milder saison strains as I tend to have a heavy hand on the hops with my saison. i read recently about Idaho-7's boil addition prowess and was surprisingly happy with the combo in the hoppy pils attempt a couple weeks back. i bottled that up today and fusels are still there, hopefully they will diminish in the secondary ferment.

The SafAle™ BE-134 is a Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus and is characterized by a particularly high attenuation. This typical yeast strain is recommended for Belgian Saison-style beers. It gives fruity aromas with a slight spicy character (POF+) such as clove notes. This strain will bring highly refreshing and drinkable beers.

LalBrew® Belle Saison is a Belgian-style ale yeast selected specifically for its ability to create Saison-style beers. Belle Saison is a diastaticus strain that allows the brewers to achieve the high attenuation characteristic of this classic style. Designed for warm-temperature fermentation true to traditional “Farmhouse” production methods, beers brewed with LalBrew® Belle Saison are fruity, spicy and refreshing.

3.50 kg​	Lager Malt (3.9 EBC)​	68.6 %​
0.65 kg​	Wheat Malt, Bel (3.9 EBC)​	12.7 %​
0.50 kg​	BEST Munich (BESTMALZ) (15.0 EBC)​	9.8 %​
0.35 kg​	Rye, Malted (Simpsons) (4.0 EBC)​	6.9 %​
0.10 kg​	Acid Malt (5.9 EBC)​	2.0 %​
30.00 g​	Idaho #7 [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min​	23.7 IBUs​
30.00 g​	Azacca [15.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 min, 90.2 C​	10.0 IBUs​
30.00 g​	Citra [12.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 min, 90.0 C​	7.8 IBUs​
1.0 pkg​	Belle Saison or BE-134​	-​

 

[Pennine]

saisons are happily bubbling away 7 hours after pitching, temps are down to 19 or less on both fermenters. the BE-134 started bubbling sooner than the belle saison but not by much. its 30c right now, I pulled one out for an hour to make sure it's doesn't cool down too much. will do the same off an on till this evening.

 

[strange-steve]

saisons are happily bubbling away 7 hours after pitching, temps are down to 19 or less on both fermenters. the BE-134 started bubbling sooner than the belle saison but not by much. its 30c right now, I pulled one out for an hour to make sure it's doesn't cool down too much. will do the same off an on till this evening.

What's your opinion on the Belle Saison? I've just ordered ingredients for my next few brews including a lemon saison and decided to give the Belle a go. Never used dry yeast for a saison before.

 

[Pennine]

What's your opinion on the Belle Saison? I've just ordered ingredients for my next few brews including a lemon saison and decided to give the Belle a go. Never used dry yeast for a saison before.

its a solid yeast, a bit unassuming like the be134. its more on the fruity side versus the spicy pepperness I get in m29. its an awesome attenuator even when fermenting relatively cold. I have only fermented under 20c with it so I am hoping with the warmth to get both yeasts to express more saison character.

 

[strange-steve]

I normally go a little cooler too, maybe I'll bump this one up a bit then.

 

[Pennine]

after 36+ hours both saisons are happily bubbling away I even dropped the be134 to 14c and it didn't seem to affect the yeast at all. Letting them ramp up now I figure fermentation is almost complete and tomorrow they should hit close to 30c.

 

[Pennine]

a week in both saison's are done and sitting at 1.008, for 5.9% abv, initial tasting belle saison is much fruitier and let's the heavy hops shine, also is definitely more phenolic and peppery and some banana esters. be-134 is much more restrained and the hops are muted, it tastes like a saison with no phenolics.

 

[Pennine]

177 - Red IPA
11l batch - 1.056/1.011 - mash 67c

forgot to post this up last week. i have an excess of columbus and summit in the fridge so i decided to make a simple red ipa. kind of a similar version to this one with a bit lower alcohol Columbus - | BROUWERIJ HET IJ |

2.00 kg​	Hook Head Pale (5.0 EBC)​	75.5 %​
0.50 kg​	BEST Munich (BESTMALZ) (15.0 EBC)​	18.9 %​
0.15 kg​	Caraaroma (Weyermann) (350.7 EBC)​	5.7 %​
8.00 g​	Hallertau Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 45.0 min​	22.7 IBUs​
20.00 g​	Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [15.50 %] - Boil 12.0 min​	28.7 IBUs​
20.00 g​	Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [15.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 min, 90.2 C​	12.4 IBUs​
20.00 g​	Summit [17.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 min, 90.2 C​	13.6 IBUs​
1.0 pkg​	Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml]​	-​

have a brown ale mashing right now will post that one up in a bit. also will be bottling up my german porter that's been sitting in the fermenter for 50 days. it tastes really good right now.

