Hop Head Fireman Red

Quick post on a beer I did a few weeks back. My buddy Aaron needed a beer for his Firefighter graduation party in May. I planned on making one as a test, then making his later on, but I ended up having other plans for summer beers, and didn't get around to making a second - or even putting this one on tap. It's sitting in a secondary smelling and tasting awesome.
The recipe is actually a "West Coast" Amber Ale from Jamil's book, tweaked a bit, but pretty similar. Here's the lowdown:

Hop Head Fireman Red

Fermentables
8.15 lb. British Pale
.67 lb. Crystal 40
.67 lb. Munich
.33 lb. Crystal 90
.33 lb. Victory
.13 lb. Chocolate

Hops
1 oz. Magnum - 60 min.
1 oz. Cascade - 10 min.
1 oz. Centennial - 10 min.
1 oz. Cascade - 0 min.
1 oz. Centennial - 0 min.

Yeast
US-05 - SafAle

OG: 1.051
FG: 1.007
ABV: 5.8%

Again, tastes awesome. I'm planning on kegging it a week or so before I hand it over, and pulling a couple pints off it, so at least I get to taste some of it before it's consumed in a few hours by a pile of Toledo Firefighters.. Ah well, at least it's going to a good cause.

Why don't you just make a regular beer dude?! - DRB American Lager

I get this question every so often from friends who really aren't huge craft beer fans. Not very often, because most of my friends are pretty open minded and are willing to try anything. But, you get a few that just want a straight up "beer"... Since I now have a temperature controlled lager freezer (I'll do a post on it at some point soon).., I can now ferment at any temperature I need to. I decided to do an American Lager just about the time the Maibock was finishing up. This beer is pretty much your basic beer, I hate to say it, but, well, like a Budweiser.
Now, before you think it's going to taste or even be comparable to a Bud, let me explain how I "DRB'd" it.. :)

The recipe is pretty much a 2-row and corn flake based beer, with a lager yeast. I ended up making the beer just a little bit bigger than your basic "beer".. I'm shooting for around a high 6%. Definitely not your off the shelf beer, but it should have a real neutral flavor to it. Maybe I should call this an "Imperial Bud?!" .. Anyhow, here's the recipe:

American Lager

Fermentables:
11.60 lb US 2-Row Malt
1.00 lb US Flaked Corn/Maize

Hops:
1 oz. Magnum 12.1 % - 60 min. (90 minute mash, 90 minute boil)

Yeast: WLP840 - American Lager

OG: 1.068
FG: 1.009
ABV: 7.9%

- A little high for an American Lager, but it tastes pretty good. In the lager freezer it went tonight (in a secondary carboy) where it will sit for a month. I'll keg it and let that settle for a while before tapping. I would have kegged it right away, but I'm out of kegs... a great problem to have! :)

*Edit to add: I kegged this beer finally (May 6, 2010) and am amazed at how clear it is. It's looking like a coors light or something like that. Very light, and no real noticeable off tastes. I was afraid there would be a corn taste, but its really very basic and will be a dangerous one with it being so high. The gravity dropped a bit more since lagering. Very good, I'll be enjoying a pint of it tonight.

Belgian Pale Ale 2010

I made a Belgian Pale Ale last year and really loved it. It's basically a Pilsner grain based beer, lightly hopped, with a nice Belgian yeast flavor to it. I put together a different recipe this year. I think I do like last years better, but wow this is good. A pretty well balanced beer with just the right amount of hops and that familiar Belgian sweet fruity taste to it that I love so much this time of year. I ended up saving the yeast from this, and will be using it again to possibly make the same beer or make a variation of the same recipe.

Belgian Pale Ale 2010
Fermentables
11.20 lb German Pilsner Malt
0.75 lb US Caramel Munich 60L Malt
0.25 lb Belgian Biscuit Malt

Hops
1.33 oz. - Kent Golding 4.5% - 60 min
.30 oz. - Kent Golding 4.5% - 0 min (turn off)

Yeast
Wyeast 3255 Belgian Ardennes

OG: 1.068
FG: 1.009
ABV: 7.9%

Again, I can't say enough about this beer. Love it. I have a feeling this beer will go pretty quick, though I'm going to try to pace myself with it. The DRB is a bit low on beers right now, so this one has to last a little while!!

DRB Scottish Export 80/-

I really try to blog my beers before they are gone, but this one was kind of a surprising exception. I made this beer, along with the West Coast Stout for St. Pat's day. The last 3 St. Pats days, I made a Scottish, an Amber and a Red.. I decided this year I'd go back to a Scottish Ale, only this would be my first all grain.. (yes, I understand Scottish Ale's aren't exactly St. Pat style beers.. but come on, it's kind of close!)...

After this beer was finished, I was a bit disappointed. I tasted the West Coast Stout first, and really enjoyed the big hop presence it had. Then, tasting the Scottish Ale, it was a real big malt bomb.

