Collaborrative Experiment- Stone Pale Ale

WHAT WHAT?!?!?

ANOTHER experiment? 

Or, another collaboration?

Whatever...

So a few guys and I are all brewing the same recipe.  The goal is to come together and see what our individual systems and processes create, from the same ingredients.

We took the Stone Pale Ale recipe from BYO magazine in 2008 as our base.  We adjusted to Crystal 80 from Crystal 75 because we don't have access to 75 locally. 

We also agreed that the goal is to hit the NUMBERS on our system.  For example, if I have a 92% efficiency in my mash tun, I would reduce the starting ingredients to reach the outlined OG.

Also, the yeast is variable.  We are all supposed o use English Ale yeast per the recipe, but since some people use liquid and some use dry, that will be a variable.

Here is my recipe:

8.5 lb 2-row
1.25 lb C-60
.25 lb C-80
.75 oz Magnum 14% AA, 90 min
1.0 oz Ahtanum 5.7% AA, 15 min
156 deg mash temp
90 minute boil
Batch Sparge (that's new for me)
Windsor yeast

I had my grains crushed at the LHBS which I usually don't, and I paid the price.  Missed my target gravity by 2 points, 1.054 rather than the target of 1.056

I don't think any of the other guys have brewed yet, and the original goal was to have our beers all entered into the ASH Oktoberfest competition and see what the judges had to say about them.  Looks like it might just be mine.

Fun times!

Az Hops!

---MIND. BLOWN---

WOAH! There is a winery south of Tucson who is growing hops!  In Arizona!  I'm SOOOO excited!

Good reason for a road trip if I ever saw one.  Visit a couple of breweries or a beer bar in Tucson, hit the hop yards, and head home.  THAT is living!

They even have a homebrew club called "The Buffalo Club".  Apparently the name is in homage to an old west drinking game.  Everything in southern Arizona is because of something "Old West"y

"We have decided to honor Buffalo in our tasting room. What is Buffalo?  Only a life-saving, drinking game from the old west that is a life time commitment. You are only allowed to drink with your non-gun-shooting hand  (or your non-writing hand). If anyone catches you then they call “Buffalo!” and then you have to finish whatever is in your glass."

I am now dedicating my life to drinking with my left hand.

Cheers! 

Ooh! Exciting Tingz!

We have a little facebook group of people who brew here in the Easy Valley.

My friend Bryan did a homebrew trade between some of us and some homebrewers in Nebraska.

In this little exchange, we discovered that their Homebrew Club has a tradition of doing a "12 days of Christmas" series, where each person has a day of the song, then brews to whatever they interpret that to mean!

We'll each end up with the entire series of beers, have a trading party, and also send an entire series to send to the Nebraska fellas.  Fun, right?

I kicked off the challenge, and people are excited to do it!

So here is the placeholder for the brews and the people RESPONSIBLE for having them BOTTLED by DECEMBER 1ST for sharing.

Bottles will be 12 oz, 22 oz bombers, or 750 ml bottles.  Or liter flip-tops. Because DAMN!  That would be Bad ASS! But... I'd expect bombers from most participants. I mean, if it's a 15% Super Imperial Stout... maybe a 12oz would be appropriate

UPDATE: since we have 24 people in on this, it looks like the bottles should be 12 oz so 5 gallon batches can be shared without emptying the entire stock

Also, the bottles must be labeled. Not just a number, an actual label.  The best label gets... a prize. Like maybe a Tee Shirt or something. I have a bag I'm giving to Goodwill anyways.

Yes, this is the first time they have heard the deadline.

Welcome, kiddos!

SPREADSHEET!

Bonus Videos:

Stuck Sparge

So for several of my last batches, I have wrestled with a stuck mash (stuck sparge? What is the difference?)

I have had such good luck with my manifold to this point, I have a hard time believing the equipment on that side is th problem.  Possibly the grain mill?  Too fine a crush?

I have had relatively "sticky" ingredients, but I'm still surprised. Two lbs of rye malt in a 13 lb grain bill, with half a pound of rice hulls should be good, no?  Well, apparently not. 

So, children, beware of the stuck mash and be liberal with the rice hulls.  Watch that crush.

It does, however, remind me of one thing that I love about homebrewing- Problem Solving. 

What do you do when you have a stuck mash?  I used a small pitcher and scooped everything out of the mash tun into a big pot, then added rice hulls, then re-assembled the manifold and made sure that the holes were not blocked.  Added them all back in, and it worked.

Better.

Not "right" though.

But the thrill of working the solution through on site and in my head, in real time, is pretty freaking fun.

MY GOD! THE PRESSURE!

OK, so I have several projects working.

Today I brewed with my friend Bryan, to share with another friend, to share with Nebraska brewers, and just to do his first all-grain.

Bonnie is brewing a batch next week for Queen of Brews comp

Tim and Deb are getting real and making it legal, so a celebration brew for them

A friend's birthday, who I want to brew a special beer for.

Oktoberfest is imminent. Need to brew something for that.

The homebrewing classes are a series of 3 beers, a week apart each.

So- I have a super busy fermentation schedule, listed here:
HERE! CLICKY CLICKY HERE!

(Also, don't forget... that also means bottling each batch... Every time I think I have all the bottles I could possibly need, I need more...)