177 - Red IPA Tasting notes, roughly a bit over a month old.

appearance - reddish copper, mostly clear with a bit of chill haze.

aroma - woody resinous, piney and dank with citrus

taste - hoppy resin is quite prominent up front, has a blast of caramel malt and then leads into a dank orange and then cedar woodiness

mouthfeel - quite carbonated and refreshing on the palate which also contradicts the potent piney bitterness that lingers.

overall- not a bad ipa, columbus is definitely a potent hop. i enjoyed the dankness but was a bit surprised with the woodiness, i also had this with a chinook/nugget brew i did a while back. so now i am wondering does the caraaroma give the woodiness? or the hops. its a bitter bomb and old school american ipa. kind of a palate crusher. the malt bill was unassuming but i actually really enjoyed it so would like stick with the recipe but lower the cararoma and lower the columbus a bit and definitely add a dry hop.

 

[Pennine]

brew and bottle day today, bottled three batches today while the brew was going. the two saisons and the oud bruin that has been fermenting for about 6 weeks. interestingly the belle saison finished at 1.004 with a pH of 4.2 and the BE-134 finished at 1.006 with a pH of 4.4. Initial preference is for the BE-134 but both are absolutely solid.

 

[Pennine]

185 - Mosaic Citra Eukanot Azacca Pale Ale
11l batch - 1.062/1.015 - mash 68c

wanted a nice easy drinking fruity ipa. room temps are normal now and i have been really wanting to try out the new england east coast yeast again. ended up getting a little better efficiency, will likely be a 6%er. Tastes spicy hoppy and delicious.

1.25 kg​	Hook Head Pale (5.0 EBC)​	44.0 %​
1.25 kg​	Lager Malt (3.9 EBC)​	44.0 %​
0.10 kg​	Barley, Flaked (3.3 EBC)​	3.5 %​
0.08 kg​	Carabelge (39.4 EBC)​	2.8 %​
0.08 kg​	Carahell (Weyermann) (25.6 EBC)​	2.8 %​
0.08 kg​	Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (118.2 EBC)​	2.8 %​
5.00 g​	Hallertau Magnum [14.00 %] - First Wort 30.0 min​	12.9 IBUs​
20.00 g​	Azacca [15.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min​	13.0 IBUs​
15.00 g​	Citra [12.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min, 90.2 C​	9.7 IBUs​
15.00 g​	Eukanot [14.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min, 90.2 C​	11.3 IBUs​
15.00 g​	Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.25 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min, 90.2 C​	9.9 IBUs​
1.0 pkg​	Lalbrew New England East Coast Ale (Lallemand #-) [23.66 ml]​	-​
20.00 g​	Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days​	0.0 IBUs​
20.00 g​	Eukanot [14.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days​	0.0 IBUs​
15.00 g​	Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.25 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days​	0.0 IBUs​

 

[Pennine]

186 - Hazelwoods Summer Breeze
11l batch - 1.059/1.012 - mash 66c

i like to drink ipa's on a regular basis so doing back to back ipa brew days is never a bad thing. @Hazelwood Brewery 's repeated exposure to his citra/galaxy pale ale has worn off on me over time and figured to give it a shot. i did not have oats or torrified wheat so subbed flaked barley, and my vienna is a bit limited and next weekend i need most of it for a festbier experiment i have planned. to be honest i am not that big of a oat fan as it tastes a bit oily and earthy. looking forward to drinking this one. also i hit a shocking 87% efficiency, even after adding an extra litre of water post boil so this one will be a bit heavier than the 5.2% he posted. im ok with that.

1.50 kg​	Hook Head Pale (5.0 EBC)​	57.1 %​
1.00 kg​	Vienna Malt (Weyermann) (5.9 EBC)​	38.1 %​
0.12 kg​	Barley, Flaked (3.3 EBC)​	4.8 %​
10.00 g​	Hallertau Magnum [14.00 %] - First Wort 30.0 min​	23.9 IBUs​
25.00 g​	Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min​	22.0 IBUs​
25.00 g​	Galaxy [14.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min​	25.7 IBUs​
1.0 pkg​	Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml]​	-​
25.00 g​	Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days​	0.0 IBUs​

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

186 - Hazelwoods Summer Breeze
11l batch - 1.059/1.012 - mash 66c

i like to drink ipa's on a regular basis so doing back to back ipa brew days is never a bad thing. @Hazelwood Brewery 's repeated exposure to his citra/galaxy pale ale has worn off on me over time and figured to give it a shot. i did not have oats or torrified wheat so subbed flaked barley, and my vienna is a bit limited and next weekend i need most of it for a festbier experiment i have planned. to be honest i am not that big of a oat fan as it tastes a bit oily and earthy. looking forward to drinking this one. also i hit a shocking 87% efficiency, even after adding an extra litre of water post boil so this one will be a bit heavier than the 5.2% he posted. im ok with that.