Come the Sunday before St. Pats, after the Detroit Parade, some friends stopped by and guess what beer went first? Within a few hours, 5 gallons of the Scottish Ale had disappeared. Rave reviews! I think I'll be making this one again next year.

Scottish Export 80/-

Fermentables
9.50 lb UK Pale Ale Malt
0.75 lb US Caramel 40L Malt
0.50 lb US Munich 10L Malt
0.50 lb Canadian Honey Malt (Gambrinus)
0.50 lb German Wheat Malt
0.25 lb US Caramel 90L Malt
0.19 lb US Chocolate Malt

Hops
1.3 oz. Kent Golding - 60 min.

Yeast - SafAle05 (dry)

OG: 1.055
FG: 1.009
ABV: 6.1%

Oh yeah, and the picture of the dogs? Who knows. I was downtown Detroit after running a 5k and visiting Slows BBQ for a pint or two, and thought the dogs were picture worth.

Maibock 2010

Did a Maibock on Friday (02.26.10). Check out the crazy fermentation in this.



18 lb. Pilsner, 8 lb. Munich. 1 oz. Magnum @ 60 min. 90 min. boil. Yeast: WLP 833. Ferment for at least 4 weeks. Diacetyl rest for a couple of days, then into the lager for a month. Hope to be tapping this one around May 1st.

Starkbier - Dopplebock Lager

I decided over the winter to give a try at my second lager. I'm pretty inexperienced with them, but have slowly been learning how to properly lager. I decided on a dopplebock, partially due to the ingredients I had on hand back in January when I brewed this. I am not even sure where I got the recipe, I know I fudged a lot of it.. I thought the 1/2 lb. of chocolate grains was too much after brewing - it actually turned out to be pretty damn good.
I thought I would call this Starkbier, based on the post lent happenings in Germany right now (that I only learned about this year). After the long winter, Germans will make Starkbier (strong beer). This Starkbier is a stronger bock (Dopplebock) and is served at the Starkbierzeit events in Munich. This is becoming one of Germany's bigger festivals, as it's not over run by tourists like the Oktoberfest has become.

Stakrbier - Dopplebock Lager (I'll probably rename it once it goes on tap)

Fermentables
6.00 lb German Munich Malt
4.00 lb German Pilsner Malt
4.00 lb US Caramel Munich 60L Malt
0.50 lb US Chocolate Malt
0.25 lb US Caramel 120L Malt

Hops
1.00 oz US Willamette 4.5 % - 60 mins.
1.00 oz US Willamette 4.5 % - 30 Min

Yeast
DCL W-34/70 Saflager

OG: 1.076 SG
FG: 1.023 SG
ABV: 7.1%

I fermented this for over a month, and did a 2 day diasetyl rest at around 64 degrees. I kegged it and will be lagering at 34 degrees for 30 days, maybe longer. They say the higher the ABV the longer to lager. I did taste it between transitions and it came out pretty awesome. I grabbed some commercial examples this weekend, and I may have hit mine a bit richer with more chocolate and caramel tones, but I came pretty close. Can't wait to try this one when it's finished!

West Coast Stout

Since I started brewing, I have been doing a stout every January to put on tap for St. Patrick's Day. Last year I did a Milk Stout (sweet). The year before I did an Oatmeal Stout. This year, since I've been blessed with a mother load of hops at a cheap price (hopsdirect.com), I decided to make a hoppier version of a stout - an American Stout.
Several years ago, I was sitting in Fort Wayne Indiana at Mad Anthony brew pub, drinking a hoppy stout they called "West Coast Stout." I was loving the beer and always thought it would be great to brew something similar. After researching a bit, I found there isn't an exact "West Coast" specific recipe; most refer to anything with more hops as "West Coast," since apparently, the west coast of the US is hoppier than Michigan. Hmm.. Anyhow, it's basically an American Stout. There really isn't a huge hop addition, just a bitter and some Centennial at the end. Anyhow, here's the recipe (mainly from Jamil/Palmer, tweaked a bit - as most all my recipes are!):

Dayton Road Brewing West Coast Stout

Fermentables:
US 2-Row Malt 11.50 lb
UK Black Malt 0.69 lb
UK Chocolate Malt 0.50 lb
US Caramel 40L Malt 0.50 lb
UK Wheat Malt 0.50 lb (head retention)

Hops
S Magnum 12.1 % 1.50 oz - 60 Min From End
US Centennial 8.7 % 1.00 oz - 5 Min From End

Yeast
SafAle US-05 (Starter)

OG: 1.060
ABV: 6.9% - tasted it while testing the gravity and WOW. Tastes awesome!


Brew session went pretty well. I was brewing another batch at the same time, and made a yeast starter for both of them. This Stout took off fermenting in about 5 hours. I plan to rack it to a secondary after a couple of weeks and tap it closer to St. Pat's day. I'll post back how it is.. I'm really looking forward to a pint of this beer. :)