Brew Day - April 20, 2014

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Farmhouse Session Saison (Hoggetowne Ale works recipe)

Ingredients:
Belgian Pilsner Malt
Vienna Malt
Pale Wheat Malt
Flaked Wheat
--total grain bill 7.75#

Willamette Hops
Styrian Golding Hops
Strisselspalt Hops
Irish Moss

WLP 568 Belgian Yeast Blend yeast

Stats:
OG: 1.040 (estimated); 1.041 (measured)
FG: 1.009 (estimated); 1.008(measured)
ABV: 4.1% (estimated); 4.2% (measured)


Brewing Steps:

• Heated 2.5 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 165 degrees
• Target mash temperature 150; volume at 1.25 quarts/pound
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
• Added water to mash tun first (about 2-3 gallons), then added grains and rest of sparge water
• Initial mash temperature about 139-140
• Heated 1 additional gallon to about 180/185 and added to mash tun
• Temperature rose to 152
• After 60 minutes lautered into bucket (to measure volume)
• Final mash temperature 151
• Heated 5 gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun 
• Original calculation called for 6 gallons of sparge water; only did 5 to account for extra gallon added during initial infusion
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6 gallons
• Added hops according to schedule
• Chilled by putting pot into tub with ice and water (filled about 6-8 inches of tub with water) and wort chiller/pre-chiller to 75 degrees in about 8 minutes
• Pitched yeast and then aerated wort by transferring between brew pot and bucket 6 times
• Pitched yeast straight from bottle; did not do yeast starter (was told that because OG is low don't need starter)
• Poured into fermenting bucket 
• Took 11 minutes post-boil
• Ferment about 2 weeks in primary

Notes:

-Brewed alone; did not aerate wort a lot (maybe transferred 5 times total)

-Little cooler weather today (temperature around 62 degrees); put bucket inside in bathroom for first few days (until weather warms up)

Taste: Not great - not much flavor

Brew Day - April 7, 2014

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Milk Stout (Steve "bearded" Smith recipe)

Ingredients:
0.3# rice hulls (approximate; only size at brew store was 0.5# so guessed)
9# 2-row Pale Malt
0.89# Caramel/Crystal Malt 60L
0.51# Black Malt
0.45# Roasted Barley
0.4# Chocolate Malt
0.31# Barley, flaked
0.31# Oats, flaked
1.13# Lactose (added during boil, 60')
--total grain bill 12.17#

East Kent Goldings hops (0.25 oz, 5%) - 60'
Magnum hops (0.25 oz, 15.2%) - 60'
Irish Moss - 10'


White Labs California Ale Yeast WLP001 via 1.5 L starter

Stats:
OG: 1.064 (estimated); 1.062 (measured)
FG: 1.022 (estimated); 1.024 (measured)
ABV: 5.3% (estimated); 5% (measured)


Brewing Steps:

• Heated 3.8 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 165 degrees
• Target mash temperature 153; volume at 1.25 quarts/pound
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
• Added water to mash tun first (about 2-3 gallons), then added grains and rest of sparge water
• After 60 minutes lautered into bucket (to measure volume)
• Heated 4.8 gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun 
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6 gallons
• Added hops according to schedule
• Chilled by putting pot into tub with ice and water (filled about 6-8 inches of tub with water) and wort chiller/pre-chiller to 75 degrees in about 8 minutes
• Pitched yeast and then aerated wort by transferring between brew pot and bucket 6 times
• Poured into fermenting bucket 
• Put bucket into fridge at 62 degrees (took 13 minutes post-boil)
• Ferment about 2 weeks in primary
• Plan for secondary fermentation for 2 weeks
• Put into secondary on 4/20/14
• Kegged 5/21/14