1.50 kg​	Hook Head Pale (5.0 EBC)​	57.1 %​
1.00 kg​	Vienna Malt (Weyermann) (5.9 EBC)​	38.1 %​
0.12 kg​	Barley, Flaked (3.3 EBC)​	4.8 %​
10.00 g​	Hallertau Magnum [14.00 %] - First Wort 30.0 min​	23.9 IBUs​
25.00 g​	Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min​	22.0 IBUs​
25.00 g​	Galaxy [14.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min​	25.7 IBUs​
1.0 pkg​	Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml]​	-​
25.00 g​	Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days​	0.0 IBUs​

Looks good! You’re not doing the 30 min hopstand?

 

[Pennine]

173,174,175 - Mozart Pale Ale, El Dorado Pale Ale & Motueka Pale Ale tasting notes from left to right on the pic below.

starting with Mozart, all are almost 3 months old, very little aroma remaining just some crystal malt and a hint of blueberry and herbs, tastes fruity up front lots of lemon and orange with a nice rich malt. a bit sour on the back end with some berries, with a mild but dank bitterness and then a lot of blueberry and ripe mango. it still reminds me a lot of mosaic. oddly enough this is the only one that cleared over time.

Motueka has a really lovely floral aroma, like fresh lilac and a hint of rose and lavender. its a bit balanced with a nice bready malt. taste wise its more floral and a crackery malt, not fruity at all. bitterness is pretty mild and earthy and lingers for a while. The malts shine more on this one and it's actually a pretty decent beer after its sat for a while.

El Dorado is probably the most carbonated, i had this the first time i brewed with it and i think el dorado is one of those hops that causes significant hop creep. this one smells great, i get cherry candy, almost like when you open a pack of cherry lifesavers. theres a bit of bready malt again like the others but its quite muted and some yeast at the end. taste wise this one is a lot more similar to the mozart, lots of citrus fruit in the inital tastes which fades with some lingering cherry. not a lot of malt flavor on this one as it is the lightest mouthfeel of all and it fades really quickly a bit sour as well. bitterness is very light and almost lemon zest bitter but not nearly as bitter.

i also mixed them all to sample as one, aroma from the mozart is the most prominent, getting more blueberry and herbs than even the standalone one. much more crystal malt and crackers on this one. taste is a weird combo of fruity soap, a lot of flavors that are not meshing very well. the malt actually shines the most though and is a nice doughy bread. still very fruity mostly straight up orange and flowers. its growing on me the more i drink. i think the floral is just not meshing with the fruit. i am going to try mozart and el dorado alone.

mozart and el dorado smells like raw bread dough and herbs, maybe even onions or at least chives and very ripe mango. its tastes very fruity again, this time more ripe strawberries and rasberries. its not bad combined like this much less overwhelming without the motueka.

so out of the three i am having a hard time choosing my favorite. i think i tended to prefer the mozart but also enjoyed the el dorado as a more refreshing version. the floralness of motueka was a little overwhelming for me and was borderline soapy, still super unique though. none of the three were really stand out or could be considered stand alone hops. i am also having a hard time thinking what would combine the best with what. i think el dorado would go well with citra and galaxy, mozart might mesh well with mosaic and columbus and motueka with any of the noble hops, or maybe centennial... although this might be overwhelming floral. i have to admit though i will very likely not use any of the three in the future as there are better hops out there.

super fun experiment will definitely do this again, also note i am an over critical ******* on my own beers too. they are probably better than i am reflecting.

 

[Pennine]

Looks good! You’re not doing the 30 min hopstand?

whoops, i actually read that as a dry hop, not a hop stand. well another slight modification to the masterpiece! I may actually dry hop the whole 50g for the 11l batch.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

whoops, i actually read that as a dry hop, not a hop stand. well another slight modification to the masterpiece! I may actually dry hop the whole 50g for the 11l batch.

There was both a hopstand and a dry hop. I’m sure you’ll end up with something nice whatever!